By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
As a member of the Holy Name Knights of Columbus (Council 3305), Training Officer with St. John’s Ambulance, member of Community Living Essex County’s Ruthven Apple Fest Steering Committee, Chief Counsellor for the Columbus Squires, and a retired Captain with Essex Fire & Rescue, Tom Bonneau has been a long-time, multi-faceted volunteer in the community.
One of his roles over the years has been as the Knights of Columbus rep on the Essex Citizen of the Year Committee, going over nominations from the community for the annual recognition program, and hosting the fall-based banquet with his quirky jokes and sense of humour.
Since he has resigned from the Citizen of the Year Committee, and because he has been nominated for the award a couple of times over the years, the Citizen of the Year Committee decided now would be a great time to bestow this honour onto Bonneau.
“I’m very humbled to be honoured this way,” Bonneau said after Citizen of the Year Committee Chairperson, Morely Bowman, made the announcement on Saturday evening, before Essex Fun Fest main stage entertainment with Aaron Pritchett began.
Bowman called Bonneau a “true person, who has given his life to the community.”
Adding, “it is a well-deserved recognition.”
Bonneau is a life-long member of Holy Name of Jesus Church. His contributions to the church community started when he joined the Columbian Squires, where he was an active member and volunteered his time in a wide-variety of projects during his eight-years as a member.
When he aged out of Squires, he joined the Knights of Columbus as a member in 1989, where he held many executive positions. Over his 35-years of service, he held a variety of executive positions, including Grand Knight, District Deputy, and Faithful Navigator. He also spent a number of years as the Chief Counsellor of the Alex Chevrier Squires Circle.
Over the years, he has organized and overseen many events and programs for the Knights, Squires, and the greater community.
His involvement with St. John Ambulance goes back to when he was in high school. When he was appointed Training Officer, he was responsible for the ongoing training of all of the volunteers who provided first aid coverage at public and private events. He was also a first aid and CPR instructor for many years.
Bonneau joined Essex Fire & Rescue in 1990, where he was not only dedicated to ongoing life-saving training and responding to calls for service, he also helped organize the Essex Firemen’s Association convention when it was held in Essex. He retired from this service in 2023 as a Captain, a role he took on in 2000.
“Tom truly believes in honouring those who give of their time without ever asking for recognition in return,” his nomination letter outlines.
Bonneau continues to work as a Funeral Director with Reid’s Funeral Home.
Having been a part of the selection process in the past, and knowing the calibre of the candidates honoured before him, Bonneau said he does not feel he holds a candle to the dedication they committed to the community.
“I am not one to take the spotlight for anything I do. I do it because I want to,” he said. I do it to help out the community and the people in the community. I don’t do it for the accolades.”
The annual Citizen of the Year banquet has been hosted as a fundraiser for Heritage Essex, which operates the historic Essex Railway Station, since 1978. This year’s banquet will take place at the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201) on October 25.
Heritage Essex teams up to organize the Citizen of the Year program with the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201), the Rotary Club of Essex, and the Essex Knights of Columbus Holy Name Council (3305).
A representative of each of the organizations form the Essex Citizen of the Year Committee, which plans the annual program. It also puts a call out to the community in late spring for nominations, then selects the winner.
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