Longtime employee remembered for dedication to Recreaplex

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One of the longest serving employees of Dalhousie’s Recreaplex was remembered for his dedication to the town Sunday afternoon.

Hal Nichol of nearby Charlo was an employee of the former town of Dalhousie before the Recreaplex was even built. He died on April 8 at the age of 64 after a brief fight with cancer.

Friends, family and community leaders packed the Archibald Room on Sunday to pay tribute to his dedication to the facility, where he worked for more than three decades.

While recreation manager Pascal Saulier has only been in the post for less than a year, he said Nichol’s commitment to the town’s largest recreational facility will be missed.

“He leaves an enduring mark on us not only here at the Recreaplex but in our community,” said Saulnier. “This was his second home where, even after being faced with his health issues, one of his main concerns was the well-being of the Recreaplex and our patrons.”

Nichol was part of the original group that worked to bring the Recreaplex dream to reality. He worked there from the day it opened on Dec. 23, 1988, until earlier this winter when he had to stop following a cancer diagnosis.

“What can you say about Hal,” said Mayor Normand Pelletier, a longtime friend. “As you can see from the turnout here, you can tell what kind of impact he made, not only on this facility and the people who use it but also on the people in Dalhousie and Charlo and all over the county.”

Co-worker and friend Dora Landry said Nichol was one of a kind.

“He was quite the storyteller and jokester – we all know that, but what some people might not know is how much he cared about every little thing that went on here,” she said. “I don’t think there’s a person out there who knew him didn’t love him but I know that if he was here today he’d say ‘what’s the big fuss.’”