Our Volunteer Board
The volunteer board provides the governance structure to lead and direct the Black Loyalist Heritage Society in its planning and operations of the Birchtown Historical Site. The Board of Directors are comprised of individuals who have an interest in the Society’s objectives, actively celebrate the survival and determination of our ancestors and believe in the promotion for universal recognition of the ancestry of the Black Loyalists as a nascent Canadian heritage community, having been among the earliest original settlers of Canada.
Officers and directors are elected annually from the membership. The active directors are:
| PRESIDENT, ELIZABETH CROMWELL, BIRCHTOWN |
A founding member of the Society, Mrs. Cromwell has witnessed many honours over the years. In 1998, Volunteer Nova Scotia named her its Multicultural Volunteer of the Year. In 2000, Elizabeth received the National Volunteer Award from Flare Magazine. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Hilary M. Weston, presented her with this award. Elizabeth was a member of the Board of Directors of the former Black United Front from 1989 to 1993. She served as a regional representative for Shelburne County on the Board of the Black Cultural Society of NS from 1992 to 1994. She was honoured in 1997 for her service with induction to the Dr. W. P. Oliver Wall of Fame at the Black Cultural Centre. Elizabeth also received the Nova Scotia Provincial Volunteer Award during Volunteer Week as the Multicultural Volunteer of the Year in 1998. |
| VICE PRESIDENT, BARBARA FALK, BIRCHTOWN |
 Mrs. Falk has been involved with the Black Loyalist Heritage Society since 1995. She began as a volunteer assisting the office administration in various ways of running an office efficiently, greeting & dealing with the public, and the use of various office machines. In 1996, she was hired as the business manager, working with the secretary, assisting with typing, filing, copying, note taking, etc. From 2002-2004 Barb was the assistant Registrar, helping with the Black Loyalist Registry data entry, assisted with oral presentations, attended meetings, etc. After retirement, Barb is still active as a member of the Finance, Executive & Fund-raising Committees. Barb is past Vice President (2007-2008) of the BLHS and is currently the board Treasurer / Secretary (2010). Barb also participated in the BLHS historical re-enactments as she portrayed the beloved griot. |
| TREASURER, HANK FALK, BIRCHTOWN |
 Mr. Falk has been active in obtaining grants for the Black Loyalist Heritage Society. Hank is past treasurer (2004-2008) and current Vice President (2009) of the BLHS. Hank also serves on the Executive & Finance Committee of the BLHS. Hank also does catering for the BLHS when called upon to do so. Hank also serves as President of the Birchtown Community Centre, a position which he has held for 15 years. The Birchtown Community Centre is an organization that provides community events including cards, cribbage, breakfasts and bingo. Hank is also head of the kitchen at the Birchtown Community Centre and does many catering jobs. |
| 2nd VICE PRESIDENT, STANLEY JACKLIN, SHELBURNE |
| SECRETARY, ELIZABETH RHULAND, SHELBURNE |
 Ms. Rhuland, now semi-retired, has held various positions throughout her career including assistant branch manager of Royal Bank; assisting with the operations of the Shelburne Barrel Factory; office administrative experiences; economic development within the county including waterfront development, restoration of heritage buildings and tourism coordination; and managed and operated Coastal Peoples Learning Network – a company that provided educational experiences in several locations along the South Shore of NS. She currently serves as a Councilor for the Town of Shelburne and has served on the board of directors of the South Shore Tourism Association and Discover Shelburne County Tourism Association. She joined the BLHS Board of Directors in 2010. |
| DIRECTOR, DOLORES ATWOOD, SHELBURNE |
 Dolores Atwood was born in Ondo State Nigeria in 1969. She studied a bachelor’s in International Relations at Oba Femi Awolowo Federal University (OAU) from 1989 to 1993 and was the Vice President of the International Relations Student Association at OAU. She Immigrated to Canada in 1995. From 1996 to 1998, Dolores was employed with the Government of Thailand as a community development coordinator. While in this position, she played a leading role in obtaining domestic and international funds to assist in the establishment of a childcare and women’s development center in the Province of Phrae. After returning to Canada in 1998, Dolores served as the Nova Scotia representative on the CUSO (Canadian University Services Overseas) Atlantic Council.
Dolores is an active and hard working community leader with a strong commitment to community development. Since coming to Yarmouth in 1999, Dolores has served the community by sitting on the Town & Municipal Joint Heritage and Yarmouth Municipal Planning Advisory Committees. She has served as the President of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Yarmouth and Nova Scotia and is actively involved with the local Women’s networking group. She has served as the Vice President of the Yarmouth Arts Regional Center (Th’ YARC) and has been a volunteer committee member on the South West Nova Immigration Initiatives Committee and has been an active member of the Yarmouth Farmers Market Association. She is also a Board member of the Cancer Society of Canada, Tri-County Housing Authority and Black Employment Resource Centre. She is also an active member and contributor within the local Toast Masters Organization in Yarmouth. Dolores as an entrepreneurial owned and operated a very successful jewelry retail business while she was studying at University. In this business she developed good relationship s with jewelry wholesalers in Lagos and sold her products up country to fashion trendy students and expatriates. Since moving to Yarmouth. Dolores is a mother of 3 school age children and has worked as a teacher’s aid at the Port Maitland Elementary School. She has been a Board member of Parents Place and was involved with the Meadow Fields Home and School Association until 2006. In 2004 Dolores’ concerns over the challenges and issues facing local schools prompted her to run for a position on the Tri-County School Board. Dolores ran for a seat on the Yarmouth Municipal Council in 2008. In 2006 Dolores won the Yarmouth Liberal Party nomination and ran for MLA in the June 2006 provincial election. Dolores believes that Yarmouth’s strength is its people and their resilience and determination to progress. Dolores has proven her commitment and desire to work and serve her community and has shown, time and time again leadership and vision. |
| DIRECTOR, JULIANNE BRUCE, SHELBURNE |
Mrs. Bruce of Shelburne is a founding member of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society. She is a member of the BLHS Fund-raising Committee and a Society Director.
|
| DIRECTOR, EVERETT CROMWELL, BIRCHTOWN |
 Mr. Cromwell of Birchtown, formally of Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia is a Founding Member of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society. He has remained involved in developing the heritage site at Birchtown and helping to document the path of the Black Loyalist Settlers. Mr. Cromwell is a retired member of the Canadian Army. He spent time overseas during World War II. Mr. Cromwell was one of four brothers who served in the European theatre. Everett left New Glasgow on December 23, 1941 and became part of the Normandy Invasion, one of the remarkable historical events of the war. As the only Black member of the 2nd Division, his journey would quickly take him through France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Mr. Cromwell stayed on in Europe as part of the victorious occupation force and was the last of the four brothers to return to Canada. |
| DIRECTOR, SHEILA HARTLEY-SCOTT, SHELBURNE |
Mrs. Hartley-Scott was born and raised in Shelburne. She has worked at Roseway Hospital for 29 years and is currently an Environmental Services Team Leader. She has also been extremely involved in the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch # 63 for over fifteen years, serving on various occasions as Treasurer and Vice President. Sheila has been involved with the BLHS since the mid 1990′s and has held the office of President (2002-2003), Vice President and chair of the Finance Committee. She currently serves as a director on the BLHS Finance & Executive Committees. |
| DIRECTOR, DARLENE LAWRENCE, DIGBY, NS |
 Darlene Lawrence has been employed with the Digby County Family Resource Centre for 18 years as the Executive Director. This position involves the development of funding proposals, business plans, performance frameworks, and supervision of staff, staff evaluation, overseeing of budgets and the overall management of the organisation. She has been involved with various organisations and agencies as a volunteer. Ms. Lawrence was the former Chairperson of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council On the Status of Women, Board Member of the District Health Authority, Chairperson of the Black Employment Partnership Committee, Founding Member of the Women for Economic Equality, Board Member of Digby County Community Futures (an economic development committee), Board Member of Digby-Clare Community Business Development Centre. Her past employment has included: a Counsellor for a transition house for abused women, Instructor for developing and implementing behavioural modification programs for adults with a multitude of diagnosis, Instructor employed by Universite St. Anne to developed and implement a career exploration course for displaced fishery workers. Presently Ms. Lawrence is Chairperson of the Conway Workshop Association (which provides housing, training, and employment for adults with developmental delays). She is Co-Chairperson of the Accountability Committee (this is a committee comprised of the Digby Black Community and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to address long standing issues between the Black community and the RCMP. This committee was developed as the result of the Dr. Raymond Winbush Report). Ms. Lawrence is currently the Chairperson of the Digby Education Committee (a committee for Black parents, which addresses the educational needs of Black learners). Ms. Lawrence is a member of the Racial and Visible Minority Advisory Provincial Committee to the CEO Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Ms. Lawrence joined the Board of Directors of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society in 2011. |
| DIRECTOR, SALLY NICKERSON, BARRINGTON PASSAGE |
|
Since 2009, Ms. Nickerson has held the position of President of the Barrington Township Museum Association. She is a writer, amateur genealogist and a strong activist for rights, freedom and humanity. She joined the BLHS Board of Directors in 2010. |
| DIRECTOR, CORRINE SPARKS, HALIFAX: |
|
Another educational goal was achieved in 2001 when Judge Sparks successfully completed her LL. M. from Dalhousie Law School. Her graduate studies culminated with a thesis which explored the topic of reparations, and its relation to the relocation of Africville – an African Nova Scotian community which, regretfully, was demolished in 1969, in the city of Halifax, in the name of urban renewal. Raised in one of several racially segregated communities, in the Province of Nova Scotia, her early public school education was the result of attendance at a segregated grade school. Prior to her appointment to the Bench, Judge Sparks was self-employed in a small law firm for several years, where she practiced law in a variety of areas ranging from real estate law to family law. During this time, she served on numerous volunteer boards ranging from the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children to the Canadian Mental Health Association. She presently presides in Truro, Shubenacadie, Windsor and Kentville Family Courts where she adjudicates family law matters involving custody, child protection, access, and child and spousal support. Throughout her career, she has actively fostered and facilitated judicial education, and has both developed educational programs as well as lectured, primarily, in the area of social context judicial education. For several years, as part of the new judges training program offered by the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges, she has lectured in the area of gender and racial discrimination and the courts. Internationally, Judge Sparks has been honored to work with the Commonwealth Judicial Education Center; generally, in the promotion of judicial education throughout the commonwealth and more specifically as a lecturer from time to time. Highlights of her judicial career include:
Judge Sparks is the eldest of nine offspring born to parents, Helen and Spencer Sparks, whose heritage dates back to the arrival of the Black Loyalists and Black Refugees, as early settlers in the Province of Nova Scotia, in 1783. Her hobbies include gardening, music, reading and traveling. |
| DIRECTOR, MARJORIE TURNER-BAILEY, LOCKEPORT |
 Born in Lockeport, Nova Scotia, on November 21st, 1947, Marjorie attended school in Lockeport. The Turners were one of the only Black families in the town. Marjorie soon proved that her colour was not the only thing that made her stand out. In 1964, Marjorie and her sisters were basketball stars when they ledLockeportHigh Schoolto the provincial championship title. She also played on the soccer team. These accomplishments were soon overshadowed, when she was asked to present Lockeport at the 1964 Mount Allison Relays. She won all the running events and all the field events and brought back the team trophy for Lockeport. She was the only Lockeport student entered.That year at the Olympic trials inSt. Lambert, Marjorie placed second. She was running the 220 yards in 24.7 seconds, the 100 yards in 11.1 seconds and the 100 meters in 12 seconds. Amazing, when Lockeport didn’t even have a track or an Olympic coach. Marjorie established four Canadian records, including 11.1 seconds for the 100 meter and 23.06 seconds for the 200 meter.She moved toWinnipegin 1966 and received her license in Practical Nursing at theInstituteofTechnology. While living inWinnipeg, Marjorie married Owald Bailey and had one son, Anthony (Tony). Injuries and lack of financial support plagued Marjorie and kept her from competing in both the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics, although she qualified for all three.In 1974, after a year retirement she burst onto the Canadian sport scene again. In a five year period she ran relays in Denmark, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, East andWest Germany, Switzerland, Rumania, Poland andYugoslavia. She won medals in the Pam-Am and Commonwealth games and she finally made her Olympic appearance in 1976 inMontreal.
At the Olympics in 1976, Marjorie was Canada’s premier female sprinter. She qualified at the Olympic trials for the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 and as an alternate in the 4 x 400 events. She won no medals, but made the semi-finals in both the 100 and 200. She ran the anchor leg of the 4 x 100 fast enough to pull the team from a 6th place to a 4th place finish. Taking into account her flying start in the anchor’s position of the relay, Marjorie’s time was 10.8 seconds! Marjorie was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1984; she was inducted in the Dalhousie University Black and Gold Wall of Fame in 1985. In 1999, the Black Loyalist Heritage Society created the “Marjorie Turner Bailey Award” in her honour. The award was created to recognize the accomplishments of people from the indigenous Nova Scotian Black Community or of Black Loyalist descent. These people must have overcome either racial, economic and/or physical barriers to achieve success. Their successes have promoted and enhanced the Black experience and have provided encouragement, inspiration and pride for those around them – certainly something Ms. Marjorie Turner Bailey has accomplished! In 2000, Marjorie was added to the list of names who appear on the Wall of Honour at the Black Cultural Society of Nova Scotia. Marjorie Turner is a descendant of the original Black Loyalists. She returned to live in Lockeport where she worked at Surf Lodge Nursing Home as a Licensed Practical Nurse until her retirement in September 2012. |
The Black Loyalist Heritage Society is committed to discovering, interpreting, safeguarding, and promoting the history and heritage of the Black Loyalists.
