Important People

Steve Connolly

Vice President

My wife Anne and I moved from the GTA to Buckhorn in the spring of 2013. We vacationed in the area with our three children for over 25 years, so Buckhorn had already become our second home. We started volunteering at the BCC and the BDTA soon after we arrived permanently and met so many great people. In July 2019, we wound down our business which focused on distributing educational resources, and fully retired. This allowed us more time to volunteer. In addition to volunteering at BCC events and serving on the board, I am also part of the BCC Building, Finance and Strategic Planning Committees and I currently Chair the Smith-Ennismore Police Service Board.

Chris Rollo

Director

This leg of our “Buckhorn Adventure” started in 2015 when my husband and I permanently moved to the area June 2015. I was familiar with the area because of much time spent since the sixties at a family cottage on Little Bald Lake. We feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of our country. The vibrant BCC enhances the experience of living in this area and I feel grateful for the opportunity to participate in the programs at the BCC and the ability to volunteer at the BCC. I retired after 43 amazing years working in education in June 2013. During my career I had many experiences and opportunities which enriched my experience and enhanced my life. I was a classroom teacher and support staff in both elementary and secondary settings and on a reservation in northern Ontario. l worked in settings with students in care, custody and treatment, provided teacher training, and finally ended my career as a secondary administrator. Moving forward, I am excited about the opportunity to use the skills I developed over the course of my professional life to contribute to and support the important community work at the Buckhorn Community Centre.

Gerry Bleau

Director

I have been a cottager for 25 years and a full time resident for 3 years. My wife Connie and I live on Deer Bay (Lower Buckhorn). We have 3 lovely granddaughters aged 3, 5, and 7 who visit us often. Currently retired after having worked 35+ years in the software industry. I grew up in Montreal and have lived and worked in Toronto, Edmonton, Denver, Atlanta and Chicago. I have an MBA and a B. Comm degree. I am on the Board of Community Care and also the Finance Committee.  I am also a Community Care Buckhorn Volunteer and President of the Pearson Lane Cottage Association. My wife and I are also volunteers for the Buckhorn Public School Breakfast Program.

Molly Kriksic

Director

My husband and I purchased a beautiful home on Little Bald Lake and have made a permanent move to Buckhorn. We fell in love with the beauty and the sense of belonging that the community offers. Our big move was from Guelph where we raised 3 children. My background has always been either working or volunteering in the charitable, not-for-profit sector with a passion for children and youth with special needs. I’ve sat on both sides of the funding table – applying for funds from various sources and reviewing grants. Looking forward to meeting wonderful new people in our new home town.

Valerie McCoy

Director

Our love of Buckhorn began in 2020 when Covid accelerated plans of rural living for my husband Rick and I. We had “lived to work” in the GTA for over twenty years and escaped north whenever possible. Four years later a balancing act is in process – of leisure here and work in Markham. My last work chapter was the 2018 founding of a Canadian corporation for a global company – and presently the management of that growing business. As a long career winds down – thoughts turn to further integration in the community. Volunteering at BCC is a perfect fit for both personal interest and an opportunity to contribute with experience gained operating a for-profit business. The greatest insight I gained is that no organization thrives without the right team of committed people working together to provide value to customers. BCC obviously is providing their patrons valuable services. I’m honoured to continue this important work and be a part of BCC’s future success serving our wonderful community.

Allister Young

Director

My wife Maureen and I moved from the Niagara region and became fulltime residents of Buckhorn in January 2020 upon our retirement. The property we now call home, on Lower Buckhorn Lake, has been our cottage since 2003. For 38 years I was a Professor in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business; I hold graduate degrees in accounting and law as well as the professional designation of FCPA. Now a retiree and fulltime Buckhorn resident, I volunteer at Community Care, Lions Club, and the Buckhorn Public School Breakfast Program. At the BCC I have volunteered my time at dinner theatre, the Festival of Art and summer cruise nights. Volunteers are the heart and soul of this community and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful organization that enriches our daily lives.

Teri McIntosh

Director

I met my husband Dave while tagging along on a ski trip with my brother and his work buddies. We have three children (Brian, Paul and Daniel) and now have 3 grandsons (Tristan, Ethan and Benjamin) as well. I grew up in beautiful Guildwood Village in the east end of a Toronto and moved back there with Dave after we had been married for a few years. In 2013 we decided to sell our cottage near Bancroft and find a home on a lake a little closer to Toronto.
Luckily for us we discovered beautiful Buckhorn. We made the move from Toronto in July of 2014 and have been very happy with that decision. I continued to work as a District Manager for H & R Block for the first year that we lived here but decided to retire in the fall of 2015. The people in Buckhorn as well as the sense of community have been very welcoming. Choosing Buckhorn to retire in was the best decision we could have made. Our children always comment on how busy we are now and are happy that we are enjoying our retirement in such a wonderful place.

Peter Raymond

Director

My family and I bought property in Oak Shores area in 1981 as cottagers and became permanent residents in 1990. It was very much a quality-of-life decision, for our son to grow up in a Safe & more Natural Environment. We are blessed with two wonderful twin grand-daughters. Over the years, both my wife and I have been engaged in many community activities. Brief sample: Scout Leader, Beautiful Buckhorn Task Force – geraniums in Buckhorn & Christmas Tree lighting, Trent Lakes Christmas Hamper group, and various other groups. I have project management, strategic planning, facilitation, IT, and customer service skills and experience from working in the Financial Services & IT sectors in North America with major corporations.

Margaret Roberts

President

I’ve worked for years in the public education sector, as a teacher and administrator, and then supervising schools as a superintendent. After moving into the operational side of a school board, I managed the facilities department and then all the operational departments that supported a $1.4 billion budget. I hold degrees in education and business, and diplomas in child studies and human resource management because my curiosity leads me into new studies every few years! Right now, I’m learning to play the banjo. I have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering ever since I became a Sparks leader and currently serve as Chair of the Trent Lakes Library Board, am a Community Care volunteer, and Vice-President of the BCC. It’s a pleasure to contribute to the community that provides such a supportive place to live, learn and work.