On Saturday afternoon, Main Street in Shawville was blocked off near town hall for the presentation of the first James Hodgins Community award.
Hodgins, known to many as Jim, was a community-minded man who was heavily involved in numerous clubs and organizations. He passed away on Dec. 8, 2025.
Hodgins’ daughters Shelley and Nancy spoke about their father and why they approached the municipality earlier this year about creating the award in his honour.
Shelley said that when they were deciding where to hang the plaque, she found it remarkable that there were so many options that would have been fitting, a testament to the breadth of his involvement.
“What made me proud is that dad’s plaque could hang anywhere in town, and he had touched it somehow, somewhere,” she said.
Nancy said that her dad would have been proud to be a part of celebrating the people who give back to Shawville.
“I want everyone to celebrate and recognize our recipient today and not just our latest recipient but the six nominees and anyone in this town that works hard to make this town better,” she said. “Those were my dad’s people, he loved those people. He loved people who got up and gave back, because that was a large part of his life.”
Denzil Yach was named as the award’s first recipient.
Yach served for many years as Shawville’s foreman, before completing two terms on council from 2017 to 2025. He has also been a dedicated member of the Shawville Lions for several decades.
Shawville’s acting mayor Richard Armitage said that they had received six nominations for the award, and those who weren’t selected will remain eligible for the award next year. The five other nominations were Richard Valin, Chris and Melanie Beimers, Albert Armstrong, Danny Lalonde, and Selina Gervais.
Lisa Cartman, who nominated Yach for the award, said she has known “Denny” all her life, and has witnessed him quietly handle all manner of chores and problems around town, from maintaining the flowers at local parks to turning the heat on at Starks Corners United Church before the service on Sunday. She also noted that at more than 80 years old he still cuts the grass at Armstrong Farm.
“I nominated Denny because I believe a lifetime of quietly showing up, seeing what needs to be done and doing it without looking for recognition is exactly the kind of volunteer that deserves to be recognized,” she said. “Denny has spent a lifetime taking care of his community, often without his community even realizing that he was doing it. “
Shawville councillor Lisa Taylor echoed Cartman’s praise of Yach for stepping up and taking care of the details that others wouldn’t notice. She also spoke of his abilities as a handyman.
“If something breaks, Denny fixes it, it doesn’t matter what it is. Give him something broken, a few tools and some time and somehow Denny will figure it out,” she said. “He’s the closest thing to a real-life McGyver I’ve ever known.”
Yach said he was a bit shocked to be named, given the stiff competition.
“[I was] surprised. There were more people deserving than I was,” he said, adding that he appreciated the recognition nonetheless. “My mother always told me growing up it’s better to give than to receive.”
