There was a notable absence at City Council last night. Greg Nikkel, of the Weyburn Review, passed away over the weekend, leaving not only a noticeably empty seat, but a hole in the community that he once filled.
Greg’s face was one you could count on seeing at almost every event in the Opportunity City. From City Council to library workshops to spirit days at the local schools, Greg was always there, ready to capture and highlight everything that makes Weyburn what it is.
Mayor Jeff Richards opened City Council by honouring Greg and his legacy.
“Today, like the rest of Weyburn, we mourn the loss of our good friend Greg Nikkel,” he said. “First and foremost, Greg was a family man and our thoughts are with Tracy and their family. But, for the rest of us, Greg was part of daily life too. He served our community as a journalist, an advocate, a supporter, and a friend for 30 years.”
“I can’t imagine a tournament or a chamber event or a festival without Greg,” he continued. “He loved this city and we loved him.”
Those who knew him at the Weyburn Review said “you could always count on Greg to capture what was happening through his words and photos. He hated technology and anything new on phones and computer, but embraced it (not willingly).”
They also noted that Greg has been a member of the Weyburn Rotary Club for the past thirteen years and has won numerous awards for this work, including numerous SWNA awards starting in 1998 for Best Cultural Story right up to recent awards for Best Hard News Photo, Best Business Writing and Photographer of the Year. He was also part of the Weyburn Review being acknowledged by the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association for numerous awards from Best Editorial Page to Best Front Page to Best Overall Paper.
“He will be missed by many and his absence will be felt throughout the community for many years to come,” said Andrea Corrigan, Advertising Sales Manager at the Weyburn Review/Weyburn This Week.
“Everyone knew Greg and a lot of people will feel this loss,” said Dara Currie, Content Director for Golden West Broadcasting in Weyburn. “We’ve worked, not so much with Greg but beside Greg for many years and he was truly incredible. He dedicated so much of himself to the community and the stories of the community and really I learned a lot from him over my years of standing next to him at events. The biggest takeaway really was how passionate he was about not only the community but his place in it and what he could do to help it.”
Many organizations in Weyburn took a moment over the past few days to recognize Greg and all he did for the community as well
“We are so very saddened to hear of this loss,” stated Communithon on Social Media. “Greg committed 110% to his community, and showed up so that we all benefited from the connection. Often one of the last faces in the Communithon audience, Greg was the definition of community. We send our deepest condolences to those closest to him.”
Weyburn Soccer Association said on social media “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Greg. Greg was a tremendous supporter of Weyburn Soccer, always helping to share and celebrate the success of our club. His contributions and dedication to the community will not be forgotten. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Tourism Radville said “Our condolences go out to the family of Greg Nikkel. He always made sure to show up at our events and took many many photos of this area. Last fall, after photographing the wheelchair race on Main Street at Heritage Day - he commented “Well that was a first”! He always told us how much he enjoyed our Heritage Day and how it just kept getting better and better. Rest in Peace Greg!”
Mayor Richards closed out his comments about Greg with a quote from Greg’s column.
“After Greg received the Queen Jubilee Award, he expressed gratitude for Weyburn and in his column he wrote ‘this tells me what I’ve always known, that Weyburn and area is home to many, many amazing, talented and incredible people.’ But today, we’re down one of those people. So to a friend, a devoted family man and a community builder, tonight, we say thank you for your service Greg.”