Wetaskiwin Community Visionary: Phil Nash

In 2011, after 42 years, Phil Nash earned his way out of the provincial corrections system. Three years later, he was back.

It wasn’t anything sinister that brought Phil back to the world of courtrooms and prison cells, it was his genuine interest in others and his commitment to social justice.

Phil’s career as a probation officer spanned four decades. Today, he’s putting his experiences and expertise to good use by supporting youth in the justice system and helping people from all walks of life through community programs.

As an individual, Phil’s curious mind keeps him open to new experiences and hungry for knowledge. It’s not surprising that he ended up choosing an interesting and somewhat unorthodox career path.

“I got hired in 1969 by the government of Alberta,” says Phil, “I didn't have much idea of what a probation officer was at the time, but it seemed like an interesting job. And I had no idea how interesting it was actually going to be.” His career took him across Alberta: from Lethbridge, to Lac la Biche, then to Vegreville. In 1980 he settled in Wetaskiwin, where he worked until his retirement.

In 2014, the Wetaskiwin Youth Justice Committee was established. This was made possible by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a Canadian statute allowing the province to designate committees of citizens to assist in the administration of the Act. The committee receives referrals from the local probation office, then interviews young offenders to learn more about who they are and the offence they’ve committed. The committee can offer the youth the option to dispose of their charge through extra judicial sanctions; meaning without a judge, or outside of court. Phil’s background made him an ideal candidate to join the committee.

Back when he was a probation officer Phil developed an interest in how vulnerable people were treated in the judicial system. Today, he helps offset that power dynamic through his work with the Wetaskiwin Youth Justice Committee, which allows young offenders the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and positively contribute to their community: “I think it's a better way of dealing with people, especially young people…It’s a way of finding local solutions to problems.”

Community is important to Phil and he stays connected through volunteering. In addition to the Wetaskiwin Youth Justice committee, he’s worked with ESL students as a literacy instructor, helped seniors learn new technology, participated in Meals on Wheels, volunteered at the Wetaskiwin Museum—the list goes on and on. “When I worked as a probation officer, I got to meet people and see what other people's lives were like. It was way outside my experience. It's almost like traveling to another culture or another country. And it's the same with volunteering,” Phil says.

Throughout his life, Phil’s discovered that helping others is never a one-way street. If you take the time to listen, you have the opportunity to grow as an individual too, he says: “Everybody has a story about their life. And the more you get to know, the more you understand about them. Over the years of working and volunteering, I've learned so much from the people that I was supposedly helping.”