Award Category: Community Award

Angelika and Peter have dedicated their lives to wildlife rehabilitation, public education and ongoing research for the betterment of both the wildlife and the public. Their work benefits not just their local community of Smithers, but the entire province and beyond. Initially funding it themselves, Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (NLWS) has been a registered charity since 2001. NLWS garnered a huge amount of attention in the news and on social media, culminating in the development of the television series Wild Bear Rescue. In addition to public-facing activities they have worked with government officials to collect valuable scientific information about the animals and hosted graduate students working on wildlife biology. Their contributions to the scientific community have been extremely important and rewilding animals around the world has been more developed thanks to their efforts.

Elaine is an internationally respected curator, writer and gallery director. She has a unique, international upbringing which informed her compassionate and innovative approach to her work. Throughout her career Elaine supported hundreds of artists and their cultural art forms, notably the revival of Northwest Coast art in the 1980s and more recently with the rebirth of contemporary Coast Salish art in BC. Elaine has been one of BC’s leaders in promoting Indigenous art and artists from the entire Pacific Rim and Canada, establishing the Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria as one of the top Indigenous art galleries in the world. Elaine also established Alcheringa as an international space for cross-cultural experiences, including as a member of the not-for-profit Pacific Peoples Partnership. She led an initiative to link Pacific Indigenous communities with their Canadian First Nations counterparts through reciprocal exchanges between artists from Papua New Guinea and Canada, the USA and the UK. Elaine’s work has been essential to the conservation and promotion of Indigenous culture in BC and beyond.

Rosemary is in her fourteenth season as the Music Director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO) and has recently been named Artistic Director of Opera Kelowna. She is the visionary, pioneer, and motivating force behind those organizations’ performances and educational programs. Rosemary is a community champion and has not only brought musical excellence to the Okanagan but has inspired the lives of residents and enriched communities through her engagement activities. She initiated “Heartstrings” an OSO initiative funded by a generous donor which ensures economic circumstances are not a barrier to attendance. Understanding that music can transform lives, Rosemary spearheaded Kelowna’s participation in Mysterious Barricades, a national concert in support of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. COVID did not stop her and her teams from implementing programs to bring music to her community in this time of need, including Sidewalk Serenades where opera singers safely perform live to seniors in isolation, and the Apollo Initiative, a digital performance of six BC youth orchestras raising funds for youth mental health. Rosemary was recently diagnosed with ADHD and advocates for ADHD awareness and support and will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary about her work shepherding the OSO and Opera Kelowna through COVID while coming to understand and celebrate her neurodiversity.

Jane has been dedicated to community and public service since youth. She is currently the Vice President of Students & Community Development at Vancouver Community College. In this role she works to advance access, inclusion, representation and opportunity for all students, especially those most marginalized and facing multiple barriers. Previously the youngest woman in BC’s 40th Parliament and first Canadian of Korean descent in Canada to be elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly, Jane worked tirelessly for many issues but most notably in support of racialized and equity seeking groups. She is natural at bringing together communities to engage in meaningful dialogues and initiatives that impact and transform the society.

Lurana (Kikko) has been a dedicated volunteer committed to helping vulnerable seniors for more than 25 years. As a child whose family was interned in Greenwood, following displacement from Steveston in 1943, she subsequently devoted herself to caring for others. Today Kikko is the driving force behind seniors care at the Japanese Community Volunteers Association (Tonari Gumi). Firstly, as a staff member for ten years, then as a volunteer for the last 20 years, Kikko has devoted herself to supporting seniors who were either alone or isolated due to language and cultural barriers. She is also an enthusiastic fundraiser for community organizations and her church, ensuring funds are available to assist seniors in need. Kikko’s motivation, determination, passion and commitment to helping seniors have sustained Tonari Gumi which now has more than 300 members and over 200 volunteers.

 

As a Founding Board Member of the Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN), Jack was co-founder of and initiated the Autism Awareness and Techniques Program for First Responders resulting in over nine thousand first responders in British Columbia and across Canada being trained on autism prevalence, relevance, and support strategies. His work has benefited countless first responders, families, and individuals who are on the autism spectrum. In addition to his work with autism, over the years Jack has volunteered for over fifty other charitable and not-for-profit organizations, with a focus of supporting youth and families, sport, community, public safety, post-secondary education, hospice, and the disadvantaged. To this day he remains active in the community serving on the Boards of the Sovereign Order of St John and as Board Treasurer for the PAFN. Jack continues to make a profound difference across our communities in British Columbia through his genuine approach, passion, and commitment to the inclusiveness and betterment of society.

Doug leads by example. As Hornby Island’s Fire Department & Rescue (HIFR) Chief, Doug holds a position of immense responsibility. In 2020, HIFR took 171 callouts, of which Doug personally attended more than 100 – serving his community in his trademark unassuming, effective way. Doug’s recent contributions have included developing a pandemic outbreak plan for the community, training over 100 volunteers in naloxone administration and working with community groups and outside agencies to reinstate the island’s helicopter landing zone to fly out those requiring immediate medical care. Doug is the person community members reach out to when mental health issues arise, and countless other community initiatives have benefitted from his input and insight. He fosters community spirit by organizing as the annual Polar Bear Swim and hosting the annual Christmas Fair among other events at the firehall. Whether he’s training volunteers, maintaining safety standards, or organizing rescue operations, Doug inspires others to step up and get involved. As a leader he builds confidence and as a volunteer Doug represents the very best of British Columbia.

Shayne Williams is a ‘community development change leader’ and a champion for services that address homelessness, mental health and community outreach. As CEO of the Lookout group of charities, Shayne’s dedication and vision have saved the lives of many in the province of BC. His focus on innovation and creativity have brought services and communities together, making them better, stronger and more resilient.  

  

 

A visual anthropologist at the University of Victoria, Dr. Andrea Walsh has worked to identify and, in many cases, return children’s art to Survivors of Indian Residential and Day Schools in Canada. Working closely with Survivors and their families, regional museums, and public galleries in British Columbia, she has curated exhibitions of the children’s artworks as part of her work as an Honorary Witness to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.