Award Category: Community Award

A dedicated member of the Prince George community and a leading expert on therapy dogs, Krista Levar was among the first Victim Services managers in the province to introduce Crisis K-9’s into a victim-serving agency. With her dog, Max, she helps children navigate the complex court legal system and has introduced groundbreaking work in this field in BC. Levar has also created a personal safety education program for girls at risk called Run for Fun, serves as a board member of the New Hope Society, and has been a volunteer Big Sister for eight years.

As both a community volunteer in safety and rescue organizations in North Vancouver and as an academic leader and mentor at the University of British Columbia, Bill Milsom is passionate about helping others. He has served for more than 20 years with the North Shore Rescue Team, acting as one of 40 highly trained members who must perform at the highest level of mountaineering and first aid skills while responding to difficult conditions at short notice. His dedication is reflected in all he does and, since 1985, Bill has also volunteered with the First Aid Ski Patrol (FASP) at Cypress Mountain, donating over 2000 hours of service.

Tony Moore is a trail builder and a primary influence in the development of multi-use trails in Terrace. Over the past 15 years, he has assisted with the design, building, and maintenance of trails in the Terrace region, enjoyed by hundreds of hikers, runners and bikers every week. In 2010, he consolidated all design input and funding for Steinhoe Ridge and helped build the trail as a volunteer and later as the supervisor of construction. Tony is responsible for the complexity and quality of the Terrace trail network – parts of which he walks almost daily to identify and resolve problem areas – that has expanded from five kilometers to over 35 today.

Dr. Ralph Nilson has worked with thoughtful dedication over many years to create opportunities for former youth in care to pursue a post-secondary education. As President and Vice-Chancellor of Vancouver Island University (VIU), he was the first university leader in BC to respond to this call and continues to be a leader in this area today. With an unwavering support for the process of reconciliation and a strong commitment to ensuring Indigenous students have access to relevant and positive post-secondary opportunities, Ralph has changed the landscape for hundreds of youth leaving care and molded VIU into a model for others to learn from.

When he started Abbotsford Community Services in 1969 as a small, unfunded organization with an all-volunteer staff, Walter Paetkau was moved by compassion, care and commitment to his community, particularly those in need and the less fortunate. He has since grown it to become the province’s largest community service organization, with 380 staff, 2,000 volunteers and 23 sites. Among its 70 programs are a food bank, Meals On Wheels and the Abbotsford Recycling Depot. Thirty years ago, Walter launched the first Fraser Valley United Way campaign, which now raises funds for more than 26 local charities.

Fred Robbins is dedicated to uniting all communities of the Cariboo Chilcotin to ensure the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School and its survivors are not forgotten. During his time as Chief of Esk’etemc First Nation he initiated public events, workshops and seminars, as well as a monument at the school and in Williams Lake’s Boitanio Park, and was also instrumental in the development of Orange Shirt Day, which continues today. Through his vision, Fred, a residential school survivor, brought together First Nations, Tribal Councils, local government leaders, school districts, and former students to remember, recover and reconcile. He continues with his message today and has given voice and hope to the Truth and Reconciliation process in British Columbia.

For more than a decade, Birgit Sharman has championed a number of key impact events for the Tumbler Ridge community. Through her work with the Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society since its inception in 1992, Birgit organized the Ridge Ramble Cross Country Ski Race and has served on the Emperor’s Challenge Mountain Run Organizing Committee for fifteen years, helping it to become the largest off-road running event in BC. In addition, Birgit supported and serves on the Board of Directors of the community’s most exciting development, the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark, which is one of 111 such UNESCO Global Geoparks worldwide, and only the second in North America.

Barbara Stewart embodies the spirit of Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC, which states that “together we can be there when families need us most” through her four decades of remarkable commitment to the charity. She has served as a volunteer with Variety holding every significant office in the organization and contributing in a range of ways. She’s been President, assisted every fundraising effort, been a member of the President’s Circle for Variety International, introduced and chaired the Gold Hearts campaign and raised more than $5 million for children with special needs. Barbara is an invaluable part of Variety and continues to inspire by her commitment and actions.