Award Category: Community Award

Artistic Director of Ballet BC since 2009, Emily Molnar has transformed a struggling dance company into one of the preeminent contemporary companies in the world with a stable and solid future. Her strengths lie in outstanding programming, performances and artistic vision. She is known and admired for teaching, mentoring and nurturing dancers, choreographers and also audiences. Emily is a director of the BC Arts Council and has recently been appointed Artistic director of Dance for the Banff Centre. We applaud Emily for caring about the arts in BC and her conviction that arts contribute to a better society.

If everyone did for their communities what Maryann does for Kitimat, this world would be a much finer place, so says her nominator. We honour Maryann for the care she shows for both domestic and wild animals….cats, dogs, foxes, bears and all creatures great and small. As the smiling face of the Kitimat Humane Society, Maryann ensures that domestic animals get a warm and loving home and wild animals the opportunity to once more run free. Let me give you an example of Maryann’s devotion….when Kitimat was without a vet, Maryann thought nothing of driving four hours each way to take a wounded animal to see the vet in Prince Rupert.

Karen Pruim is an amazing organizer and a truly considerate person. Founder of The Surrey Princess Project Society in 2009, Karen volunteers her time to provide a graduation experience for low income students from Delta to Chilliwack. The project provides equality with peers, a memory of a lifetime giving the students pride and showing them that people care. Dresses, suits, jewellery and shoes are donated and gathered throughout the year; 125 volunteers make the magical day happen. Hair, make-up, goodie bags and photography are included too. Karen is certainly a “Fairy Grad Mother”!

We are very pleased to honour forensic odontologist, Dr. Tom Routledge, who has created an innovative provincial database for the identification of human remains. What he has done, as a volunteer, while at the same time running a full time dental practice, is design, develop, implement and maintain the Province’s dental database for the Identification and Disaster Response Unit of the BC Coroner’s Service. The work of Dr. Routledge and his team on the development of this database was a first in Canada and offers critical closure and comfort to countless BC families and law enforcement.

Christopher Seguin is a community leader in Kamloops who volunteers generously and inspires others to do the same. Vice President of Advancement for Thompson Rivers University, Christopher and his team have seen fundraising increase substantially for research, capital projects and student assistance. He is an active Rotarian where among his initiatives was the introduction of community dinners for low income families. He resurrected the Kamloops Marathon, founded an annual Music in the Round evening and is a director and instructor with the Bladerunner leadership Program for at risk youth.

I would like to first acknowledge Colin’s many contributions as a trustee of the Government House Foundation. It such an honour for all us to be here and see firsthand the results of the work of Colin and his colleagues. Colin’s lifetime of community and volunteer service spans the province. He currently is on the Board of the Victoria Airport and is Vice-Chair of the regional district waste water treatment project. He is also a director of 625 Powell Street Foundation which benefits Vancouver’s downtown eastside. Colin was Chair of Squamish’s Westcoast Railway Association and its heritage railway park. He has served his engineering profession with distinction not only on the Island but also across Canada. For over 30 years, Colin has been a member of Rotary and is dedicated to the Rotary’s ideals of community service.

We honour Agnes Snow for her leadership as Regional Director of Aboriginal Health for the Northern Health Authority. Now retired, her legacy is the improvement in the delivery of healthcare to Aboriginal peoples and First Nations in the north. From youth volunteers to patients to colleagues to administrators, Agnes’ wise and gentle way inspired so many to make such a difference. Agnes led the development of seven Aboriginal Health Improvement Committees and the Aboriginal Patient Liaison program. Agnes worked for the healing and dignity of all with wisdom drawn from her experiences as a First Nations woman and leader.

For over 30 years, Gregg Timm has staunchly supported Softball BC and in particular raised the profile of the sport of Fastpitch for BC women and girls. Gregg is President of the Renegades Sports Association which runs White rock Renegades Girls Fastpitch and is Chair of the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship, now a worldwide focal point for softball. Gregg and his committee were recently awarded the hosting rights for the Women’s World Softball Championship, the largest international single sport event in Canadian history to be held in Surrey in July 2016. Gregg Timm dreams big and those dreams have come true for the community of women’s and girls’ softball in BC.

Bob Uden’s community contribution is truly inspiring. We all must admire Bob’s tremendous commitment. For over 30 years, Bob has conducted, FREE OF CHARGE exercise sessions. It began for those recovering from major heart problems and has expanded to include seniors who want to maintain their functional capacity. Classes are held three times a week at 8:00 am at the Bowen Park Auditorium in Nanaimo. Bob has donated over 5,000 hours of his time and expertise as a retired physiotherapist to work with his community’s cardiac patients and others. Bob Uden is clearly a man with heart – in every sense of the word!

Whether it is health and wellness programs to benefit families with Aboriginal children, youth, seniors or the community at large or fostering cultural sharing and understanding at the North Thompson Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which she helped to establish, Cindy Wilgosh embodies the spirit of today’s community achievement awards. While Cindy has a part time job as the Aboriginal Engagement Coordinator in Clearwater for Success by Six, a provincial wide program dedicated to creating child and family friendly communities, she gives another 100% of her time volunteering for the overall care and well-being of her community. Nothing stops Cindy from accomplishing everything she sets out to do.