Award Category: Community Award

For more than 25 years, Dave Dickson has made a significant contribution to the vulnerable citizens of the Downtown Eastside. As a Vancouver Police constable, his innovative and unique style of policing positively impacted families, seniors, at-risk youth, preschool children and sex trade workers. Upon Dave’s retirement, many community organizations and individuals actively petitioned for his continued involvement and now he serves as a civilian consultant to the Vancouver Police where he continues his commitment to ensuring community safety within the unique challenges facing the Downtown Eastside.

Bryan Dyck’s wife opened a storefront in Vancouver’s Mid-Main Street in 1999. The area was littered with garbage and graffiti and Bryan was concerned for the safety of his wife and others in the area. Bryan has spent countless hours beautifying and making the area safe through planting flowers, removing litter, creating a newsletter and website are some of his contributions. But it is his approach to graffiti that has brought the most significant results. He believes by removing the evidence of graffiti, there is less likely to be other criminal behaviour in the area. He has monitored and removed the graffiti as part of his successful efforts to revitalize and bring harmony to Mid-Main Street.

Jeneece Edroff gives with her heart of gold. She touches everyone she meets. She challenges herself and others to extraordinary heights. She is known as the Penny Girl for the annual penny drive to help Variety – The Children’s Charity for which she has raised over $200,000 over the past six years. She has raised another $150,000 for other organizations affiliated with children and their needs. Jeneece is 12 years old and on a daily basis she deals with neurofibromatosis. Turning adversity into inspiration seems like an ordinary occurrence for this remarkable human being. She is a positive bundle of energy and an inspiration for us all.

In the words of one of her nominators, ‘Marcie Fofonoff is a bridge builder; her bridges connect every corner of her community and beyond. Marcie builds the bridges and before long we have people crossing from both sides, meeting in the middle, then branching out to build more bridges.” Marcie’s contribution’s to the community of Chetwynd encompass all facets of community life and impact all ages in arts and culture, education, health, volunteerism, literacy, the environment and beautification. Marcie is being recognized today for her exceptional service, dedication and continuing action to the well-being of the community of Chetwynd.

Jane Frost is a founding member of Abreast In A Boat, the dragon boat team for women living with breast cancer. When the first season ended and the organizers prepared to disband, Jane said no. Her vision, strength and tenacity have led to the expansion of this umbrella group to now include over 100 teams on four continents. She has devoted most of her personal time to the Society to further the message about breast cancer and the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle. Jane was instrumental in the 10 year celebration at which 2,000 women with breast cancer attended. Jane continues to live her life ‘by imaging what can be and… then making it happen’.

Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh exemplify great mentorship and leadership in the artistic world of dance. After immigrating to Canada nearly 30 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Goh established the Goh Ballet Academy. Many young British Columbians have passed through their doors, inspired by their passion for excellence in ballet and their focus on discipline, hard work and responsibility. Students of this academy have won medals at local, national and international competitions and festivals. Mr. and Mrs. Goh have provided the best environment and training possible and have, in the words of a supporter, “served as a magnet and conduit for multiculturalism and cultural exchange in British Columbia”.

For the past 25 years Marlene Grinnell has devoted herself to the community of Langley. As a member and later Chair of the Board of School Trustees, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the children of her community. For the past 12 years, Marlene has been the Mayor of Langley establishing a solid and highly respected reputation as an approachable, visionary leader, who has the best interests of the community at heart. She helped to revitalize the business core, rekindled a spirit of volunteerism, and put the City of Langley on the map in BC, Canada and other parts of the world. She inspired her community to work together.

Julie Halfnights personifies community spirit in the city of Richmond. She has made a difference by her countless volunteer hours over the past twenty years. She has worked with Richmond Parent Advisory Councils, The Richmond Emergency Social Services, the Richmond Aquatic Services Advisory Board, the 2002 Richmond Tall Ships Festival and helped to found the Generation Leadership program to expose 19-25 year olds to leadership ideals in Richmond. Her participation and leadership in the Thompson Community Association saw an expansion in 1995 to the $4.2 million Centre, the creation of the Nibbles and Bites festival drawing a crowd of 15,000, various youth initiatives and community recreation policies.

A lifelong resident of Summerland, Bruce Hallquist is a community icon. His public service record spans decades and includes over 38 years as a committed Volunteer firefighter. He has served on council for more than 10 years, and has more recently dedicated himself to serving the youth of his community as a director and champion for the Summerland Charity Shop Society, an organization which provides youth activities, leadership opportunities and hands-on training and experience in its Penny Lane Store. ‘Bruce makes a bad day good’ says the Fire Chief of Summerland. Bruce, first and foremost, cares about his community and the people he serves.

Russ Hammond has been a citizen of the Comox Valley for over 40 years. He has spent the majority of his life working tirelessly to benefit his fellow citizens. He has especially focused on helping seniors. Some of the groups that Russ has been involved with include the Marsland Seniors Housing Society, the Island Peer Counsellors, the D’Esterre Seniors Centre, and the Glacier View Lodge, an intermediate care facility. Russ is known as a constant source of information and knowledge who is available at all times as a resource for the community’s seniors and those who work with them.