Award Category: Community Award

Beatrice Blackford is a talented musician who has selflessly shared her music with patients at Vancouver Hospital, Brock House Senior Care Centre, St. Vincent’s Hospital and UBC Hospital for over 30 years.

For over 20 years Roland Brown has diligently worked as an environmental steward in his community. Using his personal skills and resources in cooperation with numerous organizations, Roland has identified, developed, and helped maintain Duncan’s diverse environment.

Philip Chan Pak-Yuen founded a non-profit Tai Chi organization to promote health and well being for his community in Vancouver. Philip raises thousands of dollars for charitable organizations such as SUCCESS and the Chinese Cultural Centre.

Dr. Cowburn has dedicated over 35 years to the isolated community of McBride, often as the only doctor available for patients requiring anything from prescriptions to emergency surgery. A testament to his dedication, Dr. Cowburn even restored a Tiger Moth airplane to use for critical house calls to patients living in remote areas.

Uultsje de Jong works with numerous organizations to provide improved support systems and services for Abbotsford. His involvement spans organizations such as the Crime and Drug Prevention Coalition, Victim Services and the Community Health Advisory Committee, where he helps create a stronger safety net for disadvantaged citizens.

Robert Dennis is Chief of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations in Bamfield. Through his perseverance and vision, this community has radically changed its situation. Today they have stronger ties to their cultural roots, long-term sustainable job and business opportunities, plus community pride that creates a solid foundation for future growth.

Barbara Der has volunteered for numerous organizations such as the B.C. Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors, the Burnaby Symphony Society and was a founder of the WomenSpeak Institute. One of her many accomplishments includes re-establishing the Burnaby chapter of the Special Olympics as a thriving organization.

Betty Emery has spent over 50 years committed to education as a teacher, counselor and leader in the Comox Valley. Betty spearheaded the creation of a full service ElderCollege to provide a diverse learning and social environment for the community’s growing senior population.

Johnny Fong is a prominent philanthropist and community leader whose generous donations have supported BC’s Children’s Hospital, the Chinese Cultural Centre and SUCCESS. Johnny is the Co-Chair of the Chinese Community Kamloops Forest Fire Relief Campaign. He also provides guidance to a number of organizations working to build bridges among many different sectors.

Jim Fraser has spent over 50 years working for Williams Lake in a range of areas such as the Recreation Commission, the Municipal Council and the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Board. Jim has been the director of the Hough Memorial Cancer Society for 20 years, helping to raise over $1 million dollars for critical cancer detection equipment.