VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 14, 2013) - Thirty-two British Columbians were honoured today at the tenth annual British Columbia Community Achievement Awards' ceremony held at Government House in Victoria.
The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation presented each recipient with a BC Community Achievement Award medallion and certificate. Chair Keith Mitchell, QC represented the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, the award's presenting organization.
"They are citizens from all over the province whose contributions, leadership and inspiration have helped to make their British Columbia communities more caring, dynamic, beautiful, healthy and unique," said Minister Chong, also a board member of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation. "What they all have in common is a passion for the people and places where they live and a strong commitment to making a difference."
"Today's honourees give the most valuable of life's commodities, time and energy," said Keith Mitchell. "They do whatever needs to get done - from sitting on boards and committees to far exceeding their job descriptions to sharing their talents of organizing, fundraising, preserving a community's heritage or teaching environmental awareness."
A list of the recipients follows and a brief summary of their achievements can be found on the foundation's website at: www.bcachievement.com
The recipients of this year's awards are:
- Dr. Jeannette Armstrong of Penticton
- Patricia Blair of Victoria
- Helen Boyd of Comox
- Mel Coulson of Quick
- Douglas Crow of Victoria
- David Dickson of Williams Lake
- Mary Forbes of Williams Lake
- Jean Gelwicks of Salt Spring Island
- Leonora Gregory-Collura of Gibsons
- Kathy Holmes of Ladysmith
- Maggie and Kelly Ip of Vancouver
- Mike Jang of Vancouver
- Ingrid Jeffrey of Coquitlam
- Margo Kane of Vancouver
- Susan Lane of White Rock
- Chief Jason Louie of Creston
- Amrit Maharaj of Vancouver
- Kelly Mann of Victoria
- Lennette McLean of Dease Lake
- John McQuade of Delta
- Brianne Moore of Kelowna
- Libby Nelson of Fruitvale
- Grace Elliott Nielsen of Nanaimo
- Janet Renquist of Prince George
- Sherri Robinson of Esquimalt
- Aminollah Sabzevari of North Vancouver
- Donald Shumka of Vancouver
- Karen Stacey of Vancouver
- Andrea Thomas Hill of Vancouver
- Catherine Van Alstine of West Vancouver
- Sing Lim Yeo of Vancouver
An independent advisory council selects the recipients of the British Columbia Community Achievement Awards. This year's council members are Mayor Mike Clay of Port Moody, Mayor Shari Green of Prince George, and past recipients Don Montgomery of Richmond (2009), Joyce Carlson of Powell River (2009) and Jane Frost of Vancouver (2006).
The British Columbia Community Achievement Awards are generously sponsored by Postmedia Network, publishers of The Vancouver Sun, The Province and The National Post.
The British Columbia Achievement Foundation is an independent foundation established and endowed by the province of B.C. to celebrate excellence in the arts, humanities, enterprise and community service. Launched in 2003, the awards were the first initiative of the foundation, followed by the B.C. Creative Achievement Award for Applied Art and Design, B.C.'s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, the B.C. Creative Achievement Award for First Nations' Art, and the B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards.
Contact Information:
Nora Newlands
Executive Director
604-618-6949 (cell)
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
Robin Platts
250-387-1204
250-213-6451 (cell)