Achievement Awards Recognizes 45 British Columbians

Forty-five British Columbians representing 25 communities throughout the province were honoured at the fourth annual BC Community Achievement Awards ceremony held at Government House in Victoria, April 25, 2007.

Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo and Premier Gordon Campbell presented each recipient with a medallion designed by B.C. artist Robert Davidson on behalf of the BC Achievement Foundation.

“The success of our province is built on the strength of its communities, and that strength is rooted in the spirit, ideas and passion of the people we recognize each year with the BC Community Achievement Awards,” said Campbell. “In their stories we see the remarkable diversity of British Columbia and the potential of each and every individual to truly make an impact in their communities. It is an honour for me to recognize their achievements and celebrate their contributions to making B.C. the best place on Earth.”

“This year’s recipients demonstrate that British Columbians are making a difference in every area of our province,” said foundation chair Keith Mitchell. “Whether they live in smaller communities such as Atlin, Klemtu and Mayne Island or the major centres like Victoria, Prince George and the Lower Mainland, they have found ways making each of their communities a better place to live.”

An independent advisory council selects the recipients of the British Columbia Community Achievement Awards. The 2007 advisory council members are Brenda Binnie, president of the Union of BC Municipalities and councilor of Castlegar, Jack Talstra, mayor of Terrace; May Brown, Member of the Order of British Columbia; and past Community Achievement Awards recipients Rob Reid of Victoria and Grace Wong of Vancouver.

The British Columbia Achievement Foundation is an independent foundation established by an initial endowment of $6 million from the Province to recognize and celebrate B.C.’s spirit of excellence in the arts, humanities and community service. The Community Achievement Awards, launched in 2003, were the first initiative of the foundation, followed by BC Creative Achievement Awards, the BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction and the Time to Read award for early literacy.