VICTORIA - Sixteen exceptional civic leaders will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia (O.B.C.), the Province’s highest form of recognition, Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon, Chancellor of the Order, announced today.

“For 26 years, the Order of British Columbia has recognized the remarkable accomplishments and efforts by extraordinary British Columbians,” said Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon. “This year we honour British Columbians from a variety of fields, each recipient illustrating the positive difference just one person can make in the lives of many.”

“The Order of British Columbia recognizes British Columbians whose positive impact is felt throughout the province and, in some cases, the world,” said Premier Christy Clark. “This year’s recipients have utilized their talent and passion to make a difference. On behalf of all British Columbians, I want to thank them for their dedication, and all they do to make B.C. a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”

This year’s recipients are:

Ron Burnett, C.M of Vancouver - Distinguished academic in media, arts and communications

Tim Collings of Surrey - Inventor of the V-Chip to filter inappropriate TV content

Kerry and Ginny Dennehy of Whistler - Champions for preventing suicide-related depression in young people

Jane Dyson of Vancouver - Advocate for people with disabilities in B.C.

Allan B. Etmanski, C.M., M.S.M of Surrey - Driving force in social innovation and accessibility initiatives

Chief Robert Joseph of North Vancouver - Leader dedicated to renewing relationships between Aboriginal Peoples and all Canadians

Barry Lapointe of Kelowna - Visionary aviation entrepreneur and community mentor

Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia of West Vancouver - Inspirational community leader and philanthropist

Dr. Saida Rasul of Vancouver - Dentist and volunteer for improving the lives of the less fortunate

Norman J. Rolston of Langley - Inventor of the Able Walker for mobility-impaired people

Jim Shepard of Vancouver - Business leader and philanthropist

Tamara Taggart of Vancouver - Volunteer supporting health care, the well-being of children and people with disabilities

Hari B. Varshney of Vancouver - Business leader, volunteer and philanthropist

Sing Lim Yeo of Vancouver - Long-time volunteer and philanthropist

Melvin N. Zajac, C.M. of Vancouver - Fundraiser for children with special needs and seniors with disabilities

Over the years, government has worked to increase awareness of the Province’s highest honour so that men and women from all eligible categories learn of the opportunity. Government also relies on community members and organizations to help identify and honour outstanding citizens. The Province has received over 5,000 nominations for the Order of British Columbia in 26 years.

This year, 249 British Columbians were nominated for the Order of British Columbia, an 18% increase over last year and one of the highest since its inaugural year in 1989. More than half the nominations came from the Lower Mainland with the remaining 99 coming from other regions throughout the Province.

Since its inception, 386 British Columbians have been appointed to the O.B.C. Members have been appointed from all regions of the province and in numbers generally proportionate to a region’s population. For example, 61% of the appointees have come from the Lower Mainland/Southwest region, which has 62% of the population. Similarly, the North has 4% of the population and 4% of the appointees are from that region.

Recipients of the Order of British Columbia are selected by an independent advisory committee from public nominations. The 2015 Advisory Committee consists of: The Honourable Robert J. Bauman (Chair), chief justice of British Columbia; The Honourable Linda Reid, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly; Dr. Mark Evered, president and vice-chancellor, Fraser Valley University; Athana Mentzelopoulos, deputy minister, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat; Sav Dhaliwal, president, Union of British Columbia Municipalities; Don Lindsay, O.B.C., and Bob Rennie, O.B.C. (2014 recipients of the Order).

The Order of British Columbia investiture ceremony will be held for recipients and invited guests at Government House in Victoria on June 15, 2015.

Learn More:

The Order of B.C. is online at: www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact:
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Communications
250 356-5963

BACKGROUNDER

2015 Order of B.C. recipients

Ron Burnett, C.M.
Ron Burnett is one of the world's most distinguished academics in the areas of media, arts and communications.

In 1996, he was appointed president of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, now known as Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Under his devoted leadership, it has seen significant growth in student registration as well as internationalization, and a rise in endowment and research funding. The university is also now recognized as one of the top art and design institutions in the world. He has raised the profile of the university and brought national attention to the importance of the arts to people’s well-being. Ron has also written three books, most recently, How Images Think, published by MIT Press.

Ron is also responsible for the creation of the creative arts program at Vanier College in Montreal, and served nine years as director of the graduate program in communications at McGill University. He helped develop the film and media department at LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Known for his work in media and distance education, Ron served on an "eminent persons panel" at UNESCO in Paris to provide advice on the development of Internet resources in developing countries. He is also an adjunct professor at York University in Toronto, a William Evans Fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and a Burda Scholar at Ben Gurion University in Israel.

Ron was inducted to the Royal Academy of Art, voted “Educator of the Year” by the Canadian New Media Association, and in 2005 received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In 2010, he was invested into France's prestigious Ordre des Arts and des Lettres at the rank of Chevalier (Knight) for his work to strengthen the cultural relationship between Canada and France. He was appointed as Member to the Order of Canada on Nov. 21, 2013.

Tim Collings
Tim Collings has made a significant contribution to British Columbia through his strong sense of vision, personal integrity and fortitude in bringing his vision to reality.

Tim invented the V-Chip technology that enables television users to filter content they consider offensive, particularly for their children, based on a content rating scheme determined by regulators.

It was the massacre of 14 young women at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989 that compelled Tim to pursue a technological approach to enable social change. He began working on the V-Chip at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1990, and it now installed in equipment used worldwide. His invention - legislated to be included in every television sold in the United States - instigated public discourse and led to a higher level of media literacy among the general public, particularly among parents.

Acknowledged as a Young Innovator, one of British Columbia’s ‘Top 40 under 40’, and one of this province’s ‘Top 50 Thinkers’, Tim’s humble approach to problem-solving has resulted in innovations of international significance.

His work - including as a supporter of technology start-ups in B.C. - is an example for SFU engineering students to this day. Future innovators will be able to look to Tim as a positive example of how hard work, a great idea, persistence and enterprise can be combined to make a truly positive impact on today’s world.

Kerry and Ginny Dennehy
Ginny and Kerry Dennehy responded to the suicide of their son, Kelty, in 2001 by embarking on a mission to prevent suicide-related depression in young people.

The Dennehys put their careers aside to help others by founding Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation which has raised more than $7 million to date. The first resource centre at BC Children’s Hospital is an innovative one-stop shop for resources and relief. The new approach to accessing help includes telepsychiatry and a unique website where users can chat with others in a safe, anonymous and supported environment. It’s their hope that no child or parent will ever have to suffer in silence again.

The model is designed to be scalable so that other centres both here and abroad can benefit from an ’off the shelf‘ solution. A second Kelty Dennehy Mental Health Resource Centre is currently in development at Lions Gate Hospital and a third site is being planned. An additional $500,000 was used to establish the first chair in depression research at the Mood Disorders Centre of Excellence at the University of British Columbia Hospital complex.

Beyond the millions of dollars the Dennehys have raised, facilitating dialogue between community groups to help end the stigma of mental illness is at the core of their work. Programs like ‘Keep the Beat’ at Whistler’s Myrtle Phillips School give hope that talking openly about depression and anxiety will be just as mainstream as talking about drinking and driving.

To combat the silence, story-telling has become a focal point for the Dennehys’ work. They tell stories, receive them and foster open dialogue. In 2013, Ginny and Kerry Dennehy cycled across Canada, delivering 38 presentations and raising more than $1.2 million to raise depression awareness.

Jane Dyson
Jane Dyson is a trusted and influential leader who has devoted her life to advocating on behalf of people with disabilities in B.C.

Jane’s sustained commitment to accessibility and inclusion includes 17 years with Disability Alliance BC, the past six years as executive director. She has worked proactively with groups and organizations on policy initiatives that have led to positive changes for thousands of people with disabilities. She played a key role in the B.C. government’s 10-year plan to make B.C. the most progressive province for people with disabilities. Her leadership during the consultation process helped ensure it was an accessible, credible and engaging process that encouraged participation and cultivated trust within the disability community.

Jane has been working with the B.C. Ministry of Justice to modernize regulations related to the Guide and Assistance Dog Act. She facilitated a consultation which reduced barriers to employment by enabling 108,000 people receiving disability assistance to calculate their earnings on an annual, rather than a monthly, basis. Her work allowed people receiving financial assistance to earn more money and improve financial security for themselves and their families.

She founded the Disability Without Poverty Network to bring together members of leading disability organizations in B.C. to collectively make recommendations to drive positive social change. She has also been pivotal in promoting awareness and uptake of the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

Jane has volunteered her time and energy to countless other organizations, boards and community groups. She is committed to change for the better for some of B.C.’s most vulnerable and often underrepresented citizens.

Allan B. Etmanski, C.M., M.S.M.
Allan Etmanski is an author, advocate, social entrepreneur and social innovation leader in British Columbia. A specialist in innovative, multi-sector solutions to complex social challenges, he is known for his longstanding work to empower people with disabilities to participate in and contribute to society.

Allan’s lifelong commitment to community progress and social change led him to advocate for initiatives such as the Registered Disability Savings Program, a long-term savings plan that helps Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. The co-founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), Allan co-leads the non-profit organization in its work to ensure the safety, security and well-being of relatives with disabilities.

Through his work with the BC Partners for Social Impact, Allan continues to lead and inspire people to work together to find new ways to address society’s most complex and pervasive social problems. This organization continues to build our province’s capacity for social innovation by creating connections between social innovators and entrepreneurs, facilitating knowledge and information sharing and providing a mechanism through which partnerships can develop and collaboration can occur.

Allan’s commitment is much more than his formal role with any one organization or committee. He consistently and thoughtfully finds ways to connect networks of innovators, seek funding to promote new ideas, projects and approaches and foster major initiatives in British Columbia and beyond.

Through strong leadership and the ability to bring people together, Allan is a driving force in social innovation and accessibility initiatives in B.C. He was invested into the Order of Canada along with his spouse, Vickie Cammack, in February 2015 for their work on PLAN.

Chief Robert Joseph
Chief Robert Joseph is a true peace-builder whose life and work are examples of his personal commitment. A hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, Chief Joseph has dedicated his life to bridging the differences brought about by intolerance, lack of understanding and racism at home and abroad.

Chief Joseph has worked as Ambassador of Reconciliation for Reconciliation Canada, serving as the face and voice for its work. A member of the National Assembly of First Nations Elders Council, former executive director of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and honorary witness to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he models an inclusive approach to peaceful dialogue that embraces all cultures and faiths to create unity of purpose to reach reconciliation.

A survivor of the St. Michaels Indian Residential School, Chief Joseph endured inconceivable hardships as a young boy. Despite the resulting deep struggles, he persevered and dedicated his life to help renew relationships between aboriginal peoples and all Canadians.

Chief Joseph’s journey from residential school survivor to Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation mirrors the journey of our province from colony and colonizer to global social and economic leader.

One of the last fluent speakers of the Kwakwaka’wakw language, Chief Joseph is an eloquent and inspiring speaker who initiated the reconciliation dialogue process and ignited a fire under it. A bi-cultural communicator and leader, he is a man of integrity, providing our province with nuggets of hope, fostered by a dream of unity, forgiveness and strength.

His work has been recognized and acknowledged through several accolades including an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from the University of British Columbia, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue from SFUity, an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Vancouver School of Theology and the City of Vancouver Award of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion.

Barry Lapointe
Barry Lapointe, founder of the Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies, has succeeded over the last 40 years in building an industry-wide recognized aviation success story that employs over 600 people in British Columbia and nearly 1,000 across Canada.

Starting from small single-engine aircraft maintenance repairs in Vernon, Barry has grown the business to include domestic and international flight operations in narrow and wide body aircraft; aircraft maintenance, modifications and repairs for an international marketplace; aircraft sales and leasing around the world; and pilot training for the Canadian Air Force - all based out of Kelowna. Kelowna Flightcraft is the largest British Columbia-based airline and the third largest airline in Canada.

Barry served on the Board of Governors at UBC for six years. During that time, he co-ordinated a program for Grade 11 and 12 students to experience a prospective career in aviation. He was instrumental in bringing British Columbia Institute of Technology aviation technical programmes to the Okanagan, providing space in his hangar for classrooms. He also served as a mentor through Entrepreneurs Unplugged, a monthly session where community members and students with technical backgrounds learn about entrepreneurship.

His philanthropic endeavors include the Flightcraft Foundation in addition to hundreds of smaller donations. He also serves on the boards of Purolator Holding Inc., British Columbia Aviation Council and Air Transport Association of Canada.

Barry is a true visionary who leaves no stones unturned, continually seeking out innovative and progressive aviation market niches to retain and advance Kelowna Flightcraft’s position and status in the aviation industry, ensuring stability and quality of life for current employees, and future opportunity for British Columbia’s youth.

Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia
Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia’s achievements as a community leader and philanthropist inspire and motivate British Columbians to be more involved in their communities.

Wendy contributes her entrepreneurial talent to the B.C. economy as chief executive officer of Crew Management companies including the Absolute Spa Group, Soluzione International Spa Products and Century Plaza Hotel & Spa - collectively employing a team of more than 500 employees.

Wendy’s business success is exceptional but her commitment to helping others is what makes her an inspirational leader. She dedicates a significant amount of time supporting numerous volunteer boards and countless charitable causes. In 1987, she founded the annual Women’s Media Golf Classic, which has raised more than $3 million over 25 years to help children with special needs. With her husband, Wendy founded the Pacific Autism Family Foundation, a charitable organization with a mandate to serve the needs of individuals and their families coping with autism spectrum disorders and related disorders. To date, Wendy and her husband have raised $28 million in funding for the foundation. The Pacific Autism Family Foundation will open a series of centres in the spring of 2016, which will allow families of those diagnosed with autism and developmental disabilities to access information, support networks, professional assistance, treatment plans and other resources.

Wendy serves as trustee for the Vancouver Police Foundation and was the first woman to be appointed in 38 years. She is currently named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network and also one of British Columbia's Most Influential Women in Business by the Vancouver Sun. She was recently the fifth and youngest female chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade in its 128-year history. She is a fellow at Royal Roads University and a governor at the BC Business Council. She has been appointed to the BC Jobs and Investment Board, the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, and was a recent director of the inaugural Destination British Columbia Board. Wendy also serves as a current British Columbia Lottery Corporation director.

In 2010, Wendy received an honorary doctor of laws from the Justice Institute of BC. She has also received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Variety The Children's Charity International Corporate Fundraiser of the Year award, and was recently presented with Donna Karan’s Women Who Inspire International award.

Dr. Saida Rasul
Dr. Saida Rasul is a dentist and community volunteer focused on the improvement of the lives of the less fortunate in British Columbia and in many other countries.

During her tenure on the board of governors of SFU, Saida stewarded capital projects in excess of $200 million. She was on the front line for securing the Centre for Performing Arts on Hastings Street in Vancouver. Saida championed the creation of the Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Cultures and Societies at SFU by making a substantial financial contribution and chairing the fundraising campaign for the centre.

With her husband, Firoz, Saida’s philanthropy includes gifts to the BC Cancer Agency, SFU, UBC, United Way and BC Children’s Hospital, among others. Their total philanthropic giving over the years amounts to nearly $12 million.

Saida is a volunteer to the Aga Khan University where she has applied her professional expertise to help set up two preventive dental programs as part of the hospital systems operating in East Africa and in Pakistan. It is complemented by distance learning with faculty at Canadian and American universities to help upgrade skills of local practitioners.

She is working with a team of volunteers to set up a diploma of dental hygiene program at the Aga Khan University to train students from East Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan who will go back and improve the oral health and general health of their rural communities.

In recognition of her sustained community contributions over three decades, SFU conferred an honorary Doctor of Law to Saida. She also received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal as well as recent recognition by the British Columbia and Canadian Dental Associations for her contribution to the profession.

Norman J. Rolston
Norman Rolston’s invention of the Able Walker has saved the taxpayers of B.C., and the rest of Canada, untold millions by moving individuals from an immobile and dependent position to a position of activity and better mental and physical health.

Norman built his first walker for his aunt who suffered from arthritis. One day in 1986, while watching his aunt trying to walk across the floor pushing a kitchen chair, he got the idea to attach wheels. Soon he developed a prototype walker that included swivel casters for steering and hand brakes. His aunt enjoyed renewed freedom and independence for many years.

While the walker was becoming popular, the biggest challenge was overcoming the skepticism of the medical profession but Norman was undaunted. He met with C. Everett Koop, then Surgeon General of the United States, who thought highly of the invention. With the Surgeon General’s backing, the medical profession took a renewed interest in Norman’s device. Doctors soon had patients who could never before attend their clinics come in with their Able Walkers, confident and mobile.

Unselfishly, Norman decided to gift his invention to the world by not patenting it. For this, he won the first Humanitarian of the Year Award presented by the International Society of Inventors. He also gave 10 of his walkers to the Burnaby Outings for Elderly program.

Norman works as a counsellor, dedicated to the needs of those less fortunate than himself, particularly the elderly, disabled children and those persons not in good mental health and deteriorating physical health due to alcohol and other forms of substance abuse.

Jim Shepard
Jim Shepard had a 50-year career with some of B.C.’s largest firms and used his experiential knowledge of business to help grow British Columbia’s economy.

His business career included 10 years as chair and CEO of Finning, four years as president and CEO of Canfor, five years as chair of the board of MacDonald Dettwiler, chair of OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, chair of the Business Council of BC, and directorships with BC Rail, Imperial Oil, and ABN-AMRO Bank (Canada).

Jim was founding chair of the 1998 Business Summit which drew 1,000 business leaders from throughout B.C. to rekindle the ‘can do’ spirit of free enterprise after several years of a slow economy. Jim is also founding chair of the BC Business Laureates Hall of Fame Gala which has raised more than $1 million for Junior Achievement in BC. He is also founding chair of Concerned Citizens for BC, an advocacy group supporting a government focused on making B.C. an attractive place for investment to create business growth and job opportunity.

As a young husband and father, he served as a big brother and a volunteer with the Vancouver Crisis Centre. He was founding president of the Williams Lake Racquet Club, fundraiser for the Sam Ketcham Memorial swimming pool, a bantam football coach, director of the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. More recently, he was Chair of the Grantham’s Landing Wharf Association and fully funded the construction of a new wharf for swimmers to enjoy.

Jim was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee medal in 2002 for business and community leadership.

Tamara Taggart
Tamara Taggart has focused more than 20 years of volunteer effort on health care, the well-being of children and people with disabilities.

As anchor of CTV News at 6, Tamara reports on a range of important issues but she doesn’t just talk, she volunteers and successfully raises much-needed funds for many important causes. Tamara truly wants to help, advocating for others and raising funds for those in need. She has volunteered thousands of hours and sits on the boards of more than six non-profit organizations.

In 2014, Tamara spoke at TEDxSFU. Her presentation, entitled ‘Two Conversations that Changed My Life’, compares how doctors negatively told her about her baby’s down syndrome, yet were positive and encouraging when they gave her a cancer diagnosis. This talk has struck a chord with medical professionals and universities around the world and has been viewed 55,000 times in just three months.

As chair of BC Womens Hospital’s ‘Hope Starts Here’ campaign, Tamara is committed to raising $17 million for a newborn intensive care unit. In 2014, she chaired BC Cancer Foundation’s Inspiration Gala, which raised $5 million for personalized onco-geonomics. She has agreed to chair the gala again in 2015 and is committed to raising $4 million for immunotherapy.

Tamara is a sought-after keynote speaker on overcoming challenges and being your own advocate. She is a strong community leader and advocate who has raised millions of dollars for research and support for British Columbians.

Hari B. Varshney
Hari Varshney is a leading British Columbia business person who, through his vision, tireless commitment, initiative and philanthropic activities, has positively touched the lives of many and has made a significant and sustainable impact throughout our province.

Hari is the founder of Varshney Capital, a merchant banking and venture capital firm which has contributed significantly to the economy of, and investment in, B.C., particularly in resources and technology. The various Varshney Capital holdings over the last 33 years have employed hundreds of British Columbians.

Born in a rural village in India, Hari arrived in Vancouver in 1967 with less than $100 to his name to accept an MBA scholarship from UBC. He credits the province of B.C. for creating the platform for him to achieve much success in life. He was the first Indo-Canadian to achieve a Chartered Accountant designation and the first to achieve the Fellowship designation (FCA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, which is bestowed on CAs in recognition of the service and honour they have brought to the profession.

Hari has been a leader to the community, to multiculturalism, to education and in developing new leaders to strengthen the B.C. economy. He volunteers his time and contributes financially to a multitude of organizations and numerous charitable endeavours at universities, hospitals and temples.

Hari has brought his considerable leadership to help link academic, clinical, business and philanthropic leaders toward the goal of improving knowledge translation and finding health care solutions that lead to a healthier, more productive population. He has received many awards including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal.

Sing Lim Yeo
Sing Lim Yeo is a devoted volunteer, embodying excellence, achievement and distinction. He is one of those exceptional volunteers who gives wholeheartedly at many different levels, assisting the causes he supports through his time, leadership and community influence, as well as his financial assistance.

Over 30 years of volunteerism, Mr. Yeo has raised more than $20 million for numerous non-profit organizations. He targets his time and resources mainly to causes in health care, social programs, multiculturalism and heritage interests, and international disaster relief.

As co-owner/broker of Royal Pacific Realty Corp. and New World Realty, the largest independently owned and operated real estate company in British Columbia, Sing Lim has founded two important, long-term charitable initiatives within B.C.’s real estate industry: BC Children’s Hospital REALTORS Care Endowment Fund and the Canadian REALTORS Care Foundation. He remains a leader in the foundation and has significantly contributed to the continued success of the Realtors Care Blanket Drive, which collects and delivers warm blankets and clothing to more than 165,000 homeless people.

Sing Lim also contributes his time and energy to the Tapestry Foundation for Health Care, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the Chinese Cultural Centre, playing a key role in fundraising activities as well as playing a leadership role.

In 2011, Sing Lim played a leadership role in raising $3.5 million for local charities, including $1.6 million for the earthquake in Japan. He contributes an average of more than 600 volunteer hours per year to these efforts.

Melvin Zajac, C.M.
Mel Zajac has devoted more than 50 years of his life to giving back to the community and has raised more than $25 million for charities and community projects.

A successful B.C. businessman, Mel is a hard worker and generous person who responded to the tragic loss of both his sons to sporting accidents within a few months of each other by dedicating himself to bettering the lives of children with special needs and seniors with disabilities.

One of the originators of modern development in Vancouver’s West End, Mel has constructed 22 buildings. He also turned his substantial energies toward volunteer and community involvement, founding an annual charity golf tournament in 1964.

Through the Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation, Mel has raised millions and spearheaded community projects throughout British Columbia. He sponsored Mission’s Sandcastle Developmental Preschool for children with special needs, the Variety Park Playground, Covenant House, renovation of UBC Hospital’s In Vitro Fertilization Laboratory and Norgate House in North Vancouver for seniors with disabilities.

Mel’s most ambitious project has been the internationally recognized Zajac Ranch for Children at Stave Lake, designed to provide a camp experience for children with medical needs who would otherwise not be able to go to camp. Since 2004, the ranch has welcomed thousands of children who otherwise would have no opportunity for a summer camp experience.

Having devoted half his life to those with disabilities or special needs, Mr. Zajac is an outstanding example of putting service ahead of self.

Order of British Columbia background

Established in 1989 by statute, the Order of British Columbia recognizes those persons who have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere. It represents the highest form of recognition the Province can extend to its citizens. Appointments to the order are made annually to the most outstanding British Columbians possessing these qualifications. Citizens of the Province are invited to participate in this ongoing process by nominating persons whom they feel are worthy of this acknowledgement and honour.

Insignia Description
The Insignia of the Order of British Columbia is in the form of a medal. The medal depicts a stylistic dogwood (the floral emblem of B.C.), and features a crowned shield of arms. It is worn with a green, gold, white and blue ribbon. The medal was designed by Bruce W. Beatty and is manufactured by Pressed Metal Products in Vancouver, B.C.

Eligibility
Any resident of B.C., or former long-term resident, who has demonstrated outstanding achievement, excellence or distinction in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere is eligible to be nominated. Fields of endeavour may include community leadership, business, labour, industry, volunteer service, professions and other occupations, arts, sports and others. Federal, provincial and municipal elected representatives are not eligible for appointment to the order while they remain in office. A person may not be appointed to the order posthumously unless the Advisory Council recommends the appointment to the Lieutenant Governor in Council before the person's death.

Nominations
Any person is welcome to nominate a deserving individual as a candidate for appointment to the order. Appointments will be made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Advisory Council, an independent council chaired by the chief justice of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia. The chancellor of the Advisory Council is the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Request a nomination form by email at orderofbc@gov.bc.ca (250 387-1616), or submit online at: http://www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca/nominations

Nominations and letters of support for the Order of British Columbia must be received by the first Friday in March at the secretariat's office (1st floor, 548 Michigan St., Victoria, V8V 1S2) or via email at orderofbc@gov.bc.ca, to be considered this year. Nominations received after this will be included in the selection process for the next year.

Media Contact:
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Communications
250 356-5963