Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
VICTORIA - In front of friends, family and a room full of distinguished guests, 16 exceptional civic leaders were recognized today at Government House with the Province’s highest honour, the Order of British Columbia. Three recipients unable to attend the 2014 ceremony were also honoured.
“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.”
(flickr.com) “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. “From inventing the AbleWalker so that seniors can remain active, or connecting people across cultures, this year’s recipients make a difference in their communities. On behalf of all British Columbians, I want to thank them for everything 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 depression awareness and youth suicide prevention Jane Dyson of Vancouver - Advocate for people with disabilities in B.C.
Al 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.
Three recipients, Donald Lindsay, Rudy North and Lorne Segal, were invested today, having missed last year’s ceremony.
(flickr.com) 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 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.
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 British Columbia is online at: www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca
Two backgrounders follow.
Contact:
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Communications
250 356-7293
BACKGROUNDER 1
2015 Order of B.C. recipients
Ron Burnett, C.M., of Vancouver
Ron Burnett is one of the world's most distinguished academics in the areas of media, arts and communications.
Ron has served as president of the Emily Carr University of Art + Design since 1966. Recognized as one of the top art and design institutions in the world, he has raised the profile of the university and brought attention to the importance of the Arts to people’s well-being. Ron has also written three books, most recently, How Images Think.
Ron also had significant roles at Vanier College and McGill University in Montreal, York University in Toronto, LaTrobe University in Australia, University of Otago in New Zealand, and Ben Gurion University in Israel. Known for his work in media and distance education, Ron served on an "eminent persons panel" at UNESCO to provide advice on Internet resources in developing countries.
Ron was inducted to the Royal Academy of Art, has received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals and is a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2010, he was invested into France's prestigious Ordre des Arts and des Lettres for his work to strengthen the cultural relationship between Canada and France.
Tim Collings of Surrey
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.
The massacre of 14 young women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989 compelled Tim to pursue a technological approach to enable social change. He began working on the V-Chip at Simon Fraser University in 1990. It is 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.
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.
Ginny and Kerry Dennehy of Whistler
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 the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation which has raised more than $7 million to date. The first 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. Other centres both here and abroad can benefit from an ‘off the shelf’ solution. A second centre has just opened at the new mental health building (The Hope Centre) at Lions Gate Hospital and a third is going to be established at VGH, with a Kelty Online Therapy Program already developed and open to precede that building.
Facilitating dialogue between community groups to help end the stigma of mental illness is at the core of Kerry and Ginny’s work. School programs to combat the silence give hope that talking openly about depression and anxiety will be just as mainstream as talking about drinking and driving.
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 of Vancouver
Jane Dyson is a trusted and influential leader who has devoted much of her working life to advocating on behalf of people with disabilities.
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.
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. This allowed allowed people to earn more money and improve financial security for themselves and their families.
Jane has volunteered her time and energy to countless other organizations, boards and community groups. She founded the Disability Without Poverty Network to drive positive social change. She is committed to change for the better for some of BC’s most vulnerable and underrepresented citizens.
Al Etmanski, C.M., M.S.M. of Surrey
Al Etmanski is an author, advocate and social entrepreneur. A specialist in innovative, multi-sector solutions to complex social challenges, he is known for his longstanding work to secure a good life for people with disabilities and their families.
Al’s lifelong commitment to social change led him to advocate for initiatives such as the Representation Agreement and the Registered Disability Savings Program, which contributes to the financial well being of Canadians with disabilities. There are more than $2 billion in RDSP accounts. He is co-founder with his wife Vickie Cammack, of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), a social enterprise working with families to ensure the security and well-being of persons with disabilities when their parents die. PLAN’s model has spread around the world.
Through his work with the BC Partners for Social Impact, Al continues to lead and inspire people to work together to find new ways to address society’s most complex and pervasive social problems. He is particularly interested in addressing social isolation and supporting natural caregivers.
His commitment is much more than his formal role with any one organization or committee. He consistently finds ways to connect networks of passionate amateurs, promote new ideas and approaches to financing and foster major initiatives in British Columbia and beyond. He is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Chief Robert Joseph of North Vancouver
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, Robert has dedicated his life to bridging the differences brought about by intolerance, lack of understanding and racism at home and abroad.
Robert has worked as Ambassador of Reconciliation for Reconciliation Canada and as a member of the National Assembly of First Nations Elders Council. 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. Michael’s Indian Residential School, he endured inconceivable hardships as a young boy. He persevered and dedicated his life to help renew relationships between aboriginal peoples and all Canadians.
Robert’s work has received several awards including an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UBC, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue from SFU, and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Vancouver School of Theology.
One of the last fluent speakers of the Kwakwaka’wakw language, he is an eloquent and inspiring speaker who initiated the reconciliation dialogue process and ignited a fire under it.
Barry Lapointe of Kelowna
Barry Lapointe, founder of KF Aerospace (formally 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, B.C., 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. KF Aerospace is the largest British Columbia-based airline and the third-largest airline in Canada.
Barry co-ordinated a program for grades 11 and 12 students to experience a prospective career in aviation and was instrumental in bringing British Columbia Institute of Technology aviation technical programs to the Okanagan. He has also served as a mentor through Entrepreneurs Unplugged. His philanthropic endeavors include the Flightcraft Foundation in addition to hundreds of smaller donations.
Barry is a true visionary, continually seeking out aviation market niches to retain and advance KF Aerospace s position in the aviation industry, ensuring stability for current employees, and future opportunity for British Columbia’s youth.
Don Lindsay of Vancouver (2014 appointment)
Don Lindsay has made outstanding professional and personal contributions to improving the lives of children and youth in British Columbia.
He is President and Chief Executive Officer of Teck Resources Limited, Canada’s largest diversified resource company, which is headquartered in British Columbia and has helped build communities across the province for over 100 years.
Deeply committed to the well-being of children, Don’s dedication is exemplified by the time and effort he puts into his fundraising activities. He led the recently completed $200 million Campaign for BC Children, a seven-year campaign to raise funds for a new Children’s Hospital and expanded pediatric care across British Columbia. Serving as chair of the campaign for seven-years, he worked alongside other mining industry and community leaders to ensure the campaign, the largest hospital fund raising initiative in Western Canada, reached its goal.
This is all part of British Columbia’s largest-ever health-care funding initiative, a $683 million redevelopment project that involves four health-care/educational institutions and the provincial government. A first in Canada, this project sparked an innovative design and planning process aimed at ensuring the new hospital design is informed by the expertise and needs of patients, parents, staff, architects and others.
Don Lindsay has led the development of the Zinc Saves Kids campaign, developed in partnership with UNICEF to address zinc deficiency in children. Under his leadership, Teck - as one of the world’s largest zinc producers - launched a Zinc and Health program which has helped improve the health of more than 10 million children and counting worldwide.
Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia of West Vancouver
Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia’s achievements as a community leader and philanthropist inspire and motivate British Columbians to become more involved in their communities.
Wendy contributes her entrepreneurial talent to the B.C. economy as chief executive officer of the Crew Management companies, which employ a team of more than 500 people.
Wendy serves as trustee for the Vancouver Police Foundation, Governor of the Vancouver Board of Trade, a fellow at Royal Roads University, a director of the BC Lottery Corporation and a governor at the BC Business Council. She has been appointed to the BC Jobs and Investment Board and the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council.
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 that serves the needs of individuals and their families coping with autism spectrum disorders and related disorders. Wendy and her husband have raised over $28 million for the foundation.
Wendy has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the Justice Institute of BC, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Variety The Children's Charity International Corporate Fundraiser of the Year award.
Rudolph North, C.M. of Vancouver (2014 appointment)
Rudolph North is a philanthropist, a humanitarian, and a business leader who has used his success and leadership skills to better his community.
A third-generation Vancouverite and a founding partner of Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management, Rudy North has combined business success with social responsibility to support many initiatives, including environmental research and habitat conservation.
He established the North Growth Foundation to keep British Columbia a spectacularly desirable place to live. Through the foundation, Mr. North has supported B.C.’s universities and charities as big as the United Way, and as small as Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood house.
Rudy North has made meaningful donations in support of programs for children and youth, and to charitable organizations such as the Djavad Mowfaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC and BC Children’s Hospital, as well as to leading researchers in various fields. He helped establish Science World and was an early supporter of the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at SFU.
His lifelong passion for our province’s natural environment inspired him to work with many of BC’s forward thinking environmental organizations. Mr. North contributed $1 million each toward a new research facility at Vancouver Aquarium, the conservation of the Great Bear Rain Forest and the Rivers Institute at BCIT.
Mr. North is a member of the Order of Canada. He has been honoured by the United Way and by Simon Fraser University, which awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Law and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Saida Rasul of Vancouver
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 and championed the creation of the Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Cultures and Societies. With her husband, Firoz, Saida’s philanthropy includes gifts of nearly $12 million to the BC Cancer Agency, SFU, UBC, United Way and BC Children’s Hospital, among others.
Saida is a volunteer to the Aga Khan University. She has helped set up two preventive dental programs as part of the hospital systems in East Africa and in Pakistan and is working with volunteers to set up a diploma of dental hygiene program to train students 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, she has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from SFU, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and recent recognition by the British Columbia and Canadian Dental Associations.
Norman Rolston of Langley
Norman Rolston works as a counsellor, dedicated to the needs of those less fortunate than himself. His invention of the Able Walker has saved the taxpayers millions of dollars by giving many immobile individuals a way to be active for better mental and physical health.
Norman built his first walker for his aunt who suffered from arthritis. One day in 1986, while watching her trying to walk across the floor pushing a kitchen chair, he had an idea to attach wheels. His prototype walker included swivel casters for steering and hand brakes to give his aunt renewed freedom and independence.
The biggest challenge was overcoming the skepticism of the medical profession but Norman was undaunted. He met with the Surgeon General of the United States who thought highly of the invention. Following that meeting, 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.
Lorne Segal of Vancouver (2014 appointment)
Lorne Segal has inspired a generation of new philanthropists through his personal generosity, leadership and extraordinary kindness.
Acknowledged by community, business and philanthropy leaders across Canada for his ability to engage and motivate others, Mr. Segal, president of Kingswood Properties Ltd. and a director of Kingswood Capital Corporation, has used his business success to propel his community giving.
Mr. Segal is the chair of Coast Mental Health Foundation’s Courage to Come Back Awards. Through his efforts over the past 17 years, this has become one of the premier fundraising gala events in Vancouver. During Mr. Segal’s past 10 years as Chair, it has raised in excess of $13 million providing housing, employment and other support services to over 4,000 people annually living with mental illness in B.C.
Lorne Segal is also the Founding Chair of Free the Children’s We Day Vancouver, a social movement among youth that promotes social responsibility and global citizenship. We Day Vancouver brings together 20,000 young leaders annually to inspire them to improve their community and the world. Mr. Segal’s seminal leadership over the past 9 years has served as the model for growth of We Day to 14 cities around the world positively impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people.
Mr. Segal has received the Justice Institute of British Columbia Foundation Community Leadership Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to his community. Capilano University recently conferred an Honourary Doctor of Letters (D. Litt) on him (and his wife, Melita). He is a long serving Director of the Vancouver Board of Trade and a member of Simon Fraser University Dean’s External Advisory Board, Segal Graduate School of Business. He is both a successful fundraiser and a successful friend-raiser, bringing committed and passionate people together to combine their energies and create great change.
Jim Shepard of Vancouver
Jim Shepard used his experiential knowledge of business to help grow British Columbia’s economy during his 50-year career with some of BC’s largest firms.
His career included serving as chair and CEO of Finning, president and CEO of Canfor, chair of the board of MacDonald Dettwiler, chair of OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals and chair of the Business Council of BC, Vice-Chair of the Conference Board of Canada, and Director of BC Rail Ltd.
Jim was founding chair of the 1998 Business Summit which drew 1,000 business leaders from throughout BC to rekindle the ‘can do’ spirit of free enterprise. Jim is also founding chair of the BC Business Laureates Hall of Fame Gala which has raised over $4.6 million over 10 years for the BC Junior Achievement.
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. He was chair of the Grantham’s Landing Wharf Association and fully funded 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 of Vancouver
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, she doesn’t just talk. She is a strong community leader who advocates for others, volunteers and raises much-needed funds for many important causes. She has volunteered thousands of hours and sits on the boards of several 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. It was 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.
Hari B. Varshney of Vancouver
Hari Varshney is a leading business person who, through his vision, tireless commitment, initiative and philanthropy, has made a significant and sustainable impact throughout British Columbia.
Hari is the founder of Varshney Capital, a merchant banking and venture capital firm which has contributed significantly to the economy of B.C., particularly in resources and technology. The firm’s holdings have employed hundreds of British Columbians.
Born in rural India, Hari arrived in Vancouver in 1967 with less than $100 to his name to accept an MBA scholarship from UBC. 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.
Hari has been a leader in the community, multiculturalism, education and in developing new leaders to strengthen the B.C. economy. He volunteers 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 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 of Vancouver
Sing Lim Yeo is a devoted volunteer, embodying excellence, achievement and distinction. He is an exceptional volunteer who gives wholeheartedly at many different levels, assisting the causes he supports through his time, leadership and community influence, as well as financially.
Over 30 years of volunteerism, Sing has raised more than $20 million for numerous non-profit organizations. He targets causes in health care, social programs, multiculturalism and heritage interests, and international disaster relief. In 2011 alone, Sing helped raise $3.5 million for local charities, including $1.6 million for earthquake relief in Japan.
As co-owner/broker of Royal Pacific Realty Corp. and New World Realty, the largest independently owned and operated real estate company in BC, Sing has founded two important, long-term charitable initiatives within BC’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 for homeless people.
Sing also contributes to the Tapestry Foundation for Health Care, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the Chinese Cultural Centre, playing a fundraising and leadership role. He contributes an average of more than 600 volunteer hours per year.
Melvin Zajac, C.M., of Vancouver
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 and one of the originators of modern development in Vancouver’s West End, Mel has constructed 22 buildings.
He 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.
Through the Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation, created to honour his two sons, 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, Zajac Norgate House in North Vancouver for seniors with disabilities and renovation of UBC Hospital’s In Vitro Fertilization Laboratory.
Mel’s most ambitious project has been the Zajac Ranch for Children at Stave Lake. Since 2004, the ranch has welcomed thousands of children with medical needs who would otherwise not be able to go to camp.
Mel, a Member of the Order of Canada, is an outstanding example of putting service ahead of self.
Contact:
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Communications
250 356-7293
BACKGROUNDER 2
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.
Nomination forms are available from: the Honours and Awards Secretariat office at orderofbc@gov.bc.ca (250 387-1616), or submit online at: www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca
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 date will be included in the selection process for the next year.
Contact:
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Communications
250 356-7293
