Three cheers for Vancouver Island! Three southern Island residents are among the 14 British Columbians appointed to the Order of British Columbia this year.
Former MP and MLA David Anderson, Tracey Herbert, CEO at the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, and Carey Newman, a First Nations master carver, were all appointed.
The Order of B.C. was established in 1989 to recognize “those persons who have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere.”
“I am so pleased to share congratulations with the inspiring individuals joining the Order of British Columbia this year,” Lt. Gov. Janet Austin, chancellor of the order, announced last week.
“These exceptional recipients are pillars of our communities who have demonstrated excellence and distinction in their fields. I wish to extend my thanks to all new members for their commitment to meaningful work that leaves a lasting legacy, which benefits and elevates our province for future generations.”
Order of B.C. appointees support environment and Indigenous language and arts
Originally of the St’uxwtews First Nation (Bonaparte Band) in the Thompson Okanagan, Herbert has served the public for more than 30 years in the areas of health education, employment, community development, and strategic planning.
For the past 16 years, she’s been instrumental in First Nations language preservation and revitalization in the province, and led the development of an award-winning exhibit on Indigenous languages of B.C. at the Royal B.C. Museum.
Newman is a Sooke-based Indigenous artist, master carver, singer, volunteer, and well-known speaker about the spirit of reconciliation. He created the Witness Blanket, a large-scale art installation composed of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings, and other sites from across Canada, four years ago.
The piece acted as a monument to the atrocities of the residential school era while honouring the children involved and symbolizing ongoing reconciliation efforts.
Finally, Anderson worked to safeguard coastal waters and wetland areas from environmental pollution, both as an elected official and in many roles on special committees and panels.
The following 11 people were also appointed:
- Deborah Abbey, an author and media spokesperson from New Westminster
- Domenic Cuccione, a philanthropist from Port Moody who has raised over $23 million for pediatric oncology research
- Brian Fehr, of Vancouver, founder of BID Group that provides innovative technical systems and construction services for wood products industries
- Anne Giardini, of Vancouver, chancellor of Simon Fraser University and celebrated B.C. business leader, board director, lawyer, community advocate, and internationally published writer
- Andrew Joe, of Vancouver, Canada’s first Chinese-Canadian lawyer
- Grand Chief Percy Joe, of Merritt, a hereditary and elected chief of the Scw’exmx, and one of the founders of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.
- Mary Kitagawa, of Delta, an educator and human rights crusader
- Brenda Martens, of Vancouver, a sustainability advocate and early adopter of green building practices
- George Melville, of White Rock, chairman and owner of Melville Global Investments Inc.
- Bill Millerd, of Denman Island, who dedicated 40 years to nurturing the growth of professional theatre in B.C.
- Brian Minter, of Chilliwack, horticulturist and entrepreneur
203 British Columbians were nominated for the order this year, with more than half coming from the Lower Mainland. 432 British Columbians have been appointed to the order since its inception.
