FIFTEEN TO RECEIVE 2010 ORDER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

August 6, 2010 - VICTORIA - Fifteen British Columbians who have contributed to the province in extraordinary ways will be awarded the Order of British Columbia, Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point, Chancellor of the Order, announced today.

"The Order of British Columbia recognizes the excellence and achievements of our citizens. It is the highest honour we can bestow on individuals in our province," Point said.

"The Order of British Columbia recognizes the remarkable accomplishments achieved by extraordinary British Columbians," said Premier Gordon Campbell. "This year's recipients have made exceptional contributions to their communities and to the province. On behalf of all British Columbians, I'd like to thank each recipient for everything they have done for the province."

This year's recipients are:

Recipients of the Order of British Columbia have been selected by an independent advisory committee from public nominations. The 2010 Advisory Committee consists of: The Honourable Lance S.G. Finch (Chair), Chief Justice of British Columbia; The Honourable Bill Barisoff, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and MLA for Penticton; Dr. Roger H. Barnsley, Interim President, Thompson Rivers University; Chief Harry Nyce, President, Union of British Columbia Municipalities; Lorne Brownsey, Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat; and, Dolores Kirkwood, O.B.C., and Dr. Ray Markham, O.B.C. (previous recipients of the Order).

The Order of B.C. investiture ceremony will be held for recipients and invited guests at Government House in Victoria on Oct. 21, 2010. Since the Order was first introduced in 1989, 287 people have received the honour.

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

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(The recipients' biographies are attached.)

Media contact:
Alex Dabrowski
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
250 356-7373

Honours and Recipients Information:
Lucy Lobmeier
Coordinator, Honours and Awards Secretariat
250 883-6721

2010 ORDER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA RECIPIENTS

The Honourable Jacob "Jack" Austin, P.C., Q.C. - Vancouver
Jacob "Jack" Austin has been a leading British Columbian in the field of public policy for more than 45 years. He has been a lawyer, business person, federal deputy minister, chief of staff to a Prime Minister, cabinet minister under two prime ministers and Senator representing British Columbia.

Mr. Austin has been involved with many major initiatives - from the Columbia River Treaty to northeast coal to Expo 86 and from the Nisga'a Final Agreement to the Pacific Gateway Strategy - that have defined B.C. over the last half century.

He was a leader in building a strengthened relationship between Canada and China. In 1984 he facilitated the establishment of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada based in Vancouver. Mr. Austin also worked throughout his career for progress in relations between B.C. and First Nations.

Brad Bennett
- Kelowna Brad Bennett has been President of McIntosh Properties Ltd., a real estate investment and holding company based in Kelowna since 1990.

He has served on a number of private and public company boards and is currently a Director of B.C. Advantage Funds, Quails' Gate Estate Winery, Kal Tire Holdings Ltd., Exchange Income Corporation and Rackforce Networks Inc.

A strong believer in community service, Mr. Bennett is a Director of the Premier's Technology Council, the University of British Columbia Properties Trust Board, a Trustee and Member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Fraser Institute and Member of the BC Business Laureates Hall of Fame Cabinet.

Past community service positions include being Chair of the Board of Governors for the University of British Columbia, Chair of the Board of Okanagan University College, Chair of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Founding Co-Chair of the Okanagan Partnership Regional Economic Development Strategy, Chair of the City of Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts Building Committee and Co-Chair for the Central Okanagan Hospice Capital Campaign.

Dr. Robert Conrad Brunham - Vancouver
Head of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Brunham is an internationally recognized authority on infectious diseases.

A B.C. native and a UBC graduate, Dr. Brunham's academic career began at the University of Manitoba where he led the Department of Medical Microbiology. He was recruited back to B.C. in 1999 to lead the BCCDC.

His approach of linking active research with public health decision-making was successfully demonstrated during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis and the 2009/10 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Dr. Brunham is also a professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at UBC. His research centres on the immunology, genomics and epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases and the origins of emerging infectious diseases. Much of his research has dealt with developing a vaccine for Chlamydia.

Dan Doyle - Victoria
A highly respected public servant in B.C., Dan Doyle's 36-year history with the provincial transportation ministry included four years as deputy minister.

During his tenure with the B.C. public service, Mr. Doyle forged a legacy of transportation infrastructure including: the Asia-Pacific Gateway Initiative; the Gateway Program; the Sea-to-Sky Highway; the Okanagan Lake Bridge; the Kicking Horse Canyon project; and, the Lions Gate Bridge rehabilitation.

Following his retirement, Mr. Doyle served as a key member of the executive team at VANOC.

His professional expertise has been widely recognized including being awarded the Canadian Transportation Person of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and the R A Mclachan Memorial Award given by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C.

Jeneece Edroff - Victoria
Jeneece Edroff is known to many on Vancouver Island as "the Penny Girl" for her outstanding efforts at fundraising and her spirit of generosity. Affected with the rare genetic condition Neurofibromatosis since birth, she has undergone many surgeries to straighten and strengthen her spine, and surgery to repair a hole in her heart. With her enthusiastic and encouraging spirit, she thrives on helping others despite her difficult medical condition. She is currently receiving chemotherapy.

At age seven, Jeneece Edroff decided to raise funds to "give back" to the charity that had assisted her family with medical expenses. She spearheaded a penny drive for the Variety Club Children's Charity. Over the years, the teen has raised $1.5 million for children in B.C.

The young fundraiser has expanded her fundraising efforts to include the Easter Seal's 24-hour Relay, the BC Neurofibromatosis Foundation, BC Children's Miracle Network telethons and she has opened a golf tournament for the Help Fill a Dream Foundation. She is also involved with Cops for Cancer and is an honorary rider in the Tour de Rock.

Recently, she started "The Jeneece Edroff Society" to raise funds for local projects that will assist families of children with special needs, and promote awareness, motivation, inspiration and action in youth and others. Jeneece was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 2006.

John Furlong, O.C. - Vancouver
John Furlong is one of Canada's most influential sport leaders and was the "face of the Games" as chief executive officer of VANOC. Mr. Furlong was the leader behind the team that organized and delivered the Games to positive reviews the world over.

Prior to his appointment at VANOC in 2004, Mr. Furlong was the President and Chief Operating Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Bid. In this role, he became the Bid's international voice, tirelessly clocking more than 1.2 million miles in his travels to promote Vancouver's candidacy.

A long time member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, he has been involved in athletics all of his life, having competed at the international level in basketball, European handball and squash, and became Canadian Squash Champion in 1986.

In addition Mr. Furlong has led many high profile sports organizations in Canada and has served as the Chair of the BC Summer and Winter Games and Sport BC.

In 2009 Mr. Furlong was named Canada's Most Influential Sport Figure by both the Globe and Mail and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and listed #1 on Vancouver Magazine's Vancouver Power 50 list.

Robert (Bob) George Hindmarch - Vancouver
Bob Hindmarch's long and illustrious career as an athlete, teacher, coach, mentor, and leader has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of students, athletes, coaches and citizens. He has been prominent in sports and physical education at UBC, and through national and international sports organizations.

He was assistant coach and general manager of Canada's first national hockey team which competed at the 1964 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. He also coached the UBC Thunderbird hockey team for 12 years. During that time and at the request of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, he took the Thunderbirds team to China in December 1973 to recognize the formalization of relations between Canada and the People's Republic of China.

Upon his retirement he established the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, and today serves as the Director of External Relations with the Athletic Department. He also helped establish the Man In Motion World Tour and was an advisor to Rick Hansen during his incredible journey around the world.

Numerous other activities are connected to Mr. Hindmarch including president of the B.C. Sports Federation, director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, chairman of the sports committee for EXPO 86, and a trustee of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

His long and distinguished association with the Olympics movement in Canada as a hockey coach, board member, chef de mission and volunteer earned him an honorary lifetime membership in the Canadian Olympic Association and induction to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. Bob Hindmarch's lifelong involvement in amateur sports also resulted in his induction as a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in both the sport all-round and builder categories.

Chief Tony Hunt - Victoria
Chief Tony Hunt is hereditary chief of the KwaGulth people of Fort Rupert and Kingcome Inlet and is one of the greatest living native artists of the Pacific Northwest.

Although his formal education ended in Grade Nine, he had learned carving and painting from his grandfather.

Chief Hunt, along with his father, Chief Henry Hunt, and grandfather, Chief Mungo Martin, were the creators of Victoria's famous Thunderbird Park and the Hunt Family Big House both on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum. He also was involved with the KwaGulth ceremonial Big House at Fort Rupert, the largest traditional native structure ever built in the Pacific Northwest.

Chief Hunt has designed nearly 100 full-scale totem poles - more than any First Nation artist living or dead. Beyond his contribution to Canadian heritage, many of his totems have become celebrated monuments in the United States, Great Britain, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, Japan and China. His artworks, of many genres, number in the hundreds.

Milan Ilich - Richmond
Milan Ilich has worked across the province, building infrastructure, advancing professional and amateur sports, and generously supporting important causes. Mr. Ilich's philanthropic endeavours have reached out to dozens of charitable organizations.

Born in the small northern B.C. mining town of Anyox to Yugoslavian parents, the family of 10 eventually settled in Richmond. The 1930s and 1940s were not easy on new immigrant families and Mr. Ilich found it necessary to leave school to help bring food to the family table.

Working in the construction industry, Mr. Ilich has demonstrated a desire to succeed and a fierce work ethic both which have proven to benefit, not just his family but so many others throughout the province. In 1965, he and his wife Maureen invested their savings in a small business that has grown into the Progressive group of companies. His business activities have helped in the development of Richmond and he has also participated in dozens of joint ventures aiding in significant community, commercial and residential development efforts throughout western Canada and the U.S.

Among the other charities Mr. Ilich has supported is the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. This resulted in the establishment of a chair in multiple sclerosis research. Mr. Ilich is a member of the Children's Circle of Care Royal Circle in honour of his support of BC Children's Hospital. He also worked in conjunction with BC Housing providing hundreds of homes for the less fortunate.

He has provided valuable support to Simon Fraser University, the BC Paraplegic Association, and Richmond Hospital, and has enhanced seniors' programs and residences within his community. He also played a key role in the development of Richmond Caring Place, a central facility for social service agencies in Richmond.

Mr. Ilich's interest in building B.C.'s sports profile led him to invest in the Vancouver Giants junior hockey team. He is also a former owner of the Vancouver 86ers professional soccer team and was involved in Richmond's planning for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Patricia Anna Mildred Leigh - Vancouver
Patti Leigh has contributed 27 years of dedicated service to the education of children and is the driving force behind The Science Fair Program in British Columbia.

She has created opportunities for over 700,000 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 enabling them to expand their knowledge, explore hands-on science, build self-esteem and develop personal skills to meet the challenges of a knowledge-based society.

Ms. Leigh's hard work and years of dedication led to the establishment of the Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia of which she was the founding president and executive director. The foundation assists students from across the province to participate in science fairs within their local communities eventually competing for the opportunity to represent B.C. at the national and international level.

Ms. Leigh was also a valued part of the Science World senior management team spending 23 years with the organization helping to direct the development of public outreach science programs.

Marco A. Marra - Vancouver
Marco Marra is a world leader in the field of genomics. Canadian-born and educated, with a PhD from Simon Fraser University, Mr. Marra trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Washington University Genome Sequence Center, one of the top two sequencing centres in the world.

When Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael Smith set out in 1998 to establish the Genome Science Centre (GSC) in Vancouver, Mr. Marra was appointed to head the Mapping and Sequencing division. He later became GSC director leading more than 200 staff and an annual grant funding level averaging more than $20 million per year.

The GSC attained two historic achievements during his tenure. Mr. Marra and his team succeeded in becoming the first to map the human genome, and the centre was first in the world to sequence the SARS virus in 2004, putting Canada on the world map in the genome era. He has overseen an increasing level of collaboration through joint projects, research support, recruitment, and science and clinical practice.

Mr. Marra has received numerous honours recognizing his outstanding scientific contributions and leadership including the 2010 Genome BC Award of Scientific Excellence and the Royal Society of Canada Fellowship.

Dr. Julio S.G. Montaner - Vancouver
Dr. Julio Montaner is a B.C. clinician and researcher, recognized by the international community as a leader in the field of HIV for over 20 years. He developed strategies to treat and prevent the spread of HIV. Over the course of his career, Dr. Montaner's achievements have benefited thousands of British Columbians, as well as people living with HIV across the globe.

Among his many achievements Dr. Montaner helped pioneer a "made in B.C." gold standard treatment for HIV, the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) - an achievement that has saved thousands of lives in Canada and around the world.

Dr. Montaner has played a pivotal role in establishing and evaluating the effectiveness of Vancouver's Supervised Injection Site, a health service that supports hundreds of people who use injection drugs in Vancouver.

Dr. Montaner has published widely, authoring more than 400 scientific publications on HIV/AIDS. In 1988, Dr. Montaner joined the faculty at St. Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia as the Director of AIDS Research and the Infectious Disease Clinic.

Christopher Duncan Rose - Kamloops
For 50 years, Chris Rose has served British Columbians, young and old, with distinction as teacher, school principal and school trustee. His greatest focus has been to support those with special needs.

As an advocate for children with special needs, he organized an annual conference on autism and re-established a special school for severely autistic children.

Mr. Rose was the Executive Director of Giant Steps (now known as the Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism), and is the chair and founding member of the Chris Rose Foundation, board member for the Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism and chairperson of the bi-annual International Conference on Autism. He has travelled to Armenia several times to develop programs and support for special needs children in that country.

In Kamloops, Mr. Rose served 10 years as an elected member of the Mayor's Task Force for People with Disabilities and three years as chair of the city's Social Planning Council leading to the City of Kamloops Youth Issues Conference.

Among his many awards, he was honoured with the Rotary International Scholarship for Teachers of the Handicapped and the Hazel Davy Award for Outstanding Service to Handicapped Children. Thompson Rivers University awarded Mr. Rose the Degree of "Doctor of Letters, honoris causa" for his work pioneering interventions and support for autistic children.

Barbara Ward-Burkitt - Prince George
Barbara Ward-Burkitt has dedicated almost 40 years to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre movement in B.C., advancing many issues that impact Aboriginal people.

As Executive Director of the Prince George Native Friendship Centre - the largest friendship centre in Canada - Ms. Ward-Burkitt advocates for Elders, children and families with a person centered approach grounded in cultural ways. Much of her work with the B.C. Association for Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Ministry of Children and Family Development focuses on reducing the disproportionate number of aboriginal children in care.

Ms. Ward-Burkitt has been successful in finding long term solutions to homelessness. Her efforts resulted in the establishment of T'se Koo Huba Yoh, an Aboriginal women's housing program and Friendship Lodge, resulting in a 30 unit housing project for people with barriers to attaining safe and affordable housing. Her engagement style with the community often led to mutual learning experiences and brought peaceful consultation to mitigate issues.

A committed community volunteer, Ms. Ward-Burkitt currently serves on the Northern HIV Task Force and is president of the Prince George Metis Housing Society, as well her involvement with literary endeavours, Elder functions and cultural events. She is devoted to seeking out individual learning opportunities for others and herself which included obtaining her Master of Education degree in 2001. She leads a womens' traditional hand drum group, Grandmothers of the Four Winds, and shares her traditional knowledge with respect and humility as taught to her by many elders and cultural teachers. She is an inspiration to the Aboriginal community.

Pauline (Hilistis) Waterfall - Bella Bella
Pauline Waterfall is a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, a proud ambassador for her people and advocate of access to education for all First Nations.

For 35 years, Ms. Waterfall has worked as an educator to establish adult learning opportunities in Bella Bella. This has resulted in Waglisla Adult Learning Centre, which offers adult upgrading, and Heiltsuk College, which offers post secondary courses. These two centres have taught four generations. Over 600 Heiltsuk students have transitioned to public post secondary institutions and employment training initiatives. Her educational leadership has extended beyond the Bella Bella community to organizations such as the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association, for which she served as board chair.

Ms. Waterfall is also known as a "keeper of the knowledge" in her community documenting Heiltsuk history and customs, written articles, gathered knowledge on traditional foods and medicines, and is frequently called upon as an orator in cultural ceremonies and events. As a biologist educator, she participated with other First Nations knowledge keepers to complete a First Nations biodiversity document, "Staying the Course" to complement the project completed by Biodiversity B.C.

She has also played a significant role in revitalizing the Hailhzaqv language and setting up a language trainee program. She has worked in collaboration with various research initiatives that strive for betterment of her people, the global community and the environment.

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Media contact:
Alex Dabrowski
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
250 356-7373

Lucy Lobmeier
Coordinator, Honours and Awards Secretariat
250 883-6721

SOURCE: Order of BRITISH COLUMBIA
http://www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Order-of-BC-2010-recipients.pdf

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