As the honorary patron of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin presented S.S. Beaver medals to nine B.C. residents and two organizations at a ceremony at Government House on Thursday.
The annual awards recognize outstanding contributions to the province’s marine sector in the areas of science, technology, business, applications of maritime skills, nautical heritage and culture and academic contributions.
Presentations are normally done annually, but the 2020 awards were deferred because of public health restrictions. This year, the 2021 and 2020 recipients were honoured together.
2021 recipients include retired RCMP inspector Kenneth Burton, Margaret and Martyn Clark, Ian Maxwell and Robert Turner. A special award was also presented to Allied Shipbuilding Limited of North Vancouver.
The 2020 recipients included Gregory Marshall, Gordon Miller, Capt. William Noon and Capt. David (Duke) Snider, with a Special Category Award to the Underwater Archaeological Society of B.C.
Nominations for the award come from the public. The award is gold-plated and cast from materials salvaged from the wreck of the S.S. Beaver, the first steam-powered ship on the west coast of North America. It operated for 52 years until its grounding in 1888.
Student donates funds, leggings to Wear2Start
Lambrick Park Secondary School Grade 12 student Lauren Roworth presented a cheque for $11,440 and about $600 worth of leggings to Wear2Start on International Women’s Day.
The non-profit society helps women in need who require a work wardrobe, including clothing, accessories, shoes, handbags and essential personal-care items, and co-ordinates services such as haircuts and clothing alterations.
The donation was the culmination of Roworth’s LegUp4Women campaign. On her online fundraising page, Lauren said she wanted to help support women who have met with financial difficulties, are looking to re-enter the workforce or have left abusive relationships.
North Park Repair Café aims to reduce waste, build community
Bring your broken small household items, electronics or torn or ripped clothing to the North Park community’s first-ever Repair Café, at the First Metropolitan United Church Fellowship Hall on Saturday.
At the event, a joint effort between the church and the North Park Neighbourhood Association, volunteers will help fix almost anything that is broken and is repairable.
Repair Cafés are meant to put neighbours in touch with each other, and pass along practical skills on how to fix things that could be used again after a simple repair, reducing waste.
The free event takes place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 26 at the First Metropolitan Fellowship Hall, 932 Balmoral Rd. Learn by watching, or even helping while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.
Repair cafés are part of an international movement that originated in the Netherlands in 2009. There are now hundreds of Repair Cafés in dozens of countries around the world.
Weigh in as CRD updates parks plan
The Capital Regional District is seeking public feedback as it updates its Regional Parks Strategic Plan, expected to guide the management of the region’s parks and trails over the next 10 years.
The CRD is gathering input from First Nations, stakeholders and the public on the plan, with an eye toward conservation and protection of biodiversity.
The regional district manages more than 13,300 hectares of natural areas in 32 regional parks and three regional trails on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
The public is encouraged to complete an online survey, which is open until April 4.
For more information and to complete the survey, go to getinvolved.crd.bc.ca.
City of Victoria neighbourhood grants opening soon
The City of Victoria is offering residents up to $5,000 in grants for projects or activities that bring neighbours together. Applications for this year’s My Great Neighbourhood Grants will be accepted starting April 1.
The city will provide up to $5,000 for placemaking and community resiliency projects and up to $1,000 for community-building activities. Residents must match the funding request with volunteer time and in-kind donations. There is $131,330 in funding is available.
“Victoria has so many amazing neighbourhoods, each with their own unique identity and sense of community pride,” said Mayor Lisa Helps. “I am eager to see how neighbourhoods will use these grants to make their communities more inclusive, social and resilient places.”
Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Once applications are approved, funding will be distributed on a first-in, first-funded basis. Applications will close for the year on Oct. 31.
More than $755,000 in My Great Neighbourhood grants have supported 250 community projects since 2016. Past projects include food security initiatives, decorative lighting, murals, art displays, interpretive signage and public seating areas.
For more information, and to apply, go to victoria.ca/neighbourhoodgrants.
Victoria Foundation grants support community well-being
Organizations in the capital region can apply for funding under the Victoria Foundation’s 2022 Community Grants Program, which supports registered charities and other qualified recipients whose work benefits community well-being.
Grants include support for the arts, environment, food security, health, youth engagement, housing and homelessness.
Amounts available range from $7,500 up to $30,000.
“The Victoria Foundation’s goal is to strengthen community well-being by investing in people, opportunities and solutions,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “The Community Grants Program is a key program in achieving this mission.”
The program builds on the 2021 Community Recovery Program, which distributed more than $3.13 million to 142 organizations.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. on April 14. For more information, go to victoriafoundation.bc.ca.
Ronald McDonald House steps up for families
Ronald McDonald House, B.C. and Yukon is kicking off its Step Up for Families campaign, an annual fundraiser to offset the cost of providing families of sick children with a place to stay while their children receive medical care at the nearby B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Held in April, Step Up for Families invites the community to assemble their families, friends and colleagues to run, walk, roll or cycle at least 73 kilometres throughout the month.
“Our goal this year for Step Up for Families is to raise 1,000 nights of accommodation, community and support for families staying at [Ronald McDonald] House,” said Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House, B.C. and Yukon. “We are grateful for our many supporters, from Whitehorse to White Rock, who we depend upon in order to fulfill our mission and commitment to be there for families when they must travel from their hometowns to Vancouver for critical treatment of a child.”
Last year’s event attracted 317 participants from more than 55 communities in B.C. and Yukon. Collectively, they took 60 million steps and ran, walked, rolled or cycled 48,000 kilometres, raising $151,000, the equivalent of 1,200 nights of accommodation.
For more information, to donate or to sign up, go to stepupforfamilies.ca.
