He didn’t believe it! And it took some convincing for Barriere resident Keith Moore to believe he is the communitiy’s newest Citizen of the Year.
On being given the news, Keith looked puzzled and said, “That must be a mistake, I know I have been nominated, but being selected for this honour must be a mistake.”
Keith’s reaction was not surprising. This has been a whirlwind month for him, as one award after another is bestowed.
On Oct. 10, he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication and longtime volunteering to his community, and for his service in World War II with the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own).
Keith is also scheduled to receive his 60 Year Pin from the Barriere Branch 242 Royal Canadian Legion on Oct. 26. And now he will have another date when the community will gather to recognize his contributions at the Barriere Citizen of The Year Banquet which will have a time and place announced within this newspaper over the next few weeks.
Once the news that he had been chosen to receive the Citizen of the Year Award had sunk in, Keith stated, “I didn’t do it all by myself; no matter what I did, I had good support from the community.”
Community support is what Keith Moore has been more than exemplary at over the past 60 years; since moving with his family from Blucher Hall to Barriere. It was then that Keith worked at the Tolko Mill in Louis Creek, and his volunteer work in the community began at the same time.
“We started the Barriere Legion in 1952 – 53,” said Keith, “We received our charter at that time, and I have been a member since then. Of course, I was only one of many volunteers.”
In 1965, he became a member of the Barriere Volunteer Fire Department until 1975. “We had a heck of a good crew,” said Keith, who was also the first driver for the fledgling Barriere Ambulance Service. “It didn’t look much like an ambulance back then, it was only a re-modeled van, but it was a start, and it filled a real need in the area.”
Keith tells that eventually he and his wife moved to Revelstoke where he worked as maintenance supervisor at the Downie Revelstoke Sawmill for several years. Sometime later, the couple moved to Sicamous where they operated a B&B, but eventually sold their home, and since Keith was retired, decided to travel for awhile. However, it was not long before they moved back to the Barriere area, first to East Barriere Lake, and then decided to buy an apartment in Barriere. “We came back just in time to finish the Barriere Senior’s Hall,” said Keith with a smile.
He then served as president of the Barriere Senior’s Society for four years, and has been an active member as well as a director for Barriere Rural Crime Watch.
“Barriere is the best place to raise a family,” says Keith, “Of all the other places I have lived, here is where I am at home. I will stay in Barriere until I can’t keep my driver’s license anymore, and then I will move to Kamloops to be close to my wife Eleanor who has lived in a care home there for several years.”
The Barriere Legion submitted Keith Moore’s nomination for Citizen of the year, stating, “Keith is an active member of our Branch, where he has served two terms of two years each as president: he also served in other executive positions. …Keith continues to attend meetings when he is able, and actively supports fund raising events… He is always available for us to ask advice when we need it. …As you can see, Keith was, and still is, an active member of our community.”
Keith Moore is now in his 91st year.
