Port Alberni continued to celebrate its Centennial and its heritage this week with the annual presentation of the annual Community Heritage Awards. The Alberni Valley Heritage Commission presented eight awards in recognition of outstanding contributions to the preservation and awareness of community heritage.
The Alberni Valley Heritage Commission chose a centennial theme for its annual heritage awards and Christmas reception held in the Alberni Valley Museum on Dec. 5.
The awards program gives the commission the opportunity to thank community members and also to raise the awareness of the many achievements in the field of local heritage.
Members of the 2012 Centennial Committee, under the leadership of Ken Rutherford, were recognized for their outstanding contribution to local heritage and the community. Committee members include: Penny Cote, Darlene Coulson, Pam Craig, Pat Dahlquist, Gareth Flostrand, Ann Hopkins, Lee Omilusik, Jim Sawyer, Gillian Trumper and Linda Whiteman.
Tricia Knight and the Centennial Belles embraced the community’s centennial celebrations with enthusiasm and dedication.
Knight was the inspiration behind many of the heritage costumes that the Belles wore at countless centennial events over the past year.
The Belles were recognized for their contributions to events throughout the year.
Kris Patterson presented the second annual Ike Patterson Community Heritage Award to Carrie Smith, a docent at the museum who works with the school and children’s programs, for her 15-year service to the museum’s education department.
Meg Scoffield was honoured for her many years of service to the community as an advocate for heritage and culture and her commitment to the Archives and the Alberni District Historical Society.
The Alberni Valley Times was presented with an award in recognition of their outstanding contributions in commemorating the centennial.
The contributions of individuals who had served on the heritage commission were also recognized: Luke George, Shirley Steven and retiring chair Bill Lekich were all honoured for raising awareness of local heritage.
In presenting the awards, Lekich noted the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers across all areas of community heritage.
Marta Williamson will take over as chair of the commission, while Mike McDowall from the Maritime Discovery Centre was named vice-chair.
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