The Peace Region is home to societies, advocates, heritage sites, and countless volunteers. Here's a small selection of the overwhelming amount of community work accomplished this year.
Save Our Northern Seniors
Advocacy work never ends in the North Peace, and there’s a number of hardworking charities and societies looking out for residents.
Save Our Northern Seniors President Margaret Little met with the Peace River Regional District in December to bring forward concerns about the needs of senior citizens, many of whom are facing homelessness and poverty.
"I believe we have to have a made in the Peace plan, where all stakeholders from all walks of life are included and they can come together to formulate a plan for the future,” said Little, advocating for a community table.
Giving Hope - The Salvation Army
There are 3,000 registered food bank clients in Fort St. John, 400 of them being new applicants, explained executive director Jared Braun in November, which translates to 40 to 60 visits a day.
Inflation and rising food costs are at the heart of the issue, in addition to rising fuel costs, mortgage increases, rent increases, and more, he added.
Over 230,000 pounds of food was given to residents in need this year, and they provided $12,000 in emergency supports. Nearly 200,000 pounds in textiles has recycled in their thrift store, and the store generated $300,000 in revenue in 2023, funding social programs.
The unsung heroes of Search and Rescue
2023 was a busy year for Search and Rescue groups, with Peace Region SAR groups struggling to keep up with an extended and gruelling wildfire season, with volunteers spending 2,275 hours delivering evacuation orders.
Brian Lamond, president and manager for North Peace Search and Rescue met with the Peace River Regional District in October, explaining how local SAR went above and beyond.
“Ultimately, it’s not just fires we respond to - it’s flooding, landslides, mudslides, and any natural disaster that happens,” Lamond said, noting local SAR organizations are not fully funded by the province, and members often personally cover the cost.
Fort St. John Hospital Foundation
The Fort St. John Hospital Foundation raised $103,000 for their 2023 'Be an Angel' Campaign, hosting a 1920s theme fundraiser at the Pomeroy Hotel.
Held annually, the ‘Be an Angel’ campaign is aimed at supporting local healthcare by gathering the necessary funds for much-needed medical equipment.
$197,000 was also raised at the 20th Annual Light A Moose Radiothon for the foundation, inviting 200 donors to participate, and $1.2 million dollars has been raised by the event since its creation.
The funds generated will be used towards the acquisition of an new ultrasound machine for the Fort St. John Hospital’s imaging department.
Northern B.C. arts and culture thriving
The North Peace Cultural Society says arts and culture in Fort St. John has bounced back to great success after the COVID-19 pandemic, signing a cultural services agreement and lease with the city in July, providing a framework for financial performance, grants, and community partnerships.
Margaret May, the society’s board secretary, says local arts and culture groups are back and thriving. A provincial festival is being planned for next June, with details coming in the new year.
“Ultimately, that’s our core - sort of the foundation of the cultural centre is our collaborations, our partnerships with all the local arts groups,” she said.
A three-year grant was also recently approved from Vancouver Foundation, providing $72,000 annually to support operations, and the society has $300,000 in reserve funding.
12,000 years of history
The Tse’K’wa Cave in Charlie Lake has been an gathering site for Dane-zaa people for over 12,000 years. The Tse’K’wa Heritage Society oversees the site, which has been working towards a cultural centre in the midst of new excavations which started in 2022.
The society lost one of their biggest advocates this year, with the passing of Diane Bigfoot, who proudly represented Prophet River First Nation on its board of directors since 2012.
“She was passionate about traditional knowledge, history, language, and about sharing it with youth and the broader community. Her work on behalf of Tse’k’wa has created a legacy that will last for many generations,” wrote the society in September.
Where happiness dwells
It’s likely that many in Treaty 8 territory and beyond have been inspired by the Blueberry River First Nation, which won a landmark case in 2021 that determined the B.C. government had breached their treaty rights through widespread resource extraction.
The precedent-setting case will have legal impacts for years to come, and laid the groundwork for an agreement with the province on land use and resource development in northeastern B.C.
"A new precedent has been set. From this day forward, our cultural and traditional values will come before anything else,” said Blueberry River First Nations Chief Judy Desjarlais in January 2023.
