Today is the day that the Order of British Columbia is officially bestowed at Government House in Victoria.
It is the highest honour provincially granted by the province of B.C.
Lieutenant governor Steven Point, chancellor of the Order of British Columbia, and premier Gordon Campbell will present the 2010 awards to 15 distinguished British Columbians. One is a Prince George resident and at least one other is a former Prince George resident.
The local resident receiving the OBC insignia is Aboriginal community worker and advocate Barbara Ward-Burkitt. Her reception of the award was already well known around the community. The announcement was first made in August, a public presentation was made at the Sept. 20 city council meeting, but Ward-Burkitt finally gets to take hold of the award itself at today's ceremony.
"It's been a little bit surreal," Ward-Burkitt told The Citizen in a feature story for the Aug. 7 edition, and credited many colleagues and dedicated members of the community with helping her over 40 years to build the Native Friendship Centre movement, of which Prince George is a national leader.
Others in the esteemed group of 2010 recipients include John Furlong, once a resident of Prince George who went on to be the chief executive officer for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games held earlier this year in Vancouver.
Those interested in making future nominations to the OBC family can look up the nomination forms available through the Honours and Awards Secretariat in Victoria. The phone number is 250-387-1616; the mailing address is Honours and Awards Secretariat, P.O. Box 9422, Stn. Prov. Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9V1; and the website is www.protocol.gov.bc.ca. Information and nomination forms are also available at the nearest Government Agent office.
