Winners

For 15 years, Terri Odeneal was the face of the Comox valley Hospice Society.

She worked tirelessly as the organization’s executive director, and was pivotal in the introduction of the Comox Valley’s first end-of-life care beds, in 2015.

“It’s about helping people and their families live every day,” Terri said. “It’s living while dying, grieving and caregiving. You want to be able to support people to live every day absolutely to the fullest. And people can do that when they’re supported.”

““Fifteen years ago, Terri Odeneal joined us and led CVHS from very tenuous circumstances into the present wherein our rich continuum of services is highly appreciated and regarded by those in our community and by our care partners,” said board chair, when it was announced earlier this year that Terri had stepped down. 

“Terri was so passionate about every endeavour she took on,” added Comox Valley Record editor, Terry Farrell. “From her work with hospice, to special services over the Christmas season to help people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, every time Terri reached out, I knew it was for something of importance to the community. She was never expectant, and always appreciative. Her selection as Unsung Hero is fitting.”

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Mike Corkish has served as the president of the d’Esterre Seniors’ Centre Association for the past five years.

During his time as president, Mike has ensured that the centre remains viable, financially stable, progressive and dynamic through countless hours of dedicated service. Besides his role as board chair he oversaw in a hands-on fashion a major kitchen renovation. 

The d’Esterre Seniors Centre Association boasts a membership of more than 800 people, and is the preeminent social environment for seniors in the town.

It is meeting place with food services, craft and art sales outlet and a wide range of activities ranging from bridge, chair yoga, conversation groups, crafts, ping-pong and special events dinners.

The  d’Esterre Seniors Centre is considered a second home for seniors to socialize, break their isolation and remain active. Although the centre has been closed since March, due to COVID-19, Mike has still been doing things behind the scenes. He is currently taking the lead in seeing that the centre get a new elevator service for seniors with mobility issues. 

Mike came to Canada as young man from the Isle of Man and after successful career with Air Canada chose to settle in the Comox Valley and has been a super volunteer since his arrival.

Mike spends the majority of his time supporting seniors in the Comox Valley, making him a logical choice for Seniors Champion.

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Dave Talbot is best known in the Comox Valley as the driving force behind the Fiesta World Craft Bazaar.

He started Fiesta 27 years ago, and it is now recognized as Canada’s largest fair trade world craft fair.

Dave’s inspiration for the fair came from this time spent in Africa. After teaching for three years in Kenya, Dave needed to do something concrete to deal with his anger over the unfairness of the world. It has been encouraging to see the growth in Fair Trade over the last 26 years and to watch Fiesta blossom.

The annual event has had several Island spin-offs – in Campbell River, Parksville, Duncan and Victoria – all of which Dave has had a hand in getting off the ground.

When Dave is not involved with Fiesta, the Comox United Church benefits from his services.

He has served on several committees in Comox United Church, in particular, the Social Justice Committee. On his initiative, World Communities fair trade coffee has been sold at the church every Sunday for the past 17 years.

Dave has also been active in many groups that work to help bring refugees to the Comox Valley.

He also volunteers with the annual Child Haven fundraiser in October. He is a retired teacher whose influence has touched so many lives and continues to do so. The ripple effects of his work are enormous, and he is well-deserving of the Hero of the Year Award.

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When thinking of environmental initiatives, Project Watershed is never far from one’s mind, so it comes as little surprise that the 2020 Environmental Leadership Local Hero comes from the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society.

Jennifer is the estuary co-ordinator and staff biologist at the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society. Her vision, passion and unwavering commitment to protect and restore coastal and freshwater habitats in the Comox Valley is truly inspiring. Jennifer has huge visions for habitat protection and restoration and has intimate knowledge of each and every stream, stretch of shoreline and coastal habitat in our beautiful Comox Valley. Jennifer is one of the key driving forces behind much of the work done by the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society and her work and commitment to environment in the Comox Valley epitomizes the essence of this award.

Beatrice Proudfoot was an assistant to Jennifer at Project Watershed, and said Jennifer’s mentorship was an invaluable experience.

“ I feel very fortunate to (have learned) from her and be mentored by her. No project is too small or large with Jennifer – from the smallest restoration project to large interconnected projects that together support entire watersheds – and all are important. Jennifer’s vision and commitment to habitat stewardship and restoration in the Comox Valley is truly incredible and I think we as a community are so very fortunate to have Jennifer working so hard for our estuary and watershed. She is a true leader and advocate for the species and habitats that cannot speak for themselves.”

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Highland Secondary art teacher Charlotte Hood-Tanner’s projects are often the subject of interesting community stories.

She is a master at getting her students involved with the community. Comox’s ‘waving granny,’ Tinney Davidson, found out about that first-hand.

Tinney Davidson was somewhat of an icon among Highland students. The Comox resident would sit in her living room window and wave at students every morning, as the kids walked to school. 

When Charlotte heard that Tinney was moving to another neighbourhood, she rallied her students for a surprise visit. More than 400 Highland students showed up on Tinney’s front awn for an epic send-off, which made international headlines.

That’s just one example of how Charlotte Hood-Tanner goes the extra mile with her students.

This past Christmas, Charlotte was at it again, taking it upon herself, and her art students, to rejuvenate a wooden display of carollers that used to greet Comox residents when they got to the top of Comox Road every Christmas season.

Due to their deteriorating condition, the characters were replaced with a ‘Happy Holidays’ sign. That is, until Charlotte took charge.

She reached out to a Town employee and they brought the characters out of storage and into the classroom, as a project for her Grade 9 and 10 students.

 Charlotte and her students brought the characters back to life, so to speak, and the traditional festive scene at the top of Comox Road was back where it belonged last Christmas.

She also uses her art classes to delve into more poignant cultural issues. 

In September of 2018, Charlotte led her Grade 11/12 class through a reconciliation learning journey that involved incorporating the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). 

Always willing to take that extra step for the sake of educating her students, Charlotte Hood-Tanner is this year’s Educator of the Year.

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Long-time Courtenay Fire Chief Lawrence Burns is this year’s Emergency Services Local Hero.

Lawrence served as a Comox Valley firefighter for 46 years, 28 of those in the capacity of Fire Chief. He joined Courtenay Fire Department in 1950 and was appointed chief in 1968 – a position he held until he retired, in 1996. 

And although officially retired, Lawrence is still heavily involved with the department.

He continues to serve as fire department pastor for all Comox Valley Fire Departments – a role not often spoken about, but very important in the well being of the fire department culture.

Lawrence also serves the community in other significant and important roles – most notably he is chair of Heritage Advisory Commission.

One anonymous nominee said it best:

“I have never a negative comment about his actions and he undoubtedly set the foundation (for) a solid fire department that has been able to continue to succeed long after he retired. He has always conducted himself with integrity and moral high standards.”

The City has previously recognized Burns for his contributions to the community through its highest honour, the “Freedom of the City” in 1995. He was a ‘Citizen of the Century’ award winner during the 2015 Courtenay centennial.

Now he adds Comox Valley Local Hero to his list of accolades.

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When it comes to celebrating diversity and inclusion, Lori Mazey’s name is front and centre. And she uses her expertise in theatre to help educate the community.

Lori’s drama classes have always been a welcome and inclusive place for all. For many years, she has directed plays which have addressed homophobia. In 2003, she directed The Laramie Project,  which dealt with the murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. The play shows the positive response the community of Laramie had to that hate crime.

In 2012, Lori worked with LGBTQ+ kids at Vanier to hear their stories of discrimination and to write and direct the play Torn Rainbow, a show about homophobia in high schools which toured Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland over three years. This play was a powerful educational tool about homophobia and discrimination against LGBTQ kids in our schools. All those involved in the production and all of the

audience members learned a great deal about this issue and the importance of celebrating diversity. 

In 2019, she directed the play RENT, which tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and creating a life in New York, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Openly gay characters are portrayed with compassion.

Lori has consistently celebrated diversity and has been a very important mentor and role model to many youth who might have been at-risk without her support. 

Lori Mazey is this year’s Diversity & Inclusion Local Hero.

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Bob Plumb has been through a lot in his 90 years.

What he went through in the past year is more than most people could endure.

On July 31, 2019, was the victim of the unprovoked attack while waiting for the drop-off of a newspaper bundle. It was a routine he performed every day, delivering a daily publication to the various Comox Valley businesses.

He was approached by a man on a bicycle who asked him for a cigarette. Bob told the man that he did not have any cigarettes before the man assaulted him with a machete.

Despite being unable to see out of his left eye and cuts on his hand and face, he drove himself to the Comox Valley RCMP detachment to report the attack.

He spent four and a half months in hospital, recovering from the attack, which resulted in the loss of sight in his left eye, and the loss of use of his right hand.

“It was a little hard to swallow. The loss of my eye and part of my hand was the hardest. I’ve lost the use of my right hand because the tendons were cut when I was hanging onto the sharp blade. Two fingers don’t bend and my thumb doesn’t bend – and I’m right-handed.”

Bob still lives on his own, with children and grandchildren from throughout Vancouver Island popping in to visit on a regular basis. He credits his family as motivation for his recovery.

“I wasn’t done spending time with them. And I’m still not.”

Bob Plumb is the 2020 Courage and Bravery Local Hero.

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The Comox Valley’s Christmas Spirit Hamper program galvanizes the entire community every December.

From hockey teams, sea cadets, and school groups, to parents, coaches and retirees, hundreds of volunteers lend a hand to make sure the less fortunate in our community have reason to rejoice during the festive season.

But for one person, that program is a year-round activity.

Christmas Spirit Hamper Program co-ordinator Annette Bowden has been involved with the annual initiative for more than 25 years. While the program is front and centre in November and December, Annette’s work is perpetual. As soon as the totes are put away for one Christmas season, Annette is back on the phones, seeking support and sponsorship for the next year’s edition.

In her quarter-century-plus of work with the Christmas Spirit Hamper, Annette’s efforts have touched more Comox Valley families than could possibly be tabulated.

She spends hundreds of hours every year, organizing the volunteer crews to answer phones for the intake of the families who are in need of the hampers, overseeing of all of the paperwork and cross-checking to ensure families aren’t being doubled up in other community hamper programs, and co-ordinating with grocery stores for all of the perishable items required for the hampers… and this is only a portion of what needs to happen.

On top of that, she is constantly raising funds for the cause at her Royal Lepage office, through 50/50 draws, silent auction items and other initiatives.

Upwards of 600 Comox Valley families benefit each year from the Christmas Spirit Hamper program, and none of that would be possible without Annette Bowden doing what she does. 

Annette Bowden is the 2020 Community Volunteer Local Hero.

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When it comes to the category of Community Builder, Pat McKenna, quite literally, fits the bill.

As executive director of Habitat For Humanity Vancouver Island North, Pat’s duties are all about building communities.

He is the face of the Lake Trail build – a 10-unit development across the street from Lake Trail school, which is nearing completion.

In his five years at the helm of Habitat VIN, the organization has grown exponentially, from helping an average of 1.5 families per year, to partnering with a total of eight families in 2019.

Such a position would be all-consuming for most people, but Pat isn’t ‘most people.’

When he’s not at the Habitat office, Pat does duty with the Town of Comox, as a town councillor.

And then, of course, there’s his personal passion – the arts.

He is the driving force behind Three Legged Dog Productions, an “adult theatre company,” which has been producing popular musicals since 2017, and has been involved with Courtenay Little Theatre,

As well as Rainbow Youth Theatre.

 He is also a long-standing board member of Vancouver Island Music Fest.

Pat was Rotarian with the Strathcona Sunrise Rotary Club for the past 12 years, and he has also served on the board of directors of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. 

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