There are three area residents who have been awarded BC Achievement Community awards presented by the BC Achievement Foundation.
There are 25 award recipients from the province who are being recognized for building better, stronger, more resilient communities and shine as examples of dedication and service.
Carolyn Duerksen has been a leader in the Prince George music community for more than 25 years and has built a community-based choir that continually ranks among the best in B.C.
Her partnerships with other like-minded organizations in Prince George display her dedication to community engagement through music and song.
Jim Terrion, who lives in Prince George, has raised more than $800,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation since 1990 and his goal is to reach $1 million by 2024. Terrion, who was born with a hearing impairment, goes door-to-door throughout northern B.C to raise funds and keeps Fox's dream alive by supporting cancer research.
Another winner who lives in the area is Julie Fowler from Wells. For two decades Fowler has provided leadership in the arts, not only in her home community of Wells, but throughout the province. As executive and artistic director of Island Mountain Arts and founder of the ArtsWells Festival, Julie has worked to establish her community as a nationally recognized centre of artistic excellence while committing resources and time to empowering contemporary Indigenous artists.
Former Prince George resident Myles Mattila, who now lives in Kelowna, is also being awarded.
While still in Prince George playing for the Cariboo Cougars hockey team, he founded the MindRight for Athletes Society, a program for players, coaches and referees to help with mental health issues.
