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Hurd made social work her life

Sharon Hurd has dedicated her life to helping those in need, mostly through social work. Sharon was born in the small community of Birch Cliff, Ont. in 1939 and went to the same elementary school that her parents attended when they were children.
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Sharon Hurd for Kathy Nadalin's column. CItizen Photo by James Doyle May 23, 2019

Sharon Hurd has dedicated her life to helping those in need, mostly through social work.

Sharon was born in the small community of Birch Cliff, Ont. in 1939 and went to the same elementary school that her parents attended when they were children. She graduated from high school at the age of 16 and worked as a clerk in the emergency department at the Toronto General Hospital. Many times, she was asked to scrub up and work in the surgery room counting sponges to make sure they were all accounted for after a surgery.

Two years later she was invited to work in a plastic and reconstructive surgeon's office in Toronto. She worked there for 10 years and then moved to Vancouver to seek out the realities of one of her favourite books called Grass Beyond the Mountains. Sharon said, "I had 13 cents in my pocket when I arrived in Vancouver. I landed a job at the Vancouver General Hospital and eventually I found a motel owner that would extend me credit until my first paycheck came in.

"I still wanted to live in the country so I found a caretakers job on a big farm in Haney. It was my job to look after the horses and the chickens. I lived in what I called a small shack until I found work at the Maple Ridge hospital as a stenographer."

She moved to Quesnel in 1973; rented a small house on rural 10 Mile Lake and cooked her meals on a wood stove. Still she longed to experience the frontier life as depicted in her favorite book. She moved to west Quesnel and lived in a small cabin without power or running water on 400 acres of property on the Fraser River. She worked to set up a propane system for lights and a gravity fed water system and was able to enjoy her horses, dogs, cats and the wilderness.

She first worked as a medical stenographer at the GR Baker Memorial Hospital and later at the Holly Clinic in a similar position. In the 1980s she was hired as the executive director and addictions specialist at Amata Transition House in Quesnel for 10 years.

She was president of the B.C. Yukon Society of Transition Houses and received the Governor General of Canada's commemorative medal for her contributions to her community and country in 1992.

Sharon moved to Prince George in 1995, to work at the Phoenix Transition House. She said, "The director was leaving and offered me the job as executive director. Their mandate was to be open to all women and I knew that this was my ideal job. The Phoenix Transition House is a temporary shelter/housing for women - and their children - who have experienced and/or at risk of abuse and violence. I had ideas of how to help women who had been in prison, those struggling with addictions and other women who needed shelter and support for one reason or another.

"Next came Harmony House and Celynn House both of which are affiliated with the Phoenix Transition House Society and all of which are my passion. I was raised in a family who had an open-door policy - especially during the war years. The house would be full of soldiers on leave. My parents called themselves agnostic and yet there was always a place for someone at the dinner table or a room for them to sleep when times were tough.

"My father was one of six children and my mother one of five. We all lived in the same neighbourhood and we all shared what we had."

Sharon is a busy volunteer. In the past, she was involved with the boards of the Prince George Council of Seniors, the Prince George Crisis Line, St. Pat's Halfway House and she said with a chuckle that she is a 1950s past president of the Four Lads Fan Club.

She is currently involved with the Hutda Lake Wellness Project for women with addictions, the John Howard Society of Northern B.C., the Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community, the Prince George Hospice Society, Prince George Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation and the Prince George Community Radio Society for CFIS FM - just to name a few.

She was presented with the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award in 2012 and the Prince George Citizen of the Year award in 2010.

For the past six years Sharon has been a radio host for the Senior Moments talk show on the local CFIS FM 93 radio station. Sharon lost her co host Bob D'Auray when he left this good earth October 13, 2018. Bob and Sharon developed a show where topics give insight into the lives of seniors, questions they may have regarding programs, volunteers, recreation and information the listeners may never have thought much about. The program discusses a variety of issues and events with guest speakers and a few jokes along the way just to keep things lively.

Sharon concluded by saying, "I started working towards a degree in gender studies at the University of Northern B.C. when I was 55 years old. I spent two years taking night school courses and have not yet completed the degree.

"My goal is to share with other people what I have learned over my lifetime. I tried marriage (more than once) and it didn't work so my social work became my life and the people I work with became my family.

"I see potential in all people. I strive first to help them see their potential and then we work towards reaching their potential. It works by increments, set a goal, reach it, set another goal, etc. It can be tough if a person does not believe in themselves and so many are survivors of horrific trauma.

"Prince George is the most accepting and generous community I have ever lived in and I am grateful for the support and acceptance I have received from people. I am thankful for the support and encouragement from our MLA's, our mayor, leaders in the non profit community and my many good friends and colleagues.

"I just turned 80, I have my horse, dogs and cats and I am living my coveted rural life. I have achieved much in those 80 years by over coming many challenges. I have had some happy times and I have felt sadness in the loss of good friends. I am still doing all the things I love to do and, in my mind, I believe I have discovered the grass beyond the mountains."