Anne Martin's legacy in Prince George will live far into the future, much longer than the short 80 years she had with us before she died Saturday.
Martin, the 2003 Citizen of the Year, touched so many corners of the community and if there was something missing and needed in Prince George, she just brought people together and created a group to address the situation.
A former city councillor, Anne also served as a regional district board member and held leadership roles at the board level with UNBC, Two Rivers Gallery and the Prince George Symphony Orchestra.
She helped found the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society to beautify the grounds at UNBC and give a place for both students and residents to enjoy both the campus and the view of the city. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Child Development Centre, to improve the welfare of children across the region with rehabilitation services.
Martin didn't slow down much, if at all, after retiring from political life. Her continued efforts earned her Freedom of the City status in 2010 from Mayor Dan Rogers and city council. Freeman status is the highest honor a municipal council can award a local resident and Martin, along with Carrie Jane Gray, are the only female Freeman in Prince George history.
Earlier this year, Martin received the Alice Box Memorial Award for a lifetime contribution towards arts and culture in Northern B.C. at the Prince George Regional Arts and Cultural Awards. The standing ovation from the audience that April night followed her as she slowly made her way to the foot of the stage, where she graciously accepted her honor.
Even then, her health was failing her but you wouldn't have known it from the smile on her face and she spoke briefly and eloquently about the importance of the arts in a strong and vibrant community.
What Martin left Prince George was a vision of a city where the arts, education and children take centre stage, creating a social and cultural life that is welcoming and inclusive. There is much still to do but Martin's devotion to that vision for more than 40 years laid a great path for the rest of us to follow.
