The Order of British Columbia: 1995 Recipients

The youngest person ever to be awarded the Order of British Columbia, Nava Ashraf demonstrates that Canada's younger generation has the resources and motivation to generate creative ideas and new solutions for the challenges of the future.

Nava Ashraf was born in 1975 to a Baha'i family in Iran. Five years later, her family fled to Canada to escape religious persecution. In her adopted country, Ms. Ashraf has overcome many obstacles to achieve an unparalleled record of social service and academic excellence.

Graduating from her high school in Kelowna first in her class with an A+ average, and winning the Governor-General's Award for Academic Excellence, Ms. Ashraf was the only graduate to complete the rigorous International Baccalaureat program at the same time.

In addition to these impressive academic achievements, she has worked energetically to start and lead many community service groups such as the environmental group LIFE and Students for Global Awareness. She has demonstrated leadership and dedication in working for the betterment of her community.

Among the many benefits left behind in her home community of Kelowna as she pursues her higher education at Stanford University on a full scholarship, is a computer program she developed to assist immigrant students with learning English as a second language.

Everyone who has heard Rosemany Brown speak, or has read her weekly column in the Vancouver Sun, can attest to her power and passion as a voice for human rights and the rights of women around the world.

Jamaican-born, Rosemary Brown was a social worker before becoming the first black woman elected to a Canadian legislature when she became a member of the B.C. Legislature in 1972.

In Victoria, she lost no time in setting to work creating a committee to eliminate sexism in textbooks and educational curricula. She was also instrumental in establishing the Berger Commission on the Family, and in introducing legislation which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status. Her efforts contributed directly to an increase in the number of women represented on boards, commissions and directorates.

Ms. Brown remained an effective and popular representative for her Vancouver riding until 1986, when she left politics to become a professor of Women's Studies at Simon Fraser University. Her passion for justice and equality undiminished, she has become a professional speaker in demand both nationally and internationally.

In 1993 she was named to the Canadian Security Intelligence Review Committee for a five-year term, and currently holds the position of Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Separately, and together, Bob and Edna Cooper have demonstrated community leadership with their untiring work and selfless dedication to the province's northern communities and the people in them.

Adopting the north as her home in 1943, Edna Cooper brought with her a strong interest in arts and culture and has devoted a large part of her life to these community activities. As a charter member of the Terrace Art Association and a past member of the Regional Arts Council, she worked to establish the Terrace Public Art Gallery and the annual Terrace Arts and Crafts Show. She was for many years President of Terrace Little Theatre.

Edna Cooper has served as an Alderman on the Terrace Municipal Council, a School Trustee, and has been appointed to numerous boards and commissions. With all her official activities, she still found time to lead Girl Guides, chair the Centennial celebrations for Terrace, and for many years instruct adult night school courses.

Bob Cooper has also been heavily involved in all aspects of northern community life - from acting as president of the Northwest Loggers Association, and director of the Regional District of Kitimat Stikine, to membership on the local Parole Board. For ten years, he was an Alderman of the City of Terrace. Bob Cooper, too, has been appointed to a number of boards and commissions including the Terrace/Kitimat Airport Advisory Committee, the Northern Development Council, and the Mills Memorial Hospital Board. He has worked to enhance the welfare of inmates at the Terrace Community Correctional Centre.

Both Bob and Edna Cooper are highly respected members of their community because of the years of hard work they have dedicated to the betterment of this north west corner of B.C., and the province as a whole. They demonstrate community spirit at its finest.

George Frederick Curtis has devoted his life to legal education. During his long and illustrious career, he has made significant and lasting contributions to his country, to university education, to the law and to legal education.

He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1927 and was named a Rhodes Scholar. He earned a BA in Jurisprudence in 1930 and a BCL at Oxford in 1931 - achieving first class honours in each.

After a number of years spent in private practice in Halifax and teaching at Dalhousie University, it was British Columbia's good fortune that he was appointed the first Dean of the fledgling Law Faculty at the University of British Columbia in 1945. He arrived at a time when there was little money, no facility to house its first class, and no library. Undaunted by these challenges he took the initiative and recruited judges and practitioners as voluntary lecturers, to suppliment himself and one other professor.

The faculty he created was pluralistic and tolerant, enriched by teachers from differing backgrounds contributing different points of view.

No stranger to honours, Dean Emeritus George Curtis as granted honorary degrees by the universities of Dalhousie, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and British Columbia. He was named Queen's Council in 1957 and a member of the Order of the Coif in 1964. The Law Society made him the first recipient of the Law Society Award in 1986.

On this 50th anniversary of the law school, it is appropriate that we now honour the esteemed Dean Emeritus with the Province's highest award.

George Fredrick Curtis was inducted into the Order of British Columbia by the Lieutenant Governor, at a convocation held in Vancouver's Law Courts on October 13, 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UBC Law School.

Haida artist Robert Davidson's remarkable prints, carvings and jewelry are known throughout the world. He has produced carvings for such centres as Montreal, Toronto, Tokyo, Dublin and Los Angelese.

It is fitting that he receive this award at this time, following the major retrospectives of his work mounted by both the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

Robert Davidson learned the art of carving from his father and his grandfather. Since he raised the first totem pole in this century in his home village of Massett, Mr. Davidson has remained committed to using cultural knowledge to celebrate the present as well as to commemorate the past. His concern as an artist has always been to create images that all people can relate to, native and non-native alike.

Born in Alaska in 1946, Mr. Davidson moved to Massett the following year. He now lives near Vancouver and returns frequently to the Haida Gwaii to refresh his spirit.

Not only has Robert Davidson contributed to British Columbia and Haida culture through his artistic work, he has also helped to renew cultural practices such as dance by forming the Rainbow Creek Dancers, by speaking widely on Haida culture and by donating his time and art to charitable organizations.

He has established a tradition of community leadership and innovation which stands as an example for all.

Isabelle Diamond's success as a fund-raiser for worthy causes is legendary in this province.

One of her many admirers says that it seems wherever Isabelle Diamond sees a need, particularly in the field of health care, she is there.

Mrs. Diamond has been most active on behalf of the B.C. Children's Hospital, and is currenly a member of its capital campaign executive committee. As a board member, she helped to instigate and chaired the first Crystal Ball, which has grown to become one of Vancouver's most pretigious charity black tie galas.

To raise funds for oncology programs at the hospital, she helped coordinate the first CHILDRUN, a family run now in its 10th year, which regularly attracts more than 2,500 participants.

Perhaps her greatest coup was the Children's Miracle Network Telethon, one of the largest fundraising efforts undertaken annually in British Columbia. She has supported the telethon personally and financially for more than 10 years. The telethon has raised millions for the hospital and has consistently broken North American fundraising records.

Isabelle Diamond has recently turned some of her abundant energy to the task of raising money for the treatment of persons with AIDS with the Think Aids Society.

To all her endeavors, she has brought more than just her time and energy -- she has brought a sense of caring, with dignity -- setting a benchmark for all volunteer service in this province.

From a very early age, it became apparent that David Foster was going to make his mark on the music scene. This he has certainly done, with a long list of Grammy Awards and Academy Award nominations for his music and songs. In fact, there may be only four or five Canadians who have ever reached such international success and recognition in the music field.

Born in Victoria, David Foster progresses quickly from piano lessons at the age of five to a summer music scholarship at the University of Washington at the age of 13. At sixteen he was launched into his professional musical career in the backup band for rock'n'roll legend Chuck Berry.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1971, he built a solid reputation as a musician, composer, arranger and producer whose talents were sought by a virtual who's who of the music world.

But he is much more than a successful and respected international music giant. He has added even more lustre to his list of credits with the David Foster Foundation Society, giving generously of his time and talent to raise money to assist families of British Columbia children who require organ transplants. The Foundation has raised more than one and a half million dollars over the past seven years so that children won't have to be alone through this traumatic time.

In recognition of his musical success and humanitarian efforts, David Foster received the Order of Canada, and was recently granted an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Victoria.

John Fraser has had a long and illustrious career in Canadian public life. Any attempt to list his many accomplishments soon becomes a long recitation.

First elected to the House of Commons representing Vancouver South in 1972, he was returned to Ottawa five times. Recognition from his peers in the House of Commons followed when he became the first Speaker to be elected by secret ballot in 1986 and again in 1988.

As Environment Minister and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and throughout his personal life, John Fraser has made a measurable contribution to the environmental quality of North America. His efforts have produced an international Canada-U.S. treaty to prevent the flooding of parts of B.C. by the proposed Skagit River dam in Washington; the establishment of a U.S.-Canada agreement on acid rain abatement; the rehabilitation and conservation of Pacific salmon stocks and habitat through the Pacific Salmon Treaty; and the preservation of the South Moresby archipelago as a national park reserve.

Recognition for his many contributions have come in the form of numerous honours ranging from Beijing University to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

John Fraser is honorary chairman or patron of several environmental organizations, including the Worldsphere Foundation, the B.C. Forests in Israel project, and Canada's Environmental Law Centre.

One of British Columbia's busiest couples, both in the private and public lives, David and Dorothy Lam have together committed themselves to an extraordinary career of philantrophy and public service.

The philantropic work of the Lams is legendary. Their generous support to educational and cultural projects will be lasting tributes.

The Lam tenure at Government House left many legacies for the Province. The most visible, of course, is the beautifully restored public gardens - a true labour of love. But their championship of intercultural harmony and promotion of the traditions of volunteerism will benefit the province for many years to come.

The team work of the former vice-regal couple is well-known in the Province. Whether welcoming Her Majesty The Queen during the Commonwealth Games, or Chinese Vice-Premier Zhu Rongji, the Lams have always succeeded in advancing the interests of our province and its people.

Like John James Audubon before him, Fenwick Lansdowne is a self-taught artist who has specialized in painting birds in perfect detail. His meticulous and sensitive paintings of the birds of North America have given immense pleasure to many many people around the world, awakening in them an appreciation of the wealth of natural diversity in our world.

Mr. Lansdowne has combined an interest in birds and drawing since the age of 12. With that early beginning, his art has evolved to capture the finest details of the bird fauna of the world and the essence of their natural beauty in both his paintings and his writings.

His first exhibition of watercolours in Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum secured his place in the world of nature paintings. Since that time his works have been displayed around the world, including the Audubon House in New York, the Smithsonian Insititute in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum of Science in Ottawa, to name a few.

His paintings have been presented by the Government of Canada to various members of the Royal Family.

His three illustrated books on the birds of Canada have made major contributions to the field of natural history. Fellow nature-enthusiast the Duke of Edinburgh wrote in the Foreword to one of these books: "Fenwick Lansdowne has the exceptional ability to capture such moments (in birds) with a seemingly effortless assurance which can only come from intimate knowledge, immense care, and remarkable talent."

As a symbol of the struggle for human rights, peace and freedom of expression, Mr. Hayer has paid an enormous personal price for his beliefs. Aware that discrimination thrives on ignorance, Mr. Hayer has worked tirelessly to promote understanding between ethnic and cultural groups.

After emigrating to Canada in 1970, he worked as a miner, teacher, truck-driver and a manager of a trucking firm before becoming a full time journalist. In 1978, he established the community newspaper, The Indo-Canadian Times and has built it into the leading Punjabi-language newspaper in North America.

In August, 1988, he survived an attempt on his life that left him in a wheelchair. Despite this attack, Mr. Hayer has never wavered in his commitment to tolerance, peace and understanding between cultural communities.

In 1992, he was honoured with the Commemorative Medal for the 125th. Anniversary of Canada and a Certificate of Appreciation from the R.C.M.P. Among his other awards, Mr. Hayer has received the Journalist Award by the Municipality of Surrey for courageous and outstanding contribution to Punjabi Journalism in Canada. He has also received the International Award of Distinction for Journalism by the International Association of Punjabi Authors and Artists.

Tara Singh Hayer has continued, even when faced with violence, to be a voice of moderation and reason.

Arthur and Herbert Skidmore epitomize those entrepreneurial and personal leadership qualities on which business success stories are built. Fifty years ago they had a vision, and with hard work and determination, today that vision has been realized.

Working together, the two brothers have built an international empire from a single automotive replacement glass location in New Westminster. Today TCG International employs more than 3,500 people around the world doing business in automotive replacement glass and related products and communications products and services. The empire encompasses approximately 2,500 franchise owners across Canada, the United States and in close to 50 countries around the world.

Even with this tremenous success in the international business arena, the base of their empire remains here in British Columbia where it began.

Arthur Skidmore, while demonstrating a keen sense for business and a drive to succeed, never lost sight of the importance of family, children, religion and friendship. He has dedicated his life to the betterment of others, donating both his time and money to organizations and educational institutions around the province.

Herbert Skidmore is known to shun the spotlight, preferring to help and support others in his own way. Last year he led a two-week trip to Albania, arranging for a shipment of glass, to replace the broken windows in children's hospitals and orphanages. He took the time to provide necessary training in glass installation for local people. Since that trip, he has arranged additional glass shipments so that facilities for children can be rebuilt in that country.

Both Arthur and Herbert Skidmore have been very generous to their adopted province through bursaries for undergradualte students and scholarships for graduate students in educational institutions around B.C.

Michael Smith is perhaps best known as the Nobel Prize winner for chemistry in 1993. In winning this award, Dr. Smith has distinguished himself internationally and brought great honour to the University of British Columbia and all of B.C.'s science and technology community.

He has garnered even more respect for his decision to place the prize money into an endowment fund to pay for research into schizophrenia and programs to boost awareness of science. A part of the money is ear-marked for a program to interest young women in careers in science.

As a professor of Biochemistry at the University of British Columbia, and director of UBC's Biotechnology Laboratory, his research has opened doors for other researchers in laboratories around the world, leading to discoveries in a whole range of initiatives. His techniques are being used to help wage molecular warfare on cancer cells, to try to create faster-growing crops and to engineer synthetic blood products.

He has received numerous academic awards and distinctions in his field. A Fellow of the Royal Societies of both Canada and London, he was appointed this year a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Smith's valuable contributions in scientific research and his personal dedication to excellence in the field of science are leading our province's research community into the future.