Recognition

2017

Bill Dwyer Memorial Fund
Cheque Presentation

Madeleine Dwyer presented a cheque for $1000 to the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society on behalf of the Bill Dwyer Memorial Fund (affiliated with the Parksville Qualicum Community Foundation).

David James, President, accepted the donation which will be used to plant 150 trees to commemorate Canada’s birthday and to enhance wild fish habitat in our local waterways.

2016

Gord Almond

On February 17, 2016 Gord Almond received the "Volunteer of the Year"  award as part of the 2016 Qualicum Beach Community Awards presented by the Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Gord is the Vice-President of the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society and is leading the RDN Community Watershed Monitoring program in our  area which includes 10 sampling days at various sites in the Little Qualicum River, Beach Creek, and Grandon Creek.

We are now in the 6th year of this program. Additionally Gord has dedicated hundreds of hours of work to streamkeepers for fish habitat improvements.

In addition to his considerable contribution to our group, Gord is also President of the Qualicum Beach Community Garden Society and a Board Member for Seedy Saturday.  He is a leading volunteer with  Broombusters, and has contributed to many other organizations in our community, including MVIHES.

Way to go Gord!

2015

David James

On October 27, QB Streamkeepers President, David James was honoured with a Paul Harris Award by the Rotary Club of Qualicum Beach Sunrise.

Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary back in 1905, and this award is presented to people around the world who are not Rotary members, but who make a big difference in the communities in which they live.

David was recognized for his leadership in many areas including Streamkeepers, Fire and Ice, Beach Day, the Train Station Anniversary, and the Advisory Planning Committee.

David is now involved in planning for a Town Celebration of Canada's 150th Anniversary in 2017, and so his community service continues.

Photo shows David (L) receiving his award from QB Sunrise Rotary President Mike Haas. In addition to the award, 25 children will be vaccinated against polio in David's name through Polio Plus, an international Rotary project.

Faye Smith - PQ News Editorial, "Protecting fish habitat in urban areas challenging".

2014 Awards

Faye Smith - Ducks Unlimited Canada presented Faye with a certificate of recognition for outstanding leadership, dedication, commitment and achievement benefiting wetland conservation in her community.

David James - Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce recognized David as the 2013 Community Volunteer of the Year for his contribution to the community through participation in QBSS and in event planning and co-ordination through events like Beach Day and Fire and Ice.

Recent Letters of Appreciation

• Regional District of Nanaimo
• BC Conservation Foundation

2013

Peter Drummond

On October 27, Peter Drummond was recognized as the 2013 Volunteer of the Year in Qualicum Beach. Peter has been involved with the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers, almost since their inception in 1995, including serving several terms as President.

Peter has specifically led many projects related to Beach Creek.  In addition to this community service, he has been a longtime member of the Parks and Recreation Committee of the Town.

Peter enjoys golfing, and has served in various capacities on the Board of Directors of Memorial Golf Course.  He was a founding member of the “Beach Day Committee” in 2011 and continues to participate on the team.

Peter has worked with the Qualicum Beach Museum as a volunteer and fundraiser. He has also been active over the years with the Qualicum Beach Resident’s Association. As a regular, active leader and participant in a host of activities, Peter is a tremendous asset to our Town.

Doug Taylor
Founding Member of Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society

In 1995 when The Qualicum Beach Environment Committee organized a town meeting to listen to fisheries biologist Dave Clough, encourage the town people to form a Streamkeeper Group - Doug was the first to volunteer.

It promised Doug outdoor work, a new learning opportunity, and a chance to "give back" for all the fish he had caught before the Coho collapse in Georgia Strait.

Doug attended workshops and presentations about the needs of salmon, and in the years following he worked tirelessly, providing his truck, his tools, his expertise and leadership, his finance skills, his strong arms, and most of all his determination to make our streams available for spawning salmon once again.  He was not reticent about being the voice for wild salmon whenever he thought their needs were being compromised.

Faye Smith recalls Doug crawling out of a creek, covered in mud, all sweaty, and ready for a Kokanee.

Doug was on our Board of Directors and highly involved until February 12th, 2013, the day he died.  We have a lost a true champion of wild salmon and their stream habitat. We will miss him.

Hugh Stanhope

Hugh Stanhope, who passed away in July of 2013,  was one of the original members of the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers.He brought many skills to the group. His surveying abilities were very helpful in the beginning when we were building up a knowledge base on our local creeks and streams.

Nobody could "bushwack" like Hugh, he just plowed through the woods to those difficult places to reach, enabling us to carry out our habitat assessment work.

Additionally, Hugh kept meticulous records for us before we had an accountant.

Photo shows Hugh (on the right) with Doug Taylor at Whisky Creek in the early days. He was a great Streamkeeper! 

Faye Smith

In July of 2010 Faye Smith was the second annual recipient of the "Volunteer of the Year" award for the Town of Qualicum Beach. Faye was a founding member of the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society in 1995.  She partnered with The Town of Qualicum Beach and other agencies/levels of government to fund the re-establishment of our urban streams (Beach and Grandon Creeks) for fish passage after 60 years of migration barriers.

Faye was a leader in the removal of the Whisky Creek Dam which was impeding salmon from accessing prime natural habitat. She continues to play an active leadership and stewardship role in QBSS and beyond.

In May 2010, at a  Department of Fisheries and Oceans meeting with Stewardship groups from across the mid-island, Faye was recognized by our DFO Community Adviser for her "many years of dedication and  commitment to the salmonid resources of B.C."

To learn more about Faye’s considerable achievements, we have appended a Nomination Letter that Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers put forth for a “British Columbia Community Achievement Award.” This nomination was supported with letters from Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek, MLA Michelle Stilwell, Minister of the Environment, Mary Polak, and Craig Wightman of the British Columbia Conservation Foundation.

These awards had not been granted at the time of Faye’s passing, and cannot be awarded posthumously. She would have been a very deserving recipient.

Nomination Letter – Faye Smith
British Columbia Community Achievement Award

Faye Smith of Qualicum Beach is arguably the most recognized and most loved advocate for the environment generally and salmon habitat specifically in the neighbouring communities of Qualicum Beach and Parksville.

Since her return to the region in 1980, Faye has been the catalyst for the creation of new organizations, an inspirational force for the protection of the environment, an advocate for salmon habitat protection and enhancement, and a highly visible and effective voice in public fora.

Faye brings a positive, science based, quietly determined approach to all her work. She has an amazing capacity for getting things done and organizing projects - she may no longer be the one climbing into riverbeds to plant trees, but she has been able to inspire generations of volunteers to devote time and energy to the same goals. She is able to communicate effectively with elected officials and government staff, to work with media outlets to get her message out, and to make the case for multi sourced funding to enable projects to move ahead.

Her many years of dedicated and constant environmental advocacy have left Faye with an impressive array of knowledge and contacts – if anyone wants to know who to contact or what the history of an issue has been, Faye is the one to turn to. Her name opens doors, due to her hard earned respect and indeed admiration of many. Among Faye’s accomplishments are:

• A founding member of the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society, of which she has been an active and valued Board member since the society’s inception in 1995

• Project Coordinator for the Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society from 1999 to present

• Key organizer of the project planning and financing for the removal of the Whiskey Creek Dam, a major barrier to salmon spawning in 1997, opening up approximately 25 km of salmon habitat

• Key organizer and fundraiser for the restoration of fish access (1997/1998) and habitat improvement (1997-present) on Beach and Grandon Creek in Qualicum Beach.

• Coordinator of the Central Island Fisheries Renewal Program between 1999 and 2002

• Coordinator of the Englishman River Watershed Recovery Plan between 2001 and 2015,

These projects involved protecting, monitoring, and restoring the streams and shores in the Parksville-Qualicum area.

Her involvement with her stewardship partners has been integral to public information and education projects such as Salmon Friendly Lawns, RDN Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program and Automotive Stewardship to educate the public about smart environmental choices.

Faye's many years of developing and coordinating the popular Junior Streamkeepers workshops has educated hundreds of children through a hands on understanding of nature.

Faye has also been a member of many advisory boards and committees over the 35 years of living in Qualicum Beach, ( i.e The Town of Qualicum Beach advisory planning committee, Salmon Enhancement and Habitat Advisory Board (SEHAB).

Her dedication to long hours on these committees has made her name synonymous with everything environmental in the area. Hers is the name everyone knows when it comes to environmental issues; because she gets it done, respectfully with everyone involved.

Faye Smith is likely the first person that would be named if you asked for help about the environment to the mayors, councillors, planners, public works supervisors, engineers, foresters, educators, and biologists of the Parksville/Qualicum area.

Her awards and recognition include:

• 2010 Town of Qualicum Beach Volunteer of the Year

• 2010 Fisheries and Oceans Canada Recognition Award

• 2014 Ducks Unlimited Certificate of Recognition