 Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jeremy Brownridge. I'm private secretary to the lieutenant governor and executive director Here at government house on behalf of all the staff. We extend a very warm welcome to you for this the 30th order of British Columbia Investiture 30 years But before we begin may I ask that we kindly take a moment to switch off our favorite toys? iPhones iPods Thank you very much, so we do not disturb the proceedings this afternoon Ladies and gentlemen now may I ask you to please rise for the arrival of the 29 recipients of the Order of British Columbia followed by the official party Including of course her honor the honorable John at Austin and the honorable John Horgan premier of British Columbia So Joseph singers and drummers ladies and gentlemen And now if we could invite Lucia Harder with the Victoria children's choir and the high seas of course to lead us in the singing of Our national anthem, but please also join me in thanking Ms. Harder and the Joseph sit drummers and dancers one more time Your honor premier distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen It is an absolute Pleasure to welcome this year's recipients their families and friends previous recipients members of the advisory council nominators and other distinguished guests to this the 30th Investiture of the Order of British Columbia Before we begin I acknowledge with respect that this Investiture ceremony is taking place on the traditional territories of the Kuangan people Particularly the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, and we thank them Particularly the elders and chiefs of these territories where we are guests It's now my privilege and honor to call upon elder Marianne Thomas Esquimalt First Nation to deliver a blessing for us Good morning everyone Nesne Samirka from Schoemetl My borrowed name is Marianne Thomas from Esquimalt Nation And today, I'm really honored to take a small part sharing a prayer in congratulating all the recipients that are this is their special day all the hard work that they've done to Make us proud today and Thank you for letting me take a small part you know when I Pray in my language, I pray the higher power to send down the blessing for each and everyone's heart our spirit that we Do our best for myself I Always wake up to the day and pray for the sunset down Because we're not promised for tomorrow in my life. I Have no right to judge anybody If I want to look in a mirror and I look at my my surrounding and we never get away from hating anybody Because we create our own sickness But forgiving is a beautiful thing that you know, our job is big To look after each other to walk together as one To make our parents proud Because you know I look at the field You guys are all beautiful flowers We're all beautiful flowers from our parents And I really thank all the elders that are here they walk through that life with their parents the grandparents You know in life. We always love help and forgive each other That's the only way we can get through life So I'm gonna share that with you because you know, I'm gonna Pray in my language that I wanted to share with you what I have in my heart so that That love and blessing is going to stay here To honor all the recipients that are going to be honored with the medal today and After my prayer, I'm gonna ask you permission if I can leave because we have another opening to do with my nephew that has to So we're just rushing But I'm really honored to you know to be here So I just wanted to explain a little bit before I pray in my language Hitchka She tells him's all men It's a Nomad in a squirrel Deems that now I you know as Lachens this release it the more clue what he tells him You know as he put the shell it's a good to high cool Moun Tomo You know as This Nomad in a squirrel this deal others and sisters. I've got a message from the Lord to love one another, to help one another, to forgive one another. H'chka t'etel si'em with the stelum, the stelil, you know as l'alam atam okluet t'etel si'em. All my relations. H'chka. Thank you. Oh, can I depart and go to the next. H'chka. Thank you so much, Elder Mary and Thomas, what a privilege and delight that was. Ladies and gentlemen, representatives from the various devotions are asked to deliver invocation on a rotational basis here at the Order of British Columbia. Beliefs represented are based on census data for religious affiliations in the province, and this year we have the pleasure and delight to invite Major Sheldon Fiener of the Salvation Army to deliver the invocation. Will you join me in prayer? Loving God, today we thank you for the opportunity to gather and celebrate the incredible gifts that you have blessed each of us with. May we always recognize the uniqueness that we possess. We're grateful for all of the people that are gathered here and we thank you for your many and abundant blessings. Thank you for the gift of life, for health, and for giving us all that we need to fulfill our callings, for sustenance, and for friendship. Thank you also for the opportunity of being involved in useful work and for the honor of bearing appropriate responsibilities. Today we ask your blessing upon the Queen and on the members of the Order of British Columbia. We're so grateful for their excellence, the countless hours that they have spent learning, teaching, and training, and working in their fields, and their dedication to doing the most good with the skills and the abilities that they have. We also give you thanks today for the members of the Order who have gone before us and are already at rest. God help us to follow their example of loyalty, generosity, and service to others. Finally today God we pray for British Columbia, we pray for Canada, that we may continue to enjoy freedom and peace, and always remember to fulfill our responsibilities as citizens, being mindful of the well-being of all your people. We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you Major, and I'm now pleased to introduce your Director of Ceremonies this morning, is Lucy Loebmeyer, Executive Director and Chief of Protocol for the Province of British Columbia, and of course Secretary to the OBC Advisory Council. Good morning. Thank you Jeremy. We are here today on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Order of British Columbia. Today we will bestow the highest form of recognition the province can extend to its citizens. 209 people were nominated for the Order this year. Many more are worthy of this honor than can be chosen each year, and I would like to thank the members of the Advisory Council for the care you took in making difficult decisions. I will ask this dedicated group, most of whom are with us here today, to stand as I say your name. Ms. Angie Ardini, Bobby Plekis, Deputy Minister of the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, Mr. Arjun Singh, President of the Union of BC Municipalities, Dr. Daniel Weeks, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia, and the Honorable Daryl Plekis, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. A couple of our members were not able to be with us here today, including the Honorable Robert Bowman, Chief Justice of British Columbia, and the Chair of the Advisory Council, and Ms. Brenda Martins. Her honor, the Lieutenant Governor, is pleased to be the Chancellor of the Order. Please join me in thanking these individuals for their work on the Advisory Council. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Order of British Columbia, we produced a short video showcasing interviews with some of the first recipients of the Order in 1990. This video is playing in the foyer, and we're launching it on government social media today, so I hope you can go and find that video and share it on your social media sites. Now I would like to move on to the Investiture Ceremony. Her honor has instructed me to present to her these persons for Investiture with the Order of British Columbia, and to read the letters patent conferring the Order upon them. Recipients, please stand as I say your name. Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada, and her other realms and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Two, David Brewer, John Brink, the Honorable Patricia Carney, Ronald Laird Cliff, Linda Ann Farmer, Murray Farmer, Scott McIntyre, Dr. Judy McClain, Dr. Bruce McManus, Bill Millard, Dr. Kimit Ray, Susan Tatush, Tamara Vrooman, Dr. Carl Walters. No ye that in recognition of serving with the greatest distinction and excellence in a field of endeavor benefiting the people of the province of British Columbia or elsewhere, on the nomination of our Advisory Council to the Order of British Columbia, and with the approval and on the recommendation of the Executive Council. We do, by these presents, invest you with the Order of British Columbia, and we do hereby admit you to the membership of the said Order, together with all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages to the Order pertaining or which of right ought to appertain to the same. In testimony whereof we have caused these are letters to be made patent and the great seal of our province to be here unto affixed. Witness the Honorable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of our province of British Columbia, in our city of Victoria, in our province in the 68th year of our reign by command. Recipients, congratulations on becoming the newest members of the Order of British Columbia. Please be seated. Honored recipients. This is now one of my personal favorite times of the year when I am honored to read the citations for the richly deserving recipients of the Order of British Columbia. First, I call on Dave Brewer of North Vancouver. Largely owing to Dave Brewer's efforts, people in British Columbia's parks and wilderness areas can feel secure in knowing that in life-threatening situations, some of the best search and rescue personnel in the world will come to their aid. An SAR volunteer since 1965, a founding member of North Shore Rescue, Dave's been involved in more than 600 search and rescue calls. He's devoted countless hours to teaching volunteers and co-wrote the province's first search and rescue management training course. He's the first volunteer provincial search and rescue coordinator and chaired the provincial search and rescue advisory committee from its start in 1990 through 2003. He became president of BC Search and Rescue Association in 19, er, sorry, 2004. Dave will tell you that no one goes from zero to hero alone, so he acknowledges the role of Linda West Godet in achieving a safe, well-trained, effective, efficient and reliable service. Your honor, Premier, here he goes. I present for the Order of British Columbia, Dave Brewer. I'll have to speed up my reading, but perhaps when I call the name, if you wanted to stand on perhaps the side, and then we'll ask you to proceed over for the photo. Thank you very much. We'll get it. Next, delighted to call upon John Brink of Prince George. Lumber industry innovator John Brink built the largest secondary lumber manufacturing company in North America after coming to Canada from the Netherlands in 1965. He had few resources, but he had a dream to build a sawmill. His dream led him to start Brink Forest Products in Prince George, a lumber re-manufacturing plant. Later, when wood fiber became scarce and harder to find, John became a pioneer of the technique of finger jointing, a process of bonding together, shorter pieces of scrap lumber that would have otherwise been burned as waste products. John is the longest serving director on the BC Council of Forest Industries and has participated in all of Canada's softwood lumber dispute resolutions with the United States. As a representative of the secondary re-manufacturing industry, the College of New Caledonia's Trades and Technology Center is named in John's honor, and earlier this year he received an honorary doctorate of law's degree from UNBC for his career in philanthropy and community involvement. Your honor, Premier, I present for the order of British Columbia, Mr. John Brink. Next, I am delighted to call upon the Honorable Pat Carney of Saturna Island. Pat Carney broke new ground in journalism and Canadian politics advancing the causes of equality and the rights of women, indigenous peoples, and minorities during her lifetime of public service. The first woman in each of the many federal cabinet posts she held, Pat Carney negotiated national and multilateral treaties, worked for the sustainability of BC's resource sectors, and helped to build Asia-Pacific relations. She initiated the first task force to reduce barriers for women in the public service. As a member of the Senate, her leadership brought forth the act that preserves heritage light stations along Canada's coasts. In her early career, writing for the province and Vancouver Sun newspapers, she was noted for her insightful reporting of economic news and trends during the 60s. Pat is also a best-selling author. A founding director of Arthritis Research Canada, Pat advocates for treatment and rehabilitation for people like her who live with the condition. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia the Honorable Pat Carney. Maybe this way? Next, I'm delighted to call upon Mr. Ron Cliff of Vancouver. Ron Cliff is an invaluable volunteer and philanthropist who has long applied himself to the betterment of the community. From the Vancouver Symphony Society where he's given more than 60 years of volunteer service to a diverse list of cultural, civic, athletic, and health-related organizations. Mr. Cliff's service to the Symphony Society earned him honorary life president status. He's also contributed more than 40 years of service to the Vancouver Police Foundation. He's past chair of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and advisor and former trustee of the UBC Sotter School of Business. Mr. Cliff's efforts to ensure the sustainability of not-for-profit entities are unparalleled, having left his mark on the Vancouver Police Board, Vancouver Symphony Foundation, and the Lester B. Pearson School of Pacific. His volunteerism is coupled with philanthropic leadership that he and his wife have demonstrated with their generous contributions to arts, education, community, and health organizations. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Mr. Ron Cliff. Next, I'm very pleased to call upon Murray and Linda Farmer of North Saanich. Murray and Linda Farmer, both together and individually, have enhanced British Columbia as a place to learn, live, work, and visit. With grace and generosity, they've set an example for community involvement as volunteers, philanthropists, and leaders. Kamosan College and the University of Victoria in particular have grown in capacity and status as a result of the farmer's leadership and service. Murray served on the UVIC Board of Governors, including a period as chair, followed by two terms as University Chancellor. Linda served on the Kamosan College Foundation and the College's Board of Governors, including his chair. The two have established the Linda and Murray Farmer Walk of Excellence to honor UVIC athletes and coaches. As co-chairs of the Kamosan College Foundation's trademark of excellence campaign, which is the largest capital fundraising campaign in the College's history, Kamosan Center for Trades Education and Innovation was established. The couple led the fundraising for the Shaw Center for the Salish Sea, and as well, Linda aided the community of Sydney in establishing the Murray Windspear Center. Murray served as past chair of the Board of the Victoria Foundation. The farmers continued to support the foundation through the establishment of a fund in their names that provides annual grants to a wide range of community-based organizations. Currently, Murray serves as honorary hurdle of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, Princess Mary's, while Linda is a director on the Provincial Board of the BC Cancer Foundation. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Murray and Linda Farmer. Our next recipient very sadly passed away before we could present the Order of British Columbia, but I will read his citation, after which I will ask Mr. Richard Thompson, QC, to come on stage to accept the insignia. Mr. Thompson was legal counsel to Mr. David Campy for over 30 years and had an intimate knowledge of Mr. Campy's generosity to his community and his continuing commitment to improve the lives of its citizens. Sir. David Campy shared his success in business through his generous and varied support of his community, including the Penticton Regional Hospital and the Patient Care Tower that was named in his honor. In 1981, David started the team that now owns and operates Peter's Brothers Construction and Paving, which has grown to employ more than 200 people across BC. With his success in business, David was driven to make an impact on Penticton. His unmatched generosity often was anonymous or masked, so that his personal identity was not always obvious. David's contributions to the recent Penticton Regional Hospital expansion were instrumental in that project, reaching a successful conclusion and in addition, being the facilitator to acquire the much needed state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging equipment and SPECT CT scan. There are many other aspects of life in Penticton that benefited from David's support, either behind the scenes or through sponsorship from Peter's Brothers. These include paying for all the entertainment enjoyed by thousands nightly during the annual Peach Fest, bringing the snowbirds to town on several occasions, supporting local graduates with bursaries for post-secondary education, paying for tickets to the local junior hockey team, the Penticton Vs, for any person under 19 for the entire season, and supporting meal programs at local schools so that no child need be hungry at school, as David sincerely believed a child cannot learn if hungry. David gave back to his beloved community over and over again. He will be sorely missed by so many. Your Honor, Premier, I call upon Richard Thompson to accept the insignia on Mr. Campy's behalf. Next I call Mr. Scott McIntyre, North Vancouver. Scott McIntyre was a founding partner of Douglas and McIntyre Publishers, one of the country's largest independent publishers with an international reputation for exceptional quality and diversity. During Scott's tenure, Douglas and McIntyre Publishers produced about 2,000 books on the arts, architecture, politics, and history. They included works by noted Canadian authors such as Douglas Copeland, David Suzuki, Wade Davis, Emily Carr, and Wason Choi. Scott championed lesser known writers as well, often at his own financial risk. Scott's firm honored the culture and spirit of Indigenous peoples through the published work of artists such as Bill Reed and Robert Davidson. These efforts created dialogue and broader awareness of the cultural heritage of the British of British Columbia. Scott fought equally hard to protect the cultural pulse of Canada and the independence of Canadian interests on the global stage. He played a key role in the development and implementation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNESCO convention on cultural diversity signed by over 145 countries. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Mr. Scott McIntyre. Next I'm delighted to call upon Dr. Judy McClain of Vancouver. Dr. Judy McClain is a global health educator and researcher formally with the University British Columbia whose work with the United Nations agencies and health organizations in sub-Saharan Africa has had a profound impact on the nutritional health of infants and young children. Judy initiated and supported the distribution and use of sprinkles, a supplement to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies in multiple countries. In Rwanda she oversaw the national scale-up of a program targeting the specific needs of children between the ages of six and 23 months. Her work included the design and implementation of a complete strategy and training program for the nation's community health workers and caregivers. Rwanda has since become the first country in Africa to have a national home-based fortification program that provides the majority of at-risk children with the vitamins and minerals they need for healthy growth and development. Her example has inspired many of her former students at UBC to follow in her footsteps and seek meaningful opportunities to work and study internationally. Your honor, Mr. Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Dr. Judy McLean. I now call on Dr. Bruce McManus of Vancouver. Advances in heart and lung health sciences and medicine in Canada and BC have in no small measure been achieved with the leadership of Dr. Bruce McManus. A versatile, magnetic and collaborative leader of several units throughout the BC health sciences community, Bruce has recruited and developed many outstanding faculty and trainees. His impact in this regard has been felt locally and nationally as he served in as the inaugural scientific director of the Institute for Circulatory and Respiratory Health of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2000. He heads the Center of Excellence for Prevention of Organ Failure known as PROOF. He is also the co-director of the Institute for Heart and Lung Health, a hub for research, education and clinical translation. He serves as a senior scientist in the UBC Center of Heart and Lung Innovation. His numerous advisory roles span public and private health sciences organizations. Bruce is among the top scientists globally who are focused on solving viral heart disease mechanisms and treatments. In PROOF he leads teams of life scientists, data scientists, physicians, economists and entrepreneurs who together are developing blood tests to improve the care of patients with failing vital organs. His pioneering work on heart transplant immune rejection and then on rejection biomarkers led to his team's grand prize in translational medicine at the Bio IT World Congress in 2010. Your honor, premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Dr. Bruce McManus. Okay, I call on Bill Millard of Vancouver and Denman Island. Vancouver's art scene is more vibrant because of Bill Millard. He devoted more than four decades to nurturing the growth of professional theater in BC and under his leadership the Arts Club Theater Company is now the third largest theater company in Canada with more than 185,000 patrons annually and operates other than newly built BMO Theater Center in the former Olympic Village District. The three venues, the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, the Granville Island Stage and the Gold Corp Stage, allow promotion of all types of theater from well-known musicals to new productions often in partnership with smaller local theater companies. A recipient of the Order of Canada Millard also established a touring program that provides many BC communities with the ability to develop audiences at their local theaters. Last year upon retirement Mr. Millard set up an artists fund to assist theater artists as they pursue endeavors to support their craft. Your honor, premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Bill Millard. Next we call upon Dr. Kimmet Ray of Coquitlam, an internationally recognized plastic surgeon. Dr. Ray founded Operation Rainbow Canada in 1998. This is a non-profit medical humanitarian organization that provides free cleft lip and palate corrective surgery to impoverished children and young adults in developing countries. Dr. Ray's group has also transformed the lives of more than 2,000 children in places such as Cambodia, India, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines, and China. Without any paid mission staff, Dr. Ray serves as both teacher and mentor. He educates and trains both the Canadian plastic surgery residents who volunteer for missions and the healthcare professionals in the host countries. Operation Rainbow has trained Canadian plastic surgery residents as well as anesthesia fellows and pediatric residents in BC Children's Hospital. In collaboration with the Canada Ukraine Foundation, Dr. Ray went to the Ukraine in 2014 on a mission focused on post-traumatic and acute trauma surgeries for victims of demonstrations during civil unrest, as well as injured soldiers from eastern Ukraine. Through his hard work and leadership, Dr. Ray has transformed the lives of people around the world. Your honor, Mr. Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Dr. Kimmet Ray. Next we call upon Susan Tatush of Vancouver. Susan Tatush is of Shushwap ancestry and is a member of the Hupachaseth First Nation. In her role as Executive Director of the Vancouver Friendship Society, Susan has brought significant improvements to services for the urban Indigenous community and some of the city's most marginalized populations. Her skills in leadership, governance, planning and management have been shared with the boards of almost every urban Indigenous organization in Vancouver. Susan was instrumental in moving a homeless shelter from the basement and gym of the Friendship Centre to a permanent well-managed shelter space in the downtown East Side. She's worked with the City of Vancouver on the Dialogue Project to bring together Indigenous people and new immigrants to build understanding amongst cultures and address the roots and outcomes of discrimination and racism. As chair of the Aboriginal Communities Career Employment Services Society, she worked with the BC Construction Association to create job opportunities for Indigenous people. Earlier in her career, Susan operated the first outreach program for Native women in Canada. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia Ms. Susan Tatush. Next, we call upon Tamara Vrooman of Vancouver. Tamara Vrooman is president and CEO of Van City Credit Union. Siege banking is vital to the well-being of people while contributing to the long-term sustainability of the communities where they live and work. Their interdependence of economic, social and environmental sustainability, the triple bottom line, has informed her thinking and how her organization manages its members' assets. Under Tamara's guidance, Van City became the first carbon-neutral financial institution in North America and the largest private sector living wage employer in Canada. Tamara also tackled the shadow financial system by launching an alternative to predatory payday loans. All of this was achieved while doubling assets and achieving the highest profits in Van City's history. Tamara's advice and input is sought by provincial and federal governments while internationally. She's been invited by Pope Francis to share her views on the inclusive economy and by the Dalai Lama to discuss business values. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia to Tamara Vrooman. And next, we will call upon Dr. Carl Walters of Vancouver. Dr. Carl Walters is an icon of the world's fisheries science community whose research and computer models have influenced the development of the field over the last 50 years. Based at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Walters' approach to quantitative ecology uses computer simulations to generate dynamics of populations and ecological systems. The models help to set research priorities, test theories, and evaluate fisheries management options. His seminal writings on adaptive management and fisheries assessment are used throughout the world by ecologists, scientists, and managers. He co-edited a 1992 book on assessment science that ranks as the third most cited text in fisheries research. As Carl stayed at the forefront of mathematical modeling in various fields of ecology, two themes ran through his research. Innovation and the application to real-world problems. The latter is borne out by the fact that two commissions of inquiry into fishing activities in BC have relied upon Carl's knowledge and input. Your honor, Premier, I present for the Order of British Columbia, Dr. Carl Walters. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me once again in congratulating all of the recipients of this year's Order of British Columbia. I'd now like to call on your honor, the honorable Janet Austin, to deliver your remarks. Your honor. Thank you Lucy and dear friends. As always, it's important that we acknowledge the Lekwungen peoples, the Songies and Esquimalt, upon whose traditional territory we gathered today, and to thank them for sharing these lands in peace and friendship. Knowing as I do the importance of the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples, I'd be making a bit of an effort to learn Sunshothin, which is the traditional language of the local Hussainic people. And so I will say to you, I don't really think that deserves applause, because if Marianne was here, she'd tell you I totally massacred the pronunciation. But I do think that it's an important gesture of honoring and respect. And so I would also like to acknowledge Elder Marianne Thomas for the gift of a traditional blessing, and the drummers and the singers who perform for us as well. So I will say Heiskwan's DWS, Heiskwan's DLM. Thank you for your prayers and your songs. Thanks or also due to a Deputy Chief Conservation Officer, Bill Bresser, Superintendent Glenn Greenhill and Mr. David Valentine, who joined me today as my honorary aides at camp, and always appreciate the opportunity to work with with these three. Thank you so much for being here today. And of course to the members of the Advisory Council, having served on the council myself in years past, I understand how challenging your task is pain, but I also see that you have chosen exceptionally well. So well done. As the representative of the Crown in British Columbia and the Chancellor of the Order of BC, and on behalf of all British Columbians, it is my enormous privilege to welcome these 15 new members to the Order. To recognize these remarkable people who are changing our communities for the better in so many ways is an honor of great personal significance to me. As we heard today, the Order is granted for excellence and achievement in any field that benefits the people of British Columbia and in hearing the citations one cannot but be struck by the remarkable diversity of the contributions that we celebrate today. Achievements that span the continuum from from human rights to education and research, the arts, the environment, business and the professions. You have helped us to grow as a province. You've taught us to care for the environment, enriched our lives with literature and art, helped us to address past injustices and advance reconciliation, and inspired us to become a more just, caring and inclusive society. We're fortunate indeed to find homes in this province of unparalleled beauty, diverse cultures, and abundant resources and opportunity. Our province has enormous strengths, but the challenges that we face are complex and interrelated. Climate change, reconciliation, poverty and inequality, and the restructuring of our economy flowing from accelerating technological advance. Our readiness to meet these challenges and the very stability of our communities depends, to a large degree, on the contributions of exemplary citizens such as yourselves. And your contributions are all the more to be valued in this increasingly fractious world as we see in the news every day and around the world, the increasing fragility of democracy, the trend away from the rule of law, and the decline of civility in public and political discourse. Your example of citizenship inspires me to use my time in office to encourage active engagement in civil society and to build respect for and trust in our democratic conventions and public institutions. And so I thank you for demonstrating that we can be more than just individual actors engaged in pursuits that serve our own self interest, but rather as citizens who share responsibility for each other and for the planet and must act accordingly. It's sometimes said that the greatest gift possible is the gift of oneself, and we owe you much gratitude for giving that gift so very generously to all of us. You're an inspiration to British Columbians, certainly you're an inspiration to me. You give me hope for a better world, you really truly do. I'm deeply honored to be in your company today. Thank you so much, Hajjaka. Thank you, Your Honor. I'd now like to call on the Premier of British Columbia, the Honorable John Horgan, to give your remarks. Premier? Thank you, Lucy, and for those who are always wondering, what are they chatting about? I said which water is mine, so if you'll just forgive me. There we go. It's an honor to be here representing the Government of British Columbia on this auspicious occasion, celebrating the investiture of 15 outstanding British Columbians here on the traditional territory, low-quang and speaking people. I want to lift my hands to Elder Marianne Thomas for her opening remarks and also appealing to you for the forgiveness that she spoke about because as you've been looking up at her honor and I and her guard, I've been looking at you beautiful flowers and the Strait of Wanda Fuca and the mountains in the background. So I hope you'll forgive me for having a better view than you had with respect to her honor. I'll also, I also want to acknowledge something that I also benefited from sitting at the front and and I did not want to single out any of the outstanding individuals here but two Victorians, Linda and Murray, stood together of course for the investiture and I got to see the glance between the two of them and of having been in a relationship for 40, four decades myself, only those who have been in long-term relationships understand that glance it was for a fraction of a second but it was so powerful so I was very moving just to see that I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. So with that I'd like to move on to the prepared remarks that I have here. I want to welcome the advisory council, your honor, the speaker, my colleagues from the executive council, you'll remember in the in the investiture remarks that makes reference to the executive council what that is is the premier and cabinet. I'm joined by my my colleague, Shane Simpson, Lana Popham and George Chow. Thank you for being here today. For those past recipients, maybe I've been getting bit long in the tooth and the job. I remember passing out certificates to some of you last year. So good to see you again and it is always an exciting time to be at government house when we're acknowledging the extraordinary, extraordinary lives of British Columbians who've made not just a rich contribution to their own communities, their own endeavor, whether it's finance, lifting indigenous people in medicine, in philanthropy, industry, academia. I have more McIntyre books on my bookshelf than I care to mention but to have an opportunity to acknowledge outstanding British Columbians is truly an honor for me and I know for for her honor as well. The order British Columbia has 400 members and that is a fraction of of course the outstanding Canadians that we have amongst us each and every day but you 15 this year were nominated by your peers and deliberations by the advisory committee elevated you to the position of order of British Columbia greatly deserved and certainly an honor that on behalf of the government of British Columbia I am proud with her honor to bestow upon you and as we look forward to the year ahead I think we're all richer and better for the contributions that each of you have made in your own special way I want to also acknowledge that that in the remarks that Jeremy was reading out I have sought counsel from Tamara as the the notes suggested I've stood at the sharing him lighthouse with Senator Carnady as the notes suggested I've not had any treatments from the the medical crew here today but I'm hopeful that I will not I will benefit from that in the future and with respect to the contributions of those in industry and philanthropy it is the charity and giving nature of Canadians I believe that bind us together we have a commitment a universal commitment to public services like health care and education and social services but we also have I believe at our core a sense in a vast country with a population spread across a very cold in many places save and accept where I live cold territory that we need to help each other out and the philanthropy and the service and the giving of our 15 recipients this year are a testimony to that a sense that we can all be better if we all help ourselves to those of you who are recipients this year past recipients those who may well be future recipients among us today I lift my hands and I thank you for all working every day to make British Columbia a better place thank you very much Thank you Premier Thank you Ladies and gentlemen thank you very much for being with us here today to celebrate these worthy British Columbians and the 30th anniversary of the Order of BC remember to try to catch the video playing in the foyer the official party and today's recipients are about to leave they will join you shortly for the reception in the back of the ballroom could I ask you now to please stand for the singing of God Save the Queen and remain standing while the official party recipients and the advisory council leave the ballroom thank you and good morning Precious Queen