Community advocate recognized for long-standing service

Craig Evans to be named Patron of the City

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed January 4, 2023 4:26 PM

Summary

Nanaimo City Council is pleased to honour Craig Evans with a Patron of the City award to recognize his exceptional service to the community for more than three decades. A resident of Nanaimo since the 1970s, Mr. Evans has been a passionate advocate for community food systems, the environment and local organic farms.

With enthusiastic dedication to local, sustainable food production, Mr. Evans is credited as the founder of the Nanaimo Community Gardens in 1987, the Nanaimo Foodshare Society in 1997 and the VIU Farmers Market in 2013. He also co-founded the Growing Opportunities Farm Community Co-op in 2009 and the Farmship Growers Cooperative in 2013.

Over the years, Mr. Evans has been a strong advocate on a number of environmental initiatives. In 1978, he founded the Nanaimo Recycling Society and is credited for starting and organizing curbside pickups for the entire city. At the time, this recycling operation was Canada’s largest recycling operation west of Kitchener, Ontario. In 1999, he was awarded the Environmental Achievement Award from the City of Nanaimo for his work in promoting recycling and community gardening.

His advocacy efforts halted plans for a proposed ferrochromium plant at Jack Point and a BRINI waste incinerator in 1991. From 2013-2015, Mr. Evans was a Director for the Colliery Dams Preservation Society which successfully sought to protect and preserve Colliery Dam Park.

In 2000, Mr. Evans began working at Vancouver Island University as a Worksite Trainer for the Employment and Life Skills Training Program. He currently works in the Work Essential Skills Training (WEST) Program, mentoring students with diverse abilities and securing them work training sites.

The service that Mr. Evans has provided his community for more than three decades has inspired many and will have a lasting impact for years to come. The City is grateful for his dedication to the environment and the people of Nanaimo and is pleased to bestow him with the honour of Patron of the City.

Link to Strategic Plan: Environmental Responsibility and Livability: Craig Evans has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to protecting our environment and ensuring a livable future for future generations.

Key Points

The Patron of the City award recognizes outstanding achievement and selfless volunteerism.
A certificate was presented to Mr. Evans during a private ceremony on Jan. 4, 2023.
Mr. Evans will be honoured at a special ceremony during a future Council meeting.

Quotes

"I have known Craig for nearly 40 years. He is modest, kind and compassionate and is indeed a worthy recipient for this award and an outstanding example of what real citizenship is about. We are at our best when we are “doing for others” and he has done that his whole life. Our City is a better place because of all he has done, particularly for those who have faced real challenges."

Leonard Krog

Mayor

City of Nanaimo

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Contact:

For media enquiries, please contact

Communications

City of Nanaimo

250-754-4251

media.requests@nanaimo.ca

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