Active involvement in the community with his wife, Cathy Burpee.
Community Service & Achievements
Volunteering
Serving as founding chair of the Tri-Cities Housing Coalition, chairing the Tri-Cities Homelessness Task Group for 12 years, and serving as interim chair of the Metro Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness;
Advocating for and being instrumental in the creation of local temporary and cold weather shelters and a permanent shelter on Gordon Avenue;
Serving as volunteer coordinator for SHARE’s food bank for a decade, including staffing and managing the depot and developing operating procedures;
Volunteering with Coquitlam Search and Rescue over 11 years, including field deployment, executive roles and fundraising;
Chairing a committee that developed a youth restorative justice program and served as the Founding Chair of the resulting Fraser-Burrard Community Justice Society (now Communities Embracing Restorative Action); and
Founding a local Together Against Violence committee and chairing it from 1994 to 1998.
Awards & Recognition
The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Community Spirit Award (2018)
An Honorary Fellow Award from Douglas College (2018) along with his wife Cathy
The B.C. Medal of Good Citizenship (2017)
The Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (2015)
The B.C. Achievement Foundation’s Community Award (2015)
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
Life membership to Coquitlam Search and Rescue and the Rollie Award for Excellence (2015)