Working with You for BC’s Communities

We are excited to announce that Janet Austin — who recently completed seven years of service as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and is now a private citizen — is the new Chair of the Fraser Basin Council. In addition to her service as Lt. Gov., Janet comes to FBC with a wealth of community leadership service, including 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Metro Vancouver, one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profits.

She succeeds Colin Hansen, FBC’s Chair since 2014, whose earlier public service included the roles of Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance for British Columbia. The FBC Directors and staff thank him for his excellent leadership and service to the Council these many years. We also greatly look forward to working with our new Chair Janet Austin as we bring people together to advance sustainability in B.C.

After nearly three decades of exceptional service and dedication in leading the Fraser Basin Council, our founding CEO David Marshall will be taking his retirement in 2025, with the timing of his departure to be confirmed at a later date. The Board and staff can never thank David enough for his pivotal leadership throughout the history of the organization and for the track record of successful collaborative initiatives he achieved with the FBC team and our diverse program partners throughout British Columbia.

The page turns, and a new chapter begins, as FBC is now seeking a new Chief Executive Officer.

FBC is delighted to announce Courtenay Campbell as the first recipient of the Chief Roy Mussell Bursary.

Courtenay, a First Nations student at Thompson Rivers University, is integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with scientific methods in a research project to explore culturally significant plant regeneration after wildfires. Through her research and her work on sustainable forestry, Courtenay exemplifies what it means to care for the land and future generations.

The Energy Partners in Indigenous Communities (EPIC) Network is championing innovative, sustainable energy work in communities!

As a Community Energy Champion for Quatsino First Nation, Kara Wilson (shown second from the right) is a participant in EPIC and in the Catalyst 20/20 program to further build capacity in renewable energy. Kara is working on a collaborative conceptualization of a major transmission line to support regional infrastructure and industrial development.

At Malahat First Nation, George Harry is working on heat pump and upgrade projects in the community to improve home heath, comfort and energy-efficiency. He sees great promise in ongoing technology advances.

Both speak about their recent experiences — and what’s ahead.