2013 Community Stewardship Award - Recipients

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Sustaining the Islands – Community Stewardship Awards Program 
 
 
 
2013   Nominee Profile 
 
Richard Blagborne, Saturna Island 
 
Category:  Individual 
 
Project:        
Saving and restoring the Fog Alarm Building at East Point Park 
 
 
Nominator(s):      Maureen Welton 
 
Letters of Support:  N/A 
 
Project Description:  
Richard Blagborne initiated and led the restoration of the Fog Alarm Building, which was 
scheduled for demolition as part of federal lighthouse de-staffing programs. The building, 
originally housing the apparatus that made the deep sonorous fog-horn sound, has been 
completely renovated and now houses storyboards, a media centre, historical photos 
and written archives charting the island’s history. Richard sought and received the 
support of dozens of community members, raised $70,000, and sought assistance from 
MP Elizabeth May, Parks Canada/Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Senator Pat 
Carney, the Capital Regional District, Saturna Community Club, Saturna Island Parks 
and Recreation and Heritage Canada.   In May 2013 the building will host a symposium 
with top cetacean experts to celebrate the progress made since Moby Doll, the first orca 
in captivity, was captured.  The building, staffed by over twenty volunteer docents, is 
likely the most visited spot on Saturna Island.  
 
Richard has been a catalyst for other initiatives and collaborations on Saturna, including: 
the Saturna Ecological Education Centre, the Saturnina longboat project and the 
Saturna Heritage Committee. These projects provide education for visitors and 
residents, leadership for youth, and attract visitors to Saturna Island. 

 
Sustaining the Islands 
–
 Community Stewardship Awards Program 
 
 
 
2013 Nominee
 Profile 
 
Chris and Judith Plant, Gabriola Island 
 
 
Category:  Individual 
 
Project:       
 Promoting and demonstrating sustainability through book publishing  
 
Nominator(s):      Heather Wardle 
 
Letters of Support:  N/A 
 
Project Description:  
Judith and Chris Plant are the visionaries and leaders of New Society Publishers, a Gabriola-
based book publisher that is a global leader in books on sustainability with over 150 titles. New 
Society Publishers has been located on Gabriola Island since 1996 publishing best-sellers such 
as "Our Ecological Footprint."  New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that 
contribute to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least 
possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.  
 
Under Judith and Chris’ leadership, New Society Publishers was the first carbon-neutral 
publishing house in North America. In 2001, they committed to publishing all their books on 
100% post
-consumer recycled paper, 
leading the book publishing community in Can
ada.  
Recently, New Society has introduced a unique component to its thriving ebook 
program 
-- New 
Society’s Guide To Environmentally Responsible Digital Reading. 
 
Chris 

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