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FVRD director Terry Raymond remembered as true champion of rural British Columbia

Longtime rep for Boston Bar region passed away April 7 after hard-fought battle with cancer
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Terry Raymond passed away April 7, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. (Fraser Valley Regional District)

The Fraser Canyon area lost a longtime civil servant April 7 with the passing of Terry Raymond.

Raymond was the elected director for the Fraser Valley Regional District’s Electoral Area A, a large region of 2,369 square kilometres including the communities of Boston Bar, North Bend and Canyon Alpine. He served a small population of 551 with dedication, earning the respect and admiration of those he dealt with.

Raymond was first elected in 1996 and served until 2008. After a six year hiatus he returned to office in 2014 and took on several leadership roles including Hospital District chair and chair of the Hope Recreation, Culture and Airpark Services Commission. A longtime resident of Boston Bar, Raymond was active with the Boston Bar/North Bend Enhancement Society.

As an FVRD Director, he was proud to be involved in the purchase of a new property for the Boston Bar Volunteer Fire Department and the $1.9 million restoration of the historic 1914 Canadian National Railway Station House in Boston Bar.

“I always appreciated Terry’s quick wit, and sense of humour, which balanced out how incredibly serious he took his role advocating for the residents of the Electoral Areas,” said FVRD board chair Jason Lum. “Terry was a true champion of rural British Columbia, and as Chair I counted on him as a mentor and friend. I look forward to joining my colleagues as we honour Terry’s legacy in an upcoming meeting. Until then, on behalf of the Board I want to send our sincere condolences to Terry’s family, friends, and many constituents who are mourning his passing.”

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Former Hope Mayor Susan Johnston said Raymond had “a wicked sense of humour and could make a donkey laugh.”

She first met him 1981 in unique circumstances.

“My husband was a Constable with the RCMP Highway Patrol and our family was posted to Boston Bar at that time,” she recalled. “Terry was an ambulance attendant and we first met when our baby needed to be transported to Hope Hospital. Terry was an amazing gentleman. He was very calming. Our friendship took off and we have been blessed to know Terry ever since.”

Johnston worked alongside Raymond as Hope Mayor, and before that as a councillor. They were together on the Rec Commission and Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) boards.

Terry was our rep for Area A on the FVRD board and he truly was one of the best,” Johnston said. “His community meant the world to him. He was a great human being and he will be sadly missed by so many. I feel blessed to have had him in my life.”

Current Hope Mayor Peter Robb said Raymond made a huge impact on his communities, Indigenous communities and his political colleagues.

“He was a passionate community champion for all,” Robb said. “I will remember Terry as thoughtful, kind, compassionate and having a good sense of humor. I will miss him at the board table and miss his wise advice for the new guy.”

Dennis Adamson, who is the current elected director of FVRD Area B, said it will take several people to replace the work Raymond did on behalf of his constituents.

“He’s going to be missed by a lot of people, because he had his fingers in a lot of pies and worked very hard on behalf of a number of organizations,” he said. “It’ll probably take two or three to replace him and those will be hard shoes to fill.

“He was just an all-round nice guy who cared about not just his community, but all communities.”

Alternate Director Diane Johnson will take on the role of Electoral Area A Director until municipal elections on Oct. 15, 2022.


@ProgressSports
eric.welsh@hopestandard.com

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Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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