Hope’s very own Peter Bailey is this year’s Champion of Diversity for the 20th annual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards.
Presented March 9 in Abbotsford to businesses, organizations and individuals in Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack, Hope and Agassiz, almost 400 guests attended the awards at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre. The event honoured recipients in eight categories focused on diversity, inclusion, and innovation.
Archway Community Services presented the awards in partnership with the Mission and Chilliwack Community Services as well as Langley New Directions Vocational Testing and Counselling Services.
Bailey, who is one of the founders and the director of Free Rein Associates, won this year’s Champion of Diversity award.
“We see all these people who are from large organizations and whatnot, you just sort of think, Okay, well, one of them will get there,” Bailey said. “And then when they said my name we all just about fell out of our chairs. We were just shocked.
“I didn’t prepare any type of acceptance speech. Nothing. There was just this sort of thinking that this wasn’t going to be a thing. Anyway, it was good and it was good to have the nomination.”
Originally from England, Bailey moved to Canada in 1987 and then to Hope in 1989. He worked as a reporter for the Standard in the 90s before eventually leaving to help develop and create Free Rein Associates in 1993.
Bailey’s journey towards championing diversity and inclusivity began as early as 15 when he got asked to be part of the committee, that runs the scouting program, for the Leicester Scouts. Through his time on the committee, Bailey learned Robert’s Rules of Order, the “lingo” of committees, the structure of committees and boards, and helped/learned how to bring forward resolutions, The scout’s committee would be the first of many that Bailey would join throughout his life. The scout’s committee also helped him further develop his strong sense of social justice. In fact, throughout his life, Bailey was part of many causes for social change and reform such as joining the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and participating in big marches and protests against the government, discrimination, and social injustice. New things come out of discussion and problem solving.
“It’s been very rewarding,” Bailey said. “And I think when you’re part of a committee, there’s a kind of synergy that comes from collaboration. And you feel good when you see that implemented and even better when you start to see success. A strategy that you’ve been involved in, for a long time starts, to grow and develop new and interesting things that happen as a result of it.”
It is also this collaboration that Bailey said he owes to him winning the Diversity award.
“I really feel my success is through collaboration, right. It is an award for everybody I work with, because that synergy that I’m describing isn’t something I can do alone.”
Currently, Bailey is working with the Hope Inclusion Project to develop a school curriculum to teach anti-oppression and anti-racism. The curriculum, which is currently being tested at Coquihalla Elementary with the younger grades, will eventually be taught through Grades K-12 and will eventually reach schools outside of Hope.
“This is probably the most important work we’ve ever done. I mean, it truly gets to the fundamentals of oppression. And how do we deconstruct that — how do we help young people understand that kindness, compassion and respect are really what makes life worth living?” he said.
The Hope Inclusion Project, which was founded in 2010, is a project that has been working against racism in Hope. It is a member of the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network which brings members together to “address racism and hate through education and action.” As such, the Hope Inclusion Project Committee “seeks to promote an inclusive culture where all in the community can work, play, and learn in a supportive environment.”
On that note, the Hope Inclusion project was also nominated for the Innovative Initiative award. The award was won by Project AIM.
Chawathil First Nation councillor Aaron Pete was also in attendance during the awards as a keynote speaker. Pete, who is also an entrepreneur and the podcast host of Bigger Than Me, spoke about his journey from a food-insecure household, with a single mom, to finding his way to law school and eventually becoming a member of his band’s council. He shared that, growing up, his family was also a frequent user of the Chilliwack Community Services.
“There’s nothing more close to my heart than the idea that community matters, that what the individuals in this room do matters; it has an impact,” he said. “You don’t always get to see the outcome and I hope that I can be a testament to the impact that events like this can be, that the services provided by the nominees can have on individuals.”
The award recipients for the eight categories included: Peter Bailey for Champion of Diversity, Lily Renaud for Youth Champion of Diversity, Oui Entertain! Inc. for Effective Human Resources Strategies, Abbotsford Arts Council for Inclusive Environment (small/medium), TYDEL Foods for Inclusive Environment (large), Jelly Digital Marketing & PR for Diversity in Marketing, Project AIM for Innovative Initiative (small), AgSafe Agriculture Association of Langley for Innovative Initiative (medium/large).
The show will air again on Sunday, March 26, at 8 p.m. on Shaw Multicultural Channel 4 Vancouver.
READ MORE: 2023 Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards presented in 8 categories
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
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