Menu

Thank you to our incredible volunteers

It's #NationalVolunteerWeek and we want to lift up the incredible volunteers who propel CBT forward as a community-driven organization. In addition to our volunteer board of directors, the CBT relies on the advisory of numerous community volunteers who sit on grant evaluation committees and help support various CBT programs. We've organized our thanks below! 

Sustainability Research, Education, and Training

  • Sydney Inlet Remote Listening project - Jim Darling and Adrian Dorst have been long-standing volunteers for the Sydney Inlet Remote listening project (since 2014) and Jim continues to volunteer hours upon hours of expert advice for the Sydney Inlet Acoustic Refugium Monitoring project.
  • Sustainable tourism initiatives: thank you to Cathy Thicke for her ongoing support for the CBT research program and volunteer time for sustainable tourism initiatives (in addition to being CBT Board co-chair)
  • Sustainability in the Biosphere Field Course; Anna Atleo, Arlene Paul, Joe Martin, Moses Martin, and Moy Sutherland all contributed so much to course. While we provided honorariums, each of them generously gave much more of their time and knowledge (well over and above what we provided for). They truly made the course a transformative learning experience.
  • CBT Research and Environment Committee: Thank you to the entire grant evaluation committee, and especially Denise Koshowski, Jenn Yakimishyn and Barb Beasely for being dedicated committee members for over a decade. Arlene Armstrong has also been a long-time dedicated volunteer, previously a CBT Board member. 

Eat West Coast (Food Security Initiative) 

Many thanks to the volunteers who:

  • work at the Farmer's Market booths in Tofino, Ucluelet, and Ahousaht
  • use their own time to bring food to more remote communities and families
  • work in community and school gardens across all communities
  • share their knowledge of west coast food: growing and harvesting sustainability in seas and on land, and preparing, cooking and preserving those foods
  • contribute their knowledge and perspective to the Coastal Agriculture Round Table 

Healthy Communities

Thank you to the volunteers who: 

  • Sit on the Arts & Culture, Youth & Education, and Community Development grant advisory committees 
  • Contribute their invaluable knowledge and language on the Coastal Family Resources Coalition Language Committee
  • Facilitate so many amazing grassroots community projects and gatherings as members of the Neighbourhood Small Grants Committee - a special shout out to Jan McDougall! 

Holiday Giving Catalogue raises over $42K for regional charities

January 13, 2021
Over the month of December, the CBT worked alongside 20 local charities to raise funds for our most critical needs. Donors answered the call to stand together to strengthen our communities and ecosystems and together we raised $42,675. These gifts of all sizes will have a collective impact in a region that means so much to us all.

Emergency Community Support Fund Round 2

December 14, 2020
As the social and economic implications of the pandemic continue, community-serving non-profits are struggling to keep up with the increased need for responsive services and programming while facing significantly lower revenues than typical years. The CBT is proud to announce 5 diverse community projects receiving $30K in funding from Round 2 of the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) from the Government of Canada, via the CBT. In total, $70K has been granted from the ECSF. Check out the list of organizations and projects who have received funding here!

Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants: a show of west coast community resilience

August 19, 2020
We’ve wrapped up our COVID-19 Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants (R-NSG) and couldn’t be more proud of our west coast communities! The 4 months since we launched the program have been a wild and unpredictable ride, but west coasters have come together to support each other— while maintaining physical distancing— in many inspiring and innovative ways.

CBT collaborates on a new SDG Guidebook

August 13, 2020
This week, Community Foundations of Canada launched a Guidebook and Toolkit to help Canada's 191 Community Foundations—and all the communities they support—find bolder, creative and innovative ways to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. CBT research director, Laura Loucks, helped author a case study on p. 29 about our organization's dual role as a community foundation and UNESCO Biosphere Region.

We've met our Giving Catalogue fundraising goal

July 2, 2020
On Giving Tuesday Now (May 5th) CBT launched the Community COVID-19 Response Giving Catalogue, a place where west coast registered charities and not-for-profits share current and emerging needs with people who want to help. We are excited to announce that we have met our $30,000 for local organizations!

Red dresses in the office window

June 30, 2020
If you walk by the CBT office at 316 Main Street later this week, you may notice the red dresses hanging in the front window. The simple and elegant dresses are adorned with black silhouetted feathers and bring awareness to the staggering amount of missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) across Canada, but especially those from our community.

2019 Neighbourhood Small Grants Announced

October 29, 2019
We're so grateful for all the amazing community members who are taking on a Neighbourhood Small Grant project this year This blog post includes a list of all the funded projects, the organizers, the approximate dates, and a summary of the project in the organizers' words. Make sure to check out what events are happening in your neighbourhood!