Visionaries

Janet Antonio

For over 20-years Janet has been engaged in community building and not for profit leadership.  A graduate of Simon Fraser University Janet began her career in Community Economic Development at the Vancity group of companies and with the Vancity Community Foundation.  This was followed by raising funds for scholarships, bursaries and research at BCIT and SFU.  As the Director of Development for the BC Region at the Salvation Army Janet worked with a team of fundraisers throughout the province working with donors to plan legacy gifts.  Janet was also the Executive Director of Western Canada at Cystic Fibrosis Canada supporting an inspired community of volunteers determined to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Inspired by the stories of volunteers and donors, Janet recently returned to school determined to discover how nonprofits can better use technology to tell stories with impact.  As a graduate of BCIT’s New Media and Web Development program Janet continues to seek out new ways to inspire positive change.  

Janet has been married to her best friend and college sweetheart since 1990.  Together they have raised their son and daughter in Metro Vancouver and have many fond memories of camping, hikes, and picnics in our local regional parks.

MIKE REDPATH

Mike has a passion for the outdoors and has had the privilege to work with many others to advance parks initiatives from concept to reality. Mike worked with the City of Richmond, British Columbia for 27 years, leading an award-winning team of Parks professionals that planned, developed and protected parks and open spaces and natural areas. Mike is currently the Director of Regional Parks for Metro Vancouver with a mandate to protect and connect residents to the regional park system.

CRAIG HODGE

Craig Hodge is a long-time Coquitlam resident and is currently serving his second term on city council. He chairs the city’s Riverview Lands Advisory Committee and the Coquitlam Sports Council. He is also a director of Metro Vancouver and serves on its regional park and zero waste committees.

A retired photojournalist, Craig began his career at the Columbian Newspaper in New Westminster when he was still in high school. He went on to become a staff photographer at the Vancouver Sun and The Tri-City News.

During his career, he covered some of the biggest stories of the past four decades including Expo 86 and the 2010 Olympic Games. He has also photographed the Stanley Cup playoffs, Grey Cup, NBA and Vancouver Whitecaps games as well as visits by U.S. presidents, the Queen, Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

In addition, Craig documented Terry Fox and every Canadian prime minister since Pierre Trudeau. His work with local newspapers earned him 42 international, national and provincial awards for photojournalism.

In his community, Craig has served as a director of the Coquitlam Foundation, president of the Tri-Cities’ Chamber of Commerce and president of the Coquitlam Heritage Society; he was also elected to three terms as director of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Craig and his wife, Darla, have three school-aged children — Robbie, Brandon and Dawson — and he volunteers as an assistant coach for their soccer and ball hockey teams as well as a Scout leader.

COUNCILLOR HEATHER DEAL

Councillor Heather Deal was elected to the Vancouver Park Board in 2002 and Vancouver City Council in 2005. She served as the Deputy Mayor of Vancouver for 2016 and is the Chair of the City Finance and Services Committee.

Councillor Deal focuses on Vancouver’s livability, bringing her passions for supporting arts and culture, animated public spaces, safe active transportation, and heritage to City Hall. She also spearheaded the food cart program and has served as a Vancouver Public Library trustee.

At the regional level, Councillor Deal chairs the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Committee and the Fraser Basin Council’s Watersheds and Water Resources Committee.

Councillor Deal received her BA in biology from Oberlin College in 1982 and her M.SC. in immunology from UBC in 1988. She did cancer research before changing careers to focus on environmental issues and has a long history of working on healthy ecosystems. She has worked for UBC, the provincial government and most recently, the David Suzuki Foundation.

Councillor Deal is an avid cyclist, camper, hiker, and reader, and enjoys gardening on her Kitsilano balcony. She also loves to enjoy the great local arts and food that Vancouver has to offer.

ELEANOR O’CONNOR

Eleanor is the President of Studios, Lighting and Grip Divisions of Sim. Eleanor is a key contributor to the development and implementation of the company’s overall strategic and operational direction. Eleanor is a Director with the Derby Reach Brae Island Park Association (DRBIPA). She has volunteered her time on many projects, including the Langley Bog Viewing Platform.

LINDSEY FRYETT JERKE

Lindsey would say it was her many hours spent by the Grand River and Elora Gorge while growing up in small-town Ontario that fostered her love for landscapes and stewardship for the environment.

While pursuing her bachelor degree in Montreal she studied painting and drawing at Concordia University where she focused her practice on the relationship between people and landscapes. Following graduation and feeling restrained by the confines of the canvas, she began to look towards landscape architecture and urban design as a means for a creative outlet. She headed westward, landing in British Columbia. Her background in fine art was well suited to her pursuit of landscape architecture and with it, she brings a blend of hand drawing and technical abilities to her work.

Since graduating from the University of British Columbia Master of Landscape Architecture program in 2014 she has worked in many scales and typologies. She has participated in the visioning of neighbourhood plans, downtown action plans and public realm master plans; and, she has designed playgrounds and residential landscapes from concept through to detail design.

As a master student she was recognized for her dedication to her practice and received the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant, the Sharp and Diamond Ecological Design Scholarship, Faculty of Applied Science Graduate Award, and Graduate Project Design Excellence Award. Since graduating, she was a member of a team that was awarded a Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation Grant.

Lindsey is active in the local community and can be seen volunteering on construction sites building playgrounds and demonstration gardens with Projects for Public Space, joining in on Vancouver Public Space Network events, and attending the SALA, SFU and AIBC lecture series. She is currently working towards full registration with the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architecture.

In all of her work is a reflection of her appreciation for ecology, experience of nature and vibrant public spaces.

MARK VAN DER ZALM

Mark van der Zalm is the founding principal of van der Zalm + associates inc. He is a fully licensed Landscape Architect in several states and provinces within North America including BC, Ontario, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Oregon, Arizona and Minnesota. Mark is also a Member of the Green Building Council of BC and a LEED Accredited Professional.

He attended Simon Fraser University and attained a Bachelors of Arts degree in 1994. He then went on to Utah State University where he earned a Master of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning in 1997.

Mark is committed to the improvement of the natural and built environment through planning and design solutions that respect living things and protect natural resources. With extensive experience in the planning, design, and management of a variety of land-use and landscape architectural projects, he has completed projects both internationally and in Canada. Examples of his work include Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, BC and Haida Gwaii Community Park Master Plan in Queen Charlotte Islands, BC.

Mark is also a frequent speaker at recreation planning events and national symposiums related to park design and development. His personal interests include adventure racing, cross-country running and basketball.

Richard Hankin

Richard Hankin has 35 years of experience in local and regional planning. Most notably, Rick was the Manager of Metro Vancouver Regional Parks for 25 years until his retirement in February 2003. During his tenure, Rick spearheaded the expansion of Metro Vancouver regional parks from 5,500 acres to 28,600 acres, an increase from 4 to 25 parks and greenways.

Along with this growth, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks evolved from essentially a land acquisition agency to a full-fledged park and recreation operation with an enhanced conservation focus. Rick also oversaw the introduction of linear parks known as Greenways and the Parks Partnership Program designed to foster shared decision-making and park activities with community groups.

STEVE HNATIUK

Steve is one of the founding directors of the Pacific Parklands Foundation. Immersed in private equity and venture capital for more than twenty-five years, Steve is an entrepreneur and investor with a career-long passion for building innovate private businesses and supporting industry and community endeavours.

Through his firm Lighthouse Equity Partners, Steve is focused on private equity investments in growth-oriented small and mid-sized businesses based in Western Canada operating across a diversity of industries. Previously, Steve co-founded Vancouver-based venture capital firm Yaletown Venture Partners, led TD Bank’s technology banking group on the west coast, was director of PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Group, and began his career as a software engineer with Accenture designing systems for the energy and communications industries.

Active in industry and community, Steve has been on the boards of numerous private companies, one Crown Corporation, several private capital funds, industry associations and charitable organizations. He currently serves on the executive committee for BC’s Minister of Innovation and is a past executive committee member to the BC Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier. Steve is currently Editorial Board Chair for Canadian Private Capital Magazine, a director of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), is past Vice President of the board of directors for the Canadian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (CVCA) and past-Chair of the Canadian Private Equity & Venture Capital National Conference.

Steve is a graduate of UBC and BCIT, magna cum laude. He is proud husband and a father of four great kids. He is an avid waterskier, downhill skier, outdoorsman, and volunteer coach of youth sports teams – where he is rewarded by seeing confidence grow and constantly reminded how much can be accomplished through the power of encouragement and teamwork.

JOHN C. SCOTT

Metro and urban centres, that are considered great, are defined as much by the parks and green space they embrace, as to how they were shaped and where they place in history. Our region certainly deserves to be included but we are growing and encroaching at an incredible pace putting us at risk of losing what makes us great.

John Scott is the Chief Executive Officer at Scott Construction Group. The company built its first high rise in 1987 and has gone on to build many landmark commercial and high rise projects in the City. The Scott companies are known for personal service, integrity, top management and a Best Employer in Canada. Over the last decade, the company has expanded into healthcare, industrial and institutional buildings.

John is a leader in numerous industry and community organizations. He was a founding director of the Construction Round Table in British Columbia and was instrumental in establishing the Construction Chair at the University of British Columbia. He is currently involved with the Pacific Parklands Foundation as a director and Past President and sits on the cabinet for the Junior Achievement of British Columbia. In 2008, he was an Ernst & Young finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year.

John is a keen golfer and is a Past President of Point Grey Golf & Country Club.

A Message from our President

Dear Friends,

With the advent of a new year, it’s timely for those of us who support and believe in the work of Pacific Parklands Foundation to step back and take stock of our accomplishments in 2015, look ahead to plans unfolding in 2016 and, most importantly, recognize the efforts of our amazing volunteers on behalf of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Parks.

As you may know 2015 marked this organization’s 15th anniversary. Appropriately, given this milestone, we wrapped up our largest capital campaign ever to build the Stewardship Centre at Kanaka Creek Regional Park Watershed. The Stewardship Centre, which includes the George Ross Learning Centre, will be completed this year. Pacific Parklands Foundation played a leadership role in this campaign with the help of Metro Vancouver, KEEPS (Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society), the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a legacy gift from Mr. George Ross and the support of many other individual and corporate donors.

A key goal in 2016 is to introduce a legacy giving program and to organize 100 monthly donors by year’s end. We believe monthly donors will allow us to better forecast our ability to provide financial support to worthwhile endeavours such as Catching The Spirit and other youth programs.

For more than a decade RBC Foundation has provided Catching The Spirit with financial support totalling more than $300,000. Through Catching the Spirit, hundreds of kids from 12 to 18 years of age volunteer to enhance our parks and environment through creative programs developed by peer leaders. These kids go on to become our community leaders.

I am proud to have served as President of the Pacific Parklands Foundation for almost half of its 15-year lifespan. I credit our dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, past and present, for achieving so many of our goals over the years and honouring the trust placed in the foundation by our donors and supporters. To our volunteer leadership team, our staff and our many loyal volunteers I offer the sincere gratitude of the entire Board. Together we are fulfilling the critical mission entrusted to us 15 years ago of enhancing and protecting one of our region’s most priceless assets, its regional parks.

Sincerely,

David Pohl,
President