For the Townsman
Greg Ross has been officially recognized as the 2016 Electoral Area C Volunteer of the Year.
In 2008, Ross was one of the founders of the Jim Smith Lake Society, which encourages the organization of social and recreational activities within the community, and promotes stewardship of water and habitat in the Jim Smith and New Lake area.
"Greg is a tireless volunteer," said RDEK Electoral Area C Director Rob Gay. "He has mapped all the foot trails from New Lake to Jim Smith and on to Elizabeth Lake. In addition, he has worked on his own and inspired others to get involved in water testing both Jim Smith Lake and streams above it. He has also devoted many hours to pulling invasive plants and has encouraged many others to get involved as well."
Ross offered his property for a right-of-way and lake access for a dry hydrant project. This has not only increased community safety, but has also helped lower insurance premiums for many in the surrounding area. He also put a "loft" above his garage and allows the community to make use of this space.
"It's not uncommon to see yoga classes, community presentations, small meetings or more take place in this space and all of it is at no charge," said Gay.
A member of the Rocky Mountain Naturalist Club, Ross has been a director of the Provincial board and participates in the annual bird count. He is also involved in the Kootenay Bat project, and helped secure funds to build 14 bat houses for the Jim Smith lake area.
For the past two years, he has been involved in doing bat counts around Area C.
You can also find Ross sharing his passion for the environment with our youth as he keeps tabs on the Painted Turtle population at Elizabeth Lake and spends time teaching students about this vulnerable species.
"It is clear that Greg is a selfless volunteer, who gives endlessly for the good of the community and its people. It is an honour to recognize him as our Area C Volunteer of the Year," said Gay.