West Vancouver resident and volunteer Marcus Wong believes in rolling up his sleeves and working hard for his community. And for his years of extensive community volunteering, he was nominated for a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, one of 40 people across British Columbia to receive the award.
“Somebody out there in the world thinks I was doing a good job and thought I should be recognized,” Wong said. He said he volunteers because he believes in community building and giving back, not necessarily for the recognition. “You don’t really do it for the award.”
However, on Thursday when he was at Government House in Victoria receiving the award from the Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin, her remarks mirrored his sentiments about volunteering and its value in society.
“It’s good to have that support from above and that recognition,” Wong said.
Wong was impressed by the volunteers and their work that was being recognized with the award last week – people who volunteered as firefighters, with cadets, doing scientific work and much more – and he said, while at the event, he picked up a few new ideas for volunteering.
“There was a great buzz in the room,” Wong said. “I’m looking forward to other opportunities coming out of that.”
Wong currently sits on the board of directors of the North Shore Multicultural Society that serves 4,500 newcomers every year. They have 3,400 settlement clients and 1,300 English language students. They help 730 people with employment issues, 1,030 families and youth with school matters, and 2,100 North Shore youth through diversity workshops.
Wong’s parents emigrated from Hong Kong before he was born, so he knows how challenging it can be to live in a society with different customs and language, a different school system and, for many newcomers, a different climate, as his parents experienced it.
Being on the board of directors means Wong helps the society with big-pictures issues, like strategic planning and budgeting and making sure the society functions well “so front-line staff can do what they do best.”
Wong is a track and field athlete, competing at the masters level in the 100-metre sprint and long jump with the West Vancouver Track and Field Club. But he has also been on its board for several years, taking on the position of president in 2015 when the club was struggling, with athletes leaving and team morale low. They were down to one coach.
“It fell on me to take it up or think about shutting it down,” he said. Since then, their numbers have grown and the club has 70 athletes, aged seven to 81, and five coaches.
As an athlete himself, Wong wanted others to experience the teamwork, discipline and hard work that come from excelling at sports. Track and field is especially beneficial as athletes work on both being competitive with others as well as improving their own personal bests.
Wong also served on the board of the West Vancouver Police Department Board (although, he pointed out that he did receive a small honorarium for this position), the B.C. Association of Police Boards, the Canadian Association of Police Governance, serving as chair of the governance committee, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Queen’s University Alumni Association, the BC Luge Association, the Richmond Art Gallery, the University Council of Queen’s University and the Senate of the University of Birmingham.
North Shore well represented at Government House
Three other North Shore volunteers received provincial recognitions for their long-time volunteer work – Gordon Barrett, Sargie Kaler and Bob Irvine, all from North Vancouver.
Gordon Barrett – North Vancouver
Barrett’s volunteer commitment for 30 years to military and spiritual affairs has helped countless individuals in times of need, bringing Lower Mainland communities together through his work as a regimental piper.
Robert (Bob) Irvine, CD - North Vancouver
Prior to being commissioned as a cadet instructor cadre officer, Irvine volunteered as an instructor in first aid and judo wrestling. He also researched the history of the 18 army, navy and air cadet units in North Vancouver, and has used his carpentry skills to help with community school projects.
Sargie Kaler - North Vancouver
Kaler has been a Community Volunteer Income Tax Program co-ordinator at the Akali Singh Sikh Society Family Resource Centre for the past 11 years. She promotes gender equality as a board member of the India Mahila Association and as a volunteer with the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter and the Collingwood Counselling Centre.
The Medal for Volunteers, originally created by former Governor-General Roméo LeBlanc as the Caring Canadian Award, recognizes the “the exceptional volunteer achievements of Canadians from across the country in a wide range of fields.”
B.C.’s lieutenant-governor, Janet Austin, presented Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers to 40 British Columbians at Government House on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 6).
