Former Nanaimo city councillor George Anderson had just finished writing an exam when his phone rang.
“I didn’t know who it was and the person was acting really coy,” Anderson said. “Especially from my council days, I tend to take people who phone me that way in a different manner.”
The caller surprised Anderson by informing him he had been selected as a recipient of the 2016 B.C. Community Achievement Award.
“It was very shocking and I feel extremely privileged to even be recognized amongst some of the other individuals in our community,” Anderson said.
The B.C. Community Achievement Awards recognizes volunteering efforts made by British Columbians. More than 25 individuals from across the province were recognized this year and will be presented with the award at a ceremony in Victoria on Wednesday (May 25).
The 25-year-old was born and raised in Nanaimo and has been heavily involved in the community from an early age.
“I didn’t come from a household of privilege and when I was given opportunities, it was something that my parents instilled in me that it is important to remember the people that helped you,” he said.
In 2011, Anderson, at the age of 20, became one of the youngest people ever elected to Nanaimo city council. He has also served as the director for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation, been a trustee for the Nanaimo Addiction Foundation and given his time to organizations such as Young Professionals of Nanaimo, the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society and the Salvation Army.
“One of the things that I get out of volunteering is knowing that I am helping other people to be able to achieve those same types of opportunities and on top of it I just have a passion for community involvement,” Anderson said.
The Vancouver Island University graduate is no stranger to being recognized for his community efforts. In 2007, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce and in 2008 he won the Cultural Capital Recipient Award from the City of Nanaimo.
Anderson said while he is honoured to be recognized, volunteering is not about winning awards.
“When you volunteer it’s not to be recognized,” he said.
Anderson is currently studying law at York University in Toronto.