Les Waldie - Steady guidance
Les Waldie has devoted himself to making a difference in Prince George since he and his wife Carol, along with their son Troy and daughter Karla, moved to the city 44 years ago. His steady, behind-the-scenes guidance during those years, particularly for amateur sports and the arts, has left an enduring legacy.
His efforts in Prince George’s sports community began in 1979, when he served for three seasons as a committee member with the Freeman Park Little League. From there, he served three years as a committee member of Prince George Babe Ruth Baseball, one of those seasons as board chair.
His work leading the Prince George host committee for the 2008 B.C. Seniors Games gave him the knowledge and experience to serve as co-chair of the bid committee for the Canada Winter Games. Once the 2015 Games were awarded to Prince George over Kamloops and Kelowna, Les got busy working to deliver the Games as a board member on the host society. Even after the Games ended, Les wasn’t done. He then chaired the legacy committee, making sure the benefits of the Games were shared throughout the community.
Les’s devotion to the arts has been equally impressive. He was a director on the host committee for the 1986 B.C. Festival of the Arts held in Prince George. When the B.C. Festival of the Arts returned to Prince George in 1998, Les and Carol were cochairs of the host committee.
The Prince George Symphony Orchestra was a huge beneficiary of Les’s guidance. He served on the symphony board for 11 years, from 1986 to 1997, with nine of those years as board chair. More recently, Les served for six years as a board member of the Prince George Regional Performing Arts Centre Society, with four of those years as treasurer.
Les also provided longtime assistance to the Prince George Community Foundation, including three years as board chair, and to the Prince George Airport Authority, with three years as board chair with that group as well. Les’s interests in Prince George extend beyond sports and the arts.
He has been an active member of the United Chruch from his arrival in Prince George in 1974, first with St. Andrew’s and now with Trinity. He has helped guide the church in numberous committee roles including two years as board chair.
Les has spent countless hours helping various health organizations in the Prince George area. He has served on the Northern Interior Regional Health Board and was the campaign manager for fund development that led to the completion of the Kordyban Lodge for the Canadian Cancer Society.
And Les has shown little sign of slowing down in his volunteer efforts.
He continues to be an active member of the B.C. Liberals , co-chairing Shirley Bond’s campaigns in 2009 and 2013 and leading her successful victory last year.
Les is a board member for the Barkerville Heritage Trust, a commitment he started six years ago, and serves on the external advisory committee for the UNBC Community Development Institute.
Time and effort deliver results and Les Waldie is a 2018 Citizen of the Year for consistently delivering results during his 44 years of volunteer service in Prince George.