Terry Raymond’s lifetime of service as a heritage champion was honoured recently when the late, beloved co-chair of the New Pathways to Gold Society (NPTGS) was given the Ruby Nobbs Distinguished Volunteer Award posthumously at the Heritage BC awards gala.
“It’s deeply moving to see Terry’s legacy honored in this manner,” said NPTGS Indigenous Co-Chair Chief James Hobart.
“Terry worked with so many organizations and individuals in so many capacities over so many years. This is a very well-deserved recognition of that lifetime of service.”
Raymond’s sister, Lee Florence, and his niece, Patricia Raymond-Adair, accepted the award on his behalf.
Raymond had been nominated for the award by NPTGS, the Yale & District Historical Society, and Spuzzum First Nation. The nominators received many expressions of support from First Nations, heritage groups, and individuals throughout the province: a testament to how many lives Raymond touched.
“The values that defined Terry and that he infused into the New Pathways to Gold Society were Indigenous reconciliation, compassion, building local economies through heritage tourism, multiculturalism, and creating a more inclusive narrative of our shared history,” said NPTGS Co-Chair Brent Rutherford.
“Terry’s part in that narrative was large, and his legacy will live on as long as we keep retelling the story.”
A graduate of Boston Bar Secondary, Raymond lived in his community and walked his principles all over the province, particularly in the Fraser Canyon that he loved so dearly. He wore many hats: Fraser Valley Regional District Director, Siska Traditions Society Administrator, Gold Country Communities Society, and Gold Rush Trail Committee Director, to name but a few.
The Ruby Nobbs Distinguished Service Award recognizes volunteers who have made a life-long commitment and who have shaped heritage in their communities through significant contributions and leadership. It is named for the late Ruby Nobbs of Revelstoke (1907–2001), who was an example of dedicated heritage volunteerism.
Raymond’s award citation read in part:
“Terry Raymond literally poured his life’s energy into the welfare of Fraser Canyon communities and was a champion of B.C. Heritage, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. He was a colourful master thread woven into the lives of communities from Hope to Barkerville and especially his beloved Boston Bar… He worked for so long and so closely with First Nations that he was given the name ‘White Bear’.
“He put in countless volunteer hours and is responsible for many heritage assets being restored and sites recognized. His legacy will live on through all the lives he touched and made better.”
Raymond was a founding director of NPTGS in 2007, and served as co-chair from 2011 to 2022. He lost a long battle with cancer in April 2022.
NPTGS is a non-profit organization dedicated to Indigenous reconciliation, building local economies via heritage tourism development, and multiculturalism in the Hope-Barkerville corridor.
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