Long Service Awards

Each year, UBCM presents Long Service Awards to eligible local elected officials who have served 20, 25, and 35 years in local office.

Nominations are accepted every year from the beginning of May until the end of August. Recipients are recognized at the annual UBCM Convention. Local government and member First Nation administrators are asked to complete an Online Application Form to formally make the nomination.

The award is outlined in Section 7.5.1 of the UBCM Executive Policies as follows:

UBCM shall present a Long-Service Award to any person who has served a total of twenty (20) or twenty-five (25) years or more as a local government elected official. UBCM shall also present a Special Long-Service Award to any person who has served a total of thirty-five (35) years or more as a local government elected official. The years of service need not be continuous, nor on the same council or board, but must be as a local government elected official and not with another public body.

Nominations for the 2026 Long Service Awards are now being accepted.
Nominations can be submitted between May 1 and August 31, 2026. For questions contact awards@ubcm.ca.

Program and Application Guide
UBCM Awards Online Application Tool
An Online Application Form must be completed for all award nominations. When the form is submitted, the nominator will receive an email confirmation including the file number that has been assigned to the nomination.

Long Service Awards Criteria (20 years)
The following prerequisites should be adhered to:
1. The recipient must have served, as an elected member, on a BC Municipal Council or Regional District Board for a total of 20 years or more. Service can be in broken periods and on different Councils or Regional District Boards, but the time so involved must add up to at least 20 years of service.
2. The recipient can have served as Mayor, Reeve, Alderman, Councillor, Electoral Area Director, Village Chairman, or Village Commissioner, but service on other municipal bodies or boards, etc., such as School Trustee, Hospital Board members, Library Board, etc. cannot be considered in computing the total length of elected service.
3. The recipient must be presently in elected office and may not have already received a Long Service Award for twenty-five years, or the Special Long Service Award for thirty-five years. This award will take effect in 2025, and will not be retroactively recognized.
Long Service Awards Criteria (25 years)
The following prerequisites should be adhered to:
1. The recipient must have served, as an elected member, on a BC Municipal Council or Regional District Board for a total of 25 years or more. Service can be in broken periods and on different Councils or Regional District Boards, but the time so involved must add up to at least 25 years of service.
2. The recipient can have served as Mayor, Reeve, Alderman, Councillor, Electoral Area Director, Village Chairman, or Village Commissioner, but service on other municipal bodies or boards, etc., such as School Trustee, Hospital Board members, Library Board, etc. cannot be considered in computing the total length of elected service.
3. The recipient can be presently in elected office or might now be retired from the field.
Special Long Service Awards Criteria (35 years)
Individuals who have served as an elected member on a BC Municipal Council or Regional District Board for 35 years or more are eligible for this special award. To qualify for the Special Long Service Award, the individual:
- must meet the long service criteria, listed above,
- may or may not have also received a regular long-service award for 25 years of service.

20-Year Long Service Award Recipients

Year Recognized

Name & Community

2025

Councillor Gerald Taft, Invermere
Councillor James Garlick, Coldstream
Councillor Kevin Flynn, Salmon Arm
Mayor Barbara Desjardins, Esquimalt
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, Williams Lake
Councillor Shirley Fowler, Armstrong
Director Ali Grieve, Kootenay Boundary Regional District
Director Grace McGregor, Kootenay Boundary Regional District
Councillor Mike Weeber, New Hazelton
Councillor Lillian Szpak, Langford
Councillor Cindy Solda, Port Alberni
Director Penny Cote, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District
Councillor Elizabeth A. Ponto, Taylor
Director Patrick Fairbairn, North Okanagan Regional District
Trustee Peter Luckham, Islands Trust: Thetis Island
Trustee Jeanine Dodds, Islands Trust: Mayne Island
Director Mark Pendergraft, Okanagan-Similkameen RD
Councillor Kenneth Young, Vanderhoof
Councillor Dave Loewen, Abbotsford

25-Year Long Service Award Recipients

Year Recognized	Name & Community
2025	Councillor Scott Nelson, Williams Lake Councillor Steve Ferguson, Township of Langley Mayor Ron Oszust, Golden Director Karl Bergman, North Coast RD Councillor Jeremy Evans, Keremeos Councillor Pat Cochrane, Coldstream Councillor Doug Dirk, Coldstream Councillor Alison Morse, Bowen Island Municipality Councillor Brian Frenkel, Vanderhoof Mayor Rob Gay, East Kootenay
2024	Director Al Richmond, Cariboo Mayor Alan Harrison, Salmon Arm Councillor Darrell Grant Penner, Port Coquitlam Councillor John Tidbury, Port Hardy Councillor Mario Feldhoff, Kitimat Mayor Sylvia Pranger, Kent
2023	Councillor Leo Facio, Harrison Hot Springs Councillor Chris Hambruch, Golden Councillor Lisa Muri, District of North Vancouver Councillor Don Bell, City of North Vancouver Director Hans Cunningham, Central Kootenay RD
2022	Councillor Patricia Ross, Abbotsford Councillor Ron Mattson, View Royal Director Jerry Petersen, Bulkley-Nechako RD Councillor Lanny Seaton, Langford Councillor Garry Youd, Logan Lake Mayor Mitch Campsall, 100 Mile House Councillor John Rogers, View Royal
2019	Director Brenda Leigh, Strathcona RD
2018	Mayor Darrell R. Mussatto, City of North Vancouver Councillor Judy Brownoff, Saanich Councillor Barry Pages, Masset Director Rhona Martin, Columbia Shuswap RD Director Loni Parker, Columbia Shuswap RD Mayor John Ewing Ranns, Metchosin Mayor Ted Schaffer, City of Langley Mayor Chris Pieper, Armstrong Director Al Richmond, Cariboo RD Councillor Dan Johnston, Burnaby Mayor Marguerite Rotvold, Midway
2017	Councillor Denise Blackwell, Langford Director Dave Brocklebank, RD of Kitimat-Stikine Director Colin Palmer, Powell River RD Councillor Winnie Sifert, Langford Councillor Allan Smith, Logan Lake Mayor Stewart Young, Langford
2016	Mayor Gail Lowry, New Hazelton Councillor Mae Reid, Coquitlam Director Joe Stanhope, Nanaimo RD
2015	Councillor Jack Arnold, City of Langley Mayor Leslie Baird, Cumberland Mayor James Baker, Lake Country Mayor Lawrence Chernoff, Castlegar Councillor Gayle Martin, City of Langley Mayor John Ranta, Cache Creek
2014	Councillor Donald Hunter Bell, District of North Vancouver Mayor Carman Graf, Telkwa Councillor Robert Hobson, Kelowna Councillor Albert Conrad Hoglund, Kimberley Mayor Bill Irving, Ucluelet Director Art Kaehn, Fraser Fort George RD Councillor Marguerite Rotvold, Midway Councillor Jack French, Vanderhoof Councillor Judy Villeneuve, Surrey
2013	Director Jim Abram, Strathcona Regional District Councillor Gordon DeRosa, Trail Councillor Bob Nicholson, Chetwynd Director Harry Nyce, Kitimat-Stikine Regional District Director Stanley Gisborne, Powell River Regional District
2012	Mayor Dieter Bogs, Trail Councillor Wyatt McMurray, Cache Creek Director Ralph Roy, Bulkley-Nechako RD Councillor Patricia Wallace, Kamloops
2011	Mayor Frank Leonard, Saanich Mayor Derek R. Corrigan, Burnaby Director Hans Cunningham, Central Kootenay RD Councillor Corinne Lonsdale, Squamish Councillor Sharon Fraser, Sparwood Director George Holme, Nanaimo RD
2010	Councillor Bob Bose, Surrey Councillor Larry McNabb, Nanaimo
2009	Councillor Alan Gordon, Cranbrook Councillor Bruce Drake, Belcarra
2008	Director Harvey Clark, Fraser-Fort George RD Mayor Hal Weinberg, Anmore Councillor Lou Sekora, Coquitlam Councillor Michael Wright, Port Coquitlam Councillor Lawrence Kosolowsky, Hudson's Hope Councillor Judith Higginbotham, Surrey
2007	Councillor Ray Brady, Kitimat Councillor Simon Gibson, Abbotsford Director Bob Headrick, Fraser-Fort George RD Director Lloyd McKimmon, Fraser Valley RD Mayor Cliff Pederson, Zeballos Councillor John Clemens Ratcliffe, Kimberley Director Les Watmough, Kitimat-Stikine RD Councillor James Buchanan Woodruff, Vanderhoof
2006	Mayor Pieter Weeber, New Hazelton Councillor Ernie Crist, District of North Vancouver Councillor Loyd Sherry, Nanaimo
2005	Mayor Lois Jackson, Delta Councillor Anton Kruyt, Qualicum Beach Councillor Joanne Monaghan, Kitimat Mayor Jacob Talstra, Terrace Director John Voykin, Central Kootenay RD
2004	Councillor Muriel Arnason, Township of Langley Mayor Ralph Drew, Belcarra Mayor Frederick Jarvis, Taylor Councillor Erik Larsen, Ucluelet Councillor Earl Shipmaker, Enderby
2003	Chair Ted Armstrong, Cariboo RD Director Michael Kokura, Alberni-Clayoquot RD
2002	Mayor Michael Coleman, Duncan Mayor Douglas Drummond, Burnaby Mayor Tom Euverman, Houston Councillor Dorothy Kostrzewa, Chilliwack
2001	Councillor George Puil, Vancouver Councillor Kiichi Kumagai, Richmond
2000	Councillor Steve Kolida, McBride Councillor Danny Sulentich, Princeton
1999	Councillor Michael Caljouw, Duncan Councillor Wesley Demchuk, Midway Councillor John Keryluk, Port Coquitlam Mayor Jack Loucks, City of North Vancouver
1998	Director James Walch, Thompson-Nicola RD Councillor Eric Janze, Hazelton Councillor Edward Gatzke, Creston
1997	Councillor Stella Jo Dean, North Vancouver Mayor Ron Webber, Courtenay Mayor Len Traboulay, Port Coquitlam
1996	Mayor Wesley Johnson, Kitimat Mayor Alice Maitland, Hazelton Mayor Gilbert Popovich, Alert Bay Councillor Harold Steves, Richmond
1995	Mayor George Ferguson, Abbotsford Mayor Clarence Keith (Bud) Gardner, Hope Director Ella Pretty, Fraser-Cheam RD`
1993	Mayor Gerry Furney, Port McNeill
1992	Mayor Bob Trail, Dawson Creek Councillor Martin Lukaitis, Duncan Mayor James Gordon McMynn, Midway Mayor James H. Stuart, Kelowna
1991	Mayor Charles Lasser, Chetwynd Mayor William Moncrief Jr., Cumberland
1990	Mayor Merle Hanson, Salmo Mayor Jim Ogilvie, Kimberley
1989	Mayor Randolph Harding, Silverton
1986	Alderman Alan Emmott, Burnaby Alderman Bill Fomich, Surrey Alderman Charles Whittaker, Spallumcheen
1985	Mayor Douglas Watts, Oak Bay Alderman Reginald Franklin, Maple Ridge
1984	Mayor Jule V. Lewis, Fruitvale Alderman Robert A. McMath, Richmond
1981	Mayor P. Lester, Prince Rupert
1980	Alderman P.S. Cameron, Cumberland Alderman V. Tessaro, Abbotsford
1978	Mayor N.R.P. Duke, Lumby Mayor James Court, Powell River Mayor Walter Hardman, Revelstoke Alderman L.A. Elsdon, Port Moody Mayor H.S. Elmes, Rossland Mayor Wilfred A. Hearn, Salmo
1970	Alderman W. Scott, Matsqui Mayor D.W. Poppy, Langley Township Reeve H.A. Sutton, Pitt Meadows Reeve A.B. Ritchie, Salmon Arm
1969	Mayor J.L. Christmas, Coquitlam Mayor V. Nancollas, Salmon Arm Mayor R.F. Parkinson, Kelowna Alderman H.D. Wilson, Vancouver Alderman A.J. Allison, New Westminster Alderman L.H. Passmore, Saanich Reeve A.I. Hougan, Sumas Reeve W.T. Richardson, Chilliwack Alderman J. Kilmer, Port Coquitlam Mayor A.J. Balment, Cranbrook Mayor W. Henderson, Cumberland

35+Year Long Service Award Recipients

Year Recognized	Name & Community
2025	Councillor Simon Gibson, Abbotsford Mayor Gail Lowry, New Hazelton
2022	Director Jim Abram, Strathcona Regional District Councillor Duck Paterson, Ladysmith
2015	Mayor Lois E. Jackson, Delta
2014	Mayor Ralph E. Drew, Belcarra Mayor Frederick David Jarvis, Taylor Director Michael Kokura, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District Councillor Earl Shipmaker, Enderby
2013	Director Ted Armstrong, Cariboo Regional District
2011	Councillor Merl Olaf Hanson, Salmo Councillor William Moncrief, Cumberland Mayor Gerry Furney, Port McNeill Councillor Harold Steves, Richmond Mayor Jim Ogilvie, Kimberley
2010	Mayor Alice Maitland, Hazelton