The Pitt Meadows Community Foundation has announced its choice as the 2018/2019 Official Pitt Meadows Citizen of the Year: Peter Jongbloed.
Jongbloed, who pronounces his name “youngblood,” said it was an unexpected honour.
“It was a complete surprise – came right out of the blue.”
Jongbloed was nominated by longtime residents Johanne Rensmaag and Ron Blakely, who have watched his work on city committees and other groups going back more than 20 years.
He loves his bike and has joined HUB and other groups that promote cycling, and has also taken up environmental causes.
He has lived in Pitt Meadows for 55 years, having moved to the city with his family at the age of eight. He and his wife Helen raised three kids in the city.
In his career Jongbloed worked as a production planner for a forest products company, but has since retired, He spends a lot of time in the family’s large vegetable garden, and helping out in the city.
“It’s important to stay involved in the community,” he said. “The community is made up of the people who live there, and if you can make a contribution, that’s good.”
Some of Jongloed’s involvement includes:
• Member and current chair of the active transportation advisory committee,
• past member of the Pitt Meadows Airport Advisory Committee,
• sat on and participated in previous Pitt Meadows official community plan reviews,
• current member of the Pitt Meadows Environmental Network, and
• vice chair and longtime member of the Pitt Polder Preservation Society.
“He has been engaged and actively involved in environmental issues in the community, and he can frequently be seen at council meetings,” said a press release from the foundation. “He is a willing volunteer wherever one is needed in the community…”
For example, he will be at Pitt Meadows Day on June 1 volunteering this year, helping with bicycle valet parking.
A presentation of his award will take place during the annual Pitt Meadows Day ceremonies on June 1 at Harris Road Park, and Joenbloed will be participating in city signature events including the Pitt Meadows Day parade, Canada Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas in the City, plus other events as invited by the City of Pitt Meadows, said the Foundation’s press release.
The award was last presented in 2016 to Andrew Thompson.
Read also: Pitt Meadows offering new citizen awards
The list of past citizens of the year:
1980 – Jack Hodgson
1981 – Joe Antelek
1991 – Karen Aucelluzzo
1992 – Tom Hardy
1993 – Harold Felhauer
1994/1995 – Grant Brown
1996 – Anne Zalubniak (Posthumously)
1997 – Cathy Foster
1998 – Hans Hoffmann
1999 – Carole Kubb
2000 – Joe Bachmann
2001 – Crystal Boser
2002 – Dan Kosicki
2003 – Tracey Mills
2004 – Kelly Stanoffsky
2005 – Debbie Walters
2006 – Christopher Young
2007 – Sandy Richardson
2008 – Annette Code
2009 – Len Walters
2010 – Laurie Darcus
2011 – Shirley Murphy
2012 – Dolores Lutner
2013 – Sandy Wakeling
2014 – Eric Muller
2015 – Ken Joyner
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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