While Roy Tippenhauer has had success as an athlete, his real passion the last 30 years or so has been passing on what he knows about karate.
He opened his club, Campbell River Shito-Ryu, in 1985, and in that time he’s trained athletes of all ages and levels, including his daughters, to become their best. He typically goes for 12 to 15 hours a week, outside of summers or school breaks.
Some students train for years, while others move on but often think about getting back into the sport.
“I think everybody that does karate at some point in their life still remembers it,” he says.
Over the years, Roy has mentored athletes such as Chad Edberg, who earned fourth- and fifth-place results at the world championships. Roy mentions many other names while browsing through an enormous scrapbook of clippings about his students.
“It took a lot of years, but it’s been a really interesting journey,” he says.
The dojo has earned 12 national champion titles, a Pan-American bronze, and a few top 10 world finishes.
“I don’t take credit for the successes,” he says.
Roy also thinks sports for young kids have gotten too serious, with too much emphasis on results rather than fun and learning. He thinks “free play” is missing for kids all too often.
Edberg pressed him to open the classes to younger kids, so Roy has been working with students as young as five.
“It’s Chad’s fault. He told me we had to start teaching five-year-olds,” he says. “I love the little tots, they’re the most fun.”
Roy has had coaches move on to the national team, and he also coached Team BC’s zone 6 and hosts a large karate tournament in Campbell River each year. He has a diploma in high performance coaching and summarizes the philosophy behind karate.
“It’s about discipline and respect, not about domination,” he says.
He has served on the boards for Karate BC and Karate Canada, and is active in the community, collecting for the Knights of Columbus Christmas Hamper Fund through the club.
While he’s proud of the honours his students have earned, he emphasizes the club, rather than concentrating all its efforts on a small number of elite athletes, focuses on making each member improve. Personal growth, he says, is the basis for the culture of Shito-Ryu.
“We concentrate on personal bests rather than results,” he says.
Top Honour
2019 Winner Arts Advocate: Ken Blackburn
Ken Blackburn has served as the executive director of the Campbell River Arts Council since 2006.
Over that time, he has initiated – or at least overseen – the creation of dozens of programs, initiatives and opportunities within the community that have made it a more artistic and collaborative place to live, work and play.
“I don’t think it’s going too far to say that the arts council has been a pretty big part of some significant shifts here in Campbell River,” he says. “When we were going through the mill shutdown, for example. It wasn’t a good time to be talking about the arts when people were losing their jobs and the tax base was gone and everyone was saying that the sky was gonna fall, but that’s actually when we amped it up and got to work and said ‘let’s make Campbell River a place that people want to come to. We can’t solve all the problems at once, but we can certainly not get knocked down.’”
He was integral in the creation of the Haig-Brown Lecture Series, which he still oversees after 10 years.
He’s managed the Haig-Brown Festival for the past 14 years.
He created the Living History program at the museum, now having done “at least a dozen documentaries on different aspects of local history, whether it’s been about Camp 5 or war veterans or Sybil Andrews or Roderick Haig-Brown, there’ve been quite a few,” he says with a laugh.
He’s been integral to the creation of both Anne Elmore Haig-Brown Day, Roderick Haig-Brown Day and Sybil Andrews Day, commemorating those figures’ lives and their importance to the community.
He’s initiated programs to get more art into the hospital, worked with a ton of non-profits and social service organizations to get their clients making art and gotten school kids creating more art with new and exciting opportunities over the years.
But like all of the people being recognized in these Local Hero Awards, Blackburn says it’s not really appropriate for him to be the one recognized when it “takes a village,” so to speak.
“I think anyone who says they’re the single reason things change is being a bit high-minded,” he says. “When we look at the arts sector in Campbell River right now, one of its great strengths is that we work together really well. Whether it’s the Tidemark or Rivercity Players or Spirit Square or the museum or the art gallery, we can pick up the phone, talk to people and make a plan.
“It’s not possible without healthy connections.”
But that’s what Blackburn does. He pulls people together.
“I may be a catalyst, I guess, but I’m certainly not the one doing all the work on the ground,” he says.
2019 Hero of the Year: Sylas Thompson
Eleven-year-old Sylas Thompson raised $37,217.48 for the Women’s Resource Centre and Grassroots Kindhearts with his daily swim off Tyee Spit for 36 consecutive days during one of the coldest Februaries in some time.
At a ceremony in March, Thompson and his grandmother Sheryl Thompson unveiled the grand total at Rose Harbour with friends, family and supporters in attendance. Sylas was showered with affection, gratitude and gifts from the two organizations he pledged to help.
Sylas’ goal was to raise $30,000 but he beat that by $7,217.48.
Sylas gave credit to the community at large. In addition to contributing money, he was joined by fellow students, individuals and community organizations on many of his daily swims.
“I just want to thank the community because without the community I wouldn’t even be able to raise $1,” Sylas said.
Sylas was able to bring the community together to support these two causes. In all, 181 individuals, businesses and organizations donated to Sylas’ swims.
Sylas was inspired to do the swims because his grandmother volunteers with the Women’s Resource Centre and contributes to the meals for the homeless that Grassroots Kindhearts provides.
2018 Hero of the Year: Nikki Watts
SPONSORED BY MARINE HARVEST
Nikki Watts is the best friend animals in Campbell River could ever have.
The Campbell River woman works tirelessly for the safety and welfare of animals in the Campbell River area reuniting lost pets with their owners.
She is the force behind the Lost and Found Animals of Campbell River Facebook page that serves as action central for people who have lost their pets or people who have found lost pets and want to reunite them with their owners.
She is also a volunteer with Campbell River Partners for Animal Welfare Society (CRPAWS) that helps feral cat colonies with trapping for spay and neuter programs, the feeding and care of those colonies and fostering, socializing and finding homes for cats and kittens that are deemed adoptable. Hundreds of animals have been rescued thanks to Watts’ strong commitment to their welfare.
And her reasons for doing it are straightforward.
“I just love animals,” she says.
The services she and her fellow volunteers started have evolved into a multi-faceted animal assistance programs.
She also gets a great deal of satisfaction from helping the owners of the animals as well. Nothing feels better than reuniting a pet with its owner.
“Because when you lose an animal, it’s part of your family, it’s like (losing) a kid,” Watts says.
Watts is no sit back and direct type of person, she rolls up her sleeves and gets stuck into helping. She is often out on the street looking for the animals herself when she gets word that one has gone missing. And there’s no time when she won’t make herself available.
“Basically, I live this 24/7,” she says. “But I like it. I still love it.”
But Watts is quick to point out that it is not just her. This is a whole community of people concerned about animal welfare and they all work together for the common goal.
2018 Environmental Hero: Sandra Milligan
SPONSORED BY HEALTHYWAY NATURAL FOODS
The first time Sandra Milligan marched with a placard was to protest the Walmart development when it was proposed to be next to the Campbell River estuary.
“That really galvanized the community and really brought the community’s value for the Campbell River in particular, but for natural spaces in general, and that sort of put me in a leadership role for the first time,” she said.
Milligan has been volunteering with Greenways Land Trust since moving to Campbell River in 2003 and has been president of the society for the last few years.
She also sits on the BC Hydro Liason Commission and regularly does presentations on a variety of topics for Elder College and schools within the community.
Growing up, her parents were always volunteering, so as an adult that was something Milligan sought out wherever she lived.
She first learned about engaging in the political process to make change when she was living in Mill Bay. She read a book that recommended looking over the official community plan as that was a good way to gauge the community’s values; are they planning on protecting streams or planting trees?
She continued along that path when she moved to Campbell River, setting up a Smart Growth workshop for the mayor, councillors and city planner to attend.
“It was really the start of engaging with city council and educating about the benefits of developing in the least detrimental way, in a way that really improves your community,” she said.
And she has continued using the political process to make change since then.
2018 Seniors’ Champion: Mary Lazarski
SPONSORED BY BERWICK BY THE SEA RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
“Oh, no, no, no, no. You’ll have to go find somebody else,” Mary Lazarski said when she was told she’d been shortlisted for a Local Hero Award. “I just play the piano.”
Well, that’s not entirely true, Mary.
When Lazarski came to Campbell River in 1989 to retire, she wanted to keep helping.
She’d been a school teacher for more than 20 years, and she really got a lot out of helping people, so she signed up to be part of the Hospital Auxiliary.
She spends Tuesday mornings in the Wellness Centre at the hospital.
She also does hospice work with the Campbell River Hospice Society.
And yes, once a week, she also plays piano at Yucalta Lodge.
She first signed up to volunteer in our community in 1990, just a month or so after she arrived in town at Christmas, “and I’ve been around the hospital ever since,” she says. “I’m probably the oldest one around there, including a lot of the patients,” she adds with a laugh.
It’s just her way to give back to the world.
“It’s also wonderful for me, though,” she admits. “I get the chance to meet all kinds of folks of all ages, especially in the Wellness Centre, who have all kinds of health problems, and it’s nice to meet them and make them a cup of tea and give them a cookie. It feels nice to make someone’s day a little more pleasant. I feel very lucky to have the association I have with the Hospital auxiliary. It makes my life complete.”
And since she likes to play the piano, it was a natural fit when Yucalta Lodge was looking for someone to do that for the residents.
“That’s really nice,” Lazarski says, “because I like doing it, and they seem to like when I do it, and they don’t get upset when I make mistakes.”
2018 Art Advocate: Alex Witcombe
SPONSORED BY BROADSTREET PROPERTIES
Alex Witcombe has brought many unexpected forms of life to Campbell River as public art over the last decade or so.
He’s worked on murals and during the last few years he’s added driftwood as a medium, which he fashions into creatures such as foxes, dogs, raccoons, birds of prey, mammoths, dinosaurs, even aliens. Many of these now grace the shores of the community.
Much of the work around the recent driftwood sculptures goes into finding the right pieces. He estimates he spends about 70 per cent of his work time on collecting material, but each piece is different so it’s hard to keep track of time.
“There is no actual set time on each piece,” he says.
In 2015, he put together the Discovery Passage “ocean odyssey” mural in the city with friend Nick Hutton-Jay at the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Science.
“It was part of a facade improvement program,” he says.
Last year, Witcombe partnered with Greenways Land Trust to raise $2,500 for their Christmas Fundraiser by building a huge customized West-Coast-themed driftwood mural called Whiskey’s Run.
“It turned out really cool, way better than I expected,” he says.
Greenways even received another donation recently from a woman who had so much fun looking for Fergus the Fox around the trails of the Beaver Lodge Lands.
Witcombe has received commissions, but he really views the public art as a gift.
“I never ask for donations for the public art,” he says.
As far as what’s next, Witcombe hopes to put together some larger, more substantial pieces and is looking into setting up a crowdfunding site to help with his projects.
2018 Diversity and Inclusion Advocate: Krisandra Rufus
SPONSORED BY GRIEG SEAFOOD
Krisandra Rufus was motivated to start serving meals to those in need after a relative told her he was hungry and asked if she had anything to eat.
“I said, ‘Isn’t there a dinner program and he said no,’” she says. “I was more surprised than shocked.”
Rufus started to realize that there were many in the community who also did not have an easy time finding a healthy meal.
Born in Alert Bay and raised in Vancouver, she first came to the Campbell River area in her mid-teens. She moved around a bit more and then returned in her mid-20s.
After she realized the need in the community, she started the Grassroots Kind Hearts Society in April 2015, serving the food to people right out in the elements on weekends.
“When I started, we were outside,” she said. “We were hoping we could get our own place.”
It wasn’t easy, and she was told early on she would meet resistance from some in the community, but she persevered.
She then moved it indoors and started serving meals through the week. Now, she and other volunteers cook meals to be served out of the Radiant Life Church on Cypress Street.
Rufus has raised funds through activities such as selling bannock at the market and running playoff hockey pools to cover the costs of the program. The program has its own website at http://www.grassrootskindhearts.org/about-us.html and a Facebook page. Through social media, volunteers stay in touch about what food they can cook for the menu throughout the week.
2018 Youth Volunteer: Sydney Boyle
SPONSORED BY WAYPOINT
Sydney Boyle might be busy with sports, work and school, but that doesn’t stop the Grade 12 Carihi student from sharing her time with others.
As an athlete, she’s taken part in basketball, soccer and track. Also an avid swimmer since her youngest days in Campbell River, she even teaches swimming and serves as a coach with the Killer Whales Swim Club.
“Before I got a job through the swim club, I would also volunteer, just to kind of get into it,” she says. “You don’t want to jump in without knowing what you’re doing.”
Through a sports leadership class at school, she began volunteering with Special Olympics for its bowling program. She started in Grade 9, could not register for grades 10 and 11, but in her final year, is back and happy to see the same faces in Special Olympics.
“It’s awesome, they all get to know you by name,” she says.
Boyle also plans to keep helping out with Special Olympics after graduation.
“Even though I won’t be in school, I think I’m going to do it again because I loved it so much,” she says.
She works at Strathcona Gardens, and through that she volunteered her time to help with the B.C. Elders Gathering in Campbell River last year.
After graduation, she plans to stay at home for a year to work and take classes at NIC. Then, she wants to turn her passion for the water into a career by joining the Canadian Coast Guard, which will mix summer training with classes the rest of the year.
2018 Courage & Bravery: Gerry Miller
Everybody hopes that in an emergency situation they will do the right thing. We all hope we’ll do what Gerry Miller did.
Miller unselfishly plunged into a raging Storey Creek to pull a girl out who had been clinging to some bushes in the freezing water, desperately trying to not be swept away as she succumbed to hypothermia. She had already lost her friend and her friend’s father whom she had been riding an ATV with. The ATV had been overcome by the raging creek and two of the riders were swept away and did not survive.
Miller was walking his dog in the Storey Creek area on Jan. 21, the day after heavy rains hit central Vancouver Island. Those rains had swollen the normally small stream into a raging torrent. Miller was taking his dog Pearl for her regular walk when, as he was striking across an area of slash, he heard someone screaming.
“I was halfway through the slash when I heard screaming from the creek,” Miller said. “I knew right away something was not right.”
He dashed to the creekside and kept yelling trying to keep up communication as he attempted, running down the trail, to locate the voice.
He came upon the girl clinging for dear life in the creek and fearlessly jumped into the water and hauled her out. He wrapped her in his coat and instructed Pearl to stay with her while he ran for help.
At a nearby house he had the homeowner call 911.
Search and Rescue volunteers arrived to find Miller with the victim. He is a hero because he acted selflessly and immediately and if he had not, there would have been three deaths that day. But such is Miller’s degree of modesty, he still to this day feels regret that he had not been there sooner and could perhaps helped the other victims.