Lorne Calder
While working to improving lives and comforting the dying in their last days, Lorne Calder inspires the entire community. Lorne joined Rotary when he moved to Prince George with his family from Vancouver in 1993. Since then, he has served on the executive of his club for eight years, including one year as president.
Under his leadership, his club increased its membership and boosted its donations to the Rotary Foundation. He still writes the weekly club newsletter he started, on top of his current duties as assistant district governor. He is a previous Rotarian of the Year and recipient of the District Governor's Award and the Four Avenues of Service Award.
Besides convincing Rotary to donate $50,000 to what is now Rotary Hospice House, he serves as treasurer and first vice-chair on the hospice's board of directors. Along with the Rotary Foundation, he is a major annual donor to the United Way and the Salvation Army.
Besides Rotary, Lorne has volunteered huge amounts of time to improve the business environment in Prince George. He was named to the Prince George Chamber of Commerce board of directors in 1997 and moved up to become president in 1999-2000. Provincially, he sat for nine years as a BC Chamber of Commerce district director and director at large.
Thanks to Lorne's encouragement, the BC Chamber chose Prince George to host its annual general meeting here this past May, as part of the local chamber's 100th anniversary.
Lorne played a key role in helping the Prince George Development Corporation evolve into Initiatives Prince George. He served on the board of IPG for 10 years and has been with the progress board for the last five years.
He previously served as the chair of City Centre Ventures for three years and chaired the film commission in its first year. Lorne has coached basketball, curling, soccer and golf. He has served with Citizen for Health Communities, the Hart Community Centre and Friends of Children. Finally, Lorne is an extensive traveller, not just as a tourist but as a humanitarian. When visiting second and third world countries with his wife Sue and their two sons, he has taken time to deliver food to the poorest of the poor.
Published by The Prince George Citizen October 3rd, 2011
