Graeme Dinsdale
2006 Citizen for the Year

Graeme Dinsdale's broad range of community interests have included heritage preservation, theatre and the arts, community festivals and land use planning along with nature and green space. 

His slight accent marks him as being originally from New Zealand but his interests are solidly those of Bowen Island. Trained as a teacher, his organization skills have been used in many areas. As president of BIPASUS ( Bowen Island Parks and Store Use Society) he was part of the team which secured Crippen Park and managed the restoration of the 1925 Union Steamship Store ( now the Bowen Island Public Library ). He is a founding member of the Bowen Nature Club and has been part of Bowen's effective Trails Committee.

He's been a volunteer and director of BIRD (Bowen Island Recycling Depot) He's been a director of TOTI (Theatre on the Isle) and was a founding director of the Bowen Island Arts Council. His interest in effective land use planning led to his activity with the Advisory Planning Committee and later to two terms as one of Bowen's elected local trustees for Islands Trust. He chaired the Trust Council from 1993 to 1996. Along the way, Graeme also chaired the annual Bowfest celebration for two years and produced a planning guide for the community festival. He chaired Bowen's splendid New Year's Millennium Party. 

Long active in BIHPA (Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association), he's been involved in restoration of 10 remaining old-time Union Steamship cottages in the Davies Heritage Orchard. One cottage is now operated as a delightful Cottage Museum and another as an office and heritage information service.  

In 2000 Graeme became the manager of the Federal Millennium Project to save the fruit trees in the 1893 Heritage Orchard. Later, he served as president of the heritage group and is now the treasurer. Among his current projects is the Heritage inventory project which will identify Bowen sites to be included in the National Heritage Registry. 

Graeme epitomizes the criteria for Citizen for the Year . .significant contribution to the betterment of the community by playing a leading role in multiple community concerns.