Craig Evans received the Medal of Good Citizenship
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A B.C. farmer who passed away in March 2023 received a posthumous award for his work in sustainability and food security.
Craig Evans, who lost his battle with cancer at age 67, was one of 21 British Columbians to receive the Medal of Good Citizenship, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport announced on Jan. 3.
Born in 1956, Evans founded the Nanaimo Recycling Society in 1978, the Nanaimo Community Gardens in 1987 and the Nanaimo Foodshare Society in 1997.
He studied greenhouse gardening at Malaspina College, now Vancouver Island University (VIU)
He also lent his ag knowledge to VIU’s Essential Skills and Training (WEST) Program, which supports students with disabilities to help them find and maintain employment.
In 2013 he founded the VIU Farmers’ Market and the Farmship Growers Co-op.
And in 2019, he and his partner Jen Cody co-founded the Growing Opportunities Farm Community Cooperative, which is focused on growing food and relationships.
“Craig was really passionate and wanted to grow people in the community, but also grow food in the community, and he was able to bring those two pieces together,” Jen Cody, Craig’s partner, told CHLY on Jan. 5. “He was a real advocate for inclusion.”
Evans received his terminal cancer diagnosis in May 2022 and worked as much as he could when he felt well enough.
“I knew this was happening, so I planted a huge area of over-wintering veggies, cauliflower and broccoli, that you plant in July and you harvest in February, March and April,” he said. “That was my field of dreams, if you know what I mean,” he told the Nanaimo News Bulletin in January 2023.
“His selfless contributions have touched the lives of countless individuals, enriching communities, and leaving an indelible mark on Vancouver Island,” a bio says.