“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, a role that is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. I look forward to this opportunity to engage meaningfully with the richly diverse communities of this province.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the current Lieutenant Governor, Janet Austin, for her exceptional service and the significant contributions that Her Honour has made over the past six years,” said Wendy Cocchia, C.M., O.B.C., LL.D. (Hon)
“It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia for close to seven years. Throughout my term, I have been heartened by the resilience, generosity, and diversity of British Columbians, and inspired by the potential of our province.
“I am delighted to extend my warmest good wishes to Lieutenant Governor Designate, Wendy Cocchia, whose leadership and record of exemplary community service will continue to strengthen the bonds that unite us.” The Honourable Janet Austin, O.B.C.
Colour and Beauty at Government House
Here are the Friends own In-House Floral Designers group. Led by co-ordinators Lynne Thompson and Audrey van Osterhout, these 15 dedicated volunteers design and create the colourful and eye-catching floral arrangements that regularly grace its rooms, hallways, and special events.
It all begins when the House hospitality services manager tells the group a month before about upcoming events. “Lynne and I decide on a colour scheme and which flowers to use. We tell the designers the size, the number and kind of flowers to use, and where in the House they go. They then come up with their own design. We have some very creative and talented designers and we don’t need to tell them how to do their jobs”
A Busy Fall
While each month requires a different number of arrangements, Audrey says autumn is their most active time. “In September, we worked 312 hours and in October, 404 hours. For the six weeks of long-service awards, we created 66 designs each week which required well over 700 volunteer hours. Of that, the organizing team took about 200 hours to order the necessary floral items.”
Two further events that needed floral designs were held one week later, including the annual Gala. The organizing team spent about 150 hours planning and ordering for these events and volunteers worked about 201 hours on Gala floral designs.
Audrey says this is a different kind of event as, “It needs not just more arrangements, 66 rather than the usual 25 to 30, requires more spectacular ones, and uses more dramatic flowers as well.”
Lynne has been involved as a floral designer for 25 years, Audrey for 12. “Planning and creating the designs is the best part of my work,” says Audrey. For both Audrey and Lynne and the floral design team, they are continuing a volunteer tradition begun more than 35 years ago by Jane Rogers, wife of Lieutenant Governor Robert Gordon Rogers (1983 – 1988).
“Jane recruited community ladies who brought their own flowers and then later used ones from our on-site greenhouses,” says Audrey.
“Now, the flowers and greenery are usually sourced from a local wholesaler. A Vancouver wholesaler is used when more exotic flowers are required. When the flowers are in bloom in the floral designers’ garden, those are used as well.” While the source material and volunteers may have changed, the results continue to be spectacular and always much appreciated.