Dean of BCIT School of Health Sciences 2004-2006

President of British Columbia Institute of Technology 2014-

Premier of BC 1996-1999 (BC NDP Party)

Mark Anthony Jacobson is a Woodland artist from Sioux Lookout, Ontario, who currently works and lives in British Columbia. A self-taught Aboriginal artist, he discovered at a young age that the Creator blessed him with the artistic ability known as the Woodland Art Movement.

Andy Everson is a contemporary Indigenous Artist born in Comox, British Columbia. He was named Nagedzi after Chief Andy Frank, who was his grandfather. His artworks are greatly influenced by his Comox and Kwakwaka'wakw ancestries.
Inspired by his grandmother wanting to pursue his traditional culture, Everson completed undergraduate and a master's degrees in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. His thesis was heavily influenced by contemporary Comox identity as the Comox First Nation is located on the border between the larger Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw realms.
Everson creates digitally and prints using pigment-based ink and large-format giclee printers. He also does screen printing and has experimented with carving, painting and photo realism.
Everson's art was engraved on a three coin set released by the Royal Canadian Mint. The coins had designs of raindrops, sun rays, maple leaves and a sunflower to symbolize the four seasons. The designs of the coins were: Interconnection, beaver, thunderbird, the whale, which represent land, air, and sea. The coins were made of either a solid silver with a hologram finish or pure gold. 1,500 of the gold coins were minted and 7,500 silver coins are available.

Ed Hill was born in Paris, Ontario, moving to Peterborough, Ontario at a very young age. At 20 he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and in 1969 he found himself posted to Surrey, British Columbia. He had studied art at the high school level only, but his youthful dream of becoming a productive professional artist didn’t take shape until the mid 1980’s. Over the years Ed continually dabbled and experimented with various art forms. In the summer of 1985 Hill and his family were posted to Tofino, British Columbia where he met and befriended renowned west coast artist Roy Henry Vickers. Ed’s interest in Vickers’ art and techniques meant that the two became fast friends. Hill became a student of Vickers. Hill spent many hours watching, questioning and listening before ever putting brush to paper in the Vickers’ style. After tutoring and encouragement from Vickers did he produce his first limited edition print entitled “Old Man”. The two men shared a great interest in the wilderness, fishing, native culture and their art. Hill is inspired by the awesome beauty, power and energy of British Columbia as a landscape.
Hill has retired from the RCMP to Gibsons BC. He continue to create art and be inspired by the West Coast.

Henry Arthur served as BCIT’s executive director of International Education. He was the chairman of BCIT’s Educational Council in 1980, in which capacity he called for the council to become more involved with Ministry studies that were underway at the time, so that they might have a greater say in the future of education at BCIT. He was also appointed as the interim president of TransTech in 1995.

Canadian Pacific Airlines was created in May of 1942 as a subsidiary branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. They began with the purchase and amalgamation of ten smaller airlines, subsuming their aircraft and most of their staffing:
• Ginger Coote Airways, Vancouver;
• Yukon Southern Air Transport, Vancouver and Edmonton;
• Canadian Airways, Winnipeg;
• Wings Ltd., Winnipeg;
• Prairie Airways, Moose Jaw;
• Mackenzie Air Services, Edmonton;
• Arrow Airways, The Pas, Manitoba;
• Starratt Airways, Hudson, Ontario;
• Quebec Airways, Montreal, Quebec
• Dominion Skyways, Montreal, Quebec

CP Airlines operated for the first seven years as a domestic regional carrier, and was heavily involved in the war effort. They participated in three branches of the Second World War; transport operations, air observer schools, and repair plants across Canada. In 1949 the headquarters moved from Edmonton to Vancouver. CP Airlines continued to expand across the globe, being the first airline to offer service from Vancouver to Amsterdam by way of the arctic circle – thereby cutting hours off the flight time.

CP Airlines was notable for staying on the cutting edge of the jet era. They regularly updated their aircraft and served Australia, Asia, and European destinations. Staff of note include G. W. McConachie and C. H. Dickens.

CP Airlines was sold to Pacific Western Airlines in 1987, ceasing to operate under the CP Air banner. The combined airlines of CPA and PWA flew as Canadian Airlines until 2001, when they were bought out by Air Canada.

Deanna B. George is a Tsleil-Waututh Nation Elder who has been weaving since 2009. Deanna started off doing baby blankets for her Nation's annual Baby Celebration; along with speaker blankets used for ceremonies.

From this beginning Deanna has expanded her craft into robes used as gifts, or to barter and as commissioned pieces.

One in particular would be the robe for BCIT. Deanna is happy to note that BCIT is implementing culture and setting the tone for incoming and outgoing presidents of BCIT by blanketing them with the BCIT robe.

Dawn Marie Chartrand is a visual artist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is from Rolling River First Nation. A married mom and proud koko (grandmother).

Dawn began painting in 2017 and was inspired to express her visions, dreams and experiences through art. Dawn is a singer/songwriter, musical entertainer, and a certified Yoga and Laughing Yoga Instructor.

A Squamish and Kwakwaka'wakw sculptor and carver. He was born and raised in Squamish, BC and is known primarily for his wood carvings.

Xwalacktun received his name from his father, Pekultn, who was a hereditary chief from the Seymour Creek area of North Vancouver. His mother is Kwakwaka'wakw from Squamish and Alert Bay.

Xwalacktun studied sculpture at Capilano University and Emily Carr University of Art + Design (then called Capilano College and Emily Carr College of Art, respectively). He graduated from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 1982.