The odds were against him – or so he thought.
Patrick Johnstone didn’t think he’d be named New Westminster’s Citizen of the Year. In fact, he figured the odds against him were at least 10:1, but nobody would take the bet – and for good reason.
The self-proclaimed rabble-rouser and pundit moved to New Westminster in the mid-1980s and, since then, has become one of the city’s most vocal residents. The active blogger (you can check out his blog at nwimby.blogspot.ca) says he was surprised to hear his name announced on Thursday night.
“I honestly didn’t go in expecting to win. I was honoured to be nominated,” he told The Record on Friday afternoon.
Johnstone was named Citizen of the Year at the second annual Platinum Awards organized by the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce. The event celebrates individuals, organizations and businesses that strive to make the city a better place to live for all its residents, something Johnstone knows quite a bit about.
A longtime board member and past president of New Westminster Environmental Partners, Johnstone advocates for a number of things, including sustainable transportation options for pedestrians and bicycles, and the protection of the environment through initiatives like the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
“I’m really good at promoting this kind of stuff, but … I’m not the one who does most of the work. People around me do a lot of things, and that’s really good,” he said. “I’m fortunate that I manage to have a loud voice.”
Johnstone sits on both the advisory committee for transit, bicycles and pedestrians and the emergency advisory committee. He is also president of the Environmental Managers Association of B.C.
But according to Johnstone, he wouldn’t be able to do the work he does in the community without his fellow citizens.
“It’s about teams. I work with a lot of good people who do a lot of good work,” he said.
Asked if he ever envisioned himself as Citizen of the Year when he first moved here from Castlegar in 1987, Johnstone replied he hadn’t but admitted he does tend to get involved.
“I’ve been kind of somebody who gets involved in things, whether it’s joining the board of the curling club when I curled for the club or whether it’s getting involved in student government when I was in university,” he said.
According to the chamber of commerce, Johnstone is known for getting people involved in causes important in the community and for not being “afraid to speak up, or in public.”
This was the first time Johnstone was nominated for the award. His fellow nominees were Scott McAlpine, Yasser Elmasri and Douglas Smith.
