Craig Evans recognized for his legacy in the community

Cody hopes Evans’ (pictured) message will still inspire people to continue to make a priority of connecting with nature and understanding where their food comes from. Photo: Growing Opportunities

The late Craig Evans, known for his work in sustainability and food security in the Nanaimo community, is being honoured with the Medal of Good Citizenship.

This year, 21 people throughout the province are being honoured with the medal, recognizing their generosity, service, and acts of selflessness in their communities. 

Evans was a longtime farmer who played pivotal roles in founding the Nanaimo Community Gardens and the Growing Opportunities Farm Community Cooperative. Additionally, he took on various roles in establishing the Vancouver Island University Farmers’ Market and supporting the Downtown Nanaimo Farmers’ Market, allowing everyone in the city to access fresh fruits and vegetables.

Evans has already been awarded the Patron of the City from the City of Nanaimo, honouring his outstanding service to the community for more than three decades. He received this award in January 2023, before his passing in March of that year. 

Jen Cody met Evans at a food security conference in 1999. As Cody says, Evans saw her across the crowded room and knew right then she was the one. They shared a love of alpine hikes and a lot of her favourite memories with him were on the mountains.

Cody said Evans was really passionate about recycling, having started what became the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange in the 80s. It expanded to places such as Victoria and the West of Kitchener, Ontario.

“The recycling that he did was the largest recycling production in west of Kitchener Ontario at that time, so he was really, ahead of his time, and was responsible for recycling here in Nanaimo for quite a while. Ran the recycling depot here and was one of the folks who started the Nanaimo recycling exchange.”

Evans brought his passion for agriculture to Vancouver Island University’s Workplace Essentials Skills and Training Program, also known as the WEST program. The program is for students with developmental and cognitive disabilities to help them develop the skills required to obtain and maintain employment, as well as to grow independence.

“Craig was a bit of a magician that way. He was really able to pull in a lot of different threads in the community and then weave them together. The WEST program was such a good example of that.”

Evans, as a workplace trainer for the WEST program, was able to bring his extensive knowledge for agriculture into the program, and students could do some of their jobs and skills training in the field.

“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. He was a real advocate for inclusion.”

Cody said agriculture seemed to be a great fit for the program, allowing the students to support themselves and the community.

“So the two ended up complementing each other and supporting both the students and also supported the development of community members in general, connecting with agriculture and learning some of those agriculture skills, and building an inclusive community at the same time.”

Regarding the award, Cody said she is proud to see Evans’ work highlighted by the province for more people to learn about who he was.

“Well, I think that Craig was one of the unsung heroes in the community and contributed a great deal to the community over the years.”

She also said this award allows for Evans’ missions and work to be heard by more people so that they can continue what he first started.

“It's a wonderful opportunity to be talking to you and to be able to talk a little bit more about the work that he did because it just helps people to understand a little bit more about the work that he was doing and how it continues to be important today.”

Cody hopes his message will still hold, and people will continue to make a priority of connecting with nature and understanding where their food comes from.

“So I think it's just really important that that was really who Craig was. He had an honour for all of the beings in the community. And when he thought of beings, he really thought of beings as being all the other plants and the other animals as well.”

Cody said Evans is known for the quiet and humble work he did, but many will remember him for more than just that.

“If you talk to people in the community about the impact that he had, so many people were changed by having interacted with him in a good way. And I think that he's just a real role model for people to continue to remember and hold in their hearts about how to walk a good life and to embrace every aspect of his life, including being able to embrace and understand and process his own death and feel comfortable with that.”

Cody said Evans moved people by the way he lived his life through his illness, by not letting it stop him, and still finding the enjoyment and happiness that was in it.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.