2023 EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD, VIC WRIGHT
It was with sad hearts that we learned of Vic Wright’s passing in April of this year. Vic was a friend and a colleague to many and served well in everything he set his hand to. Many of us belonging to the Society for Range Management (SRM) knew him as the long-serving BC Chapter secretary/treasurer in which capacity he kept us afloat fiscally, always keeping track of the numbers and ensuring we always had enough to put on events and have a little left over. A great advocate of students and developing their love for range, Vic supported the High School Youth Forum for the PNW section, always ensuring there was a candidate in the queue for the SRM AGM. Many of these youth have developed into fine range agrologists and/or ranchers with a greater appreciation for the land and the values therein.
Vic was a graduate of the UBC Agriculture degree program and served his working life in the province of BC. Vic worked as a Range Officer for the Ministry of Forests for over 30 years and was instrumental in ensuring the beef industry of the Okanagan was looked after. Many meetings and committees and the initiation of many projects including beneficial management practices for community watersheds, the grass/tree policy, and many initiatives too numerous to mention were part of Vic’s legacy in this program.
Outside of work, Vic farmed in the Enderby area where he would raise his family and care for his horses and crops. Always innovative and adventuresome Vic was given the lifetime membership of the Lumby Livestock Association which he dearly honoured.
Away from his work in range, Vic was a world traveler. He experienced trips to Egypt, Africa, and his ancestral roots in England and Scotland. This gave Vic a greater appreciation and love for his beloved Canada and the province of BC.
Vic not only volunteered for the Society for Range Management but also gave dearly of his time to restore the local Hullcar hall in his rural neighborhood. These actions spoke of Vic’s heart for community, family, and the places where we gather.
Vic will be missed but not forgotten. Vic would be proud that we continue caring for the rangelands that he loved and the people that he invested in. The Pacific Northwest Section of the Society for Range Management is proud to award its 2023 Exemplary Service Award to Vic Wright, familyman, rangeman, gentleman, and friend to all.
Congratulations to Vic, on being recognized as the 2023 Pacific Northwest Section, Society for Range Management’s EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARDEE!
