Former Richmond councillor Harold Steves receives Medal of Good Citizenship

Former Richmond city councillor Harold Steves has received the Medal of Good Citizenship on B.C. Day. The award recognizes people who contribute generously, kindly or selflessly to the common good without expecting a reward.

Steves is among 13 British Columbians receiving the medal this year. His public work has spanned about seven decades, from student activism at UBC to service as a provincial MLA and 51 years on Richmond council.

As an MLA in the early 1970s, Steves helped create the Agricultural Land Reserve, which protects 4.6 million hectares of farmland across B.C. He has also been involved in establishing Richmond Nature Park, Garry Point Park, Terra Nova Rural Park, London Heritage Farm, Britannia Shipyard Park, Garden City Lands and the Richmond Farm School.

Now in his late 80s, Steves continues to grow heirloom seeds, raise Belted Galloway cattle and work with international scientists on composting technology. He has also collected thousands of artifacts and worked to identify First Nations historic sites and preserve early artifacts.