TAA members have been busy with Olympic projects - and we look forward to catching up and hearing what you've been up to.

Please join us for our first event of 2010, to be held Thursday March 18th at the all new BC Hydro Olympic Pavilion at 333 Dunsmuir.

Starting at 6:00 pm and going until about 8:30 pm, this event will feature a catered meet-and-greet reception and bar, presentations by TAA members on specific Olympic projects of interest, and a special guest appearance and address by Trevor Hirschfield, a Paralympian Bronze Medalist (Beijing).  We will also have a unique opportunity to see and interact with BC Hydro's "Club Energy" Sustainable Dancefloor - a very cool, people-powered dancefloor that runs off energy created by its users, so bring your dancing shoes and your best moves.

Where: BC Hydro Olympic Pavillion, 333 Dunsmuir
When: Thursday March 18, 600pm-8:30 pm
Registration form will be online shortly. 

Trevor Hirschfield

Excellence on the court, excellence in the family

Athlete Trevor Hirschfield, and his father Bob, are part of the BC Hydro family of excellence.  Bob is a Trades Training Instructor in Qualicum and has been employed with BC Hydro since 1988.  Bob also serves as the equipment manager for the Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby team - repairing chairs, fixing flat tires and other broken parts.

When Trevor was 16 years old, he suffered a serious spinal cord injury after being injured in a car accident.  Within weeks of commencing rehabilitation, Trevor's life-long love of sports sparked again and he took an active interest in the sport of wheelchair rugby.    Drive & determination led to Trevor being selected to the Canadian national wheelchair rugby team only 6 short years after he started life in his chair and his new sport.

In 2006, he was part of the national team that earned a bronze medal at the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, and in 2008, he earned another bronze at the Paralympic Games in Beijing.  Trevor is also a 4 time Canadian national champion and received the Premier's Athlete Award in 2005.

Trevor is an inspiration to many.  He helped introduce wheelchair rugby to Victoria and he speaks regularly to youth about the power of sports, pursuing dreams and goal-setting.  In "Hirschy's" words, as he is known to teammates and friends, "the students see me as an athlete first, they often don't see the chair", which pleases the strategic blocker.   

And in his dad Bob's words, "Winning the bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games helped us realized how far Trevor had come.  When it was time to watch him receive his medal it was an emotional moment.  We were so far away, we didn't think he could see us, but we still celebrated and cheered - and cried - as he received his medal.  Then I noticed that he spotted me and gave a wave.  It was, yet again, an incredible moment."

BC Hydro is proud to support our Paralympic athletes. For more information on the BC Hydro Pavilion: www.powersmartvillage.com

Al Ain Wildlife park and resort: one of the world’s last wild places

As part of the United Arab Emirates’ drive to set and achieve world-renown sustainability standards, the Al Ain Zoo is undergoing an extensive expansion and redevelopment; AldrichPears Associates is excited to be designing the interpretive experience.

His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a progressive environmentalist who recognized the profound connection of the people of Al Ain to the desert. He founded the zoo in 1968 to encourage both the preservation of natural heritage, and the intangible cultural heritage of his people, for today and for generations to come.

Jingshanosauri by the numbers

Artcraft Display Graphics Inc. recently played host to two large dinosaurs from China. The disarticulated bones of an adult and juvenile Jingshanosaurus unearthed in Yunnan Province were shipped to Artcraft in November. Jingshanosaurus is a rare Jurassic prosauropod – these giant plant eaters were an early form of dinosaur that eventually evolved into the better known sauropods.

Corporate Giving when times are tough

As the conscience of western society has become more empathetic to the social struggles it witnesses, corporate philanthropy has shifted from a place of obscurity to being entrenched in many organizations as a worthwhile endeavour, one that is good for employees, good for business and good for the community. Once an ad-hoc and sometimes poorly planned activity, corporate giving has been embraced as a strategic business function and now adheres to guidelines, scrutiny and relishes its own place on company balance sheets.