November 5, 2002
Science Council of B.C. Awards
MLA Statement
R. Lee: Last week I had the honour of attending the Science Council of B.C. awards ceremony. I was very impressed by the eloquent presentation by student representative Clara Westwell-Roper, a grade 11 student.
After attending the ceremony, I am more convinced now than ever that B.C. is an emerging hub for the high-tech industries, home to many science superstars.
I'm proud to say that my own community of Burnaby is home to many of our province's best and brightest, and one of our finest received the Chairman's Award for Career Advancement: Dr. Hal Weinberg, founder and director of SFU's brain behaviour laboratory, whose work has spawned many widely used applications, including MEG, which can see a baby's brain inside the womb. Dr. Weinberg was also very instrumental in establishing the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and Resource Centre in Burnaby. The centre is a shining example of innovation as the only facility of this type in the world to combine the research facility for leading researchers, educators and health professionals that specialize in Down syndrome, while providing a centre for the Down syndrome community at large. In conjunction with researchers from SFU, UBC and the University of Victoria, scientists are able to explore previously unexplored aspects of Down syndrome.
Others who received awards at the Science Council awards ceremony are the New Frontiers in Research award, Dr. Jeff Young; the Solutions Through Research award, Drs. Julio Montaner, Michael O'Shaugnessy and Martin Schechter; the Young Innovator award, SFU professor Dr. Keith Promislow; the Science & Technology Champion of the Year award, Dr. Denis Connor; and the Industrial Innovation award, Dr. Phillip Hill.
