Betty Anne Montgomery Memorial Award
Betty Anne Montgomery was born in Pouce Coupe, BC, in 1937. The family lived in the Peace River Country until the end of the war, then moved to Nanaimo BC in 1947. After graduating from Nanaimo High School in 1955, she went into nursing at St. Joseph's Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia and then subsequently trained and worked as a Lab Technician until the birth of her first child in 1959.
Throughout this time, Betty Anne battled glaucoma, which eventually rendered her blind in her late 40s. Rather than concede to this condition, she instead travelled to California where she acquired a guide dog (Hannah). Betty Anne (and Hannah) then attended the University of Victoria where she completed a degree in Psychology (with an Anthropology minor) with distinction in 1996.
This award honors the spirit and perseverance that Betty Anne exhibited throughout her life.