Prince George’ Selen Alpay is one of 19 British Columbians who will receive the province’s Medal of Good Citizenship for their outstanding community service.
“It is an honour to congratulate these community leaders whose commitment helps strengthen our society,” said Premier John Horgan. “The Medal of Good Citizenship awards recognize these individuals and their remarkable contributions to our communities and our province as a whole.”
Launched in 2015, the Medal of Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who, through exceptional long-term service, have made outstanding contributions to their communities without expectation of remuneration or reward. The medal reflects their generosity, service, acts of selflessness and contributions to community life.
Alpay moved to Prince George just over a decade ago. Today, it is difficult to find a good cause that he has not contributed to or quietly supported, and the line of people who have been touched by his philanthropy, generosity of spirit or personal kindness is lengthy.
He is known for his compassion and enormous heart, and one does not need to know him long before realizing that Alpay is a man on a mission to make his world a better place. As a person, Alpay models good citizenship and humanity to everyone he meets, giving generously of his time to multiple volunteer boards and organizations in the city and beyond: spending time with elders in care at Simon Fraser Lodge, and supporting and mentoring youth within his company and the community.
A new branch of the Boys Club Network is being proposed by the Aboriginal Education Department in the Prince George school district and already Alpay is engaged and involved. Any young man enrolled in the new program will benefit from Alpay ‘s deep compassion, kindness and wisdom.
In 2017, Alpay was named Citizen of the Year by the Prince George Community Foundation in recognition of how he goes above and beyond in volunteerism and philanthropy. As a lifetime volunteer, he has a deep appreciation for community members who give back and he frequently endeavours to recognize their efforts. Last year’s long and difficult fire season saw Prince George receive and host more than 10,000 evacuees from the Cariboo region.
Alpay was a key supporter behind an event to recognize the local volunteers who helped during the crisis. As a corporate citizen, Alpay sets an exceptional example of social responsibility for other organizations through his wide-ranging support of youth, sport, arts, culture, health care and social causes.
His quiet personal philanthropy extends to his belief in corporate philanthropy, and his company is his most visible way of giving back to the community through sponsorship of, and donations to, countless organizations and events.
As an employer, he truly believes that good culture starts at the top. In recognition of this, in 2017, his Canadian Tire store was presented the award for Outstanding Corporate Culture at the Prince George Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards
Medal of Good Citizenship recipients come from every corner of the province: from Quathiaski Cove to Queen Charlotte, Nelson to 150 Mile House, North Vancouver to Kelowna and Langford to Port Alberni, demonstrating that B.C. communities are full of people doing good things for the benefit of their communities.
This year’s recipients were selected from more than 100 nominations. In addition to the Medal of Good Citizenship, individuals may be nominated for the Province’s other honour, the Order of British Columbia, which recognizes people who have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any field of endeavour, benefiting British Columbians and others across Canada and beyond.