CTV anchor Tamara Taggart receives Order of BC

CTV Vancouver anchor Tamara Taggart is being awarded British Columbia’s highest honour.

The longtime B.C. media personality is being appointed to the 2015 Order of British Columbia, along with 15 other “exceptional civic leaders.”

“The list of people who have received the Order of BC is impressive, to see my name added to that list is overwhelming. I volunteer because I like to help, not because I want to win an award," Taggart says.

"This honour is beyond anything I could have imagined, I’m excited and incredibly grateful. Of course this wouldn’t be possible without the support of CTV, my bosses and colleagues allow me to follow my passion of connecting with others and helping where I can.”

The awards are being bestowed in a ceremony in Victoria Monday.

Taggart is being recognized for her volunteer work supporting health care and the well-being of children and people with disabilities.

As chair of BC Women’s Hospital’s ‘Hope Starts Here’ campaign, Tamara is committed to raising $17 million for a newborn intensive care unit. In 2014, she chaired BC Cancer Foundation’s Inspiration Gala, which raised $5 million for personalized onco-geonomics.

She also volunteers on the boards at The Kettle Society, the Pacific Parkland Foundation and The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. Tamara is also a founding board member of the Rare Disease Foundation, and a big supporter of the Developmental Disabilities Association and the BC Centre for Ability.

Other 2015 recipients include Absolute Spa Group CEO Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia, for philanthropy, Norman Rolston, inventor of the Able Walker for mobility-impaired people, and Tim Collings, who invented the V-Chip to filter inappropriate TV content.

For the past 26 years, the OBC has recognized remarkable contributions by British Columbians.

“The Order of British Columbia recognizes British Columbians whose positive impact is felt throughout the province and, in some cases, the world,” Premier Christy Clark said in a statement.

“On behalf of all British Columbians, I want to thank them for their dedication, and all they do to make B.C. a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”

Past recipients include Generation X author and artist Doug Coupland, singers Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, children’s entertainer Raffi Cavoukian, basketball legend Steve Nash and Vancouver real estate developer Bob Rennie.