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 Ian Cunnings knew something was up the second he saw his wife in the hotel lobby.
She flew to Quebec to see
her husband, a Coquitlam Search and Rescue manager who last week took
part in a national training workshop for search and rescue volunteers.
Last Friday, as Cunnings,
his wife and fellow teammates attended a ceremony, he was named the
winner of the 2006 Outstanding Achievement Award — the highest
recognition to be given to a search and rescue member in Canada.
"It was not something I was expecting,” he said, adding, “It’s an honour beyond words.”
Cunnings, 42, was nominated
for the top prize by Coquitlam Search and Rescue. Team manager Ian
MacDonald wrote a touching letter of nomination to the National Search
and Rescue Secretariat, the body that hands out the annual award.
“It was unknown to him —
or to us — that this would happen,” MacDonald said, “so we were all
pleasantly surprised when he got it.”
And last night, during a
regular training session, the team paid tribute to Cunnings for his
hard work over the years, and highlighted some of his contributions
with Coquitlam SAR.
They kicked back for a PowerPoint presentation that was shown at the national workshop, and for some pizza.
“Ian, by far, in this
region, deserves it more than anybody else,” said Al Hurley, SAR
manager. “We call him ‘The Godfather’ because he’s always there for
us.”
Cunnings’ history with the team is impressive.
He joined Coquitlam SAR — a
group formed by his father, Don Cunnings, in 1972 — right after he
graduated from Centennial secondary. At the age of 23, Cunnings was a
certified SAR manager, having passed the training program “with flying
colours,” MacDonald said. In the 1980s and ‘90s, Cunnings served as
both SAR manager and as a ground-team member, and, over the years, he
held several executive posts, including president, training officer,
and chair of the SAR management committee.
Today, Cunnings is Coquitlam SAR’s second-longest serving member.
A regional manager with the
Provincial Emergency Program, Cunnings said the award is a special
honour for the 45-member Coquitlam SAR team.
“To look back from where
Coquitlam Search and Rescue started and where it is today, and our
position in the community, this is more than just an award — it’s a
credit to the team members,” he said.
Cunnings also shared the 2006 award with the late Robert Petitpas, the former head of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.
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