Burnaby resident and well-known environmentalist Mae Burrows won a Women of Distinction Award from the YWCA last night in the environmental sustainability category.
"There's was a huge crowd, and there was fabulous energy. It was really wonderful to see these women across the sector," Burrows told the NOW. "I was able to say sustainability isn't just about changing light bulbs, it's really holding in your heart and in your actions a sense of responsibility for all living things."
Burrows was up against four nominees in her category.
"There was a real sense of sisterhood there. There wasn't a sense of competition or anything. It was great," she said.
Burrows, a longtime Burnaby resident, founded Toxic Free Canada, a group that worked to ban harmful chemicals in the workplace, and she has also worked to improve fish habitat and campaigned to stop the practice of dumping raw sewage in the Fraser River and the Georgia Strait.
Every year, the YWCA holds the Women of Distinction Awards ceremony, honouring women who contribute to the well-being and future of their communities. The YWCA has given out 247 awards since 1984.
For more on the program, go to www.ywcawomenofdistinction.org.
