The 27th Women of Mission Gala took place on Saturday (Oct. 19) afternoon at the All Saints Anglican Church Hall on 2nd Ave.
More than 120 people came out to the event which is an integral part of the Paths and Pathfinders: Women of Mission Program by the Mission Community Archives. It was established in 1996 to bridge the gaps left in Mission’s history about women.
Held to both honour and increase the visibility of women, the 2024 gala celebrated the lives and achievements of Camille Atebe, Bonnie Harbour and Carol Hamilton.
CAMILLE ATEBE
Atebe was born in Victoria British Columbia on Nov. 24, 1980. She grew up in Calgary, Alberta with her parents, Valerie and James Atebe and two younger brothers, with a third brother born later in Mission.
In September 1993, the family moved to Mission, where Camille began attending MEI in Abbotsford. Following graduation, she attended the University of Calgary to study social work. While there, she auditioned for a community play which she claims sparked her true love of theatre.
Atebe decided university wasn’t for her and moved to Ireland. She ended up staying in Ireland for two years, but in November 2001, seven months into a difficult solo pregnancy, she decided to move home.
Back in Mission, Camille pursued her affinity for theatre in 2002 by joining the Opening Nite Theatre Society (ONTS). She flourished in ONTS’ diverse and inclusive theatre community, loving being part of an ensemble shining on stage. Camille assumed countless roles, ranging from acting in, writing, and producing plays for ONTS. Since 2012, she has served as the president and become a major advocate of theatre. Recently she’s been dealing with the serious repercussions of losing their theatre space.
In 2003 Camille expanded her acting repertoire to include film. After coming across an ad for extras wanted in the Mission area, she spoke with the producer and he offered her an acting credit in the film and an introduction to an agent, allowing Camille to get her foot in the door. From there she got many roles, eventually obtaining enough credits to join ACTRA, the Canadian trade union for performers, and land larger roles in the industry. She is now working on finding a production house for a series she wrote, hoping to expand into the production side of film and TV.
A multi-talented artist, Camille is also an avid painter, comedian, and volunteer for the BRIM Repair Café where she sews and repairs garments to extend their lifespan, as well as with the Mission Folk Music Festival as the camping coordinator.
Camille spends a lot of time with her three children, Petra, Alec and Kiri, who have joined her on stage and her many adventures. Going forward, her goal is to be someone who “helps build community and make people laugh.”
BONNIE HARBER
Bonnie Harber was born April 5, 1945 in Montreal Quebec to William Richard and Dorothy Hamilton. The eldest of her two siblings, Linda and Michael, she looked up to her mother who was a stay at home mom and influential in her upbringing, imparting the values of honesty and hard work. Looking back at her childhood Bonnie can only describe it as idyllic.
At age 13 Bonnie met Kenneth John Harber whom she married in 1963 at age 17, undeterred by the concerns of both families about how young they were and had two children, Kim and Robert. They proved their parents worries unfounded, remaining married until Ken’s death in 1995.
After seeing an ad in the newspaper for a house that read “If you like Cedar and windows, this house is for you,” Bonnie and her family moved to Steelhead in 1974. Once settled in their new home, Bonnie fell in love with the community. She joined the Steelhead Community Association and quickly became an integral, beloved member of the group, always being “the first one to put up her hand when there was work to be done.” Among her countless contributions was her unwavering involvement with the decade long construction of the present day Steelhead Community Hall. She fondly recalls being dubbed the “Queen Worker bee,” helping to feed the volunteers or directing the work herself. Due to her extraordinary dedication to her community, Bonnie received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Mission in 2018.
In 1980, Ken’s health suddenly declined, making it impossible for him to work and in need of extensive medical care. Faced with supporting her family and caring for her husband, Bonnie was offered a job to foster parent. While it started off as a job that allowed her to work at home while caring for her husband, fostering quickly became a passion. She welcomed hundreds of vulnerable and at risk children into her home over the decades, advocating for them while providing a stable, loving, and nurturing environment. Bonnie also became involved with the Mission Branch and Regional Council of the BC Foster Parents Association, serving on their boards and enlisting new families into the fostering community.
At present, Bonnie is focusing on and enjoying her growing family that includes 4 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and another on the way. A foster parent for 44 years, Bonnie is currently offering respite care to her last case. As for the future - she’s taking each day as it comes.When reflecting on her accomplishments, she said she was proud of “doing whatever she had to do, and not being afraid to speak [her] mind.”
CAROL HAMILTON
Carolyn “Carol” Hamilton was born March 7, 1950 in North Vancouver. Originally named Shirley Anne Linton, she was adopted by Sybil and Larry Willington and grew up in the interior of BC, moving from Quesnel to Prince George with her brother, Ronald. Her parents are some of her fondest childhood memories as they raised her to be kind but to stand up strong. In adulthood, Carol met and established a relationship with her biological father and three half-sisters.
At age eighteen, Carol got a job as a teller at the CIBC Branch in Prince George where she worked for two years and discovered a passion for the finance industry. Later that year, Carol met Douglas Hamilton whom she married in August 1969. They were together for 27 years and had two children, Shirley-Anne and Jeff. In 1975, the family moved to Mission, with Carol taking a break from work to be a full-time mother, volunteering with the Mission Marlins and serving as a Brownies Troop Leader in Hatzic.
In 1981, she returned to work in the finance industry obtaining a job at the TD Bank in Mission. For the next 20 years she worked there serving in multiple capacities including as a teller and a customer service manager. In 1995, Carol received a TD National Award of Excellence for her achievements. In 2001, she began working for Envision Credit Union, where she flourished in the team atmosphere, rising through the ranks until her retirement in 2014 as the Branch Manager.
After a conversation with Trustee Shelley Clarkson in 2005, Carol decided to run for the Mission School Board, topping the polls, and voted in as the Board Chair. She served in this capacity for the next four years and was re-elected two more terms. While on the board, she worked to decrease high school dropout rates with some positive results. After her third term, Carol decided to run for municipal council. Campaigning on a platform of being no nonsense, she was elected to council in 2014 and continues to serve in this capacity to the present day. Throughout her tenure she has been an advocate for activity spaces and planning for the community’s future.
Carol has stated this will be her final term as a City Councillor. She looks forward to returning to volunteering which she’d put aside to avoid any potential conflict of interest. She’s hopeful that her push to motivate the community to embrace physical activity will be successful and the new sports centers currently in the works through council will come to fruition. Reflecting on being an elected official for the last 19 years she commented, “so much change and growth has happened, and to keep pace with it is a challenge… but it’s coming whether you’re ready or not.”
