Rosslanders honoured in 30 Under 30
By Rossland Telegraph
Three young Rosslanders were recognized as outstanding contributors to their community in the “30 Under 30” awards, sponsored by Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) and Junior Chamber International (JCI). Maya Provençal, Indea D’aigle and Justin Brogan received the awards at a ceremony in Kimberly on September 27.
It was Justin Brogan, the numbers person – a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) – who pointed out that although Rossland comprises only about 2% of the population of the Kootenays, it provided 10% of the region’s “30 Under 30” award recipients.
Justin, a non-binary person who helped organize the Nelson Pride organization and is currently its chair and treasurer, puts their CPA training to good effect working for the finance department at the City of Rossland and contributing to other community organizations. Here’s more on that from the nomination material for Justin:
“As a Chartered Professional Accountant, Justin applies their skills to strengthen systems and sustainability in local organizations around the West Kootenays.
“As an accountant at the City of Rossland, Justin champions sustainability, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making while supporting colleagues and strengthening systems that serve local governments. They led Rossland’s adoption of a new accounting standard, developing resources and processes that they shared and freely trained other professionals on through the Government Finance Officers Association of BC – saving governments and citizens time and money. They are also a visible advocate for inclusivity in accounting and public finance, publishing articles and speaking openly about creating authentic and respectful workplaces and communities.
“Justin also brings together finance professionals in the Kootenays and across BC, building peer support and collaboration, and continues to be involved in the Government Finance Officers Association of BC community of practice. They’ve worked with local organizations such as the Rossland Food Bank and the Rossland Youth Action Network, sit on the board of Trail Pride, and they share their experience with students through Selkirk College’s CPA Career Night. They have also been a guest speaker in other settings to encourage others to consider accounting as a professional career.”
Justin has made several presentations to City Council on behalf of the finance department.
Justin’s message to others is, “get involved!”
Indea D’aigle’s bio says, “Born and raised in Rossland, Indea is passionate about health promotion and injury prevention. With a Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience, she works remotely as a research assistant with Vancouver research labs while engaging locally in the Kootenays. Her community involvement focuses on concussion awareness and physical literacy, where she helps bridge the gap between research and real-world practice. Indea is committed to sharing knowledge in ways that empower communities and create lasting change.”
The material sent in for her nomination goes into more detail; here are portions of it:
“While earning her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience at Simon Fraser University, Indea joined Rossland’s Official Community Plan Advisory Board to represent the perspectives of young people. She advocated for priorities like food security, biodiversity, and sustainable land use. When she saw that Rossland lacked an active Bear Smart program, despite it being a key municipal goal, she didn’t wait for someone else to step up. She created the Bear Smart Task Force, filling a decade-long gap in education and outreach.
‘As chair of the task force for three years, Indea collaborated with residents, contractors, and city staff to reduce bear-human conflicts. She helped implement strategic changes to garbage collection in high-conflict zones, supported revisions to the Wildlife Attractant Bylaw, and led community education efforts that included door-to-door outreach and surveys presented to city council. Her work not only changed local policy but reshaped how people engage with their environment.
“While pursuing her BSc in the Lower Mainland, Indea remained committed to her volunteer work in the Kootenays and also found new ways to contribute closer to where she studied. While leading Bear Smart remotely, she also volunteered with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, based at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. There, she delivered Brain Waves, a hands-on brain health and safety program for elementary students. After graduating, she brought the program back to the region, reaching over 150 students in School District 20. She worked with an Indigenous Elder to adapt the content for cultural inclusivity and is now exploring how to expand delivery by training local facilitators and securing long-term community support.
“Currently, Indea works as a research assistant with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit on a multi-year project focused on reducing ACL injuries in girls’ recreational soccer. The initiative combines scientific research with real-world application, gathering insights from coaches, athletes, and health professionals to design community-based prevention strategies that stick.”
Indea can often be found helping out at The Gold Rush, her mother’s bookstore in downtown Rossland, too. Her message for others is, “Get involved!” She commented that young people are “fueled by” having a tangible social impact.
Maya Provençal is one of Rossland’s seven members of City Council, elected to office in 2022. Her participation on Council is thoughtful, collaborative and principled; and she goes beyond the call of duty by speaking up on community online forums to replace erroneous assumptions and speculation with facts and clarity.
Maya represents Council on the Rossland Sustainability Commission, the Accessibility & DEI Committee, and previously the Youth Action Committee Advisory Board, and has helped advance initiatives from housing and climate plans to expanded supports for caregivers and accessibility in local government.
Prior to her election to City Council, Maya was appointed to the StrongerBC Young Leaders Council in 2021, where she brought Basin youth perspectives to the provincial level. She has also been active in community and environmental work for nearly a decade, holding roles with Neighbours United, the Rossland Youth Action Network, the BC Sustainable Energy Association and Nelson Hydro.
From working on the Farms to Friends program that delivered fresh food to families, to piloting North America’s first climate deep-canvassing campaign in Trail and Cranbrook, Maya’s community involvement demonstrates her commitment to making things better.
Maya’s message for the world is, “People need to get involved!” She thinks it’s important for organizations and institutions to be inclusive of young people and is glad to see this initiative – 30 under 30 – recognizing and honouring young people’s contributions.
The physical award – the plaque visible in the picture above – is a step above most such awards; it’s an engraved slab of solid, still-fragrant wood, and Indea, Maya and Justin all appreciate the quality of it.
Here’s hoping that more of our young people can be recognized for their positive community contributions, and that more of our young people can get involved in ways that suit them and their particular interests and skills.
