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Place des Arts founder, Freedom of the City recipient dies

Long-term Maillardville resident Fern Bouvier was 82.
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Fern Bouvier with Barb Hobson (left) and Joan McCauley at Place des Arts.

A founder of Coquitlam’s Place des Arts died from cancer last Saturday at Crossroads Hospice.

Fern Bouvier was 82.

A dad of four and granddad to nine, Bouvier “was the most loving father and grandfather and husband you can ever imagine,” his wife Cecile told The Tri-City News on Monday. “He was involved in so many things in the community but especially with Place des Arts.”

A Maillardville resident since 1961 as well as a 31-year School District teacher and librarian, Bouvier in 1970 approached then-mayor Jim Tonn to see if a vacant civic building on Brunette Avenue could be turned into an arts hub.

“Fern always believed in the power of the arts, the importance of Place des Arts as a cultural hub of Coquitlam,” said Michael Fera, Place des Arts’ program and events co-ordinator. “I will always remember Fern’s advice to dream in technicolour when it came to Place des Arts and, in his words, no matter how difficult the situation was, Fern’s credo was: Onwards and upwards.”

Bouvier also served on numerous other groups such as the Village Credit Union (president for 25 years) and the Coquitlam Maillardville Heritage Trust. For his contributions and volunteer work, he was presented with the Lescarbot Award from the federal government, said Barb Hobson, a SD43 trustee and board president at Place des Arts.

“Fern was a teacher at heart and an esteemed amateur jeweller who taught jewellery-making until very recently,” Hobson said, adding, “He will be sorely missed by staff, teachers and fellow members of the board of Place des Arts.”

For the municipality — which bestowed him the Freedom of the City — Bouvier was the parks and recreation commissioner in 1971 and on various committees. As well, he was involved with the Coquitlam Rotary Club, was a founding board member of Place Maillardville and a key organizer/fundraiser for the Coquitlam Classic Golf Tournament.

No funeral date has been fixed yet.

jcleugh@tricitynews.com