The LDHS Board consists of the following:
Quentin Goodbody – President
Marina Sacht – Vice President
Elaine Layman – Treasurer
Alex Stuart – Secretary
Verna Hastings – Director
Rob Johnson – Director
Pat Brownfield – Director
Ed Nicholson – Director
John Sharp – Director
The new board looks forward to continuing working with the Town of Ladysmith and the Stz’uminus to further the aims of the Society in a manner exemplified by its Vision Statement:
“The LDHS is universally recognised as the ‘Steward of local Heritage’ and through the excellence and inclusiveness of its programs is a major contributor to community, education and tourism.”
Mission Statement:
“The LDHS, working largely as a volunteer organisation in partnership with the Town of Ladysmith, Stz’uminus First Nation, community and private groups, governments and the public, ensures effective collection and preservation of all local historically significant records and artifacts and promotes their use for education and research to showcase our unique heritage and culture.”
Dr. Quentin Goodbody – President
Quentin is a geologist with a passion for history and heritage and a multicultural perspective earned from living and working for decades in various parts of the world, including North America, South America, S.E. Asia, Australia, and Europe. Quentin is very happy to have retired to Vancouver Island (a natural paradise) and to participate in and contribute to the community. His mandate is to increase awareness of our heritage (natural and cultural) within the community and to emphasize the relevance of the past to the present and future.
Marina Sacht, Vice President
Marina is a long-term LDHS member dating back years before the society incorporated – when it would meet in members’ living rooms. Marina has a diploma in journalism and is the editor/publisher of TAKE 5 Print & Digital Media. Book publishing, video production, photography and writing are some of the experiences she brings to the board. When she isn’t home on her small farm in North Oyster, she’s travelling the coast.
Elaine Layman – Treasurer
Owner of Layman Financial Services and Board Chair Ladysmith & District Credit Union. Passionate about history in Ladysmith and around the Province. Works closely with the Stz’uminus First Nation and has strongly supported the Ladysmith Museum, including the Ladysmith & District Credit Union’s sponsorship of the Museum for its initial five years of operation.
James A. (Alex) Stuart, Secretary
Alex is passionate about Ladysmith as a community and its history and seeking the opportunity to serve for a 4th year on the LDHS Board of Directors. Alex was Ladysmith’s youngest elected Mayor – serving two terms; a founding member of the Ladysmith Railway Historical Society; Ladysmith Tall Ships Society (now the Ladysmith Maritime Society) and a founding member of the Ladysmith Resources Centre. Alex served on the Ladysmith EDC Board and was a two-term President of the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce. He is currently serving the 5th year of a 9-year term on the Nanaimo Airport Board of Directors.
Pat Brownfield, Non-Executive Director
Pat was born, raised and educated in Ladysmith; her family history in the town goes back over 100 years. She enjoys the history of the area. Pat worked locally in Healthcare. She retired back to Ladysmith with her husband 18 years ago.
Verna Hastings, Non-Executive Director
Verna’s father and my uncles worked on steam trains in the fifties, which is why they came to Ladysmith.
When she was two years old, she lived on a small farm in the town and loved her childhood.
Verna worked within the education field in Ladysmith for twenty-five years. Lorne (husband) and Verna have had businesses within Ladysmith, built many homes, and renovated commercial buildings. She has travelled the world and greatly enjoys organizing world travels with my wonderful group from all over North America.
Ladysmith is her home, and she loves the history of our town.
John Sharp, Non-Executive Director
John is a key Archives volunteer along with his wife Esther. Since the fall of 2017 they have volunteered a minimum of 10 hours per week each on Archives work. John’s interest in local history is based on his 110+ years of family history in Ladysmith. He has researched Ladysmith WW1 soldiers, family histories based on requests to the Archives, and WW2 armed forces personnel on the cenotaph. He has also researched other branches of his family history relating to the United Empire Loyalists, Scotland and Ireland. John graduated from Ladysmith High School and has a degree in physics from UBC. His work took him to Ontario, South Korea and China. He returned to the Island when he retired.
Rob Johnson, Non-Executive Director
To Come
Ed Nicholson, Non-Executive Director
To Come