One of the first women to join the Rotary Club of Ladner 34 years ago and the first woman to serve as president of the club, Irene Forcier, passed away on July 29, 2025 after a five-year battle with cancer. Irene leaves a valuable legacy in Rotary and the Delta community.
More recently Irene chaired the Ladner Rotary Splash Park Committee which has raised half the $640,000 required, in partnership with the City of Delta, to build a new, safer and eco-friendly splash park for children of all abilities, in Ladner's Memorial Park, which has been enjoyed by thousands of children and families in the summer months since then. It was the largest project ever undertaken by the Rotary Club of Ladner.
Prior to that role in Rotary she served for two years as Chair of the Reach Child and Youth Development Foundation to raise funds to build a state of the art development centre for children, youth and their families who are experiencing and living with developmental and other disabilities. During her term Reach raised the first $1 million towards the $5 million project which opened in 2018 as the Lois E. Jackson Kinsmen Centre for Children.
Irene’s long list of achievements and contributions to the community include her 26 years at Deltassist Community Services, most of the time as Executive Director, working with a board, 54 staff, over 500 volunteers and 25 programs to support Delta residents of all ages in need, attracting millions of dollars in program funding.
She served as Chair of the Association of Community Transportation Services and developed, and became first chair of, the first Provincial Association of Community Transportation services for the disabled. Irene served on the provincial Minister’s Advisory Committee to examine the community-based delivery of services to women taking her from the Victoria to communities across BC.
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| Irene Forcier (3rd left) at the official opening of the Ladner Rotary Splash Park, with (left) then club president Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay and Delta Mayor Lois Jackson |
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| Irene Forcier, right, with Delta Mayor Lois Jackson at the Ladner Rotary Splash Park opening |
Irene also served on various committees in Delta, including the Cooperative Community Planners for Mental Health, Healthy Communities Committee, Suicide Advisory Committee, Delta Child and Youth Committee and the Multicultural Diversity Committee. For several years she advised the Delta Mayor and Council's Community Services Advisory Committee and the Mayor's Task Force on Youth in Delta.
Rotary Club of Ladner recognized Irene for her many achievements with its Rotarian of the Year in 2017 and with its international Paul Harris Fellow Award. That same year she became Delta's 66th Citizen of the Year Award recipient from the Delta Chamber of Commerce. She also received the Governor General's Silver Medal for Outstanding Community Service.
Born in Alert Bay, BC, Irene lived most of her life in Delta. She is survived by daughter Connie Berrysmith, son Steve McRae and grandchildren Alexis and Matthew.
Ed Klassen was president of the club in 1991-92 when he encouraged Irene to become one of the first women to join the club after Rotary International approved women as members in 1989.
Avis Glaze became a good friend and supporter of Irene over the past five years, helping her get to appointments and being a companion during her illness. Avis says, "Irene had an indomitable spirit, an unflagging commitment to philanthropy and a strong service ethic. She believed in doing all she could to improve lives and encouraged others to give back to community."
Peter Roaf says, “Irene was a visionary who was certainly courageous and strong-willed. That made her such a success in whatever she turned her hand to. On some occasions, in working on projects, she and I would get into spats, but eventually we and others would get the job done. She would say here arguments with me were like arguing with her brothers. With the great respect I had for Irene, I considered that some kind of compliment. Thanks for all your achievements and farewell, Irene.”
link to video: https://youtu.be/3nniscAjNmI