She received the letter a couple of weeks ago, but Barb Gould didn’t believe what she saw.

“I had to read it three or four times because it didn’t sink in,” she said.

Then she called a friend to confirm the news: Gould had been chosen as the sole recipient of the 2009 Surrey Civic Treasures award.

Established last year, the awards honour citizens who reflect the unique character and history of Surrey or help develop or build appreciation of the city’s culture.

For Surrey’s mayor and council, Gould fit the bill.

“She has really contributed significantly to arts and culture in the city,” said Mayor Dianne Watts. “She’s really kept Surrey in her heart. She’s such a dedicated volunteer.”

Gould remains incredulous that she was chosen.

“I really am honoured because I know the people that I, myself, nominated,” she said, noting she put forth the names of a handful of other deserving people for the award. “I thought ‘oh wow, this is special’.”

Gould has had a love affair with the arts since she was a child. It started at age three when she won a talent show in Halifax and continued when her first poem was published at age 10.

A former singer with the a cappella quintet the Grace Notes, her involvement with the arts in Surrey began in 1998. Gould became a director and later, the administrator for the Arts Council of Surrey, and until this year, was editor and senior writer for the Spotlight on the Arts monthly newsletter.

She also helped found and mentor the Youth Arts Council of Surrey (YACOS) and Young Peoples’ Opera Society of B.C. (YPOS) where she held the position of executive director. Last year, she worked tirelessly and contributed a significant amount of her own funds to help stage the original opera Spirit Moon – written to mark B.C.’s 150th anniversary as a Crown colony – which was an intergenerational and accurate portrayal of pioneer life in 1858.

“The cultural and artistic contribution of this one event was in itself worthy of recognizing Barbara as Surrey’s Civic Treasure,” said one of her supporters.

Her latest efforts to bolster the arts in Surrey is in her role in helping transform and retrofit the old Firehall No. 10 in Newton into a new arts facility which will house rehearsal and event space, as well as arts council offices.

She is a “voice of reason” and “a person of action when the project requires these skills,” say those that have worked with her on the project.

Last year, because Surrey was designated a Cultural Capital of Canada, 12 awards were handed out. The recipients were Stan Clarke, Stephen Chitty, Stephen Horning, Robert Davidson, Nadine Gagné, Mary Mikelson, Marc Pelech, Lorne Pearson, Jim Adams, Jarnail Singh, Dawn Govier and Carol Girardi.

Gould is the only recipient this year and one person will be chosen in subsequent years as well. A selection panel shortlisted the nominees and mayor and city council chose the winner.

Gould was presented her award at a reception at the Surrey Arts Centre Thursday night (Sept. 10).

sreynolds@surreyleader.com