A Positive Contribution To Our Community

Sonya Paterson has lived and worked in Langley for over 28 years. During that time she has been an active community member and dedicated volunteer. She and her husband David of 23 years have three adult children and live in Willoughby.

Sonya has many years of experience of working directly with families. First as an International adoption facilitator, facilitating adoptions for families from Canada and USA from Romanian and Russian orphanages. This work was largely the motivating factor in her running for Langley's Board of Education. She has assisted her husband in his trucking business for 23 years and started showing and breeding rare breed Coton de Tulear's three years ago achieving two Canadian Championships.

Sonya's desire to run again is nothing new as she has been deeply involved politically for over 20 years. Initially her involvement was through volunteer effort on multiple municipal, provincial and federal election campaigns.

Over time she stepped it up by running herself as a Langley Township Trustee candidate and was elected to serve two terms on Langley's Board of Education between 2002-2008. While serving on the Langley's School Board she advocated for and successfully delivered a leading edge nutrition policy,   Langley ’ s Special Needs Advisory Committee, additional Sports Academies and a Hair Dressing program at Aldergrove Secondary where students are fully certified upon completion.

In 2008 she decided to step it up once again and run for Council coming within a few hundred votes of securing a seat.   Paterson's commitment to serve Langley has been consistent and did not end after the last election. She has not wavered from her desire to represent the Township of Langley as a Councillor who puts citizens and their concerns first.

Sonya has always given of her time freely and is known for being very approachable and eager to help. She has been deeply committed to her community but has also dedicated many years of her life to helping orphans in third world countries.

Sonya Paterson's volunteer committments

Served on Langley Township's Park and Recreation (3 years)

Served on Community Safety Commission (3 years)

Served on the advisory Board for DASH BC and Breakfast for Learning Organization (3 years)

Elected to the founding Board of Directors for the Charter for Public Education (served 2 years)

In 2004 she co-founded Leaders Now BC a non-profit leadership training society and hosted a Youth Leadership Conference in 2005. This event brought Craig Kielburger the founder and chair of Free The Children, a unique international development and youth empowerment organization to Langley to speak to 750 youth who traveled from North Vancouver to Chilliwack for this event held at the CLA.

In 2005 Sonya launched the Adopt a Village Tsunami Relief fundraiser that raised $30,000 dollars for a Tsunami humanitarian project to support orphans in Thailand.

Sonya Paterson served as founding board member of VALTAC (Valley Transportation Advisory Committee) a non-partisan non-profit organization. One of VALTAC's primary goals is to advocate for Langley to receive its fare share of efficient, affordable and sustainable transit and transportation. She served this organization as President between (November 2005 – September 2008) www.valtac.org

Is currently on the Board of Directors for Langley's International Festival - (2007 - Present)

1990 Sonya founded the International Orphans Support Group of Canada which delivered over a million dollars of humanitarian aid throughout Romania, Russia and Honduras between 1990 and 1998. In addition to her humanitarian work Sonya voluntarily assisted 350 families with the adoption of 500 children from Romania between 1990 and 1992. She worked with families in Canada and the USA and while in Romania she voluntarily assisted other families who needed help. Her first trip to Romania was in March of 1990 where she stayed for six weeks to open the doors for International Adoption. This was not an easy accomplishment as Romania did not actually have an adoption law until the summer of 1990. Through persistence and working with the authorities in Romania the doors were opened. Sonya spent 17 out of 24 months living in Bucharest, Romania helping families.

She then continued to open doors for international adoption for both Canadians and Americans to adopt from Moscow. Between 1992- 1996, she placed over 50 children with families throughout North America. She spent 14 out of 24 months living in Moscow doing this work.

Sonya Paterson appears in the following History television documentary. History Television Her work has been documented not only in Canada but internationally, with articles appearing in papers around the world.

The following links are to the entire History Television documentary on Romania and the orphans of Romania. Sonya's photo's and films of the orphanages and hospitals she visited in Romania are used extensively throughout this film. She is interviewed and appears in the segments below that state her


Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KT0wxO1wzM&feature=player_embedded

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yum-yi7cQQ&NR=1

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gScPkPwbU5U&NR=1 - I am in this segment.

Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VTtbbXtHjU&NR=1 - I am on this - also my husband and daughter at the airport

Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH5nAA0wBSw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - I am in this segment as well

Sonya has also appeared on numerous television and programs including Front Page Challenge, Canada AM and was featured on 20/20 "Shame of a Nation" in 1991.

In 2010 and 2011 through her work with IOSG monies were donated to orphans in India, Pakistan flood victims, Haiti and Kenya.

Sonya traveled to New Orleans in 2005 to volunteer to help the abandoned animals after Hurricane Katrina. Over 600 dogs were at the temporary shelter that she initially worked at.

November 1998 Sonya delivered 3 containers of Humanitarian Aid to Honduras after the devastating Hurricane Mitch left it's people homeless. Aftermath of Hurricane Mitch - Sonya Paterson's Fact-finding trip to Honduras following the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch posted to web site.

Organized the DreamSports Festival on Canada Day 2000. This brought the original Canadian Olympic Association Flag to Langley, BC. This flag was carried by over a dozen Olympic athletes around McLeod Athletic Park. 2000 Canadian flags were dropped from the sky by a helicopter.

Sonya Paterson was nominated for the Valley Women's Network Women of Excellence Award as "Women of the Year" for her humanitarian work helping Romanian and Russian Orphans and was the winner on another year for the Women of Excellence Award in the "Sports and Recreation" category.

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