Image: Marcel Faucheret via YouTube / Chilliwack resident Ross Aikenhead.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Community champion

Chilliwack resident known for multiple cleanups to receive foundation’s Community Hero Award

Nov 22, 2025 | 3:08 PM

CHILLIWACK — Synonymous with multiple cleanup efforts in the Chilliwack River Valley and BC Rivers Days, Sardis resident Ross Aikenhead will receive a little recognition for his years of giving back to the community.

Streams Canada Foundation, a Chilliwack-based non-profit, says it is excited to award Ross Aikenhead (known as Nikita Aikenhead on Facebook) for his decades of volunteer service toward keeping the community clean and beautiful.

Aikenhead will receive the Streams Community Hero Award.

“Ross has led and participated in countless cleanup projects across Chilliwack, inspiring so many of us along the way,” Streams Canada wrote.

The award will be presented by Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove on Saturday December 6 at 11 a.m. at the Sardis Library.

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“Join us as we come together to appreciate and celebrate our Community Hero,” Streams said. “Let’s show Ross our gratitude for the difference he continues to make in Chilliwack!”

For his part, Aikenhead says he’s just trying to help out where there’s a need.

“From my perspective, I don’t think I’m doing anything special. I’m just fulfilling a need for the environment,” Aikenhead told Fraser Valley Today.

Just this past week, Aikenhead was one of four individuals who worked to remove over 1.4 metric tonnes of rubbish and materials from an abandoned homeless camp in the Chilliwack River Valley where three burnt vehicles sat.

Image: Contributed / Ross Aikenhead (centre) is pictured during a cleanup effort this past week in the Chilliwack River Valley.

He used the proceeds from the metal he and others collected to support the FCM Community Cat Trappers, a community program that supports barn and feral cats in the Chilliwack area.

“I don’t particularly like being the center of attention, but I do appreciate that people like what I do,” Aikenhead said.

Aikenhead has meticulously tracked the location of multiple homeless camps in the Chilliwack River Valley so that volunteers can mobilize to clean them up once they’re abandoned or vacated, since occupied encampments are usually off limits.

He’s been involved with the Fraser Valley Illegal Dumping Alliance and the Chilliwack/Vedder River Cleanup Society. No matter the organization, Aikenhead continues to participate in area cleanups.