“I just felt that, at my age . . . I wanted the satisfaction of knowing I did donate something— not a lot of money these days, but that I did something.”
-Jim Ashworth
Jim Ashworth passed away on September 23, 2025, at the age of 106 and left our Foundation and our community with an extraordinary legacy.
Born in Cranbrook in 1919, Jim moved to Invermere at the age of three. As a teenager, he worked for Parks Canada and spent a summer watching for forest fires from a lookout on Mount Swansea.
Jim joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1941 where he distinguished himself as a member of the Allied forces in the Second World War. Jim served during the Burma campaign and was awarded a Burma Star for his efforts.
At the conclusion of the war, Jim continued to serve in the RCAF, working at NORAD and as the Commanding Officer at the Tofino Radar Station.
After his career in the military ended in 1966, Jim returned to the Columbia Valley with his new wife, Gaetane. Their daughter Valerie was born the following year. The family resided in Fairmont Hot Springs and operated the Hoodoos Resort and Cabins. In 2005, Jim and Gaetane donated their Hoodoos property to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jim heard about two other Burma Star recipients who had found new opportunities to contribute to their communities. These two other recipients (who lived in Victoria and England) had organized fundraiser walks to fundraise money to be donated to causes they cared about.
This inspired Jim, who was looking for a new and impactful way to leave a legacy. So, at the age of 101, Jim walked an astounding 101 blocks to raise money to support the Columbia Valley Food Bank. These funds were endowed in Columbia Valley Food Bank -Jim Ashworth Fund. and the fund’s income is distributed to the Food Bank annually. These distributions will continue in perpetuity.
After Gaetane passed away, Jim was moved to donate $150,000 to establish the Jim & Gaetane Ashworth Community Fund in her memory in 2022. This fund is a major source of the support available through the Foundation’s Community Grants program. In its short history, the fund has supported projects undertaken by Special Olympics Columbia Valley, Invermere Public Library, Columbia Valley Search and Rescue, Invermere Film Festival, School District, Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society and Valley Fitness Society.
Jim’s dedication to the community stands out not only for his remarkable generosity, but for the way he truly embodied his RCAF squadron’s motto — “Deeds, not words”.
He will be deeply missed.
To contribute to one of the funds that Jim established, please use the buttons below.
