A local volunteer who helped shape Vernon’s Winter Carnival
The Vernon community is remembering June Rigby, a volunteer who dedicated decades to the Vernon Winter Carnival and to the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band. According to the carnival’s Facebook page, Rigby peacefully passed away Aug. 8. Her commitment and service to the festival and its traditions were described as central to the carnival’s character and continuity.
Rigby’s involvement with the carnival spanned 37 years, during which she worked in the carnival office, attended meetings and events, and took on the many tasks that happen behind the scenes to get the festival ready each year. The post noted the personal connections she fostered and the influence she had on generations of families who have come to expect the carnival’s familiar traditions.
- 37 years volunteering with Vernon Winter Carnival
- Recipient of the Order of Jopo in 1990
- Longtime director and former member of the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band
Rigby was honoured with the carnival’s Order of Jopo in 1990, an award recognised within the festival as a meaningful acknowledgement of outstanding service and commitment. Her work with the Trumpet Band began as a member and continued when she took on the role of director, following her father’s footsteps and helping to sustain the band’s traditions and the sisterhood it cultivated.
“Her 37 years with Vernon Winter Carnival represent countless hours of volunteer service, thousands of memories, friendships forged, and an enduring commitment to the community she loved.”
The post from the carnival emphasised Rigby’s presence not only at public events but in the steady, less-visible labour that makes a community festival possible. That behind-the-scenes work — from office duties to organising logistics and supporting volunteers — is often what preserves annual events and allows them to remain consistent year after year.
Local consequences and community memory
For many in Vernon, the Winter Carnival is more than entertainment; it is a ritual that marks the seasons and ties families to shared memories. Losing a volunteer of Rigby’s tenure has practical and emotional consequences. Practically, it means the carnival organisation will need to fill roles that relied on her experience and institutional knowledge. Emotionally, it leaves a gap for those who grew up with the Trumpet Band and for volunteers who collaborated with her.
Those who participated in the band or served alongside Rigby will likely recall the mentorship many long-serving volunteers provide: recruiting new members, teaching traditions, and ensuring events run smoothly. Rigby’s dual role as a former band member and as director underscores the intergenerational nature of these volunteer roles, where knowledge and responsibility are passed along through families and close-knit groups.
The carnival’s statement concluded by noting that Rigby’s influence will continue to be felt in the traditions she helped to build and in the community she served. It said Rigby would be deeply missed by family, friends, her Trumpet Band family and her carnival family.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Years of service | 37 |
| Honour | Order of Jopo (1990) |
| Date of passing | Aug. 8 |
As the community reflects on Rigby’s decades of work, the focus for many will be on carrying forward the traditions and volunteer spirit she championed. The Vernon Winter Carnival has publicly acknowledged her service and the many friendships and memories she helped create, pledging that her spirit will live on in the festival’s customs.
Further details about memorials or tributes were not included in the carnival’s notice. Residents connected to the Winter Carnival and the Trumpet Band will likely share remembrances and continue to honour the legacy of a volunteer whose work became woven into Vernon’s community life.
