Calgary changemaker Ken Lima-Coelho: Leading the charge for Big Brother Big Sisters
Ken Lima-Coelho has a powerful voice and he knows how to use it — whether it's through his work as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Calgary and Area, volunteering at the Calgary Foundation or singing in the four-man a cappella group, the Heebee-jeebees.
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Through his diverse career — from media and museum work to recreation, non-profits and mentorship — his focus has always been on 'community building, and connecting people and trying to do social good,' Lima-Coelho said.
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'Those have been the hallmarks of my time.'
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He was the recipient of the City of Calgary's Community Advocate award for an individual in 2019, and the Queen Elizabeth 2 Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022. Using his voice to ask questions and to connect people has been key to his success, whether it's in his professional life or his volunteer work — even on social media.
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'I have this silly little experiment that I've been doing — it's called the daily distraction,' he said. Every day on Facebook, he asks a question. Sometimes it's lighthearted, ('Tell me about your slippers'), and sometimes more profound ('How are you really doing today?').
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'I started it on March 16, 2020, when we were all locked in our houses,' during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. 'I thought, well, I don't know how long we're going to be in here, so how are we going to create some community?'
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Five years later, the daily distraction is still going strong — and, despite differences of opinion, it's brought people together.
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'We've created this little community,' Lima-Coelho said. 'It's safe. Nobody's attacking each other.'
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Brianne Oliver, chair of the BBBS national board of directors, says Lima-Coelho has become well known in the city through his myriad endeavours.
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'Ken is somebody everybody in Calgary seems to know. He's our Kevin Bacon,' said Oliver. 'He creates authentic relationships across such a wide range of the Calgary community . . . People really feel connected to Ken.'
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