Actor, writer and producer named October’s Co-op Community Champion

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local actor, writer, producer and theatre advocate has been named October’s Co-op Community Champion.

Though Taylor Hastings has only lived in Fort St. John for about three years, she has quickly become a key part of the city’s thriving arts community, both onstage and behind the scenes.

“It’s so nice and honestly made my day,” Hastings said on receiving the honour. “It was very surprising, a huge uplifting feeling, especially not having been here for terribly long.”

Originally from Vancouver, Hastings moved to Fort St. John with her husband and their newborn son to look for a more affordable place to raise a family while staying connected to her acting career.

“We came up here because we had our first baby, and I realized I just really wanted to be at home with him,” she said. “We couldn’t afford to do that in Vancouver, and my husband is from here. So we decided to come back where it’s a little bit more affordable and where we had some family support.”

Since moving to Fort St. John, Hastings has immersed herself in the local theatre scene. She began by teaching on-camera acting classes and soon joined the Theatre BC board, where she now serves as vice president.

One of her biggest contributions to the theatre community has been co-writing and producing two original Hallmark parody musicals, Peace Country Christmas and Peace Country Harvest, both set in Fort St. John.

“We thought it would be fun to parody a Hallmark movie if it took place in Fort St. John,” said Hastings, who has acted in many Hallmark Christmas movies herself. 

“It had a lot of local inside jokes, featured local businesses and even had cameos of people playing Naomi Shore and Brian Surerus. We were kind of surprised by the reception, which was very positive.”

The reception was so positive for the initial Christmas show, Hastings said many people asked for it to be an annual event. This year’s fall-themed musical, Peace Country Harvest, opened at the North Peace Cultural Centre (NPCC) on October 24th.

Further performances are scheduled for October 30th, 31st and November 1st at the NPCC, all starting at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a 2 p.m. performance on November 1st.

Hastings’ nomination letter described her as someone who “has already made an incredible impact on the theatre community,” noting her commitment to running workshops, volunteering and fostering local talent.

Hastings says the level of talent and dedication she’s seen in Fort St. John continues to impress her.

“There’s a shocking amount of amazing talent here,” she said. “We’ve had enough incredible people to fill two musicals each year, with different people taking on lead roles.”

She added that the recognition of being Co-op Community Champion is an honour, which she credits to the supportive arts community around her.

“I’m very grateful to the people in the theatre community, and to the people who come out to support local productions,” Hastings said. “It’s nice that we can have such a lively art scene in an unexpected place.”

The Co-op Community Champion program recognizes individuals in Fort St. John who make meaningful contributions to their community.

Congratulations to Taylor Hastings, October’s Co-op Community Champion. Each month, the winner is featured on Energeticcity.ca and receives up to $100 in vouchers from the Co-op.

Anyone looking to nominate a community-minded person who deserves recognition can do so here.