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"It fills my soul to be in a barn, to smell the horses and to shovel the hay," she maintains. The work comes natu- rally to Praill. Her first job was selling fish and chips at the race track, dating back to before Interac and tap was a thing. She loved it—especially when lucky patrons left a good tip. By 15, Praill was working on the backstretch, grooming and walking horses. She claims to have al- ways felt the call to serve. After studying criminol- ogy at SFU, Praill spent 10 years at United Way B.C. focused on community de- velopment in the areas of urgent response, children, youth, seniors, poverty, food security and mental health. When she joined Canuck Place as chief development officer in 2013, Praill took over two of the organization's most important files: government relations and fundraising. Praill's drive set the stage for her to take over as CEO in 2021, the same way that her inherent pull toward horses paved the way for her to serve on the board of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protec- tive Association of B.C.—a Vancouver organization that represents licensed thoroughbred owners and trainers in the province, advocating for horse wel- fare, track conditions and more. Until recently, Praill was also on the board of New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society, a Lang- ley charity that retrains racehorses and connects them with new owners to ensure that they have a ca- reer beyond the races. "Horses can live to be up to 30 years old," Praill says. "They give their all, in terms of training and running, and I think it's incumbent on the owners and the trainers to gradu- ate these horses onto their next lives." Retired racehorses often become jumpers, trail riders or even track ponies, which is what one of Praill's own beloved horses is now being transi- tioned into. In his heyday, Square Dancer won many big-stake races and was named horse of the year by Hastings Racecourse in 2015. "The trophy was crazy; it was like the size of the Stanley Cup!" Praill says with a laugh. Praill's way of invest- ing in communities is by working with (and for) children and horses. Staying true to her com- mitment to being present, she commutes from Co- quitlam to Canuck Place's Abbotsford and Vancou- ver locations as much as possible: "When I think about our nursing team and our counsellors that are face-to-face with chil- dren and families who are experiencing loss, I think it's important to be on-site to support our team." £ A F T E R HO U R S MONSTER MASH If you want to get loud, there's really nothing like Monster Jam, North America's preeminent monster truck festival. Trucks with names like Bad Company, El Toro Loco and Just Get Er Done will be rolling into Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum for three days starting March 17. Brandon Vinson is currently the Monster Jam title holder and his Grave Digger truck is gaining all sorts of notoriety around the continent. Little ones are welcome, of course, but ear plugs are very much recommended. monsterjam.com for more information. QUEBEC IN COQUITLAM Coquitlam's Festival du Bois was founded in 1989 and it's still going strong. The celebration of all things Francophone is back for another year in Mackin Park from March 24 to 26. Visitors can expect music, dancing, special performances for kids and families and workshops. Acts set to take the stage include traditional Quebecois artists Les Grands Hurleurs and Senegalese soul rocker Élage Diouf. There's also a Métis village that will highlight the peoples' rich history, traditions and culture. And, yes, there will be poutine. festivaldubois.ca for more information. £ 58 BCBUSINESS.CA MARCH/APRIL 2023 Like us on Facebook @WESTERNLIVING MAGAZINE Follow us on Instagram @WESTERNLIVING Visit us at WESTERN LIVING.CA