Maurine Karagianis

The Place to Bee When Maurine Karagianis decided to start beekeeping as a retirement hobby, she soon found out how involved it was, from feeding the bees to watching for diseases to collecting the seemingly endless amounts of honey. It’s a true science and a lot of work, but the rewards from tending to the three hives in her Esquimalt backyard are worth it. “It’s been very gratifying to raise bees and have them propagate year after year,” says Maurine. “My neighbors have noticed that we have more fruit and flowers. We have happy gardens.”

Maurine is no stranger to hard work, as an entrepreneur and an elected official in municipal and provincial politics for over two decades. She’s also served on several non-profit boards, including her current role as Knowledge Network Board Chair. She first became a fan of Knowledge when she was working long hours in politics; after a demanding day she found herself turning to the network more and more often. “Whatever was on would be so interesting, so informative. And I loved the children’s programming for my grandkids,” she says. “Knowledge never panders to its audience. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve gone away and done research because Knowledge pushed me. I think everyone needs to be exposed to that. And everyone can because it’s so accessible.”

As part of our Leadership Circle of donors, Maurine likes the fact that her donation is helping to ensure that people across the province can continue to watch and learn and enjoy Knowledge programs. “It’s a pleasure to support Knowledge. Somehow it doesn’t feel like charitable giving; it just feels like I’m paying my way for something I really love.”