Anna Hopkins moved to London with her husband Bill and their two sons in 1985 after living in Australia, Toronto and Mississauga. She quickly became involved in the community, serving as treasurer of Oak Park Pre-School (on a building committee to construct a not-for–profit daycare), as treasurer for the Byron Public School Home and School Association and the executive board of the London United Soccer Club.
As the children became older, she returned to the workforce as a legal secretary with family law firm Mamo and Associates, and Haskett Menear Associates. After the birth of her third son, she joined her husband’s business, Forest City Gas, Heating and Air Conditioning Company, for the next ten years. Later she worked as a fitness instructor in a small local gym, but then withdrew from the workforce temporarily to take care of her ailing father. Until becoming a Councillor, she worked at Featherfield’s, a local birdseed and gift shop.
In 1999, Anna joined the Urban League, working tirelessly with other members to ‘Save Reservoir Hill’. Through those efforts she became acutely aware of the planning process and the importance of understanding the impact of development on neighbourhoods. She has served as treasurer of the Urban League, worked with the London Advisory Committee on Heritage to erect a plaque on the Hill commemorating the 1812 skirmish there, and assisted with coordinating Civics 101, a series of lectures on civic participation. She helped arrange all-candidates’ meetings with ‘Women Our Votes Count’ and served on a committee for ‘The Amazing Tree Quest’.
Anna has traveled widely in North America and Europe but London is her home of choice. She loves to garden, to run with her dog Jackson at her side, to do yoga, to play tennis. She has participated in the annual Forest City 10K run for Thames Valley Children’s Centre for the past 28 years. She participates in the Byron Community Association.
Anna understands the importance of development to a city, both from the perspective of the developer and the resident: she has worked in real estate law and for an engineering and development firm; she lives in the shadow of a building grown too large. This understanding has been invaluable to building a city that we can all be proud of, a city that encourages development that respects its heritage, its neighbourhoods and the environment.
As the children became older, she returned to the workforce as a legal secretary with family law firm Mamo and Associates, and Haskett Menear Associates. After the birth of her third son, she joined her husband’s business, Forest City Gas, Heating and Air Conditioning Company, for the next ten years. Later she worked as a fitness instructor in a small local gym, but then withdrew from the workforce temporarily to take care of her ailing father. Until becoming a Councillor, she worked at Featherfield’s, a local birdseed and gift shop.
In 1999, Anna joined the Urban League, working tirelessly with other members to ‘Save Reservoir Hill’. Through those efforts she became acutely aware of the planning process and the importance of understanding the impact of development on neighbourhoods. She has served as treasurer of the Urban League, worked with the London Advisory Committee on Heritage to erect a plaque on the Hill commemorating the 1812 skirmish there, and assisted with coordinating Civics 101, a series of lectures on civic participation. She helped arrange all-candidates’ meetings with ‘Women Our Votes Count’ and served on a committee for ‘The Amazing Tree Quest’.
Anna has traveled widely in North America and Europe but London is her home of choice. She loves to garden, to run with her dog Jackson at her side, to do yoga, to play tennis. She has participated in the annual Forest City 10K run for Thames Valley Children’s Centre for the past 28 years. She participates in the Byron Community Association.
Anna understands the importance of development to a city, both from the perspective of the developer and the resident: she has worked in real estate law and for an engineering and development firm; she lives in the shadow of a building grown too large. This understanding has been invaluable to building a city that we can all be proud of, a city that encourages development that respects its heritage, its neighbourhoods and the environment.