“Blane and Henny exemplify the very best of community building,” says Pam Robertson, Board Chair of the Gibsons Community Building Society. “For more than fifty years, they have demonstrated how business success can be transformed into community impact. Their unwavering commitment, generosity, and leadership have left an enduring mark on the Sunshine Coast, and we are honoured to celebrate their remarkable legacy.”
The foundation of their partnership began at SuperValu in Kitimat before Blane’s career brought them south to Powell River and eventually to the Sunshine Coast. In 1974, Blane became a partner at SuperValu Gibsons, eventually taking full ownership with Henny and relocating and expanding the store. As local employers, they prioritized profit-sharing and paying fair wages. Their business served as a launchpad for community generosity, which included sponsoring the historic 1970s Dogfish Derby, cooking graduation dinners for local youth, and pioneering the grocery receipt donation program that was later adopted across the region to support churches, schools, and food banks.
The Hagedorns have also left an impactful volunteer and philanthropic legacy. Blane successfully chaired the Gibsons Pool Committee in the 1980s, raising vital funds to repair the community pool, and advised Council on the ideal placement for the current Community Centre and Ice Rink. A founding member of Gibsons Rotary (1990) and a Paul Harris Fellow, Blane is extremely proud that Rotary’s fundraising efforts helped secure the new wing of the Sechelt Hospital. In 2003, he became a founding director of the Sunshine Coast Foundation, where he and Henny established an endowment fund dedicated to local health and wellness.
Their environmental and social contributions also include launching the Sunshine Coast’s first recycling depot in 1988 and developing the Parkland ‘Living Green’ subdivision to address the need for walkable, accessible housing. In 1997, they provided critical logistics, a support vessel, and daily meals for the six-week Vision Quest ‘Grandfather Journey’ canoe voyage to promote reconciliation and support recovery centers. Most recently, the Hagedorn family stepped up to fund additional stadium seating at the Gibsons Community Centre to support the arrival of Junior Hockey on the Coast.
