Ike Barber was one of B.C.’s pre-eminent foresters, entrepreneurs and business leaders. He was also a generous benefactor who gave $900,000 to the University of Northern British Columbia to endow a forestry research chair and build a forestry laboratory, and $2.5 million to UBC to establish a diabetes research chair. Barber received the Forest Excellence Award in Communications for his book, The Working Forest. He also received the Distinguished Forester of the Year Award, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award to recognize the building of his company into one of North America’s most successful forest companies. In 2002, he was granted an honorary doctor of laws by the University of Northern British Columbia.