Fairest of Them All

Remember when pageants meant babes in bikinis who hoped one day to “help the less fortunate” and “make a difference”? Tara Teng, 20, of Fort Langley, has taught English in Guatemala, mentored inner-city children in Brooklyn, and worked with the homeless on the Downtown Eastside. She cofounded Undies For Africa (shipping undergarments to raise African women’s social status and reduce sexual assault). She’s talked at benefits for the International Justice Mission, marched in the Pride parade (despite being a straight, devout Christian), joined the Dalit Freedom Network (to protest the caste system in India), and spoken in Ottawa about human trafficking. She’s in her third year at Trinity Western University. “She’s an amazing ambassador for our province,” says Darren Storsley, who oversees the B.C. pageant, which Teng won before taking Miss Canada in January, “and now, for our country.”