Queen Elizabeth has been Queen for the entire life of Tumbler Ridge and then some. This year, in fact, marks 70 years since she took the throne. She is Canada’s longest reigning Sovereign and the first to celebrate a platinum jubilee.
To celebrate, there have been a series of initiatives to honour the Queen’s service and dedication to this country and celebrate Canadian achievements of the last seven decades.
One thing that is missing, however, is a national medallion program. After Ottawa opted out, certain provinces decided to run their own medallion programs.
Alberta, for instance, is awarding 7000 individuals for their contributions.
But British Columbia is not a part of that program, either, so Member of Parliament Bob Zimmer took it upon himself to get 70 medallions to award to members of the Prince George Peace River riding. “To honour this milestone, I asked local residents to nominate a first responder, veteran, volunteer, or someone who makes a positive impact in our community and deserves recognition.”
“The recipients of these 70 unique medallions represent what our region is all about. We care about our neighbours, friends, and community and we are always there for one another.”
On August 16, Zimmer presented medallions to 15 people at a ceremony at the Calvin Kruk Centre for the Arts in Dawson Creek. Amongst the award winners were three from Tumbler Ridge: TRSS Teacher Stacey Maitland, Tumbler Ridge Lion, Ranger, and Junior Ranger Leader Glenn Miller, and eternal volunteer Rose Snyder.
“It was an honour to present these medallions to so many deserving unsung heroes throughout the region and to see these leaders in our community get the recognition they so rightly deserve,” says Zimmer. “Congratulations once again to all recipients!”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
