Alberta QEII Platinum Jubilee Medal Ceremony In Vermilion

Lee Cooper

Submitted

The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) was created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s Accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada.

To celebrate this historic event, the Medal program recognizes outstanding service from Albertans who, like The Queen, have dedicated themselves to family, community, and country.

7,000 Albertans in total will receive the medal, a figure based on the number of Albertans recognized in the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal and the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Medal Program.

Many discrete sectors within the province, e.g. health and emergency services, were allocated their own tranche of medals. Each sitting MLA was offered twenty medals to co-ordinate the awarding of within their own riding.

Calls for nominations went out locally via social media while the government of Alberta publicized the event provincially. Sadly, several worthy nominations had to be declined due to the twenty-medal limit.

On Saturday the 28th of January, at the Vermilion Royal Canadian Legion Branch, MLA Garth Rowswell presented the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) to sixteen Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright constituents nominated for the award.

MLA Rowswell said, “I was disappointed when the Federal government elected not to issue a medal to mark this remarkable and conspicuous 70th anniversary. I believed the issuing of medals provided a unique opportunity for Canada, through its Sovereign, to formally recognize the many unsung heroes and heroines who contribute so much to our communities. I considered this particularly important as we emerged from challenging years during which community life was disrupted.

My disappointment would have been made more poignant by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

Thankfully that disappointment was averted by Alberta, and many other provinces, striking their own medals. I was humbled when reading the testimonials sent in to support the nominations. The recurring characteristic in those testimonials was that of “Service before Self”, something the late Queen was herself the exemplar of.

Today I have the immense privilege and pleasure to present medals to sixteen people who, in the opinion of their peers, have made a significant contribution to our community.” wide version

Family members were invited to attend along with Mayors and Reeves of the communities from which the medal winners hail.

The ceremony was a dignified and enjoyable affair, and a moving tribute was paid to Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Those attending enjoyed a delicious beef supper. Garth would like to thank Bre and her staff at the Legion for their warm hospitality on the day.

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