A total of 15 individuals from Lethbridge were honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal at a ceremony at the Lethbridge Armoury on December 2, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

By Sarah Jones

Lethbridge residents honoured with Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medals

Dec 5, 2022 | 1:19 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – More than 7,000 Albertans are being recognized for their outstanding achievements with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

The commemorative medal highlights each individual’s hard work and dedication to their community, and also serves as a tangible way to honour the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as Queen of Canada.

In Lethbridge, dozens of people are being honoured in ceremonies throughout the city.

During National Volunteer Day on Monday, December 5, 2022, 19 people with United Way Lethbridge, Volunteer Lethbridge and YMCA of Lethbridge were presented with commemorative medals at the Lethbridge Multicultural Centre.

On National Volunteer Day, 19 indvidual’s were honoured with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal on December 5, 2022. (PHOTO: LNN)

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Danielle McIntyre, Executive Director at the Interfaith Food Bank, says she was elated to receive such an award along with peers and other volunteers in the community.

“It’s an honour to receive this award, especially being that it’s so connected to community service,” said McIntyre. “For myself, I really have to share the credit with all the staff and volunteers at the Interfaith Food Bank who allowed me to be recognized this way.”

On Friday, December 2, 2022, an additional 15 people from Lethbridge were honoured with a Platinum Jubilee Medal at a separate ceremony at the Lethbridge Vimy Ridge Armoury.

Dozens of community members gather to support the Platinum Jubilee recipients at the Lethbridge Armoury on December 2, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

Major Robert Mein, the master of ceremonies and Commanding Officer of the 20th Independent Field Battery, was honoured to host the event at the Lethbridge Vimy Ridge Armoury on Friday.

“It’s really neat to see that so many people from Lethbridge are so involved,” Mein said. “They’re the people who really make things work. You know, they say when you want to get something done, find a busy person. Well, we know where all the busy people are because they’re here today getting awards.”

At Friday’s event, the 15 recipients were each presented with a two-minute summary of their achievements and awarded a silver medal and certificate from Lethbridge-East MLA, Nathan Neudorf.

Neudorf noted during his opening remarks that the recipients lead rather than wait to be led, tackle challenges head on and see problems as opportunities instead of obstacles.

Volunteerism and work among the recipients includes assisting and remembering veterans, aiding refugees in finding asylum, helping house the vulnerable population and nourishing younger generations through food security programs.

“As you probably heard the testimonies from a number of these individuals, they’re just incredible individuals representing just a fraction of many other incredible individuals in Lethbridge,” said Neudorf.

“We have an incredible city. People serve one another and that’s what makes it such an honour to represent them, to do events for them,” he explained. “Even now they’re saying, ‘I don’t know if I deserve this medal.’ They do deserve this medal, because they just give, and they give and they just give some more.”

Despite the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September. 8, 2022, the Platinum Jubilee Medal program will continue until February 2023.

Over 7,000 Albertan’s are set to receive a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. (Photo: LNN, December 2, 2022)

Additional Lethbridge residents are set to be honoured in separate ceremonies.

The recipients from the two events mentioned in this article are listed below:

United Way Lethbridge and South Western Alberta:

• Adonus Arlett
• John Coombes (posthumous)
• Devon Hargreaves
• Anita Huchala
• Amanda Jensen
• Tina McAlisteer
• Michael Marcotte
• Aris Slingerland
• Ryan Wagner

Volunteer Lethbridge:

• Jerry Firth
• Larry Laverty
• Danielle McIntyre
• Diana Sim
• Sharon Yanicki

YMCA of Lethbridge:

• Erich Dyck
• Jerry Brown
• Tara Lennox
• Stephen Mogdan
• Dory Rossiter

Lethbridge Vimy Ridge Armoury event:

• Robert Byers
• Dennis Chinner
• Heidi Davis
• Michael Duffy
• Daniel Gosselin
• Paulos Gote
• Yoshitaka Kinjo
• Julie Kissick
• Glenn Miller
• Knud Petersen
• Raymond Romses
• Kenneth Taylor
• Jennifer Triblble
• Charles Weaselhead
• Doug Youngren

The Alberta Government says the full list of recipients will be released once the program concludes in 2023.

More information about the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal is available on the Alberta Government website.

Read more: Lethbridge News Now.