Mission Indo-Canadians Get Their Queen’s Diamond Jubliee Medals
By Ken Herar
MISSION – Eleven Mission and one Maple Ridge resident, including two Indo-Canadians, were presented the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals recently by Pitt Meadow-Maple Ridge- Mission Member of Parliament Randy Kamp at the Cedarbrooke Chateau in Mission.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
The following names were called to receive their medals: Dr. Marco Terwiel from Maple Ridge, Claire Clemo, Amanda Peebles, Leslie Reed, Sgt. Bob Reed, Dave Bryant, Don Lobb, Cal Crawford, Ken Herar, Vir Singh Pannu and Sherry Edmunds-Flett were all recognized for their service to Mission. Recipient Fred Clarke of Mission was absent from the event.
“All of the recipients have stood out … as great examples of dedication and service to others. By their consistent commitment to the community, these recipients have made their community a better place to live,” said a press release from Kamp’s office.
Edmunds-Flett said, “ I feel humbled to receive the medal. Glen and I are proud of the contributions that the LINC Society has made and of the community we live in that allows us to do so. The medal to me reflects the diversity that makes me proud to be a Canadian.”
Dr. Terwiel said, “ I work to my best of my ability both for individual patients and health care to improve both. It is a good feeling when others appreciate your efforts to create a better society. All the recipients have this particular approach to life.”
“Myself, I am definitely humbled to receive this recognition. It caught me totally off guard when I received the phone call a few weeks ago,” said LINK columnist and community activist Ken Herar.
“My involvement and efforts have never been about medals or awards. I have always enjoyed working with people towards the common good of our community and nation. Life is about choices and what we choose to represent and the legacy we leave behind. Cultural diversity is Canada’s greatest strength and it’s not only celebrating differences; it’s actually about building relationships and that should remain our primary focus. I have met some inspiring people like Cycling4Diversity Co-founder and Executive Coordinator Sarina Di Martino Derksen who have remained passionate about this initiative and it’s with individuals like her that real and longterm differences can become a reality. There is a lifetime responsibility that comes with this recognition and is something that I am committed too I jotted a few lines down before the ceremony and here is what I wrote to share. “Life is about opportunities and sometime it’s in the hands of someone that can open or close it. I encourage everyone here to be that window of opportunity because sometimes that’s all it takes in making a difference.”
