King Charles medals given

A handful of Kamloops-area residents have been honoured by local MLAs with the prestigious King Charles III Coronation medals.

The medal was created to mark the coronation of the new king, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation and is being awarded to individuals all over the Commonwealth who have made a significant contribution to their community or attained an outstanding achievement abroad.

Earler this month Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar awarded one of the medals to Kamloops Foodbank President Bernadette Siracky, while Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone honoured TNRD Area L (Grasslands) director Doug Haughton and Kamloops Centre for Seniors director Brenda Prevost.

Haughton is well known for his advocacy for rural residents and Prevost for her work for seniors, while Siracky is at the forefront of aiding the community's vulnerable population.

Earlier this summer, Stone awarded the medal to Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine and retired Canadian Forces soldier Roland Phillips, while Milobar recognized Barriere’s Bill Kershaw and Blue RIver’s Stephen Quinn.

Raine’s career began as a ski coach and he was instrumental in resort development of Whistler and later Sun Peaks, while Phillips is a lifelong legionnaire, served on several peacekeeping missions and coached youth hockey.

Kershaw was a TNRD electoral area director for more than 20 years and currently sits on the boards for Community Futures, Oncore Seniors Society and is president of his district Chamber of Commerce.

Quinn served numerous terms as TNRD director and ran the Blue River Environment Canada weather station for several years.

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo also presented one of the medals to John Kuharski, a 104-year-old D-Day veteran who lives in Kamloops.