21 people honoured by Province for providing extraordinary community service

TWENTY-ONE people throughout B.C. are being honoured with the Medal of Good Citizenship (MGC) for extraordinary contributions to community life.

The medal recognizes people’s generosity, service and acts of selflessness in their local areas.

“Each one of these medal recipients has made their community a better place,” said Premier David Eby on Wednesday. “They have shown kindness and generosity while making sacrifices for the benefit of others. Their contributions serve as a reminder to all of what we can do in ways large and small to improve life for everyone.”

Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and chair of the MGC selection committee, said: “It’s an honour to recognize these unsung heroes in our communities. These people have gone out of their way to show kindness and help those in need, solely motivated by their desire to make life better for others. I extend my sincere appreciation to all of them for taking care of people and their communities.”

The 2023 MGC recipients are:

* Ruth Billmann, Cranbrook

* Joyce Bueckert, 100 Mile House

* Tim Cormode, Victoria

* Brian DeBeck, Vancouver

* Vishad Deeplaul, Coquitlam

* Vivian Edwards, Ashcroft

* Gail Elder, Winlaw

* Craig Evans, Nanaimo (posthumous appointment)

* Madison Fleischer, Surrey

* Spring Hawes, Kelowna

* Brian Ironmonger, Elko (posthumous appointment)

* Mohammad Aminul Islam, Surrey

* Talia Lorincz, Vancouver

* Navjit Moore, Burnaby

* Johannes Mulder, Hope

* David Reid, Squamish (posthumous appointment)

* Jim Sawada, Nelson

* Rhoda Taylor, Duncan

* Andrew Tom, Smithers

* Ricky Tsang, Vancouver

* Parminder Virk, Saanich

BC Medal Good Citizenship Recipient Bios_2023

Medal presentation ceremonies will be hosted throughout the province in early 2024.

Nominations for the MGC are accepted year round. Nominations for the 2024 cycle must be received by April 5. Any current or former long-term resident of B.C. is eligible to be nominated. Youth and posthumous nominations are welcome.

 

Learn More:

To read the biographies of the 2023 medal recipients, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BC_MedalGoodCitizenship_Recipient_Bios_2023_cc-pjh_IGRS-FINAL.pdf

For information about the Medal of Good Citizenship, including how to nominate someone in your community, visit: https://www.gov.bc.ca/medalofgoodcitizenship