Many congratulations to all the King Charles III Medal recipients, as well as to all those who were nominated for this distinguished honour. Though many deserving individuals were nominated, four were awarded the medal. In alphabetical order, these exceptional community members are Donna Barnett, Wilbur Saunders, Dale Taylor and Tammy Tugnum. Each has earned this prestigious medal and joins a select group of only 30,000 Canadians to have received this remarkable honour and certificate.
Donna Barnett is known for her years of dedicated volunteer work. Wilbur Saunders has probably picked up more trash in our community than anyone else in British Columbia. Tammy Tugnum has been a long-standing advocate for the Harvest Fair and the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Trust Foundation. Dale Taylor, as we all know, is the voice of the Cariboo, covering not only the Stampeders but also the Thunder Mountain Speedway and a variety of other community events. These individuals are true community champions, and I was extremely proud to present them with their medals.
Every individual nominated is a hero in our community. Their contributions have significantly improved the quality of life in our region, and we express our gratitude to all the volunteers across our riding. We do it often, but it’s never enough to fully appreciate the countless events organized daily by people like them, making our community such a wonderful place to live.
A special thanks to city councillor Joan Flaspohler and Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars for joining me in what was a very intimate and memorable ceremony. It was an incredible afternoon, and I am deeply honoured to serve as your MLA. I have never been more proud of our community
