Residents in the southeast were presented with the King Charles III Coronation medal this past week, with Souris Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen presenting the awards.
The national honour is given to individuals who have made a significant impact on Canada, a province, territory, or community, or who have achieved something outstanding that brings credit to the country.
Medal recipients:
- Patricia Anderson (Carlyle)
- Alice Abrahamson (Moosomin)
- Ross Apperley (Carnduff)
- William Baryluk (Estevan)
- Peter Broccolo (Weyburn)
- Marie Donais Calder (Estevan)
- Donald Dechief (Estevan)
- Jennifer Elias-White (Weyburn)
- Jordan Ethier (Wawota)
- Debbie Hagel (Estevan)
- Patricia Jackson (Kipling)
- Robert Jordens (Weyburn)
- Troy LeBlanc (Estevan)
- Albert Petrash (Estevan)
- Peter Piper (Stoughton)
- Robert Rooks (Estevan)
- Mona Lynn Stender (Kipling)
- Dr. Edward Tsoi (Estevan)
- Kenneth Turner (Midale)
- Harold Whiteoak (Weyburn)
- John [Jack] Wilson (Carlyle)
Carnduff Mayor Ross Apperley, a recipient of the medal, said that the experience was humbling.
“I was raised that you don’t do things for recognition or awards,” he said.
Now in his second term as mayor, Apperley said he takes pride in his work within the town, the Southeast Medical Group, and the recreation department.
“I was raised to give back, to care about people, to do things for others and just do the right things that make your community better—not just for me or my family, but for everyone,” he said.
While honoured to serve as mayor, Apperley emphasized the vital role of volunteers in the community.
“Our community is made up of many volunteers,” he said. “You don’t have to be an elected official to have your voice heard or to give back.”
Before entering local politics, Apperley was involved with the recreation board, which oversaw the town’s sports and recreation facilities.
“You made decisions on rink upgrades, building ball facilities, and all that just carried into local politics,” he said.
Among the community’s recent milestones, Apperley highlighted the construction of a new K-12 school in Carnduff.
“For me, that was a first where we were actually physically involved in the design and the makeup of how our school was built and how it would look,” he said.
He also pointed to the new water plant and ongoing community development as key accomplishments.
“The most important asset, the most important involvement, is always the people,” he said. “There are so many volunteers who deserve this award, and for me to be selected is humbling, but it’s an honour to represent them as well.”
This marks the second time Apperley has been recognized for his contributions, having received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal about a decade ago.
“It’s a community thing, and it’s all about the people we work with every day,” he said. “We try to help everybody and to make our community better because we want people to come, and we want people to stay.”