A member of the Strathmore 903 Air Cadets received the Lord Strathcona Medal at a recent parade ceremony.
The event took place at the Strathmore Ag Grounds on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and featured several drills before the cadets were presented with decorations and awards.
One of the 903's most decorated cadets, Connor Stuart-Berry, received the Lord Strathcona Medal during the festivities.
"Honestly, I didn't expect to really get it," said Stuart-Berry. "It's mostly just for being the most dedicated, having tons of leadership qualities, and overall being a good cadet."
Stuart-Berry has been in cadets for five years, starting during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Stuart-Berry, his first few years in the program were entirely virtual.
"When we got back in person there were 20 of us at most, so it was quite difficult getting people, but now we've got 50. I love having the new cadets."
Stuart-Berry is a Warrant Officer for the cadets and serves as an authority figure and role model to his peers.
"You're not going to be like the old military movies yelling at them that they're maggots and telling them to do pushups. You should never be doing that. You should be open but still be able to give those commands to make sure they know what they're supposed to be doing."
Stuart-Berry was also promoted as a level three marksman and received the long service medal bar for his half-a-decade with cadets.
Other cadets received marksman recognitions, including Corporal Isabelle Purdy, Flight Sergeant Brett Young, and Cadet Ewan Nauffts.
You can see more photos from the event below: