A King Charles III Coronation Medal Ceremony was held in Morden yesterday to recognize the service and dedication of Morden Police Chief Brad Neduzak and Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson.
Hosted by MLA Carrie Hiebert, who also served as the nominator for both recipients and instigator for the event to be held locally, in Morden. Most coronation medal ceremonies are held in Winnipeg and typically allow recipients to bring only one guest. Hiebert made special arrangements for the ceremony to take place locally in Morden.
This allowed Chief Neduzak and Lieutenant Colonel Wilson to be surrounded by close friends and family for the occasion.
And the award goes to...
For Neduzak, the medal is an honour, but he doesn’t do what he does for the recognition.
“When you are able to serve a community and the people in it, and especially in a smaller community I think it just means so much more. There's just that close connection with everybody individually. Some may not like that, but I think it’s very rewarding.”
LTC and teacher Mark Wilson called the honour a “huge privilege.” When asked about the impact made and fostering strong relationships with students, LTC and teacher Mark Wilson shared where his philosophy stems from—a sense of duty.
“It's a huge privilege to be in classroom with students... I always enjoy it when they get to about grade 11, and you can start to see them thinking independently. You hope to instill in them a desire to serve in the community. Not necessarily the forces, but the community.”
The recognition
Morden Mayor Nancy Penner shared her excitement about the ceremony being held in Morden, saying, “Normally if this happens at the Legislature they’re only allowed one guest, and to have it in our own community, where so many family and friends can participate—it was such special moment.”
Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt was in attendance to support his colleague as well, and shared that Neduzak’s work was one of the reasons their departments have the current working relationship that they do.
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“It's a big accomplishment for Brad and I wanted to come and show my support... we’ve worked together for so many years,” he said, “Both our police services work together so well. Every part of it.”
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was established to mark the coronation of King Charles in 2023 and is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and to Canada.