Recipients honoured with King Charles III Coronation medals at Fort St. John Legion Branch

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — On Thursday, September 5th, recipients were honored at the Fort St. John Royal Canadian Legion Branch 102 for the 2024 King Charles III Coronation Medal Presentation.

Peace River North MLA Dan Davies presented the King Charles III Coronation medals to three recipients for their services to the community.

“I would like to thank each and everyone here today for recognizing some folks in our community within a region that have contributed so, so much,” said Davies. 

The three recipients were Margaret Little, Edward Stanford, and Connie Surerus.

“Thank you very much for this very humbling experience. I have never expected to receive something as special as this,” said Little. 

Stanford thanked the community, his friends, family, and many others in his acceptance speech. 

“I’d like to thank the Governor General for this award through His Royal Highness, the King, and I want to thank everybody in the room,” said Stanford. 

Surerus echoed the thanks of the other recipients while also acknowledging the North Peace Cultural Society, the Arts Council, and how much she loves living in the city. 

“I love living in Fort St John. I can’t think of living anywhere else, and I do a lot of traveling. I am just very deeply honored and deeply humbled to be receiving this award,” said Surerus.

The MLA also received a surprise after the presentation: His mentor, former Senator Richard Neufeld, presented Davies with his very own medal. 

“The people that have received these [medals] today certainly have been hard workers for this community. They’ve all contributed an awful lot, but so have you,” Neufeld said. 

After receiving his own medal, Davies said he was “speechless.”

The medals are awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada, a province, territory, region, or community or who have made an achievement abroad that brings honour to the country.