Five North Shore residents were among the 150 Canadians honoured by Gov. Gen. David Johnston on Friday, March 4 at UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
Johnston presented the following honours during two ceremonies: the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award, the Exemplary Service Medal, the Decoration for Bravery and the Meritorious Service Decoration.
At the event, three North Vancouver residents and one West Vancouver resident received Caring Canadian Awards, which recognize “living Canadians and permanent residents who have made a significant, sustained, unpaid contribution to their community, in Canada or abroad,” according to information provided by the Rideau Hall Press Office.
North Vancouver’s Don Evans received the award for his preservation and promotion of B.C.’s railway heritage since 1961 as a founding member of the West Coast Railway Association.
Also from North Vancouver, Beverly Lovell was recognized for providing opportunities for youth across North Vancouver through the Sea Cadet and Navy League Cadet programs for the past 15 years.
Another Caring Canadian Award went to North Vancouver’s David Pohl who, for the last eight years, has been president of the Pacific Parklands Foundation where he has worked to preserve and enhance Vancouver’s ecological spaces.
West Vancouver resident Jack Farley received an award for his dedication to B.C.’s history in sport. Farley is an honorary trustee and inductee with the BC Sports Hall of Fame and youth have the opportunity to become part of that history through the Jack Farley Youth Sports Achievement Awards.
In addition to the four Caring Canadian Awards handed out to North Shore residents, Johnston also presented an Exemplary Service Medal to North Vancouver's Kelly Alendal. Alendal, operations specialist at the Canadian Coast Guard, received the Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal in recognition of her 20 years of service to public safety in Canada.
