Eight members of the English-speaking community of Quebec City were presented with King Charles III Coronation Medals by Lt.-Gov. Manon Jeannotte during a ceremony held at her office on Dec. 12.

The King Charles III Coronation Medal is a commemorative distinction awarded to Canadians who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to the well-being of Canadian society.

As explained during the ceremony, the presentation of this medal “aims to recognize the exceptional contributions of these individuals, many of whom work behind the scenes, making a significant impact on their community, their province, and sometimes even nationally and internationally.”

The recipients of medals were: the late Elizabeth “Beth” Clibbon, whose son Peter accepted the medal on her behalf; Richard Walling, executive director of Jeffery Hale Community Partners; Barbara Bignell; Patricia Donovan Lemieux; Louis Hanrahan, for- mer director general of Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s Home; Lucie Lachance; Michael Boden, executive director of the Foundations Office (Jeffery Hale Foundation, Citadel Foundation and Saint Brigid’s Home Foundation); and David Mendel, well-known tour guide and art and architecture historian who also serves on the board of directors of several organizations including the Jeffery Hale Foundation and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Recipients told the QCT they were “proud and honoured” to have been considered to receive the medal.

The King Charles III Coronation Medal bears the effigy of the monarch and his royal monogram and is attached to a dark blue, bright red and white ribbon, identical to that used for Coronation Medals in the United Kingdom since King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902.

Later in the evening, Jeannotte presented medals to 57 more people during a ceremony held at Cégep Garneau.

During an exclusive interview with the QCT, Jeannotte explained how recipients are selected. “We work with some 96 scouts across Quebec to find good candidates. We wanted to honour the people ‘in the shadows’ which is why we asked scouts to identify them. We will give 1,309 medals to other people, pro-rata (in equal proportions) to people in towns and cities in all regions of Quebec during the next few months. We started in November and hope to finish in January. I have given about 500 altogether, so far. It’s an honour for me to give the medal to people who deserve it because they work very hard. It’s a way to thank them for the things they did and continue to do.”