Locals acknowledged for their hard work making our community a better place
Last Friday, Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman MP James Bezan honoured local residents by presenting 18 local people with King Charles III Coronation Medals. The Coronation Medals commemorate His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation as King of Canada and are presented to people who have made a significant contribution to their communities.
“We have an opportunity, with the coronation of King Charles III, to recognize incredible Canadians for the contributions that they’re making to improve our communities, our province and our country,” said Bezan, opening the ceremony.
He explained that this is an opportunity for the unsung heroes in our communities to receive official recognition and that the last time such an opportunity existed was the Diamond Jubilee when official medals were presented.
This medal is an official state metal presented by the Governor General, and recipients are encouraged to wear it proudly at ceremonies, including Remembrance Day.
Alongside the medal, every recipient was presented with a Canadian Flag and an official certificate explaining the significance of this achievement and the honour it brings.
Bezan isn’t done spreading joy with these 18 people; he’ll be presenting another four awards over the next few weeks.
He was pleased to be able to recognize our local community residents for their work.
“What we have here is an amazing group of people that deserve recognition. There are so many others throughout the community that do as well. If you look at each and every one of these people, they’re surrounded by a team, and those teams are making a big difference in our lives. Whether it’s public safety, whether it’s in preserving our heritage, whether it’s serving us in so many different ways, philanthropy and volunteerism, places to have sports, get together, have fun and raise our families, and these things don’t happen by accident. It’s due to the dedication, the skill, and the passion of the people that we presented with medals today,” said Bezan.
The 18 recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medals from the Selkirk, Interlake and Eastman region as well as Winnipeg are:
David Thorne
Thorne has a history of volunteerism and dedicated service to the City of Selkirk. Thorne retired after 35 years of distinguished service in law enforcement. His bravery and commitment to justice and safety have made a real impact on countless lives. Retirement didn’t slow Thorne’s service to his community, however, as he was the president of the Selkirk Rotary Club and still volunteers for the group. He’s currently the chair of the Selkirk and District Community Foundation which coordinates grants for many deserving local groups and organizations.
Shelly Napier
Napier is the Managing Director of Napier Emergency Consultant, the chair of the Manitoba Disaster Management Conference and one of the founding members of the Manitoba Association of Emergency Management Coordinators. She has spent over three decades in emergency management. After 32 years, Napier retired from Manitoba Emergency Measures. She continues to teach and educate Manitoba communities, First Nations, businesses, and has worked internationally in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary and across Asia, educating governments and municipal officials on how to build emergency programs.
Denys Volkov
Volkov is a community advocate and has worked to actively defend Ukraine. He has organized fundraising campaigns in partnership with Ukraine War Amps to assist injured soldiers. He is also active in our Manitoba Arts and Culture scene on the board of Folklorama, the largest multicultural festival of its kind in the world. Volkov assisted in producing a documentary about the Great Famine in Ukraine of 1932/33 called the Holodomor, which was presented to the former President of Ukraine during his visit to Winnipeg. He often writes op-eds on the political, economic and social transformation in Ukraine that are often published in the Winnipeg Free Press and in the Ukrainian Winnipeg Magazine.
James Bradley Marr
Marr is the President of the Board of Directors of East Beaches Social Scene which prevents isolation of seniors, providing an opportunity for seniors to learn, socialize, develop new skills, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and aid in a working relationship with the community. One major project he worked on was creating the procedures manual for the closing, restricting activities and reopening of the facility due to COVID. He’s done a great amount of volunteering for them from maintenance work to setting up for activities. He’s also volunteered for local congregations and his efforts make an impact throughout the community of Victoria Beach.
Shaylene Nordal
Nordal is the general manager of the Marine Museum of Manitoba in Selkirk and has been for 30 years. She has been acknowledged in the Manitoba Legislature for her hard work preserving the marine history of our region. Her work has created a hands-on experience in visiting the Marine Museum of Manitoba. Patrons can step back in time as they board and explore and learn the nautical history of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg. Her dedication, vision, unbridled passion, and hard work preserves the nautical history of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg for all future generations to enjoy.
Tammi Kelly
Kelly has dedicated most of her adult life to serving others through her work and social services. She has had an incredible career in positions in daycare centers, youth care facilities, one-on-one homemaking services and services to senior support. She’s done volunteer work with Summer Winds Family Music Festival and Wayside Gospel Chapel. She is the program coordinator at East Beaches Social Scene in Victoria Beach and has done an amazing job inspiring seniors to reach their full potential. She organizes educational workshops, presentations, and recreational activities to encourage healthy and active lifestyles.
Simon Thomas
Thomas is from Stonewall and was acknowledged for his extensive volunteer work with Stonewall Emergency Measures, the Corrections Museum of Manitoba, the Stonewall Heritage Committee, the SouthWest Interlake Ducks Unlimited Canada Chapter, the Stonewall Christmas Parade, Quarry Days Parade, and Stonewall Children’s Centre. Along with Thomas’s intensive volunteer work, he made a significant contribution working at Stony Mountain Institution through the pandemic, including during the largest COVID outbreak in a Canadian prison during the pandemic.
Robin Chestnut
Chestnut is a three-time Canadian juggling champion who has been mesmerizing audiences for over 25 years with his top-notch entertainment engaging his spectators with a combination of juggling and comedy. He’s not only competed internationally but performed for significant audiences at the Pan-Am Games and Western Canada Summer Games. In addition to this significant achievement, he has had a vital impact as a volunteer fire firefighter in Teulon.
Constable Jared Keith Stewart
Stewart is a former Canadian Armed Forces Sergeant and is now with the RCMP. He was deployed to Afghanistan, and Ukraine, where he contributed to training, peacekeeping, and stability missions. He has continued his commitment to the service by volunteering with the Brandon Search and Rescue, where he committed to training fellow members to participate in searches for missing people throughout the province. In 2020 Jared relocated to the RM of Rockwood with his family. Recently, his quick action and training were put to the test, and in a critical instance where he provided life-saving first aid to a gunshot wound victim, applying pressure to the wound and remaining calm until paramedics arrived. His swift professional response is directly credited with saving that individual’s life.
Constable Trevor Joseph Bragnalo
Bragnalo is an 11-year member of the Winnipeg Police Service and has also served for five years with the RCMP. He has sought extra training and responsibilities in order to enhance his professionalism. He is a designated marksman providing extra protection to his fellow officers during high-risk events. He has also taken on the extra responsibility of training new recruits as a field training officer. In 2017, he and his partner displayed amazing courage while on duty, entering a burning building and saving multiple residents. As a result of his historic actions, he received a Chief of Police Commendation and the Governor General’s Award for Bravery.
Juliette Bergner
Bergner has more than 40 years of volunteer service, dedicated to supporting the comfort and welfare of patients, clients, residents, seniors, and persons with disabilities under her belt. Her passion is volunteering and helping those who need assistance, especially the elders of our communities. She is currently employed at Fieldstone Ventures Education and Training Centre in Ashern and she works with many organizations, non-profits to assist her clients in secure employment and training. Bergner is the recipient of the Community Service Award for work in bringing health-care training to the Interlake. She has also been part of the Air Cadet movement, both as a cadet instructor and a non-commissioned officer in Saskatchewan as well as having worked with our local cadets for years.
Patricia Eyolfson
Eyolfson is the founder of the Arborg and District Multicultural Heritage Village. She has established a volunteer base who are dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of the Arbor and Interlake region. Students and visitors from Manitoba and around the world experience the village’s Interpretive Center, depicting the past, present and future of rural Manitoba, especially in the farming community.
Desarae Bilinski
Bilinski is the Youth Programs Coordinator at Riverton & District Friendship Centre, National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) Aboriginal Youth Council President, and National Youth Representative to the NAFC Board. She has always advocated strongly to reduce the stigma around mental health, as she believes that is equally as important as physical health. Improving the lives of others has always been a top priority in her life, with a particular focus on youth involvement and engagement, she has been actively involved in the Friendship Center movement across Manitoba and across the country.
Grant Sigfusson
Lundar’s Grant Sigfusson is President of Grettir Co-operative and was the driving force behind the construction of Lundar’s New Arena. He successfully secured funding from all levels of government; federal, provincial, and municipal. The arena hosts numerous events such as hockey games, figure skating, carnivals, and is an entertainment venue for the Lundar Agricultural Fair. The Grettir Co-operative under Sigfusson’s leadership hosts Lundar’s legendary Lobsterfests.
Ernest Stefanson
Ernest Stefanson, along with his wife Claire, have made a substantial contribution to the Betel Heritage Foundation to build the Stefanson Hus Assisted Living residence in Gimli providing needed support for seniors to thrive and enjoy a vibrant and fulfilling lifestyle. By profession, Stefanson was a pharmacist originally working in Winnipeg before opening up his business in Gimli. He is a dedicated volunteer in the community. He’s past president, still serving on the Board of the Bettle Heritage Foundation, the Bettle Home Foundation and the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee for the RM of Gimli. Throughout the years, Stefanson has served on many boards, including the East Interlake Eastman Health Foundation.
Barbara Gluck
Gluck is known for her tireless efforts to preserve history and provide beauty to her community. She is a former chair of the Gimli Art Club and played a key role in the now popular tourist attraction, the Gimli Seawall. Gluck is president of the Gimli Glider Museum and is passionate about preserving the historic aviation incident that occurred when Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel on July 23, 1983, landing at the former Air Force Base in Gimli. Today, visitors from around the world tour the curated exhibits and personal stories of those involved in that aviation incident.
Lt. Col. Robert (Bobby) Wuskynyk
Wuskynyk is a current member of the armed forces. He is the Founder of Red Rose Ranch Veterans Horse Camp R3VHC which gives serving Military, First Responders, and Veterans the benefit of experiencing horsemanship as well as teaches them a new skill with amazing residual effects of stress-reduction, anxiety control, and goal setting. Red Rose Ranch Veterans Horse Camp is intended for military first responders and veterans, but also has a focus on connecting to the surrounding First Nation communities. The program uses a land-based approach and includes time around a fire with an Indigenous knowledge keeper.
Melanie Mackinnon
Mackinnon is a nationally recognized Indigenous nurse leader. Throughout her career, she has served in many district roles within the health sector. She is currently the head and executive director of the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. As a health-care executive and advocate, her work has informed regional and national policy shifts and generated new program mandates that look to improve and protect the health and well-being of the community she serves. She is a nurse who has provided frontline health care to First Nation communities for years. She is also a published author, and sought after national/international speaker on cultural safely, recruitment, and retention best practices, and organizational design.
