The Annual Commonwealth Awards for Honour and Rescue bring together family, friends, dignitaries and the Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon to formally recognize the dedicated efforts of dedicated volunteers and the heroic acts of those who save lives on the water.
The Honour awards commend the dedicated efforts of the Lifesaving Society’s volunteers with presentations based on years of service. All Commonwealth awards are highly regarded by the Society. They are approved by the Royal Life Saving Society (founding Branch of the Society) located in England and signed by Prince Michael of Kent, the Commonwealth President of the Royal Life Saving Society.
The Rescue Awards continue the celebration by rewarding people for unselfishness in putting their lives on the line during a water rescue. The nominations may be from rescues reported in the media, individual recommendations and/or police reports.
Honour Awards
- Certificate of Thanks For short term contributions or up to 2 years of active service
- Service Commendation Minimum 2 years of active service
- Service Medal Minimum 4 years of active service
- Bar to Service Medal Minimum 8 years of active service
- Service Cross Minimum 12 years of active service
- Bar to Service Cross Minimum 16 years of active service
- Commonwealth Honorary Life Member Minimum 24 years of active service
- Commonwealth Honorary Life Governor Minimum 28 years of active service
- Commonwealth Vice President Minimum 32 years of active service
2024
• Certificate of Thanks – Ruth Depew
• Service Medal – Judi Ambrozaitis-Torrao, Michelle Wilcox
• Bar to Service Medal – Peter Fox
• Service Cross – Christopher Cordova
• Honourary Life Member – Sheila Polard
• President’s Plaque – Paula Thulin
2023
• Bar to Service Medal – Krista Mueller
• Service Cross – Lauralee March
• Honourary Life Governor – Ron Aubrey, Tony Toriglia
• President’s Plaque – Nancy Liddell
2022
• Certificate of Thanks – Leah Bertrand, Andrea Campbell, Megan Pilla, David Russell, Elisabeth Tanner, Bethany Worthington, Karen Zaidan
• President’s Plaque – Denise Yoreff
2021
• Service Medal – Louise Bishoff, Veronica Grusnick, Emma Jacobsen, Julie Kaufman, Kyle Kronebusch
• Bar To Service Medal – Alyson Dewey, Heidi Ogilvie, Melina Sweezey, Kim Townschon, Tia Town-Schon
• Service Cross – Jeffrey Holland
• Bar To Service Cross – Lori-Ann Drew, Graham Esplen, Len Manuel, Sheila Polard
• President’s Plaque – Chris Cordova
• Benefactor’s Award – DB Perks & Associates, YVR For Kids Foundation
2020
• Certificate of Thanks – Daniel Burgi, Anita Chevalier, Nicole Harrison, Riley Huntley, Sasha Maleki, Ryan Scorgie, Trevor Sproule, Cameron Stockdale
• Service Medal – Peter Fox, John MacRitchie
• Bar to Service Medal – Chris Cordova
• Bar to Service Cross – Jim Davies
• Honourary Life Member – Ron Aubrey
• President’s Plaque – Kyle Kronebusch
2019
• Service Medal – Louise Bishoff, Veronica Grusnick, Emma Jacobsen, Julie Kaufman, Kyle Kronebusch
• Bar to Service Medal – Alyson Dewey, Heidi Ogilvie, Melina Sweezey, Kim TownSchon, Tia Town-Schon
• Service Cross – Jeffery Holland
• Bar to Service Cross – Lori-Ann Drew, Graham Esplen, Len Manuel, Lori-Ann Drew, Sheila Pollard
• President’s Plaque Chris Cordova
2018
• Certificate of Thanks – Louise Bishoff, Melissa Gillespie, Veronica Grusnick, Emma Jacobsen, Julie Kaufman, Kyle Kronebusch, Andrew Mudiappu, Stefanie Panesar, Rebecca Tomlin
• Service Medal – Elaine Leong, Gordon Macdonnell, Krista Sabatino
• Bar to Service Medal – Lauralee March, Michael Miller, Dan Minster
• Bar to Service Cross – Karen Hillmann
• President’s Plaque – Stefanie Panesar
• Lifesaving Society Canada National President’s Award – Brooke Cherfils, Betty Chuck, Krystyna Domes, Dale Miller, Stephanie Joh, Áine Plunkett, Cheryl Sibany, Emily Witter
• Retirement Award Glenn Schultz
2017
• Certificate of Thanks – Paul Wechselberger
• Service Medal – Alyson Dewey, Renee Field, Heidi Ogilvie, Kim TownSchon, Tia Town-Schon
• Bar to Service Medal – Jeffrey Holland
• Service Cross – Graham Esplen, Michael Lawless
• President’s Plaque – Ian Robertson
2016
• Certificate of Thanks – Troy Bingham, Sean Chambers, Jonathan Goerzen, Debbie Heywood, Gordon Macdonnell, Jerry Michael
• Service Medal -Chris Cordova, Claire Nicol, Melina Sweezey
• Honorary Commonwealth – Life Member, Nicole Liddell
• President’s Plaque – Paul Wechselberger
2015
• Certificate of Thanks – Elaine Leong, John MacRitchie, Rafal Olejniczak
• Certificate of Thanks – Ailsa Pella, Krista Sabatino
• President’s Plaque – Monica Sicotte
2014
• Certificate of Thanks – Chris Cordova, Tia Town-Schon
• Service Medal – Lauralee Cheng, Jeff Holland, Alison Stevens
• President’s Plaque – Graham Esplen
Rescue Awards
- Silver Medal for Merit Acknowledges meritorious service in saving a life during a water rescue
- Silver Medal for Bravery Acknowledges water rescues involving significant acts of bravery
- M.G. Griffiths Award Given to a Lifesaving Society proficiency award holder who applied skill and knowledge gained through the Society’s programs to aid a victim of an aquatic emergency
- George A. Brown Memorial Gold Medal & Scholarship Presented annually to a pre-teen performing the most courageous aquatic rescue of the year. The young hero’s medal, bearing the Brown family arms and motto “Courage and Determination”, is accompanied by a $500 scholarship award. George Brown was a former Branch Governor and was committed to youth involvement in lifesaving.
- Governor’s Gold Medal for Bravery Chosen by the Governor of the B.C. & Yukon Branch and presented for the most heroic rescue of the year
2024
• Silver Medal for Merit – Christopher Carlson & Ben Carlson, Preston Hayden, Ty Hurley, Kelly Lance, John Mahaffy, David Murphy, & Robert Cole, John Planes & Ryan Planes, Nixen Sherratt, Cooper Pearson, & Cole Pearson
• Silver Medal for Bravery – Chris Pearson & Jason Sherratt, Shanahan Blake-Simon, Lucia Dell, Fadi Jabo, Rylie Matthews
M.G. Griffiths Award – Ty Hurley
• GA Brown Memorial Medal – Lucia Dell
• Governor’s Gold Award – Chris Pearson & Jason Sherratt
2023
Silver Medal for Merit – William Chambers, Daniel Ferrer, Bruno James de Faria, Henry Reis, Grant Gray, Rodrigo Menezes, Trent Schibli, Seaspan Marine
• Silver Medal for Bravery – Andrew Schibli, Emma Baecker, Katie Brook, Scott Bridge, Dan Coulter, Royal Cash Funk, Aiden Godwin, Emilyn Golden, Michael Mthandazo
• MG Griffiths Award – Emma Baecker, Scott Bridge, Katie Brook, Aiden Godwin, Emilyn Golden
• GA Brown Memorial Medal – Royal Cash Funk
• Governor’s Gold Award – Emilyn Golden
2022
• Silver Medal for Bravery – Keenan Bush Adam Carter, Matthew Carter, Kianda Jacobsen, Tara Jakubiec, Dylan Kay, Rosa Kouri, Christopher Morris, Kerri Parish, Sally Wallick
• Silver Medal for Merit – Kenneth Brown, Ajay Kumar, Arvindjeet Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Kuljinder Singh, Scott Mcdougall, Emmett Moore, James Moore
• Governor’s Gold Award Candidates – Ajay Kumar, Arvindjeet Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Kuljinder Singh, Keenan Bush
2021
• Silver Medal for Merit – Donato Capozzi, Lori Taylor Capozzi, Joshua Croteau, Thomas Holmes, Jason Pearson, Jeff Mikus, Devin Waugh
• Silver Medal for Bravery – Cody Krabbendam, Asher Paglaro, Joy Pringle, Hannah Reinholt, Dennis Saulnier, Kashif Sheikh, Chad Taylor, Meghan Thompson
• M.G. Griffiths award – Melicia Ebanks, Kyle Klint, Cassandra Ladyka, Donovan Ray, Steven Spurr, Alexis Tone
• GA Brown Memorial Medal – No Eligible Recipient for 2021
• Governor’s Gold Award – Erin Kang, Cole Notter, Priya Sadher, Jordan Skinner
2020
• Silver Medal For Merit – Brent Baker, Jax Burnside, Rochelle Durand, Grant Sawyer, Tasha Caissie
• Silver Medal For Bravery – Raymond Avanthay, Hollis Babich, Heather Brekke, Ellen Dewar, Alannah Dobell, Heather Durward, Martin Henderson, David Jensen, Amin Jivraj, Lindsay Klopp, Shaun Koopman, Keri Laughlin, Shauna Pearson, Shawn Lowney, Mahmoud Mojoudi, Farshid Zahedi, Amanda Steed, Mackenzie Wensauer
• M.G. Griffiths Award – Ellen Dewar, Alannah Dobell, Martin Henderson, David Jensen, Amin Jivraj, Lindsay Klopp, Shaun Koopman, Keri Laughlin, Mackenzie Wensauer
• GA Brown Memorial Medal – Hollis Babich
2019
• Silver Medal for Merit Eric Kang, Kyle Klint, Ronald Tait, Alexis Tone, Karlie Wilson
• Silver Medal for Bravery Sokha Eang, Melicia Ebanks, Marc Helman, Cassandra Ladyka, Adam Nelson, Cole Notter, Donovan Ray, Priya Sadher, Jordan Skinner, Steven Spurr, Flavia Mandic, Flavia Nascimento, Christopher Rolfe, Juliana Santana
• MG Griffiths Award Melicia Ebanks, Kyle Klint, Cassandra Ladyka, Donovan Ray, Steven Spurr, Alexis Tone
• GA Brown Memorial Medal No eligible recipient
• Governor’s Gold Award Erin Kang, Cole Notter, Priya Sadher, Jordan Skinner
• Yukon Commissioner’s Medal Ronald Tait
2018
• Silver Medal for Merit: Mike Attard, Doney Gibson, John Gilmour, Billy Mcginnis, Greg Mckay, Kade Pilton, Damien Corson, Thyren Garde-Jacobs, Simon Pidcock, Gary Sutton, Sam Schacke
• MG Griffiths Award: Neil Boyle, Lily Cox, Jeannene Crosby, Alexis Edall, Graham Esplen, John Gilmour, Ian Greenwood, Kate Hunter, Georgia Springate
• Silver Medal for Bravery: Cameron Black, Matt Sroka, Neil Boyle, Lily Cox, Kate Hunter, Georgia Springate, Jeannene Crosby, Alexis Edall, Graham Esplen, Michelle Dixi Zhao, Katrina Fowler, Ian Greenwood, Ashley Yarrow, Laura Ralph
• GA Brown Memorial Medal: Lily Cox, Kate Hunter. Georgia Springate
• Governor’s Gold Award: Thyren Garde-Jacobs, Simon Pidcock, Gary Sutton
2017
• Silver Medal for Merit: Avtar Hothi, Randy Knockwood, Hailey McIntyre, Nicole Mulcahy, Betty Timuss
• Silver Medal for Bravery: Mike Broadway, Lelania Chapman, Daniel Christie, Clayton Hill, Randy Robinson, Cathy Thomson, Timothy Tom, Erin Wiltse
• Governor’s Gold: Lelania Chapman
2016
• Silver Medal for Merit: Andrew Anaka, Meagan Brame, Steven Brame, Wayne Carson, Anne De Jong, Erika Maarhuis, Raylene Tysson, Francis Campbell, Michelle Campbell, Peter Frank Jr., Etienne Herold, Trinity Jezierski, Kenny Brown, Carl Martin, Marcel Martin, Clarence Smith, Donald William Jr.
• Silver Medal for Bravery: Holly Harris, Hugh Ormerod, Cori Marcotte, Taylor Marsh, Cole Howey, Andrew Payne, Mark Tuura
• Governor’s Gold: Francis Campbell, Michelle Campbell, Peter Frank Jr., Etienne Herold, Trinity Jezierski, Kenny Lucas, Carl Martin, Marcel Martin, Clarence Smith, Donald William Jr.
• M.G. Griffiths Award: Hugh Ormerod, Mark Tuura
2015
• Silver Medal for Merit: Norman Abraham Melvin Alexander Leonard Aleck Dale Wells Janis Choquette Heather Innes Juanita Peglar Cheryl Watson Matthew Kozak Kegan Madeira Loren Muth Christian O’Gorman Blain Vandewetering
• Rescue Awards Silver Medal: for Bravery Abigail Cunningham Faith Dueck Lucille Dueck Gavin England Dave Haywood Michael Smyth Bryn Krestow Owen Krestow Robert McDowell Melissa Thornton Bill Moore Scott Thompson
• GA Brown Medal: Bryn Krestow Owen Krestow
• Governor’s Gold: Gavin England
• M.G. Griffiths Award: Bryn Krestow Owen Krestow Gary Lefebvre
2014
• Silver Medal for Merit: David Cobb, Andrew Lacon, Mackenzie Lacon, Peter MacDougal, Kristine Williams, Paul Murnaghan, Eric Pehota, Cameron Wetter, Roger Wetter, Sydney Wetter
• Silver Medal for Bravery: Alan Downie, Oswald Felsman, Deion Watts, Tracy Goodman, Jennifer Partridge, Callie Hill, Julien Peron, Gary Lefebvre, Brennan Lund, Connor Lund, Ethan Milne, Bruce Shaw, Daniel Zayonc
• GA Brown Medal: Oswald Felsman
• Governor’s Gold: Alan Downie
• M.G. Griffiths Award: Tracy Goodman, Callie Hill, Gary Lefebvre, Peter MacDougal, Julien Peron, Sydney Wetter, Kristine Williams, Daniel Zayonc
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