Commonwealth Honour & Rescue Ceremony

The Honour and Rescue Awards Ceremony allow family, friends, dignitaries and the Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon to formally recognize the dedicated efforts of award recipients.

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 Honour Awards are as follows:

Certificate of Thanks (2 years)

Commendation Service Medal and Bar to Service Medal

Service Cross (15 years) and Bar to the Service Cross (20+ years)

Commonwealth Honorary Life Member

The Rescue Awards continue the celebration by rewarding people for unselfishness in putting their lives on the line during a water rescue. The nominations are may from rescues reported in the news, from individual recommendations and from police reports.

The Rescue Awards are as follows:

Silver Medal of 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

Honour Award Recipients

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
Certificate of Thanks John MacRitchie
Certificate of Thanks Rafal Olejniczak
Certificate of Thanks Ailsa Pella
Certificate of Thanks Krista Sabatino
President's Plaque Monica Sicotte

2014

Certificate of Thanks Chris Cordova
Certificate of Thanks Tia Town-Schon
Service Medal Lauralee Cheng
Service Medal Jeff Holland
Service Medal Alison Stevens
President's Plaque Graham Esplen

Rescue Award Recipients