Comox Valley Citizens Awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal

A pair of long-time Comox Valley residents have been presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal by their MLA, Ronna-Rae Leonard.

Bruce Curtis was a founder and the driving force behind the Comox Valley Community Justice Centre, bringing influential lawmakers and others to the community to elevate the understanding and application of restorative justice both locally and beyond, with the Iona Campagnolo Lecture Series, a program he orchestrated for 13 years.

Curtis’ work has seen the Comox United Church become a 2SLGBTQ+ affirming community, and he continues to support that ongoing work at the church and in the community, including supporting Dawn to Dawn’s project to build 2SLGBTQ+ youth housing. He has served on many committees and boards and acted as a resource to support organizations including the Sid Williams Theatre, and the Comox Valley Art Gallery.

Ron Webber served the Comox Valley as a councillor, then Mayor of Courtenay, serving for a combined 30 years in municipal government.

Some of his most visible legacies include the Florence Filberg Centre, the airpark walkway, and the Memorial Wall, adjacent to the Cliffe Ave cenotaph.

Webber served as chair of Remembrance Day ceremonies for years and dedicated seven years as Honourary Colonel for 407 Maritime Patrol.

Webber has dedicated decades of service on boards as well, including Glacier View Lodge, Citizens on Patrol, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs, Comox Valley Hospice, the Legion Pipe Band, and the BC Lions Society for support of Children with Disabilities.

The Coronation Medal, a Canadian honour created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, was launched by Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and recognizes people who have made significant contributions to Canada and their home province and communities.

Several other locals were presented medals at ceremonies earlier this month.

Leonard said that she hoped the awards would “shine a light on their achievements and inspire others to follow in their footsteps to benefit this community and beyond.”

The medal will be awarded to 30,000 deserving individuals across the country and is the first Canadian honour to mark a coronation.

To see the full list of medal recipients, visit Government of British Columbia.