Last Saturday politicians, veterans, citizens, family and friends mingled in St. Albert Inn’s Grandin Room with recipients of the King Charles Coronation Medal.
A Colour Guard from St. Legion Branch #271 escorted 20 recipients to the stage where St. Albert-Edmonton MP Michael Cooper presented the medals.
In his address to the full house, Cooper mentioned the nominations far exceeded the medals.
“You have no idea of the calibre of people surrounding us. The things they did for the community, province, the country are remarkable,” Cooper said.
He briefly sketched a bit of background about the first medal minted to commemorate King Charles III coronation on May 6, 2023. The medal’s front side features a side profile of the king wearing coronation robes and crown.
The flip side portrays the Royal Cypher inlaid over a sunburst design of 13 points. The 13 points on a circular background alludes to Canada’s provinces and territories. The circle is also a nod to Indigenous peoples and a recognition of cycles within the natural world.
Of the 34,000 medals distributed throughout Canada, 20 were destined for the St. Albert-Edmonton riding. The selection committee spent many hours sifting through worthy applications of people from different backgrounds, careers, walks of life, hobbies and interests.
In closing Cooper said, “Each person receiving a medal is different. But each person has one thing in common – a deep connection to community, province and country. You embody the spirit of volunteerism. You have demonstrated what it means to give and serve. Thank you for your service.”
The recipients are:
Helen Agbonison
Agonison is the founder and president of the African and African Descendants Friendship Club of Alberta and a major promoter of Black culture. Her flagship events include A Taste of Africa and It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.
Joseph Becigneul
Becigneul is a Greater St. Albert Catholic School Board Trustee and community builder. His leadership has extended to St. Albert Referees Associaton and he is active in Holy Family Parish and St. Albert Chamber of Commerce.
Barry Campbell
The retired military veteran dedicated his life from 1971 to 1996 to serving and protecting our country as well as participating in many peacekeeping missions abroad. He assisted with floods in the 1970s and fires in the 1980s. He later worked with Health Canada distributing vaccines and drugs to First Nations, Inuit and Canadian embassies. He retired in 2017 after 35 years of service.
Michael Clulow
For more than 60 years, Clulow supported his community through numerous organizations. He was involved with the Settlement on Sturgeon Toastmasters Club and was active in St. Albert Host Lions Club. As a youth, Clulow was an air cadet and served on the Sponsoring Committee of the 533 Air Cadet Squadron for 30 years.
Cheryl Dumont
After retiring from St. Albert Further Education from serving for seven years, Dumont remained on the board. A former St. Albert Public School trustees, she has advocated for all students especially Indigenous and LGBTQ2S+ and has fought for key educational issues. She is also a board member of St. Albert Housing Society.
Rhonda Egar-Lee
Egar-Lee is a longtime volunteer at St. Albert Legion and is dedicated to boosting the organization’s community presence. She has organized many events and fundraising activities. One of her most high-profile events is the summer beer gardens which raised $50,000 in 2024.
Robert Fagan
Fagan has been a dedicated volunteer with St. Albert Legion for more than 50 years. He served as president and honours veterans during Remembrance Day ceremonies at St. Albert Cemetery with the No Stone Left Alone memorial project.
Rosanna Fischer
Although unable to attend, Fischer is recognized for creating KDM Helping Hands, a charity that focuses on sick children. Helping Hands has provided schools with Christmas gifts and created a self-care room for families at Ronald McDonald House. KDM also renovated the Sturgeon Hospital’ ICU family room to provide comfort for visitors.
Lyle Hardy
A dedicated volunteer of the Cosmopolitan Club, Hardy also contributes financially to 14 charities. He supports curling bonspiels, golf tournaments, bingos, casinos and raffles. He also supports both the Edmonton and St. Albert Food Banks, Alberta Diabetes Foundation and Rock’n August.
Suzan Krecsy
Since 2007, Krecsy has been the executive director of St. Albert Food Bank. Under her leadership, the food bank broadly expanded its role supporting 1,400 families annually. She also fostered partnerships with over 20 local organizations and developed programs on cultural integration and essential support such as tax return assistance and benefits applications.
Stephen Lacroix
A Canadian Forces officer for more than 35 years, Lacroix enjoyed a distinguished career with deployments to El Salvador, Haiti, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. As the first Canadian to serve on the Inter-American Defense Board in Washington, he was knighted by Colombia. After retiring in 2020, he joined Alberta Emergency Management Agency where he’s taken a role in the 2020 Fort McMurray flood and the 2024 Jasper fire.
Alan Markewicz
Markewicz served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 42 years holding key positions including Edmonton Base Commander. He participated in an operation to liberate Kuwait and mentored the Afghan army in Afghanistan. Currently, he is the Edmonton Military Family Resource Centre’s board’s vice chair.
Keoma McMurren
McMurren’s dedication to community service started in the 1990s as Secretary of Dunluce Community League. She promoted sports through community leagues and became an integral part of Castle Downs Variety Show fundraising and directing five shows. She was also a founding member of Castle Downs Recreation Society International which built playgrounds in the Philippines and Cambodia.
Cherilyn Michaels
Michaels founded the Edmonton Host Ukrainians, a Facebook group with over 25,000 members. It is Canada’s largest platform connecting Ukrainian newcomers since the Russian invasion. The Facebook page has helped more than 1,700 individuals and families find temporary homes and support in the Edmonton area.
Mark Noble
With more than 36 years in the CFA Army Reserve, Noble has served in several international deployments, humanitarian missions as well as domestic disaster relief efforts. He has coached visually impaired youth hockey players and raised $200,000 for community and veterans’ initiatives such as Valour Place and Veterans Food Bank.
Dr. Richard Plain
A prolfic volunteer, Plain is best known as St. Albert mayor from 1974 to 1977 and again in 2001 to 2004. Alongside John Beedle, he co-founded St. Albert Botanic Park in 1991, a major local attraction. His 60 years of involvement in federal, provincial and municipal politics and his contributions have profoundly shaped St. Albert and its growth.
Barbara Riley
Riley is an all-purpose volunteer who has canvassed for many charitable organizations. As an active member of St. Albert Community Refugee Committee since 2015, she has welcomed Syrian refugee families and newcomers. She’s played a key role in partnering St. Albert Further Education with Newcomers Club and has introduced backyard gardening at the St. Albert Seniors Club.
Raymond Chad Rizzato
Known as Chad to friends, Rizzato served in the Canadian Army for 28 years including deployments in Kosovo and Afghanistan where he was seriously injured and received the Sacrifice Medal. He participated in two domestic emergency operations across six provinces and has played a significant role in a project for homeless veterans. He is past chair of St. Albert Housing Council and École Leo Nickerson Parent Council.
Lynette Thomson
For 40 years, Thompson was an LPN at Dickensfield Extended Care. In her spare time, she was a playschool volunteer and was on the forefront of the Castle Downs Recreation Society, the Recreation Centre, Castle Downs YMCA and Castle Downs District Park.
Loretta Wonitoy
Aa die-hard volunteer since the 1970s, Wonitoy contributed to building the original Carlisle Community Hall and the Castle Downs Recreation Centre. She became the musical director for the Castle Downs Variety Show in 1986 and dedicated 32 years to this role. She has served as a softball coach and is currently President of the Northwest Softball Association.
