A long-time advocate for persons with developmental disabilities was surprised to hear he was receiving royal honours.
St. Albert’s Norm McLeod, 66, received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal on Sept. 27 while attending the annual meeting for the Canadian Association for Community Living in Winnipeg, Man.
“I was certainly very humbled to receive the award, not only for what the award stands for, but to receive it from a national organization is very touching and a very humbling experience,” he said.
McLeod was one of 33 individuals across the country and one of two in Alberta to be recognized by the association.
He spent his 35-year career with the Alberta government developing various programs for persons with developmental disabilities. Upon retirement, he continued his work and has been volunteering with community organizations for the last 11 years.
“I fell into it and it certainly has become my passion in life to ensure that folks are fully included in all aspects of our community lives,” he said.
Gary Buckingham said he and McLeod have become lifelong friends after a chance introduction 30 years ago in Lethbridge.
He said they met at church as newcomers to that city and years later, both coincidentally ended up in St. Albert.
“He started basically with nothing, went to a community college (and) worked his way up from there,” he said. “Persons with developmental disabilities, he’s the one who put that all together.”
The persons with developmental disabilities (PDD) program is a provincial program that aids individuals with developmental disabilities and allows them to live as independently as possible.
McLeod played an instrumental role in establishing the legislation that led to the creation of the program.
McLeod said that is one of his greatest accomplishments to date.
When he retired, the government recognized McLeod in the form of an annual scholarship.
The Norm McLeod Self-Advocacy Award recognizes adults with a developmental disability who have made communities more inclusive for others.
“That was overwhelming — a total surprise. It’s such a huge honour,” he said. “It’s extremely humbling to see the leadership in the province of Alberta.”
Throughout his volunteer career, McLeod has worked with St. Albert’s Transitions, the Alberta Association for Community Living, the Canadian Association for Community Living and he co-chaired a national task force for people with disabilities.
The Diamond Jubilee medals were created to mark the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II and are awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to both their work and community.
A total of 60,000 Canadians will be presented with the medal by the end of the year of celebrations.
