This year, the Government of Canada launched a number of Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. She ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25.
Over the past seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II has been a constant presence in the lives of Canadians and has witnessed the growth and significant change in Canadian society.
The Queen has cultivated enduring ties with Canadians over years of connecting with our rich cultures and traditions, with 22 official visits.
To mark this auspicious occasion, MPs were provided with a limited number of commemorative pins. MP Anita Anand and Pam Damoff called for nominations to recognize outstanding community members for their hard work and dedication.
Community leaders were selected based on their service in a broad range of areas, including children and youth services, environmental and historical preservation, diversity and inclusion, and support for newcomers, among others.
"This summer, the Commonwealth celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, marking her 70th anniversary on the Throne. She is Canada’s longest reigning Sovereign and the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee pin was created to honour people across the commonwealth who have made significant contributions to their communities. I am honoured to recognize the following people who have done so much to make our community a better place to live." - MP Pam Damoff
More than 65 recipients who reside in MP Pam Damoff Oakville North Burlington riding were awarded a certificate and pin to celebrate their achievements. The recipients are:
- Denise Als - Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton - head music instructor and band leader
- Joan Atherley - Terry Fox Run fundraiser
- Katie Bowie - Student Senator and Co-Chair of the debate team at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic School
- Joe Brathwaite - Union of Safety and Justice Employee
- Phil Cartwright - professional firefighter, Oakville Professional Fire Fighters Association Vice President
- Chris Chandler - coach of the Burlington Vipers
- Evangeline Chima - Founder & Executive Director Black Mentorship Inc
- Randeep 'Ron' Chinzer - Police officer and leader in the anti-gang unit
- Irene Clarke - Active member of GASP4Change, Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet
- Todd & Trent Courage - Founders of Courage Polar Bear Dip
- Gabriela Covaci - volunteer with Halton Multicultural Council (HMC), Halton Newcomer Strategy and International Women’s Day (IWD)
- Melissa Davis - Founder of Ugly Dukling
- Nathalie de Caen - Volunteer with Oakville Santa Claus Parade, Oakville Terry Fox Run, Cycle Oakville and Co-Chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Promise Ball
- Tina De Crisci - Founder of Duran Place for Kids
- Allan Elgar - Ward 4 Town & Regional Councillor
- Jesse Flis - Retired teacher, past MP and advocate for the National Flag of Canada Day
- Sienna Foltin - Volunteer with 500 community service hours - volunteer at an animal shelter, assisting the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club
- Tony Gabriel - Member of Canadian Football League Hall and volunteer with Terry Fox Foundation
- Tricia Hammil - volunteer at both the elementary and high school level, co-chairing parent councils and Girl Guide leader
- Dr. Frank Hayden - Founder of the Special Olympics
- Lisa Holness - Fundraiser with the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Foundation
- John Hunter - Philanthropist
- Dr. Jennifer Kagan - advocate for the establishment of Keira's Law
- Zain Khot - President of the Oakville Cricket Club
- Michelle Knoll - Executive Director - Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre
- Jeff Knoll - Ward 5 Town & Regional Councillor
- Sungmi Kong - Artist and owner of the Rainbow Studio
- Aiden Lee - Art From the Heart and Halton Youth Disability Advisory Council
- Sean Livingston - history teacher, Sea Cadet instructor and author of “Oakville’s Flower: The History of HMCS Oakville"
- Shagufta Lone - Advocate for Human Rights Issues in Kashmir
- Kelly Luscombe - Volunteer with Front Line Outreach
- Michael Marchetti - Advocate for public transit and people living with disabilities
- David Mayhew - Convenor of the art drop-in program at Sir John Colborne Centre for Seniors
- Shann McGrail - Executive Director at Haltech
- Kurt Merriman - Firefighter and Chair of the Oakville Professional Firefighters Association’s annual Toy Drive
- Lisa Michaels - Executive Director of Bandology
- John Mooney - Director of Oakville Little League
- James Montague - Organizer of All-Star Gala
- Dr. Shelley Morgan - CEO of Rx Billing Genie
- Navjot “Nav” Nanda - Founder of North Oakville Ward 7 Residents Association
- Johnny Nguyen - Special Olympics Burlington coach
- Emily O’Brien - Founder of Comeback Snacks
- Kwame Osei - Mentor to inmates at maximum security prison in Kingston Ontario
- Lynn Pike - Founder of Forget Me Not Gratis Shoppe
- Eleeza Rafiq - Co-founder of Ramadan Rangers
- Sybil Rampen - Founder of Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre
- Dionne Reelis - OakMed Family Health Team and volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society
- Sara Restani - President of Halton Field Hockey Club
- Beth Robertson - Ward 1 Town Councillor
- Sonia Robinson - Administrator for Millcroft Against Development, fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees and advocate for Keira's Law
- Susanne “Sue” Rodgers - Volunteer for the Sheldon Creek community
- Karina Scali - Volunteer for Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, YMCA children's camp and Children's Waterfront Festival
- Dr. Bruce Seet - President & CEO of Science to Business Network
- Eric Smith - Sports media personality inducted into Burlington Sports Hall of Fame
- Robert Stapleford - Board member of Oakville Hospital Foundation, secretary to Oakville Hospital Volunteer Association, and Treasurer of Glen Abbey United Church
- Bonnie Sylvia - Founder and President of the Camelot Centre
- Nalini Tota - Personal Support Worker for seniors
- Peter VanDuzer - Co-founder of Bandology
- Vanessa Vis - Advance care paramedic with Halton
- Melanie Warrington - Volunteer for Food for Life
- John Wiggins - Vice-President of the organizational culture and inclusion with the Toronto Raptors
- Dr. Scott Aijun Xie - Found of Upswing Academy
- Joe Zaccaria - Teacher and school representative for ETFO Halton
- John Zinkie - Volunteer with North Burlington Rotary Club, Burlington Habitat for Humanity, and Meals of Hope
- Susanne Zinkie - Nurse and volunteer at Carpenter Hospice, Joseph Brant Hospital and Meals of Hope