Office of the Premier
Good citizens are the unsung heroes of our communities and deserve our recognition. Today Premier Christy Clark made special recognition of a hero from the 2015 fire season when she announced that John Phare, a Roberts Creek tree faller, will be the first recipient of the Medal of Good Citizenship.
Phare, who is being honoured posthumously, spent his entire working life in the logging industry and worked as a faller, felling danger trees on the Old Sechelt Mine fire during the unusually busy 2015 fire season. The 60-year-old father of three died while fighting the Old Sechelt Mine fire on July 5, 2015. His family was in the B.C. legislature Tuesday to receive the medal.
“John Phare died protecting the lives of his friends, neighbours and family,” said Premier Clark. “We can’t ease the pain of everyone who loves and misses him, but we can recognize his courage and sacrifice. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of the first Medal of Good Citizenship.”
The Medal of Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities and in his contribution to community life, Phare exemplified the purpose of the medal.
Nominations for the medal closed on Oct. 2, 2015. While final numbers are not yet tallied, there are more than 190 nominations for consideration, including the one for John Phare.
The remaining medal recipient nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee chaired by Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training.
Quick Facts:
- The medal was awarded by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the selection committee.
- The medal recommendation was approved by cabinet through an Order-in-Council.
Learn More:
To learn more about the design of the Medal of Good Citizenship, see: www.gov.bc.ca/medalofgoodcitizenship/the-medal
The medals are currently being minted at Vancouver’s Pressed Metal Products. To learn about how this unique medal is made, see: https://youtu.be/81m_5_vv8P0
For more information and to nominate someone in your community, see: www.gov.bc.ca/medalofgoodcitizenship
