Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond, on behalf of Premier Christy Clark, will present Kevin England, a well-known Vancouver citizen, with the province’s newest honour, the Medal of Good Citizenship.

The ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14 in the Creekside Community Recreation Centre gymnasium, 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver.

Launched in July 2015 by Premier Clark, the prestigious Medal of Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who, through exceptional long-term service, have made outstanding contributions to their communities without expectation of remuneration or reward. The medal reflects their generosity, service, acts of selflessness and contributions to community life.

Nominations for the Medal of Good Citizenship are accepted year-round and are reviewed by an independent Selection Committee.

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England will be honoured with the British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship for his leadership and volunteerism for many non-profit and worthwhile initiatives in Vancouver and around British Columbia. Some of these include the B.C. Women's Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Campaign, Collingwood School, The Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education, Tibetan Nun Project, various recovery fellowships, and direct support to individuals and their families in recovery.

England’s support and fundraising efforts have especially helped people struggling with addiction. His support helped establish the therapeutic community model of treatment in British Columbia. Specifically, he is the co-founder and president of the British Columbia New Hope Recovery Society which in 2007 established Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community, a 65-bed, residential recovery centre located 30 kilometres southwest of Prince George. Baldy Hughes offers a long-term, abstinence-based, community-as-treatment recovery program in a remote farm setting. The program provides men recovering from addiction a unique opportunity to regain their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and remove barriers to their long-term health.

England is among a select group of British Columbians who will receive the Medal of Good Citizenship.

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Quotes:

Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia –

“British Columbia is a better place because of individuals like Kevin England who fearlessly take on the challenge of helping those who are in need. Kevin sees hope and potential where many cannot, assisting people with addictions return to their place with a future to look forward to.”

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, and chair of the Medal of Good Citizenship Selection Committee –

“There are many people who generously volunteer their time, effort and skills to make their community better and this honour acknowledges their excellence, achievement and service. The time spent reviewing nominations was inspiring, and it reinforced to me that we live in a province where each and every day citizens can make a difference through their generosity and selflessness.”

Kevin England, Medal of Good Citizenship recipient –

“My own personal experience with addiction and recovery 10 years ago was the catalyst for getting involved in the creation of Baldy Hughes. The therapeutic community model really resonated with me and I wanted to be part of introducing this unique model of treatment to B.C. On June 1st we had our annual graduation day and I have to say it was very emotional and inspiring for me to see 16 guys graduate. This is the greatest number of guys we have had graduate at any time and you know what really touches me is when I see their families in the audience. You see how happy they are, how much gratitude they have to see they are getting their son back, and the hope they have for the future is immeasurable.”

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Quick Facts:

• The Medal of Good Citizenship was launched in 2015 to recognize individuals who, through exceptional long-term volunteer efforts, have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities.
• Nominations for the Medal of Good Citizenship are accepted year-round and are reviewed by an independent Selection Committee.
• All regions in the province were represented on the Medal of Good Citizenship Selection Committee and members came from various professional backgrounds.
• More than 220 nominations were reviewed.

Learn More:

To learn more about the medal, or to nominate a good citizen in your community, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/medalofgoodcitizenship

To view photos of recipient ceremonies, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHskw9MKjm