On Tuesday, March 4, MP Leah Gazan hosted a dinner and award celebration honouring recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medals, releasing the following statement:
“I was honoured to be asked by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, to identify and award community members with the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of their remarkable achievements and contributions. With the help of my selection committee, we chose 19 exceptional people who have made a significant contribution to Winnipeg Centre. It was my great pleasure to come together with these recipients and their loved ones last night to share a meal and each others' company as we celebrated their remarkable achievements and the profound impact they have had on life and wellbeing in our neighbourhoods. It is the love and dedication of people like you that creates hope for our future. Together we keep community at the centre in Winnipeg Centre."
MP Leah Gazan presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal to the following recipients:
Mike Payne
Executive Director, Nine Circles
For ongoing health equity advocacy through Nine Circles
Hilda Anderson-Pyrz
Chair, National Family and Survivors Circle
For courageous leadership and grassroots advocacy for MMIWG2S and their family members
Kemlin Nembhard
Executive Director, Women’s Health Clinic
For ongoing health equity and reproductive rights advocacy through Women’s Health Clinic
Debbie Patterson
Artistic Director, Sick & Twisted
For creating spaces for disability arts in Manitoba
Al Wiebe
Peer and community engagement trainer and housing director
For advocacy on ending homelessness and for advancing lived experience leadership
Emily Merasty
For disability justice and access advocacy regarding service dog regulation
Laura Cameron
For grassroots climate action and exceptional community leadership
Matt Davidson
Founder, Spirit Horse
For building individual and community wellness through Spirit Horse Action Therapy
Raymond Ngarboui
Community Engagement Development Association
For advancing food security through culturally responsive community development initiatives
Gina Smoke
Director of Indigenous Relations, UNIFOR
For her work connecting the labour movement with human rights advocacy
Terese Taylor
Publisher/Editor, The Leaf and Streets Community Newspapers
For promoting quality local news through community newspapers
Gerald Brown
Lion's Place Seniors Action Committee
For advocating for seniors right to housing and challenging the financialization of social housing
Shakila Atayee
Aurora Family Therapy and Ethnocultural Council of Manitoba
For facilitating meaningful community development for ethnocultural community members in Manitoba, including Afghan women and youth
Izzeddin Hawamda
PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies
For promoting the human face of the Palestinian story through storytelling and community dialogue. He advocates for peace through meaningful conversations and anti-racism initiatives. As a co-founder of Bridge, he actively speaks about the power of dialogue and the importance of sharing, listening, and respecting diverse perspectives and narratives.
Harold Schuster
For courageous advocacy for peace and justice through Independent Jewish Voices
Diwa Marcelino
Migrante Manitoba
For advocacy for the rights of migrants in Manitoba and around the world
Marnermoo Galloway-White
For supporting newcomers to Manitoba with finding and maintaining housing
Seidu Mohammed
For improving experiences and outcomes for Black and other racialized communities through the Manitoba Africa Cup of Nations
Lara Rae
For lifting up young artists in Winnipeg’s comedy community and working to address food insecurity