As voices swelled with pride during the singing of O Canada, 34 citizens from Steinbach and the surrounding area were recognized for service to their country, province, communities, and outstanding achievements abroad bringing credit to Canada. Six of these citizens were from Niverville and Ste. Agathe.
They were presented with the distinguished King Charles III Coronation Medal in an awards ceremony held at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach on March 4 by local MP Ted Falk.
“It’s a privilege to be here this evening with so many giants from our community,” Falk told the crowd. “That’s really what you are. You are the giants in our community that are being recognized… It’s a privilege to be here and welcome you to give you these medals on the coronation of the King. It’s about service. It’s about people. Nobody knows it better than the folks in this room who have dedicated their lives to helping their communities, their country. Everyone here understands what it means to serve.”
According to the federal government’s website, the medal program was initially proclaimed on May 3, 2023 by the prime minister. That was just three days before the king’s coronation.
A year later, on May 6, 2024, the design of the medal and program details were announced by Rideau Hall.
The first medals were presented by the governor general during a virtual event on May 6, 2024 to the country’s lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners. On the same day, the first military recipients received their medals from their provinces’ respective lieutenant governors.
In total, 30,000 Canadians will be awarded the medal. Of that number, 4,000 will be members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Here are the local residents who were presented with the prestigious medal.
Roger Armbruster is the founder of Canada Awakening Ministries. For more than four decades, he has promoted healing the land through restoration and facilitated reconciliation initiatives with Indigenous peoples.
During the past year, Armbruster has also founded the Canada Awakening Healing the Land TV podcast, which address the social, economic, environmental, and cultural issues facing Indigenous people in the remote communities of northern Canada.
He’s also been involved in helping facilitate sponsorships and care for refugees and displaced people, helping them come to Canada. He advocates for Indigenous peoples and refugees with all levels of government in Canada.
Ray Dowse has played a significant role in Niverville’s recent commercial development, bringing multiple businesses to town including One Insurance, Main Street Storage, the Niverville Citizen, Old Drovers Run, Tim Hortons, Shell, Great Canadian Dollar Store, Negash Coffee, Dairy Queen, Anytime Fitness, CRU Barber, Smitty’s, HUB Insurance, Pita Pit, Domino’s, Almond Nail, BSI Insurance, Urban Flavours, Santa Lucia, and Niverville Physio.
He has also been heavily involved in bringing the MJHL to Niverville. Dowse has served as a volunteer with the Niverville Fair, the Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of other organizations.
Shirley Hoult has worked with Niverville Communities in Bloom, an organization committed to nurturing environmental sustainability, the enhancement of greenspaces, and heritage conservation. She has worked to preserve local history through photography.
Hoult also works with Service to Seniors to provide recreation, support programs, and other needs for seniors in the community.
Joel Edmond Lemoine of Ste. Agathe has helped both local and immigrant entrepreneurs start their businesses, with an emphasis on doing so in bilingual communities.
Lemoine has helped launch more than 1,580 new businesses, creating nearly 4,000 jobs in the process. He volunteers with numerous affordable housing initiatives, seniors group projects, daycares, recreational facilities, and tourism attractions across Manitoba and has served on a number of local, provincial, and national boards.
He has also been a school trustee and councillor for the RM of Ritchot.
Paul (Dusty) Rhodes served Canada for three decades—specifically, 33 years—in the Canadian Armed Forces, including overseas peacekeeping missions.
Throughout his career, Rhodes has served in various capacities as community leader and organizer, sports coach, and camp director. Upon retirement, he has gotten substantially involved with the Royal Canadian Legion and other veterans support services.
Since moving to Niverville, he has begun collecting aluminum tabs for wheelchair parts and prosthetic limbs.
Myron Dyck is Niverville’s mayor, in his third term, not to mention a businessman. He has served on council for nearly two decades.
Under his leadership, Dyck presided over the town’s purchase of the Open Health medical clinic, negotiations for a new water treatment and wastewater treatment facilities, the construction a new high school, and the opening of the CRRC. Another career highlight is the RCMP station which will open in Niverville this fall.
Ron Schuler, although not a local resident, currently serves as a provincial MLA. He has served in this capacity, although not for this specific constituency, for 25 years.
Prior to his first election to the Legislature, Schuler served two terms as a school trustee with the River East School Division. As an opposition MLA, he has taken on a variety of roles. While the PCs were in power, he occupied the office of Minister of Infrastructure.
He is an active volunteer, giving his time to Big Brothers, Citizens on Patrol, the Kidney Foundation, Max Reinhardt Theatre Canada, the German Canadian Heritage Foundation, and the Manitoba Intercultural Council.
