HALIFAX: Lieutenant Governor Arthur J. LeBlanc announced on June 2, that the Queen has approved the design of the Platinum Jubilee Medal, and over the coming months, it will be awarded to 5,000 Nova Scotians in recognition of significant contributions and service to the province.
To launch the medal program, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne, the names of the first 70 recipients have been released. They represent a broad cross-section of Nova Scotians who have contributed to diverse fields and organizations, according to the LeBlanc’s office.
The first 70 medal recipients include Father Jean-Baptiste DeCoste, Arichat and Tareq Hadhad of Antigonish.
“As Her Majesty’s reign embodies the importance of commitment to one’s community, the Platinum Jubilee provides opportunities for Nova Scotians to honour those in our province who have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to family, neighbours and colleagues,” said LeBlanc.
The office said the medal displays a crowned effigy of the Queen with her Canadian style and title on the front. They said the back features the shield of arms of Nova Scotia with the Queen’s Royal Cypher and dates of her reign. A pair of mayflowers – the provincial flower – and the Latin phrase “VIVAT REGINA” which means “LONG LIVE THE QUEEN” appear at the base, they noted.
“The Platinum Jubilee Medal is a significant honour afforded to Nova Scotians and Canadians making a difference in their communities,” said Premier Tim Houston. “I am pleased that 5,000 deserving Nova Scotians will receive recognition through this award.”
The Government of Nova Scotia established the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal program in March.
The Platinum Jubilee is being celebrated throughout the Commonwealth, and during her reign, the Queen has visited Nova Scotia on five royal tours, the first in 1951. At Government House in Halifax in 1959, the Queen announced the appointment of the first French Canadian Governor General, Georges Vanier.
The province added that the inaugural Platinum Jubilee Medal presentation ceremony will be held in July 2022, with the medal program modelled on the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, which saw 3,800 Nova Scotians recognized in 2012.
More information about the medal program and nomination criteria is available at: https://novascotia.ca/jubileemedal.