Veterans honoured with King Charles Coronation award

After the pomp and circumstance of Remembrance Day subsided and the crowds cleared from City Hall, several hundred veterans made their way to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60. 

In the downstairs meeting place, they ate, drank and shared memories of what they had accomplished. Behind them, in the small museum that would be easily missed by anyone unfamiliar with the building if the door were closed, MP Karina Gould awarded 21 Burlington veterans with King Charles Coronation Awards. 

“When I was thinking about who I wanted to give these pins to, I thought about the people who embody service to our country,” Gould says. “I have known a lot of these guys for many years. Not only have they served our country in the army, air force and Navy, but they continue to do so through the Legion and the verterans' associations they manage.”

The pins feature King Charles’ royal crest in gold, in front of a green star with 13 points for the 13 provinces and territories in the background, with a crown on the top. The pins were made to recognize the first crowning of a Canadian monarch in seven decades. 

During the presentation, Gould mentioned Gordon Schottlander, a British D-Day veteran who lives in Burlington, actually has the pin issued from the last coronation, for Queen Elizabeth II. 

The veterans at Branch 60 are aware the work they do for Burlington matters, and were glad to see the support from their community on Remembrance Day. 

“The people of Burlington are very, very generous, especially during the poppy campaign,” Veterans Liaison Officer Dan Lauzon says. “The Legion uses the money from the poppy campaign to help veterans in need.”

Lauzon introduced Gould at the beginning of the presentation, and is a recipient of the King Charles Coronation award. 

Gould was also aware of the significance of the pins, and the meaning behind the presentation.

“It was a real honour to be able to give them a small bit of recognition and appreciation of what they do every day for veterans, for our country, and for the fact that they served with such honour and dignity,” Gould says. 

The timeliness of the Remembrance Day ceremony, and the presentation of the pins, was also not lost on Gould, who says that the ongoing war in Ukraine and more recently in Israel and Gaza,  have highlighted that Canada represents the idea of what a society could be. 

“That doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do, but it means that so many countries and so many people look to us to see how we can make it possible to be a diverse, inclusive country where everyone can thrive no matter their background,” Gould says. 

The complete list of those awarded the pin at the Burlington Legion ceremony, as provided by Gould's office:

• James Farraunto CD SSM is a retired Warrant Officer and acted as an Engineer Mechanic in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Micheal Honcharenko CD is a retired Master Corporal and was responsible for transport in the Canadian Army. 
• Manual J Alfau is a retired Sgt. And was a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in the Canadian Army. 
• Burns MacLeod served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army. 
• Robert Ingram is a retired Sgt. And served in the Canadian Army.  
• Micheal (Mick) Jackson is a retired Sgt. And served as a Mechanical Engineer in the British Army. 
• Mike Vencel served as an Electrician in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Andrew Barber served as a Visual Communicator in the Royal Canadian Navy.  
• Doug Dicker served as a Naval Fireman in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Bill Thomas was responsible for surface weapons in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Don Arthurs served as Radar Operator in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Ralph Edwards served as a Stewart/Diver/Fire Fighter in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Michael Traina served as a Radio Technician in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Bill MacDonald served in Search and Rescue in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Peter Lorimer served as an Engineer Mechanic in the Royal Candian Navy. 
• Hank Wensley served as an Engineer Mechanic in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Gordon Schottlander served as a Captain in the British Army and is a D Day Veteran. 
• Jim Holmes served as a Sonar Operator in the Royal Canadian Navy. 
• Matt Black CSM is a Sgt. Major C.D. in the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. 
• Nicholas Roadhouse CD is a Major in the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. 
• Joseph Daniel Lauzon is a retired Sgt. And served in the Canadian Army in an Infantry Airborne Regiment.