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In 1995, the Government of Saskatchewan established a decoration to recognize the volunteer sector on the occasion of the province's 90th anniversary: the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. Saskatchewan has the highest rate of volunteerism in Canada. Each volunteer reaches outside his or her personal activities to help others and make daily life in our province better for everyone. Formal recognition of volunteers is a way both of expressing the gratitude of the community and of presenting role models to the people of the province.
While the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, established in 1985 as the province's highest honour, does recognize volunteer or community service, this is only one among many fields of endeavour for which the Order is bestowed. Prior to 1995 the volunteer sector in Saskatchewan was not adequately recognized by the provincial government.
National StatusIn 1998, the Government of Canada accorded status to the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal after national and provincial orders, under other national decorations and medals. This means that recipients of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal are entitled to wear it on national occasions and recipients of Canada's national honours who also receive Saskatchewan honours may wear both in the sequence approved by the Governor General.
Designed by Jack Glasser of Regina, winner of a provincial competition.
The Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal is silver, circular in form, and suspended by a V-shaped clasp from a ribbon of green and gold, the provincial colours.
Recipients also receive a circular silver lapel pin displaying the Saskatchewan shield of arms superimposed on a "V," a certificate, and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters S.V.M. The medal is presented by the Lieutenant Governor in an annual ceremony.
The names and photos of the recipients of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal are displayed adjacent to the Athabasca Gallery on the second floor of the Legislative Building.
Any Canadian citizen who is a current or former long-term resident of Saskatchewan is eligible for nomination for the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal.
Any individual or group may submit nominations. The Saskatchewan Honours Advisory Council recommends recipients based entirely on the information submitted with the nomination.
Only one nomination form is required per nominee.
Please provide:
Please provide three to six letters from others in support of the nomination, explaining why your nominee is worthy of this honour. Do not exceed six letters. They must be on 8-1/2 x 11" paper, typed or clearly hand-written in dark ink.
You may provide material in support of your nomination. Please ensure that this material is succinct and directly relevant to the nomination. All support materials must be on 8½ x 11" paper, typed, reproduced or clearly hand-written in dark ink.
Nominations are accepted year-round; the deadline is November 19th.Nominations received after this date will be considered the following year. The person submitting the nomination must sign nomination forms.
All information provided to us is confidential and exclusively for the use of the Honours Advisory Council. We ask that you not inform the nominee of his or her nomination.
Submit signed nomination form and materials by:
Saskatchewan Honours and Awards Program
Protocol Office
300 - 3085 Albert Street
REGINA SK S4S 0B1
Phone: 306-787-8965
Toll free: 1-877-427-5505
Fax: 306-787-1269
Email: honours@gov.sk.ca
You will receive an acknowledgement for your nomination in 14 days.
Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret'd) Robert Cade led a life of service through his career in the Canadian Forces and as a dedicated volunteer. He served as past president and honorary life governor of the South Saskatchewan Division Corps of Commissionaires, past president and Director of Ceremonies of St. John Ambulance, national president of the Canadian Infantry Association National Council, and was a past president of the Royal Regina Rifles Trust Fund and former Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. Other organizations to which Robert gave his time include the Royal United Services Institute, Order of Armisticians, National Army Honorary Colonels' Advisory Board, Regina Officers' Mess, Saskatchewan Army Cadet League and the Federation of United Services Institutes of Canada. Robert also served as Aide-de-Camp for three Lieutenant Governors, including Principal Aide-de-Camp for two Lieutenant Governors.
As a volunteer, advocate and survivor, Anne Chase has spent the last 17 years devoted to women and families who are dealing with ovarian cancer. Anne founded the Saskatchewan Ovarian Cancer Survivors support group, served three terms on the Ovarian Cancer Canada board of directors and serves on the provincial Patient Family Advisory Council. She has been instrumental in fundraising events such as the Walk of Hope and the Ladyballs Show and Tell; she also advocated to have five gynecologists between Regina and Saskatoon. Perhaps her most notable contribution is the countless hours she has spent providing one-on-one support by accompanying women to appointments or lending support in person or over the telephone.
Described as a professional volunteer, Peggy George devotes a great deal of time and energy to her community. As Chair of the North Central Healthcare Foundation, Peggy has been instrumental in raising over $500,000 for medical imaging upgrades for the Melfort Hospital. More recently, she found a way for the hospital gift shop to open during the 2020 Christmas season, after it had to be closed during the pandemic. Peggy was also a driving force in bringing the Communities in Bloom program to Melfort. She is a board member of the Melfort United Church and a long-time volunteer with the Melfort Mustangs Booster Club.
Derek Harrison has been a consistent and dedicated volunteer in the community of Fort Qu'Appelle his entire life. A charter member of the Lions Club formed in 1961, Derek served on the executive board for many years, including two terms as president. Derek delivered Meals on Wheels for 30 years, ensuring those facing food insecurity in his town had access to hot meals. He often volunteered to drive local seniors to medical appointments in Regina. For over 70 years, Derek has played the organ for St. John's Anglican Church, acting as the choir director for many of those years. Derek is a core volunteer at the Fort Qu'Appelle museum, sharing his knowledge and love of his hometown with visitors.
As former Mayor of Bradwell, not only is Ken Hartz a leader in his community, he is also a dedicated volunteer. As a member of the Elks, he has served as president of his lodge, organized several curling and golf tournaments and was instrumental in organizing a "Chase the Ace" fundraiser. He organized fundraisers to repair the roof of the Bradwell Curling rink and for a new playground in the town. Ken serves as the chief and a trainer for the Bradwell Volunteer Fire Department. He also donates any salary he receives as chief back to the fire department. For over 30 years, Ken volunteered as a medical first responder with the Bradwell first responder group. Ken also selflessly takes on projects such as spraying for weeds, mowing or setting traps for skunks or raccoons.
Eileen Herman has been a devoted volunteer in the town of Qu'Appelle for decades. She has been a member of Girl Guides of Canada for 37 years and has served as a commissioner at the district, division and area levels. She has volunteered for over 50 camps and has been the Guider in charge of 22 of them. Eileen has organized the Community Birthday Calendar for many years, with proceeds going to the Girl Guides. Eileen was treasurer for the local library board for 20 years and served as interim librarian when needed. Eileen is also active with the Anglican Church as treasurer and president of the women's group. She is also a founder of the Qu'Appelle Historical Society and has volunteered with Earthwatch in various countries, helping tabulate statistics for scientific conservation projects.
Frank McDougall has made significant contributions to the areas of archeology, geology and paleontology in Saskatchewan through his extraordinary volunteerism. He devoted his time and expertise to the excavation of Scotty, the world's largest T-Rex and one of Saskatchewan's provincial emblems. Frank has been a volunteer and member of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society (SAS) for over 40 years. Frank freely provides his knowledge of geology and archaeology to the general public. Frank is a prolific contributor to SAS's magazine and its Paleo Corner column. Notably, Frank spent 1,800 hours digitizing and cataloguing information for SAS. Frank has also given his time and expertise to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Jean de Dieu Ndayahundwa has devoted a large part of the last 10 years to volunteering in Francophone and African communities within the Queen City. He was a board member of Association canadienne-française de Régina (ACFR) and served on the management committee for the francophone community school spaces (Carrefour des Plaines) for over nine years. He was a member of Comité consultatif en matière d’affaires francophones. He is a founder and leader of the Collectif des parents inquiets et préoccupés (CPIP) and successfully reached a Memorandum of Understanding with the provincial government to build a new French school in Regina by 2023. Jean de Dieu is a founder and president of the Burundian Community of Regina Inc., which welcomes and supports newcomers originally from Burundi to Canada. He is a board member of the Fondation fransaskoise. He also volunteers with the Rwandese Community of Regina, the African Canadian Resource Network Saskatchewan Inc., the Francothon and many other organizations and events.
Leela Sharma is a dynamic volunteer who is devoted to helping newcomers to Saskatchewan. She has been an active volunteer with the Hindu Society of Saskatchewan since 1983, having served as president for two years. She has also served as pavilion manager for Saskatoon Folkfest and co-chair of the Hindu Temple expansion committee. She mobilized the Hindu Society to support the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. Leela has also volunteered for 30 years with the India Canada Cultural Association. She is the host of a weekly radio program "Sangeetmala" on CFCR 90.5. Leela is also a board member of the Saskatchewan Multifaith Board.
Lorraine Silzer has given 26 years of continual volunteering to the Assiniboia & District Historical Museum, recently stepping down from her role as a board member. Lorraine has also made contributions as a researcher. Over the years, she has restored abandoned and neglected showcases for museum use and assisted with fundraisers. Lorraine rarely missed her weekly commitment to volunteer. Organizations such as the Assiniboia & District Historical Museum only exist with the dedication of volunteers such as Lorraine. She also volunteered with her church, assisting with banquets and fundraisers and was a member of the choir.
Richard (Dick) Strayer volunteers his time and talents to many community organizations. He was a member of the Saskatoon Nutana Rotary Club for 50 years. In that time, he was instrumental in organizing Meals on Wheels and a city-wide walk marathon to support the YMCA facility in Saskatoon. Through the Rotary club, Dick also collaborated with the city to develop the Beaver Creek Conservation Area. Dick was a board member of the Saskatoon Council on Aging for six years, where during his 22 years of service he developed the first guide for caregivers. For 15 years, he played the organ for services at Stensrud Lodge Special Care Home. Dick is a former President of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. He was also a long-time Board member and President of Saskatoon Prairieland Exhibition, and a Board member and President of the Saskatoon Board of Trade (now Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce).
Bernice Woolhouse has been a devoted and enthusiastic volunteer of the Assiniboia & District Historical Museum for almost 30 years. As a former board member, she played a key role in planning and building the museum's current facility. Bernice has developed and set up many of the displays over the years. She has also enhanced the military portion of the exhibit by securing a navy uniform and a mannequin. She has assisted with many fundraisers for the museum such as a 'Christmas throughout the World' event, a Fall Car Show and Shine and numerous barbeques. The museum has thrived because of the dedication of volunteers such as Bernice.
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