By Pepper Parr
October 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Oakville North Burlington Member of Parliament Pam Damoff stood in the House of Commons yesterday and said to the Speaker.
Pam Damoff speaking in the House of Commons.
Mr. Speaker, last month, I was thrilled to present the King Charles III Coronation Medal to 20 deserving individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and to Canada.
Commemorating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and his lifetime of committed service, these medals recognize outstanding Canadians of all ages, abilities and from all walks of life for their dedicated service to bettering their communities and the lives of others.
With so much negativity in the world today, it is important that we take time to celebrate the accomplishments of others and the positive impacts they make to their communities, our country and, in many cases, the world.
These individuals truly exemplify the values of service and selflessness, professionalism and commitment.
I congratulate all the deserving recipients of this honour. Our country is better because of them.
For the most part the comments were true and had merit.
What bothered many people was adding the Mayor of Burlington to the list of 20 people were “presented” with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
MP Damoff pictured with Mayor Meed Ward when she was “presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. Marianne Meed Ward holds both Canadian and American citizenship.
Representing the people is the Mayor’s full time job for which she is well rewarded financially. Of late the reward from her constituents is much lower than it was when she was elected Mayor in 2018. Prior to that she was a very good Council member who brought the words transparency and accountability into the lexicon of the city and lived by it.
One can only hope that the practice of one politician presenting medals to another politician in the same city is something that doesn’t become a nice thing to do.
Politicians are in place to serve the public that elected them – they are not there to serve each other.
As a businessman I used to receive some pretty nice gifts from suppliers all the time, I gave them to my employees, are we still all sure we don’t want a businessman running things?
Pretty sure I don’t want a business man like Doug Ford Running things in Burlington.
Not even Kelvin Galbraith, as the last time I looked he was a business person?
Just realized I’m not using the word, Businessperson, but forgive me in advance for the use of ‘person’, in my defence, I’m still having trouble with the metric system; You do make a good point though, in regard to anyone being in a position of absolute trust, financial gain Is usually the first thought, but these days that is considered so passe, power is today’s commodity and what’s the point of it if it can’t be abused?
We find your comment very distasteful David. It is nothing to do with anti MMW it is a King Charles medal being kept from a deserving Damoff constituent by our Mayor who has shown a disdain for our monarchy for several years.
She was part of the Council that removed our Monarch’s picture not only from Chambers where it hung for years but also from public view in city hall until ordered to hang it back up with a black drape after our Queen passed. Our monarch’s picture, now King Charles, has never been seen in Chambers or at city hall since. We personally asked from the lectern to have it returned and council refused.
MMW also remained seated during God Save the King at the public viewing of the Queen’s funeral. We believe the Code of Good Governance should be changed to prevent this ever happening again by altering the wording to say must treat the monarchy with respect
Despite our significant efforts the Edward VII fountain that also commemorated the Queen’s 25th Jubilee was allowed to rot away in sight of our Cenotaph at the time Her Majesty was the only living monarch to have served In WW2. It would likely have rotted away if the idea of Veterans Square had not come into being and our call to restore, was at last adhered to. Albeit not in ts original color of Royal Blue and Gold as they are in various parts of the world, the few that remain
How can someone who is so disrespectful to the Monarchy ever wear a KC medal or publicly brag about how much she deserved it. We’d be afraid that it would drop off at a crucial moment in a political career!!! Perhaps while dancing in Japan LOL.
Dear Editor
Then I used the wrong adjective. So my apologies. Not dislike; maybe vociferous disappointment?
Deep vetting ?
Alan Eagleson, David Ahenakew, T. Sher Singh, Steve Fonyo, Garth Drabinsky, Conrad Black, Ranjit Chandra, and Johnny Issaluk all members of the Order of Canada. All 8 had the honour rescinded. Two (25%) were politicians
Cosy up to public personalities?
Oh you mean as in my comment about public personality Councilor Kearns found in the comment section of the Gazette article “BRAG: A Better Burlington is Within our Grasp”.
Strange way to cosy up, don’t you think? LOL
Enjoy the sunshine!
Well my eyebrows were well and truly raised, I would never have guessed our Mayor was a Republican, in its original form that is; Many an anti-Royalist has squared the fact that they bent the knee for a Royal title over the years, gives a teeny insight into someone’s character, wouldn’t you agree?
I would simply like to know how the decisions on those to be so honoured were made. Was there a nomination and vetting process, who decided the successful citizens and what impartial, hopefully objective process was used for both nomination and award.
Meed Ward wears the pin like a campaign badge – which, indeed, it has become. She has little sense of appropriate decorum (how American of her) and fails to understand that familiarity and overuse can breed contempt.
Very well said Pepper! Serving themselves and serving each other – seems to be what too many politicians think it’s all about. It was cringeworthy watching both ladies go on their days-long media blitz about it all as well.
So, either the other 19 recipients did not want public recognition, did not have the benefit of a social media presence, were not closely by dint of political association aligned with the nominator, or cynically were not Liberals. Sunlight or in this case transparency are said to be the best cure to what could be reciprocal or entitlement nepotism.