by Lucie Roy
Morinville News Correspondent
The Senate of Canada celebrated the 150th anniversary of its first sitting Nov. 6 by awarding commemorative medals, struck by the Royal Canadian Mint. The Senate 150th Anniversary Medal commemorates the first time senators came to Ottawa to sit in Parliament on Nov. 6, 1867.
This month across Canada, the 105 senators, who have each received twelve medals to award, are presenting these medals to Canadians or permanent residents actively involved in their communities.
Morinville resident Andre Noel is the recipient of one of these Senate 150th Anniversary medals.
Twelve outstanding members of the Alberta francophone community were awarded the Senate 150th Anniversary medal by Senator Claudette Tardif at a special ceremony held on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Edmonton’s Cite francophone. Noel has been contributing for many years to the vitality of Centralta’s Francophonie. He was and still is involved for more than 13 years in the Centralta Tourism Society, the Morinville Historical and Cultural Society, and executive board of the Centralta regional chapter of the Association canadienne francaise de l’Alberta (ACFA) to name but a few.
Also on hand for the presentation was Irene Althot, President of the Centralta Tourism Society and Cathy Pellerin, Directrice, ACFA regionale Centralta.
Noel said the Senator was approached by the Senate of Canada to select twelve candidates from her community for this national honour. The provincial and regional branches of the Association canadienne-francaise de l’Alberta supported the Senator in their selection process. The medal recipients came from across Alberta and were recognized for their exemplary contributions in education, arts and culture, immigration and community service.
Noel said he had a choice to receive the medal in Edmonton or at the Senate in Ottawa on Nov. 29.
Of the six Alberta Senators, Elaine McCoy and Douglas Black are presenting their medal Friday, Nov. 16, Mitchell Grant and Scott Tannas are presenting on Nov. 29, and those of Claudette Tardif were presented Nov. 11 and Betty Unger on Nov. 14.
The medal measures 7.6 centimetres, three inches in diameter and seven millimetres, one-quarter inch thick, which is the same size as the Confederation Medal of 1867. The front side features the Senate’s emblem. The reverse side depicts the Senate chamber, and there is space for the inscription of the récipients name. The medals are made of Muntz metal; an alloy comprised of bronze, copper, and zinc and has been cast by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Top: Senator Claudette Tardif presenting to Andre Noel – Photo taken by Steven Noel
Above: Andre with his award – Lucie Roy Photo
