Four Commissionaires in B.C. presented with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals

The medals are awarded to Canadians who have made a significant contribution to the well being of their community and country. Commissionaires was allocated a total of 80 medals by the office of the Governor General of Canada to be awarded to deserving members in their 17 divisions across the country. A total of 60,000 medals will be awarded to Canadians during the jubilee year.

Commissionaires BC’s CEO, Allen Batchelar, served for 32 years in the Canadian Forces and 16 years with Commissionaires.  David Kerr is Commissionaires’ Site Supervisor for the Penticton Airport where he has worked since 1997. Bob Stephenson has worked at Commissionaires for 24 years and is the Area Representative for the North Interior. For the past 11 years he has been at the front desk of the RCMP’s Northern District Headquarters. Bob has spent the last 57 years in uniform; before joining Commissionaires he was in the Canadian Forces for 33 years, retiring as a Warrant Officer.

According to Commissionaires, the medal is especially meaningful to Brian Hatch as he is a history buff and an avid collector of Commissionaires memorabilia. He began the collection in 2002 and since then has amassed a large array of medals, badges, uniforms and documents. “I was quite surprised when I was told I was being awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal,” says Hatch. “I have a passion for Commissionaires’ history but I never expected to become a part of it in this way.”