A Rossland man has been selected to receive a Senate 150th Commemorative Medal.
Kim Deane, chair of Friends of the Rossland Range, will be presented with the medal by Rossland City Council on behalf of Senator Nancy Greene Raine at the next city council meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.
The Senate 15oth Commemorative Medals are being awarded by Senators to Canadians “who are deeply involved in their communities and whose generosity, dedication, volunteerism and hard work make their hometowns a better place to live, a modest reward to unsung heroes whose efforts mean so much to so many.”
Senator Raine decided to award medals to Canadians who have helped develop and promote recreational trails.
“I decided to use the opportunity to recognize individuals who have worked as volunteers to develop and promote hiking and multi-purpose trails in their regions, all of which might be considered part of Canada’s Great Trail — a network encompassing the Trans-Canada Trail and many other trails across our great country,” she said in a press release.
Deane is being recognized for his trail work around Rossland and in the Rossland Range Recreation Site.
“Mr. Deane’s life-long passion for trails and outdoor recreation spearheaded the development of a network of trails around Rossland including the epic Seven Summits trail. His tenacity in the protracted negotiations with government authorities led a network of trails connecting day-use shelters in the Rossland Range Recreational Site which are used summer and winter,” read the release.
Deane “modestly views this as an award to the whole community,” according to an email message from Mayor Kathy Moore. “[A]nd he is correct; countless volunteers have been involved over the years,” she wrote.
Senator Greene has heard similar feedback from other medal recipients.
“Many of the medal recipients have told me that building trails is a team effort, and no one person should be given a medal — so I have asked them to receive it on behalf of all trail building volunteers,” she said in the release.
Members of the public are welcome to come out and watch Deane receive his medal on Dec. 14.