Local residents awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal

March 18, 2025

By Michael Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Three Bancroft and area residents were awarded the King Charles III coronation medal on March 6 by MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman; Kim Bishop, Dora Yateman and Tim Porter. These medals commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada and honours significant contributions to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of our nation, or outstanding achievements abroad that brings credit to Canada, and they can be awarded posthumously as long as the recipient was alive as of May 6, 2023. MP Kramp-Neuman, Bishop, Yateman and Porter comment on this achievement.

According to Canada.ca, the medal was first announced a few days before the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the design of the medal and the details of the program were announced by Rideau Hall on May 6, 2024, the first anniversary of the coronation. Manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint, the medal was designed by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin and Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority at the Chancery of Honours, Rideau Hall, and is struck in nickel-silver and lacquered to prevent tarnishing.

The inaugural medal ceremony occurred on May 6, 2024. This year’s ceremony awarded 30,000 medals nationwide, with 4,000 of them recognizing members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Twenty-five of these coronation medals were awarded by MP Kramp-Neuman on March 6 at the Huntingdon Veterans’ Community Hall in Ivanhoe. Three of these recipients were Bancroft and area residents; Bishop, Yateman and Porter.

MP Kramp Neuman issued the following statement on her Facebook page on March 8, the coronation medal program provides parliamentarians with an opportunity to include community builders and leaders into the Canadian honours system, allowing their contributions to be recognized.

“It was my honour to be able to recognize these remarkable individuals with their families and friends. [It was] a phenomenal evening to recognize change makers, leaders, creative visionaries, iconic legacies, respected volunteers and outstanding achievers. Our shared sense of purpose as Canadians is strengthened when we collectively honour those who distinguish themselves by virtue of their talents, their generosity, and their service to their community and to our country,” she says.

In addition to Bishop, Yateman and Porter, the other recipients of that evening’s honours were; Mr. Harold Lorne Bailey, Wendy Bateman, Ms. Roxanna Linda Beddington, VP of ESSA Union, District President A4 Lioness Club, President Loyalist, Doctor Jamaica Dawn Cass, MD, PhD, CCFP, DABOM. Thomas Charles Henry Deline, Mayor. Doctor Anil Kumar Dosaj, M.D. PDipPH, BCom. MLA/T, the late, Mr. Rick Leroy Doyle, Mr. Johnny Ellis, Mr. Donald Robert Fenwick, Colonel Charles Mark Hazleton, OMM, MSM, CD (retired). Mr. Ken W. Hook, Councillor, the late, Mr. Daryl Edward Kramp, ICD, Patricia Suzanne Lochnan BASC, RECE, Mrs. Doris May Lucas, Mrs. Maha Majeed, Mr. Rick Earl Phillips, Lieutenant Richard Charles Philips, CMM, Artistic Director/CEO Stephanie Ann Regent, Major Robert Patrick Ryan, CD, Major the Reverend, Canon Bradley Dana Smith, CD, B.A., M.Div., Judy Nadine Striker, and Mr. Mark Elwood Wilson CD1. Kramp-Neuman told Bancroft This Week that the ceremony was lovely, they had a great turnout with the nominees and their friends and families and her team was there to help coordinate.

“It was seamless. It was just a wonderful way to acknowledge and celebrate these individuals. I think I can confidently say I admire all their time, their generosity, their expertise, and overall, their shared sense of giving back to the community. Over the course of the evening, there were several stories shared that were all profound. These individuals are iconic and respected and overall, just very humble and outstanding achievers. So, it was an honour to be in their company and they really are role models for so many people in a beautiful kind of way. And they all bring something different. They all touched different walks of life, whether it’s creative visionary of Tim Porter, the iconic legacy of Kim Bishop is living through her late father Lloyd Churchill and the sense of comfort you have when you’re in a room with Dora Yateman. So, there are so many qualities I could speak for hours on each of them. There’s a very common thread of wanting to give back to the community in a humble sort of way,” she says.

Bishop, the chair of the North Hastings Fund Development Committee with Quinte Health North Hastings Hospital, told Bancroft This Week that this award validates the volunteer work she does in the community with a focus on healthcare, and that it makes a difference. In addition to the board chair for North Hastings Fund Development Committee for Quinte Hospital North Hastings, she lead successful projects totaling over $10 million, including building the new hospital, creating a digital X-ray unit and dialysis unit, a CAT scan unit, and annual fundraising for hospital equipment. She also lobbies all levels of government for programs to attract physicians to rural communities and for locally administered and accessible healthcare. In addition to working to stabilize hospice care in North Hastings, she also serves as director on the board for the Highlands Opera Studio, is a member of the College of Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario and is chair f the Bancroft North Hastings Family Health Team. She says her nomination came from Mary Kavanagh and the museum board.

“I am deeply humbled and incredibly proud to have received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of my volunteer service to our community. I have been overwhelmed by the thoughtful messages, calls, the beautiful flowers, and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for celebrating with me. As I reflect on this milestone, I can’t help think of my dad. He would have been so proud of this recognition and the efforts I have made and continue with to make this community a better place. He lived a life of community service and led by example. He taught me to always give my best to others and to always strive for positive change in everything I do. On Thursday night the beaming smiles of my family shone bright enough that we knew Dad was with us. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement and for validating what I spend my time doing makes a difference,” she says.

Yateman was nominated by Alan Woodcox, chair of the Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum for her community service and philanthropy, including sitting on nine boards, seven of which are not for profit, and as an Algonquin Elder, contributing immensely to Indigenous organizations and causes. Some of these postings include president of the Anishinaabe Baptiste Community Org., a director with Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini AFN, the Southeast Indigenous Cancer Committee, secretary with Interregional Indigenous Primary Care Team, vice chair of Hastings Destination Trails Inc., chair of Stewards of Bancroft Eagles’ Nest Park, secretary with North Hastings Economic Development Committee, secretary with Bancroft Lions Club, and an Elder member Shawaskong Ikwe Singers.

“Receiving this medal is a great honour and I feel very humble,” she says.

Porter, co-executive director and artistic director of Tweed & Co., was honoured for his contribution to the Bancroft, Tweed and Hastings County communities at large through Tweed & Co. He told Bancroft This Week that it was an absolute honour to receive this prestigious medal from the government of Canada for the founding of and his continued work with Tweed & Co. Theatre.

“Building a hub of arts and culture in Hastings County has long been my passion, and I am ecstatic to see it come to fruition, and continue to grow and thrive! And thanks to our MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman who has been incredibly supportive of the company, and an advocate of professional live theatre here in the region.”