Three King Charles III Coronation Award Winners from Frontenac County

Jeff Green | Mar 19, 2025

Three diverse Frontenac County residents were awarded King Charles III coronation awards on Saturday (March 15) in a ceremony and tea at a church in Carleton Place. The medals, which were submitted by the offices of MPP John Jordan and MP Scott Reid, went to Dr. Peter Bell (Sharbot Lake) Kenneth (Shawn) Armstrong (Hartington) and Willa Morton (Verona/Harrowsmith).

The nomination criteria were quite broad.

Nominees are required to have “made significant contributions to the country, a province, territory, region or community, or made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada” and could be nominated by anyone, except themselves.

The nomination period ended in September of last year, and the medals, and accompanying certificates, are being presented in ceremonies across the country.

Over all, 3,000 medals are being awarded.

The three Frontenac County winners are among 30 from the Lanark Frontenac Kingston riding. alive on May 6, 2023, the date His Majesty

Dr. Bell's nomination was on both MPP Jordan and MP Scott Reid's lists. He has been at the helm of the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre for 54 years, since establishing a medical practice in 1971.

His nomination letters noted both his professional and community efforts. One of his major contributions has been to be at the forefront of bringing a broad range of medical services to Central Frontenac.

Over the decades, that meant establishing a medical centre in Sharbot Lake, which was funded and is owned by the local township (Oso township until 1998 and Central Frontenac Township since then). Dr. Bell spearheaded efforts to bring in associated medical services to the medical centre. For his efforts Dr. Bell was named Family Physician of the Year in Ontario in 2004. A provincially funded Family Health Team was opened in 2006, at the renovated Medical Centre. The centre thrives to this day.

Willa Morton, a 15 year old Sydenham High School student, only found out about the King Charles III Medal when she got a call from her father, telling her that a letter from the Parliament of Canada had arrived, addressed to her.

“I wondered what I had done wrong, for someone to be writing to me from the government,” she said, when contacted the day after the medal ceremony.

The reason she did not know why there would be a letter for her, was that she did not know she had been nominated for the award.

Willa lives part-time with her mother and part-time with her father and step-mother. It was her step-mother, Bridget Levesque, who nominated her, figuring she would find out if she won.

The nomination talked about two streams of Willa’s extensive volunteer history. She was very active with the Girl Guides, going right through all levels.

In addition, she helps out with the Capital City 501st Rebel Legion, a group of Star Wars enthusiasts who dress in authentic costumes and attend public events. The group also raises money for the Make a Wish Foundation and similar causes, and that is where Willa comes in. She comes along with her family, not in costume, but as the fundraising support person, handling all the details and making sure that the money is collected.

But Willa’s volunteering does not end there. She goes to her former school, Prince Charles Public School, during her exam period at Sydenham High School, to tutor students who need help with math and reading, and she is active at Sydenham High School, with the S.A.G.E (Sex and Gender Equality) group, and helps out with theatre productions of all kinds and with Syds Café.

At the ceremony, Willa met Lila Graham from Carleton Place, the only other young recipient of a Coronation Medal in the riding.

“It was great to meet Lila,” Willa said, “the work that she does for the food bank is pretty inspiring.”

Although Shawn Armstrong is not involved with the South Frontenac Fire department, he has and continues to make his mark as a firefighter in Ontario.

His nomination letter notes that he “has been devoted to the public service for 42 years. Serving communities in which he has lived as a police officer, small business owner; and since 1995, Fire Chief of Guelph, Kingston, and most recently, Greater Napanee.

In April 2024, after having been retired for a year and half, Kenneth was asked by the Town of Greater Napanee to fill the role of Fire Chief, on an interim basis, while the town dealt with internal issues. Shawn has devoted his life to serving the public, going far beyond the call of duty.”

He has since become the full-time fire chief in Napanee, as of last month. His retirement will, apparently, have to wait quite a while longer.

Other award recipients with local connections include Karen Medveduke from nearby Elginburg, and Calvin Neufeld, who currently resides in Perth but lived in Godfrey, is the founder of the group, Evolve Our Prison Farms, and was the Green Party candidate in the riding, in the last federal election.

Two Council members awarded in Hastings Lennox and Addington.

On March 7th, Ken Hook, a current councillor of former reeve of Addington Highlands, who is also active in the Cloyne and District Historical Society, among other activities, was one of 25 award recipients in the Hastings Lennox and Addington riding.

Stephanie Regent lives over the line in North Frontenac and serves on North Frontenac Council, but owns a business on the western side of Hwy. 41, in Lennox and Addington. Her medal was awarded in recognition of her efforts in doctor recruitment for the Lakelands Family Health Team in Northbrook and other volunteer efforts.