Limerick Fire Chief Greg Maxwell received the King Charles III Coronation medal on May 10 at Actinolite Hall at 10 Bridgewater Road in Tweed from MPP Ric Bresee. Maxwell and Bresee comment on this medal presentation to The Bancroft Times.
At the ceremony on May 10, Bresee said he was honoured to recognize a true “quiet hero” in Maxwell.
“Everyone here is a part of community, and most everyone wants to support their community. Greg Maxwell takes that further than most of would dare. When there is a crisis, Greg is always there to support the people around him.
There is an old expression that firefighters are the only ones who rush in, when all others rush out. Greg has been that firefighter, and he is the guy out there cleaning up the roads when the trees come down after a storm, or even a derecho. As a firefighter, Greg has been there to help people on their very worst days. And I know that he has seen some things that would haunt most of us. Instead of allowing that to weigh on him, Greg has stepped up even further, to be the leader of the local fire service, to teach the younger guys not just how to fight the fires, how to save the people, but also how to deal with the aftermath of the tremendous emotional toll being a firefighter takes on the individual. And through it all, he is constantly working cooperatively with those around him, in government and in the community, to find ways to improve his community, small ways like road safety improvement, to big ways like better economic environments for jobs and prosperity. When the community is in need, Greg is always there,” he says.
The King Charles III coronation medal was first announced a few days before the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to Canada.ca. 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.
Maxwell told The Bancroft Times that he was grateful to receive this award.
“[However,] I cannot take credit by myself for this award. It takes a team to get these accomplishments and I thank my fellow firefighters, roads crew, and OPP auxiliary members over the years,” he says. “Thank you all for your service.”