When you’re a kid and you get one of those gold medallions that you can take the tinfoil wrap off to find chocolate inside, that’s the prize. For local resident and community volunteer Kerrie Vockeroth, however, there was no foil or chocolate—this was the real thing. On Saturday, Jan. 25, Vockeroth was one of 20 individuals awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the coronation medal program on May 3, 2023, to honour Canadians who have made a significant contribution to Canada, or to a particular province, territory, region, or community within Canada, or have attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.
The medal was officially unveiled on May 6, 2024, the first anniversary of the coronation. Canada has issued 30,000 Coronation Medals, awarding them to select members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the public service, and notable individuals.
Member of Parliament for Nanaimo—Ladysmith Lisa Marie Barron was tasked with assembling a selection committee to choose recipients.
“These medals are intended to recognize people in our communities who are unsung warriors for the value and commitments they have contributed to our lives,” Barron said.
Vockeroth moved to Ladysmith in 1994 for what she thought would be a limited time.
“I started working at Rocky Creek Pub, where we did fundraising events to help two families who were going through some difficult medical times,” Vockeroth said.
She was struck by the generosity of the town. “I could not get over the sense of community and giving Ladysmith had,” she said. “Everyone was so supportive of those families. I fell in love with the spirit of small-town living.”
Vockeroth never did end up leaving. She decided to stay in Ladysmith and later attended Vancouver Island University for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Asked how she felt about being nominated for the medal, Vockeroth said, “It was a complete surprise. A few days before Christmas, I received a large envelope in the mail from Lisa Marie Barron and the House of Commons, which at first I thought was a calendar. But when I opened it, I discovered it was the Coronation Medal nomination certificate.”
She did, in fact, receive a calendar as well.
“By the way, I also just got my calendar,” she added.
On Jan. 5, Vockeroth received a phone call from Barron informing her that she would be receiving a medal.
“She left me a very heartfelt message,” Vockeroth said. “I was humbled and honoured.”
At the presentation ceremony at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo, Vockeroth admitted the announcement caught her off guard.
“I was taken aback, as my name was last on the list, so I thought I had more time to prepare myself,” she said. “But they called the list from bottom to top.”
She hadn’t planned to speak, but the emcee didn’t get the memo and called her to the mic.
“Once the panic settled, I stepped forward. I know I mentioned something about being ‘volun-told’ my entire life by my mum.”
When asked if she knew who had nominated her, Vockeroth said she figured it out pretty quickly.
“My sister Sandy was the first suspect, and her ‘maybe’ reply confirmed it. She is a proud big sister.”
Vockeroth credited her sister as the real hero. “She helped raise all of her siblings, including me,” she said. “She truly is our rock.”
That same dedication to others has defined Vockeroth’s lifelong commitment to volunteering.
Vockeroth participated in the Lions Easter Seals 24-Hour Relay for 18 years before it transitioned into the Easter Seals Drop Zone. “Instead of running, now we rappel off the CIBC building in Victoria,” she said.
She and her team, the Lions 49th Parallel Flyers, raised over $5,000 this year for Camp Shawnigan. “I am not a fan of heights,” she added, “but it’s for the kids.”
“The 24-hour relay led me to join the Lions Club 20 years ago,” she said. “They bribed me!”
At the time, the club had recently begun admitting women. “When I approached them for a donation, they counter-offered: my relay team [would receive] $1,000 if I joined them,” she said. She became the first woman in the Ladysmith Club.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the Lions Annual Easter Egg Hunt and have worked closely with the Easter Bunny since the hunt’s inception,” she added. “This has become a huge community event. The Ladysmith Lions are a small club but amazing and mighty.”
Through her involvement with the Lions, Vockeroth became a volunteer director with the Ladysmith Senior Citizens Housing Society. She is also a member of the local Eagles Auxiliary.
“I joined in tribute to a loved one, Beryl Watkins, who had been a 50-year member,” she said. “The Eagles and the Auxiliary have a long history in Ladysmith and are both amazing organizations. Through the Eagles, I also volunteer on another board, the Home Society, which helps keep the Eagles Hall up and running. I believe this is important because the hall has a long history in Ladysmith.”
A dedicated supporter of the Legion Poppy Campaign, Vockeroth said, “With veterans in the family, I find it important to support all of our vets. One of my late Lions, Sid Roemer, and I used to ring the Salvation Army kettle bells together. It was his idea and I have kept it up just for him. Plus, it is actually lots of fun.”
Vockeroth was unaware of the Coronation Medal awards before her nomination. When asked what it meant to her, she said, “My only wish would have been to have my late mum and grandmother here to witness this honour. They emigrated from the UK with my aunt in 1964, and I know they would have been very pleased with the royal connection. I was raised with the values that it is important to give back to your community. Even though we did not have much growing up, we always had time to share and the ability to pay it forward.”
Now recovered after four spinal surgeries, she is preparing to return to her career as a registered nurse. Her commitment to community service remains strong.
When asked what she gets out of volunteering, Vockeroth responded, “Honestly, I get a lot. I have met so many great people who are now my friends and personal community. Through volunteering, I found a new town and place to call home.”
