Six deserving individuals were presented with commemorative banners recognizing each of their varied accomplishments at a special presentation during the June 10 City of Cranbrook council meeting.

Those presented with their banners on Monday night include: Jamey Ballard (Canadian Boxing Junior Champion and Canadian Winter Games Medalist), Shirley Jowsey (Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence), Ed King (Country Gospel Music Association – Male Entertainer of the Year), Debra  Parker (Women’s Open Bench Press Powerlifting Record), Jonathan Robins (Special Olympics Medalist- Skiing) and Louise Stropky (Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award).

“This honour places these six people in some very elite company within the city, along with 23 other individuals and groups who have exceled in the areas of recreation, sport, arts and culture,” says Mayor Wayne Stetski.  “The accomplishments of all these individuals bring continued positive distinction to both themselves and to the City of Cranbrook on the national and international stage.”

The banner program began in 2009, the brainchild of former city councillor Liz Schatschneider, as a way to recognize individuals or groups from Cranbrook who exceled in areas of recreation, sport, arts and culture. In order to be considered to receive a banner, the individual or group must have won a national or international award and either grew up in or currently live in the city.

“For a city our size, we have an amazing number of talented and accomplished people who have been recognized nationally and internationally,” Schatschneider says. “We had to make the cutoff at national awards because if we went to the provincial awards level, the banners would line the highway to Vancouver.”

Each of the new banners will be placed along the Highway 3 corridor alongside all 23 of the other commemorative banners over the next few weeks.

City of Cranbrook

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