Community leaders receive distinctive honor recognizing their efforts
In keeping with a tradition she started four years ago, Fabre Liberal MNA Monique Sauvé presented National Assembly Medals last week to ten residents of her riding in recognition of their many years contributing to the community.
Giving back
The provincial riding of Fabre corresponds roughly to the Laval districts of Fabreville-Ouest, the Îles-Laval, Laval-Ouest, Laval-sur-le-Lac, Sainte-Dorothée and Chomedey north of Souvenir Rd. and west of 100th Ave.
“Through your devotion, your commitment, your involvement and your leadership, all of you contribute to an exceptional quality of life for the families, the children and the senior citizens of Fabre,” Sauvé said during a presentation evening held on Aug. 31 at the Château Taillefer Lafon in Laval-Ouest.
Inspiration to all
“It is with great joy that I am finally able to acknowledge the great work you do, while giving you your full credit,” added Sauvé who is the PLQ’s official critic for senior citizens’ and caregivers’ issues. “You are a true inspiration to all the citizens of western Laval.”
In an interview with The Laval News, Sauvé said that many of those chosen to receive the National Assembly Medal have been involved with local non-profit groups for years.
They didn’t make the news
“It’s about time that people are made to know about their efforts and all the great work they’ve been doing to provide help in the community,” she said. “There are people from schools, people who were helping the elderly. And, of course, with the pandemic it was especially hard last year for them to do this.
“These are people whose work will not make the front pages of the news,” she continued. “Each year, this is an occasion for me to recognize the work they are doing for families, for the elderly, for people who are going through difficulties in life. So, we wanted to let it be known that these people did a lot of hard work over the past year.”
This year’s recipients
The 10 recipients chosen by Monique Sauvé for National Assembly Medals this year are:
- Jean-Jacques Beldié (Association de citoyens de Laval-sur-le-Lac. Beldié is also a former Laval city councillor.)
- Benoît Brabant (FC Laval)
- Julie Bruyère (Maison de Lina)
- Joanna Colida (Académie de l’enfance)
- Linda Delisle (Manoir du Ruisseau)
- Jacques Fournier (Comité des résidents du Centre d’hébergement de soins de longue durée Sainte-Dorothée)
- Claire Harnois (Société Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Sainte-Dorothée)
- Normand Jacques (Quartier des arts du Cheval Blanc)
- Myriam Stephens (Collège Citoyen)
- Mélanie Tremblay (Loisirs Sainte-Dorothée)
Pandemic restrictions
Last year, no ceremony to award National Assembly Medals was held by Sauvé’s office because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, as the sanitary restrictions imposed by the provincial government were more relaxed, she decided to hold the ceremony, albeit with fairly strict requirements such as the use of face masks and hand sanitizer still in place.
Who gets the Medals
According to a description on the Quebec National Assembly website, the National Assembly Medal is awarded by the Members of the Assembly:
- To people of their choice who are deserving of recognition, or
- As an official gift to Members of other parliaments, elected officials or other public figures during parliamentary missions outside Quebec or protocol receptions at the Parliament Building.
Medal Characteristics
- Composition: bronze, lacquered antique finish.
Reverse: Effigy of Jean-Antoine Panet, the first Speaker of the House of Assembly of Lower Canada (before 1968, the President of the Assembly was called the Speaker).
The effigy reproduces part of the painting, The Language Debate, by Charles Huot, that hangs in the National Assembly Chamber of the Parliament Building.
A miniature replica of the Medal of the National Assembly is also sold at the National Assembly gift shop.