November 29, 2011
Solicitor General Honours B.C. Corrections Staff

BURNABY – Adult and youth corrections and probation officers from around the province were honoured at the Solicitor General’s annual Corrections Exemplary Service Medals award ceremony.

This year, 28 employees from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Ministry of Children and Family Development received awards from Solicitor General and Attorney General Shirley Bond and Minister of Children and Family Development Mary McNeil. Three officers at Burnaby Youth Custody Services received awards:

• Kevin Bennett
• Sheryl Hudspeth
• Mark Streifel

Why this matters:

• The awards are presented to honour Corrections staff members who have reached milestones for exemplary service, beginning at 20 years for the Corrections Exemplary Service Medal and 30 years for the Corrections Exemplary Service Bar.

Quote:

Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Harry Bloy:
“The commendations for these three corrections officers – which include preventing self-harm, suicide and escape – show just how much they deserve our respect and gratitude for their decades of service.”

Burnaby North MLA Richard T. Lee:
“Kevin Bennett, Sheryl Hudspeth and Mark Streifl have each accomplished a great deal over their careers. With about 80 years of combined experience, they fully deserve this recognition.”

Quick Facts:

• The standards for these awards are established by the Chancellery of Canadian Orders and Decorations for medal recipients.
• The first Canadian medal to recognize long and outstanding service in the public
• safety professions was the Police Exemplary Service Medal, created on Aug. 12, 1982.
• The second was the Corrections Exemplary Service Medal, created by Letters Patent signed by Her Majesty the Queen on June 11, 1984.

A backgrounder follows.

Visit Harry’s website at www.harrybloymla.bc.ca
Visit Richard’s website at www.richardleemla.bc.ca

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For more information contact Jeff Melland
B.C. Liberal Government Caucus Communications:
Phone: 250-356-0389
Email: jeff.melland@leg.bc.ca

BACKGROUNDER

2011 Award Recipients

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

Robert John Alexander -- Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, Maple Ridge, B.C.

Kevin Batter – Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, Kamloops B.C.

Walter Baxter – Nanaimo Correctional Centre, Nanaimo, B.C.

June Birch – North Fraser Pretrial Centre, Port Coquitlam, B.C.

William (Bill) Bouthot – Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, Kamloops, B.C.

Giuseppe (Pino) Cuscito – North Fraser Pretrial Centre, Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Donald Horning – Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, Kamloops, B.C.

Leona Imrie – Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, Surrey, B.C.

Rodney Johnston – Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, Surrey, B.C.

Alanna Love – Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, Prince George, B.C.

Phillip McArthur – North Fraser Pretrial Centre, Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Maurice Weistra – Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, Maple Ridge, B.C.

Sandra Murray – Maple Ridge Community Corrections Office, Maple Ridge, B.C.

Chad Salim – Surrey East Community Corrections Office, Surrey, B.C.

Marilynn Watchorn – Vancouver West Community Corrections Office, Vancouver, B.C.

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Randy Anderson – Vancouver South Youth Justice

William (Mark) Armitage – Vancouver Island Regional Office

Kevin Bennett – Burnaby Custody Services, Burnaby, B.C.

Shannon Elliott – Prince George Youth Probation Office, Prince George, B.C.

Kim Fogtmann – Prince George Youth Custody Services, Prince George, B.C.

Sheryl Hudspeth – Burnaby Youth Custody Services, Burnaby, B.C.

Ian King – Prince George Youth Custody Services, Prince George, B.C.

Charlene Lewis – Kelowna Youth Probation, Kelowna, B.C.

Pamela (Pam) MacDonald – Victoria Youth Custody Services, Victoria, B.C.

Narinder (Nin) Mand – Youth Justice Custody Consultant

Roger Meuser – Victoria Youth Custody Services, Victoria, B.C.

Karl Olfert – Abbotsford Youth Team, Abbotsford, B.C.

Mark Streifel – Burnaby Youth Custody Services, Burnaby, B.C.