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Photo: CMHA Vernon Margaret Clark, centre, manager of restorative justice for the Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon & District, was presented with a King Charles III Coronation Medal April 24. A passionate advocate for justice and the community has received a prestigious honour. Margaret Clark, manager of restorative justice for the Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon & District, was presented with a King Charles III Coronation Medal April 24.
“I feel humbled and grateful for being honoured in this way. I think of my work as mostly being behind the scenes with an individual or in a small group and for me to acknowledge them, learn, teach, and encourage them to claim or reclaim something that seems lost to them,” said Clark. “I want to leave people in a better way than how I found them.
People need to talk and talk needs to be grounded in openness and honesty, to be healing.” Clark has operated Restorative Justice North Okanagan for 18 years and her work is rooted in mental health and wellness. She has fostered healing for those impacted by harm and those who have caused harm to others.
As a member of the Syilx Nation, Clark has also educated and created awareness within CMHA Vernon and the community about Syilx culture and issues relevant to Indigenous peoples. This has included leading CMHA Vernon’s development of a land statement unique to the organization that honours and celebrates the Syilx people. The medal was created to mark the coronation of King Charles III May 6, 2023, and it’s the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation.
The office of the secretary to the Governor General of Canada is responsible for administering the medal program, with the medal presented to 30,000 individuals. Partner organizations, such as CMHA, were able to nominate individuals who met the medal’s eligibility criteria. Clark was presented her medal surrounded by family, CMHA Vernon staff and community colleagues.
Speakers included Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson, Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby, Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming, and Supt. Blake MacLeod, officer in charge of the Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP. “Margaret is a mentor to many of us in the North Okanagan and she has had a positive influence when it comes to restorative justice as well as creating awareness about Indigenous issues in the community,” said Julia Payson, CMHA Vernon & District executive director.
“We were proud to nominate Margaret for the King Charles III Coronation Medal as she demonstrates service as well as outstanding contributions to the field of mental health, and a passion for Reconciliation.” For more information about CMHA Vernon & District’s restorative justice program, click here..
