Mayor Christina Benty was presented with a special honour during the regular open council meeting on Feb. 19.
“It is my great honour today to present Mayor Benty with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, for which she is so deserving,” said Member of Parliament David Wilks.
Benty, the fourth Golden resident to receive the honour, was nominated by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“FCM chose you to receive this distinction for your exemplary efforts to make your community a great place to live. It recognizes the important role municipalities – and their elected leaders – play in ensuring our prosperity and high quality of life,” said FCMP President Karen Leibovici in a letter to the Mayor.
Benty served as town councillor for two terms before being elected Mayor, for which she is now serving her second term. And she is currently enrolled in a master’s degree program at Royal Roads University, which she is completing online.
“She is highly regarded among her political colleagues,” said Wilks. “She also maintains an exhaustive schedule of appearances and meaningful participation to various committees and processes.”
There are 60,000 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medals being handed out across the country, but only 4,000 have been allocated to municipalities.
Benty shares this honour with four other Golden residents—helicopter pilot Don McTighe, former town councillor Mag Magnusson, Fire Chief Ken McClure and Paul Hambruch.
