A North Bay man with a distinguished military career has been awarded the prestigious Sovereign’s Medal for his volunteer efforts with the air cadets and a veterans’ organization.
Brigadier-General (Ret’d) Ron Button received the honour largely for his work with the Royal Canadian Air Force Association Trust, the RCAFA’s charitable arm. Gen. Button served as the Trust’s chair for 17 years.
During his years at the helm from 1989 to 2006, the Trust disbursed more than $1 million to dozens of organizations. Locally, it was involved with Project Flanders, the committee behind the North Bay Memorial Wall. The monument was unveiled in 2000.
Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing–Timiskaming, presented Gen. Button with the medal and a certificate signed by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony Monday hosted by the Rotary Club of North Bay.
Gen. Button is also a long time Rotarian.
The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers recognizes Canadians for their remarkable achievements and outstanding community service in a wide range of fields. Nominations are reviewed by an advisory committee, which recommends potential recipients to the Governor General. The process is non-partisan and selection is based on merit.
