Dean McKerracher, Mayor of Elkford, has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.
Community members came out to a District of Elkford Council meeting on Monday to help McKerracher celebrate. During a brief ceremony, Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett presented the mayor with his medal.
“With Dean McKerracher, you have somebody here in Elkford who is a great mayor and does all the things a good mayor does,” stated Bennett. “He speaks up for you and is relentless in his advocacy for issues such as family doctors. He never, ever gives up and good on him for that.”
Bennett went on to say, “I think what distinguishes Dean McKerracher from a lot of the politicians that I know, in particular in local government, is the degree to which he cares about this community. You should love the place that you represent, and he sure does. He loves Elkford.”
Mayor McKerracher has been an active supporter of the community for 41 years, a member of council since 2002, and mayor since 2005.
“Ten years ago I was a councillor and I was asked to run for mayor at that point, and I said no, I wanted to see what it was all about and whether I was a politician or not,” shared McKerracher. “Ten years later, I don’t know if I am yet, but I do love this community.”
Through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Mayor McKerracher received this distinction for his exemplary efforts and contributions to make Elkford a desirable place to live. During his time serving the District, McKerracher has been dedicated to the promotion of Elkford and has a lengthy list of accomplishments, including the Elkford Community Conference Centre, Elkford’s award winning branding, and the Official Community Plan, which has received numerous accolades for its focus on climate change and sustainability.
The Government of Canada created the Diamond Jubilee medal to honour Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years of service to the nation. During the year of celebrations, 60,000 deserving Canadians will be recognized.