Long-time volunteer with Scouts Canada awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers
Friday, March 4, 2022 / Online
Burlington, ON, March 4th, 2022:
Colin Ballantyne (BAdmin'92) a long-time volunteer with Scouts Canada and 1st Port Nelson Scouts, has been awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. This medal, administered by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, is part of the Canadian Honours System and celebrates exceptional volunteer achievements in a wide range of fields.
For more than two decades, Colin has been involved with the Scout movement, through which he has organized training courses for thousands of youth in the community, co-founded the Burlington Area Canoe Camp, coordinated the Burlington Area Competition Camp, and worked as camp chief of the Burlington Scout/Guide Co-op Camp. He currently serves as group commissioner and troop scouter for 1st Port Nelson Scouts.
“Volunteers like Colin are the heart and soul of Scouting,” said Mark Wyatt, Central Escarpment Scouts Council Commissioner. “Colin goes out of his way to ensure that we deliver an exceptional program for local youth, encouraging them to try new things, make new friends, give back to the community and build skills that last a lifetime. Beyond working with the youth, he gives back to the broader Scouting organization by mentoring other volunteers and providing input into programming at the National level.”
Colin was originally scheduled to receive the Sovereign’s Medal at a group ceremony at Queen’s Park in 2020; however, the event was cancelled at the onset of the pandemic. Colin received his medal from the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in a private outdoor ceremony, in the presence of his family and a few of his fellow Scouting volunteers.
Media contact:
Mark Wyatt
Council Commissioner,
Central Escarpment Council
905-379-0888