Overview
A commemorative medal was created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal was a tangible way for Alberta to honour Her late Majesty’s service to Canada.
The Medal program was part of the Platinum Jubilee year celebrations, organized by the Government of Alberta. Permission was sought from the Government of Canada to have the Medal included in the Order of Precedence, along with the other commemorative medals of the Canadian Honours System. Recipients of the medals are allowed to wear the insignia as noted in the Order in Council as of November 3, 2022.
The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal was awarded to approximately 7,000 Albertans throughout 2022 in recognition of significant contributions to the province.
Commemorative medals
Commemorative medals are established to mark special anniversaries or occasions. They are typically awarded to recognize contributions made by Canadians from a broad spectrum of society.
Other commemorative medals include:
- Canadian Centennial Medal (1967)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
- 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
Provinces have previously created commemorative medals, namely the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal (both in 2005), which were officially recognized by the Government of Canada and authorized for wear with other official honours.
The complete list of precedence for orders, decorations and medals is available from the Governor General of Canada.
Platinum jubilee medal design
The front of the medal displays a Crowned effigy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with her Canadian Style and title, along with two natural maple leaves. This effigy was designed by renowned heraldic artists, Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, which is part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.
The back displays the Alberta Provincial Shield, surmounted by the late Queen’s Royal Cypher and the dates of the reign being celebrated, ‘1952 – 2022’, separated by a pair of Wild Roses (Alberta’s provincial flower), with the phrase ‘VIVAT REGINA’ at the base, which means ‘Long Live The Queen’.
The ribbon is based on the next permutation in the alternating colours used for the Coronation and Jubilee Medals issued throughout the Queen’s reign. Blue and white are the provincial colours as taken from the flag, while red and white are the national colours of Canada, as taken from the National Flag and Royal Arms of Canada. The colour white also doubles as a representation of platinum, and the medal commemorates the Platinum Jubilee.
The ribbon and reverse of the medal were collaboratively designed by Dr. Christopher McCreery, Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Gauthier, from the Directorate of Honours and Recognition of the Department of National Defence.
Medal recipients
The medal program is now over. Approximately 7,000 Albertans received the medal as a symbolic recognition of the Her late Majesty’s 70th anniversary and based on the number of Albertans recognized in the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal and the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Medal Program.
MLAs, Indigenous leaders, as well as members of the Alberta Order of Excellence, received the medal automatically as they had already demonstrated their contribution to the province.
There was no residency requirement to receive the medal and anyone nominated for the medal had a direct connection to the province and made a significant contribution to the province.
Most medals were officially presented to recipients at presentation ceremonies, which were organized by program partners.
Program partners
The Government of Alberta wishes to acknowledge and thank our program partners, who assisted in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal program.
Replacement medals
If your medal is stolen, broken or lost in a fire, we have a small number of replacement medals. Contact us to see if we have any replacement medals left, and if so, we will try to replace it.
Contact
Connect with us if you have questions about the program or medals:
Email: jubileemedal@gov.ab.ca
Allow 3 to 5 business days for a response to your inquiry.