Overview

A new commemorative medal has been created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Alberta to honour Her Majesty’s service to Canada.

The Medal program will be part of the Platinum Jubilee year celebrations, organized by the Government of Alberta. Permission is being 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.

The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal will be awarded to 7,000 Albertans throughout 2022 in recognition of significant contributions to the province.

The Platinum Jubilee Medal program is continuing as planned despite the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and will conclude on February 5, 2023.

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 the Canadian Centennial Medal (1967); the Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee Medal (1977); the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992); the Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002); and the 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.

Recipients of the medals are allowed to wear the insignia as noted in the Order in Council on November 3, 2022.

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 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 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

7,000 Albertans will receive the medal as a symbolic recognition of the Her 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.

Some Albertans who have already demonstrated their contribution to the province, such as MLAs, Indigenous leaders, as well as members of the Alberta Order of Excellence, will receive the medal automatically.

While there is no residency requirement to receive the medal, anyone being nominated for the medal must have a direct connection to the province and must have made a significant contribution to the province.

Most medals will be officially presented to recipients at presentation ceremonies, which will be organized by program partners. The Lieutenant Governor will also be holding medal presentation ceremonies throughout the year.

The medal program has concluded and a list of recipients will be available soon.

Nomination process

A broad range of program partners have been invited to submit nominations. These partners include Members of the Legislative Assembly, Indigenous organizations, the Canadian Armed Forces, various Protective Services and an array of non-governmental community-based organizations.

Deadline for nominations

Program partners must submit all of their nominations no later than November 30, 2022. However, most will set deadlines and make submissions well before this date in order to present the medals during the Platinum Jubilee year.

All medals will need to be distributed by January 31, 2023. The program officially closes on February 5, 2023.

Nomination portal

If you wish to be nominated, nominations can only be received from one of our program partners (PDF, 90 KB)

Program partners can submit nominations through the online portal. This is not open for public nominations.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for this medal is intentionally broad so it can recognize a wide range of accomplishments in many areas.

A nominee must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident with a tangible link to Alberta at the time the medal is granted
  • have made a significant contribution to Canada, Alberta, or to a particular Alberta region or community
  • have been alive on February 6, 2022, the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty's accession to the throne

Contact

Connect with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Events program:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Events Program
905, Jasper Building
10405 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 4R7

Was this page helpful?

Your submissions are monitored by our web team and are used to help improve the experience on Alberta.ca.