By Emily Stonehouse

It’s been a big week in Minden, with some familiar faces being honoured with the presentation of the King Charles III Coronation Medal by Jamie Schmale, Haliburton’s Member of Parliament.

The medal was created to mark the Coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023. It recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to a particular province, territory, region, or community in Canada, or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to our country.

The fun part about the awards is unbeknownst to the recipient. “It was a surprise!” laughed Fay Martin, one of the winners. “Took a long time for me to put together why this particular gathering was gathering.”

On top of Martin, four other Minden locals were recognized: Lynda Litwin, Richard Schell, Reverend Canon Joan Cavanagh-Clark, and Keith Stata of Kinmount. “Haliburton County is a much better place because of the amazing efforts of the thousands of people volunteering their time each and every day,” said Schmale, upon delivery of the medals.

At the surprise ceremony at the Minden Legion last week, Litwin was recognized for her decades of volunteerism, including her time as the Minden Rotary Club President (twice), and her tireless work with planning signature local events such as Canada Day, RotaryFest, and multiple golf tournaments. “It’s been said that Linda volunteers for everything, contributes to everything, participates in everything and never seems to get tired,” said Schmale.

Schell was acknowledged for his many years of volunteer service to the community. He has been a key figure in representing Minden Hills since the 1960s, including through his involvement with the Rotary Club, the Minden Kinsmen Club, and the Masonic Lodge. Schell spent 46 years with the OPP as an auxiliary member, ten years with the Minden Community Food Centre, and ten years as the Sergeant-At-Arms at the Minden Legion. He has also helped coordinate Minden’s Terry Fox Run for decades, and has a working-relationship with Santa Claus during the annual holiday parades.  He continues to be an active member at his local church, as well as the township’s cemetery board.

Fay Martin moved to the area in 1997, and hasn’t slowed down since. She was a founding director for Point in Time, and the creator of Places for People in 2007. The not-for-profit focuses on creating affordable and accessible housing for those in need across the region. Housing is one of the major fuels to her fire, as she sits on the board of directors for the Kawartha Lakes – Haliburton Housing Corporation, and founded the Minden Hills Housing Task Force, which still meets today. Martin sits as the current director of the local branch of Habitat for Humanity, and is a regular contributor to the Minden Times with her column Poke, Peel, Pare, and Ponder.

Reverend Canon Joan Cavanagh-Clark was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. After arriving in Minden just over ten years ago, she has become a familiar face to the local community.

She and her team started the thrift shop by the Church on Invergordon Avenue, which has nearly doubled in size due to demand and need from locals. All of the proceeds from the shop are either donated back into the community, or given to a school they support in Uganda. This year, they raised over $30,000.

Reverend Joan works diligently with local firefighters, police, mental health professionals, and the EMS to ensure that those navigating any form of crisis are appropriately fed, sheltered, and clothed.

Her efforts are seen, felt, and heard all through the year, but they truly shine at Christmas, when she works with a dedicated team to host a Christmas Kids Sale so that the local youth can access gifts for their friends and family at a maximum price of 50 cents.

Keith “The Movie Man” Stata was also amongst this year’s recipients of the medal. While Stata tends to maintain a quiet lifestyle, he is known by thousands for his efforts put into Highlands Cinema in Kinmount.

The theatre has five screening rooms, and is filled with movie memorabilia, making a trip to the theatre just as exciting as the movie itself. 

As a long-time projectionist, Stata’s life was told in the recent film, The Movie Man, which captured the character on the big screen, and the magic he has put into the now world-renowned destination.

From May to Thanksgiving, Stata expects to welcome 50,000 moviegoers into his home – the Highlands Cinema, which can seat around 550 people. An impressive number considering Kinmount has a population of around 300 people. The cinema is one of the few remaining independent theatres in the Canada, thanks to the whimsical passion brought to the forefront by Stata

In total, 30,000 King Charles III Coronation medals are scheduled to be given out across the country, and Schmale noted that with a population of 122,401 in his riding, he received over 100 applications. In total, there are 30 medals to distribute across the area.