Cloverdale’s Earle Fraser is the latest member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 6 who has been awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for significant achievements and contributions to the community.
The medal was created to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th anniversary of ascending to the throne.
Fraser received the honour Nov. 10 at a ceremony at South Surrey–White Rock–Cloverdale MP Russ Hiebert’s constituency office.
Fraser said other members of Branch 6 have also received the Diamond Jubilee medal – Bill McLennon and Michael Cook.
Cook, treasurer of Dominion Command, is a life member of the Cloverdale Branch. According to Legion Magazine, Cook has been involved with the Legion for more than 50 years, serving as branch president, zone commander, and provincial president of the B.C./Yukon Command. He has also served 17 consecutive years on the Dominion’s Executive Council. He’s also past-president of the Cloverdale Board of Trade, and is a retired distributor for Shell Canada Ltd.
He’s also a recipient of the meritorious service medal, palm leaf, and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.
Early this year, Fraser was one of 13 British Columbians presented with the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for his work on behalf of veterans.
He’s currently serving as first vice president of Branch 6, where he has been instrumental in efforts to restore the graves of Surrey’s First World War veterans.
In 2010, about 60 graves at Surrey Centre Cemetery in Cloverdale – including some that had never been properly marked and were nearly forgotten about – were refurbished and re-dedicated.
Fraser also spearheaded efforts to raise money to restore the Cloverdale Cenotaph, which was relocated to Surrey Museum Plaza and rededicated in 2006.
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