Mrs Ncholson, Edmond Nicholson and MP Anthony Rota celebrate Nicholson's Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Friday.
Members of the Royal Canadian Legion gathered at Branch 23 in North Bay Friday morning to honour local Veteran and community volunteer, Edmond Nicholson CD, as he received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation presented by Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota.
The Commendation is awarded annually to individuals who have contributed in an exemplary manner to the care and well-being of veterans or to the remembrance of the contributions, sacrifices and achievements of veterans.
"I'm as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. I'm not kidding." Nicholson replied rather honestly when asked how he felt about being honoured.
In 2001, the Governor General authorized the creation of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation to formally recognize the contributions of many of Canada's Veterans who continue to provide outstanding service to their country, their communities and their fellow Veterans.
M.P Anthony Rota thinks that Nicholson's award is well deserved.
"It's great. Ed does so much work in the area, not just for the veterans but volunteering all around and I thought that it was appropriate to have a recognition of his hard work.”
“We're all very proud of him," Rota said.
The Commendation consists of a certificate, a lapel pin for civilian wear and a bar for wear with decorations. The design is a gold maple leaf resting on a red poppy, a flower long associated with the sacrifices of war, with the Royal Crown on the top of the pin.
Nicholson, who is Director of the Ontario Region for the Korea Veterans Association of Canada Inc., was to originally receive the commendation last month in Ottawa, but fell ill. So Rota and Veteran Awards Chair Bill McMahon from Branch #23, came up with the idea to have a celebration for Nicholson at his own Legion Branch and arranged a ceremony.
McMahon said that the ceremony turned out to be a surprise for Ed.
"He didn't know that this particular ceremony would be taking place here," he said.
“Anthony Rota first suggested that it be done at his office, but I think that to have it at the Legion is more fitting. It gets people in here to know him, see him, talk to him and maybe stun him a little.”
"It's to honour not only him but all the work that he's done for the Veteran's Association," McMahon said.
When asked how often the award has been handed out to members of the Legion in the past, McMahon was frank, "This is the first time that I've ever done it. We have an annual awards ceremony for the Legion, usually in the fall, but as for a federal award like this, I've never seen one."
"It's pretty touching," McMahon said.
Although Nicholson was thrilled by the nomination and the award, he admitted that he felt a overwhelmed by all the attention.
"I feel that it is an honour and I feel like maybe they gave me too much," Nicholson explained.
"If it's military, I'd be in there with both feet and both hands and the rest of me. But when it comes to responding to something like this, I'm not well versed to do that. I'm happy that this has happened, but I really don't know how to handle it... yet."
"I feel like I just went to the moon and back again."
