About the honour
Last updated on January 18, 2024The B.C. Medal of Good Citizenship is an additional form of recognition bestowed by the Province, second only to the Order of British Columbia.
On this page:
- Selection committee
- Receiving the honour
- Elements of the medal
- Policy on rescinding an award of the Medal
- Promotional resources
Selection committee
Each year, hundreds of nominations are submitted by people from communities across the province.
An independent selection committee, whose members are selected through a public process and appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (Cabinet), reviews all nominations, determines which nominations have the greatest merit and recommends who should receive the medal.
The current selection committee includes:
- The Honourable Lana Popham, Chair, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
- Debra Lee Kozak of Nelson
- Frank Palter of Vancouver
- James (Kent) Macaulay of Quathiaski Cove
- Kathleen (Kate) Dickerson of Vancouver
Receiving the honour
Recipients of the medal also receive a:
- Miniature replica of the medal
- Circular lapel pin displaying the British Columbia shield of arms
- Certificate signed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Premier
- Personalized framed letter signed by the Premier
Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters M.G.C.
Elements of the medal
The design of the Medal of Good Citizenship was carefully considered and includes important elements that hold historical, geographical and cultural significance for B.C.
- The silver medal bears the British Columbia Shield of Arms with the inscription “Good Citizenship British Columbia” on the front
- B.C.’s geographic location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains is represented by the wavy blue and white bars and the setting sun on the shield
- The reverse bears a stylized version of the Pacific dogwood with the inscription “Generosity, Service, Selflessness”
- The medal is suspended from a ribbon of blue, red, yellow and white to represent the provincial colours
The iconic dogwood officially became British Columbia's floral emblem in 1956. During World War II, the B.C. Women’s Institutes sold dogwood lapel pins and used the proceeds to send comforts to B.C. soldiers who were overseas.
Policy on rescinding an award of the Medal
For information on the rules and procedure for rescinding a Medal of Good Citizenship, please refer to this document (PDF).