Garry Merkel

Garry Merkel of Kimberley has been presented with a King Charles III Coronation Medal. The Coronation Medal is given to recognize Canadians who’ve made a difference in their community, provincially or nationally. …Merkel, a member of Tahltan First Nation from northwest B.C., is a Registered Professional Forester by trade. He was a lead voice driving the old-growth forest management strategy recently adopted by the B.C. provincial government. …Merkel was also instrumental in the creation of Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) in the early 1990s, first working on the committee that negotiated with the Province for the Trust’s establishment, and then served as a founding member of the Board. He was then Vice-Chair from 1995 to 2006 and Chair from 2006 to 2012. …He has received numerous accolades and awards, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, honorary doctorates, including from the University of British Columbia.