The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Paul Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

Speaker, the Provincial Government’s Seniors of Distinction awards celebrate the contributions, achievements and diversity of older persons and seniors in the province.

Seniors and older adults are making a strong impact on their communities every day.

On October 1, I had the pleasure of announcing the 2024 Seniors of Distinction as part of marking National Seniors Day and the United Nations’ International Day of Older Persons and today I am pleased to again recognize these nine remarkable individuals.

This year’s award recipients include Leo Churchill Bonnell, Sharon Brown, Harold Druken (awarded posthumously), Carl Parsons, Robert Charles Parsons, Joyce Leah Rogers, Linda Ryan and Kaberi Sarma-Debnath. Our ninth recipient of the Seniors of Distinction Award is Alvin Cluett who sadly passed away on October 19.

Alvin and the other eight individuals I’ve mentioned exemplify an ethic of service to others.

Thank you all for your time and energy as you are leaders in your communities and are truly inspiring.

Speaker, I invite all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to join me in congratulating the 2024 Seniors of Distinction.

Thank you.