Medals were placed on the uniforms of a pair of tenured corrections officers in Port Coquitlam this week for their dedication to public service and safety.
Ben Atkinson and Ryan Shiyoji have each worked two decades at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre (1451 Kingsway Ave.).
They were honoured in Victoria yesterday (April 25) by B.C. government officials with Corrections Exemplary Service Medals — a "prestigious" national recognition for those in the corrections field.
Atkinson and Shiyoji were also two of 48 total staff from across the province that received a medal or bar for their 20, 30 and 40 years of public service.
They both work with adults and youth through special programs aligning with provincial portfolio mandates in public safety, as well as children and family development.
"These are correctional staff who have dedicated decades of public service to keep the public safe, with the highest levels of compassion, integrity and skill, in what is a very dynamic and challenging field," said Mike Farnworth, Port Coquitlam MLA, deputy premier, solicitor general and public safety minister, in a news release today (April 26).
"The resilience, care and commitment these recipients have demonstrated in order to create better outcomes for individuals under their supervision is incredibly inspiring and admirable."
Atkinson and Shiyoji were awarded their Corrections Exemplary Service medals from Farnworth and Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
The hardware was the second medal in Canada's history that was created in 1984 to "recognize long and outstanding service in public-safety professions," the province added in its statement.
The North Fraser Pretrial Centre opened in 2001 and, at 300 cells, is considered one of B.C.'s largest correctional institutions.
