BARRHEAD - Marilyn Flock became the latest Barrhead resident honoured with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal medal.
Flock received her medal during a Feb. 7 ceremony at the County of Barrhead council chambers in front of a gallery of about 20 people.
The medal is a new award created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations. About 7,000 Albertans that have made a significant contribution to their communities and the province will receive the award.
The County of Barrhead councillors nominated Flock for the award in September.
Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken was slated to give the award to Flock, but unfortunately, he was called away on government business. County of Barrhead reeve Doug Drozd, who also served as MC for the ceremony, presented it to her on the province's behalf.
"Her late Majesty expressed her wish that jubilee events be an occasion of celebrating a sense of togetherness and optimism about the future, which makes it the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of someone who has made our community better," he said. "Like the example our late monarch set throughout her extraordinary lifetime, our Jubilee Medal winner, Marilyn Flock, would rather be lead than wait to be led. She tackles challenges head-on and sees problems as opportunities instead of obstacles."
Drozd said the municipality was proud to nominate Flock for the award, noting that over her long career as an agricultural fieldman, she garnered an outstanding reputation with elected officials, municipal staff, residents, industry and, even more importantly, local agricultural producers.
"However, her reputation and influence extend well beyond the county's borders," he said, noting that at 39 years, Flock holds the record for longest-serving agricultural fieldman.
And as a result of her longevity, Drozd said, Flock served as a mentor to countless agricultural fieldmen, especially women.
When the County of Barrhead hired Flock, she was one of three women serving as an agricultural fieldman in the province. Currently, about half of all agricultural fieldmen in the province are women.
Drozd said this, in no small part, is due to Flock's influence.
"A natural leader, Marilyn is known as a groundbreaker, a mentor who led by example, an advocate for the agriculture industry and as a person who was always willing to share her talents and expertise," he said.
Drozd added Flock was also an innovator that was committed to environmentally sustainable agriculture well before it became in vogue in the mid-1980s.
"She pioneered many farm-based conservation programs and projects that were so successful that they were adopted by many municipalities and are still in use today," he said.
Drozd singled out a unique Partners in Conservation program, which set aside thousands of acres of habitat by encouraging landowners to preserve wildlife habitat, along with putting her own spin on a shelterbelt program that was more flexible and beneficial to landowners.
He also noted Flock's work with youth teaching them about the importance of agriculture and being good stewards of the environment through initiatives such as City Slickers and Pond Days programs at area schools.
Drozd also highlighted Flock's efforts in bringing together the town and county to showcase agriculture and environmental stewardship by establishing the Communities in Bloom program to the community and creating a community garden.
He noted that Flock was a founding member of the Farm Women's Day Conference; the West Central Conservation Group; and the Waters Edge Resource Group.
"Marilyn's volunteer efforts go beyond agriculture, giving countless hours to groups such as the Millennium Park Committee, 55 Plus Games, the Barrhead Curling Club and Fun Team Hockey and also serves as a Barrhead Scouts leader," he said, adding that is why she was named as Barrhead's Volunteer of the Year in 2015. "She has never been one to seek out praise, but her efforts and accomplishments have had a province-wide influence making her very deserving of receiving this accolade."
Flock was honoured to receive the award, noting that she would not have been able to accomplish the things she had if it had not been for the efforts of others.
"I've always said that you cannot accomplish these types of things if other people don't have your back," she said. "And I have been so fortunate to have so many quality people have my back."
