A Sechelt resident who describes himself as a “lifelong learner,” was recognized with a King Charles III Coronation Medal at a ceremony in Port Moody in November for his community service work.
Colonel (retired) Keith Maxwell says while he was very proud to receive the medal, he did not consider his efforts to be extraordinary.
“I was in the military for 30 years and then I worked for NATO for 10 years and when I retired, I just fell into a lot of volunteer work. It just kind of came natural to me,” said Maxwell. “I used to work really hard and when I retired, I couldn't work anymore because I didn't have a security clearance anymore. So, these are just things that I like to do.”
Maxwell says it has an honour to receive his medal in the company of such other worthy recipients. On Nov. 9, MP Bonita Zarrillo hosted a reception at the Port Moody Legion, honouring 20 local residents and veterans where she presented the medals.
The medals are part of a nationwide recognition program for exemplary community service. Each medal honours individuals for their enduring commitment to improving life for others. Recipients this year, included veterans, educators, athletes, public servants, healthcare professionals, outstanding volunteers, and a local journalist who all "go over and above in service" to Port Moody, Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra. Because Maxwell’s service to community has been so vast, and he was nominated by someone living in the area, he was invited to attend that particular reception.
Maxwell said one of the reasons he and wife Linda moved to the Sunshine Coast, was the fact there is an ElderCollege program offered locally. The Sunshine Coast ElderCollege has been offering affordable learning opportunities for Coast residents age 55 and older since 2000. Originally part of Capilano University, ElderCollege became an independent non-profit society in October 2015 and, to that end, is a volunteer-based organization, which is where Maxwell comes in.
“It's just, I love the whole notion of being educated your whole life, from when you're a baby until you're a senior. So, I got quite deeply involved with ElderCollege when I got here,” says Maxwell. “I chaired the board for a while and I've taught about 18 or 19 courses over the years.”
When it comes to the courses Maxwell teaches, after hearing about his military and NATO experiences and, considering he has a degree in history and background in international security, it was no surprise to hear about his course offerings.
“I've taught the French Revolution and Canadian history. I've done Roman history a couple of times, that kind of thing. And I've also done courses on international security and Canada's role in the world of international security environment,” says Maxwell. “I'm a graduate of War College and Defence College. I studied it fairly deeply and I ran a course four years ago on the Middle East and International Security. A lot of people signed up for it actually, and I'm going to run that again this spring. It's a little bit controversial at this point in time, but I take a pretty neutral look at it and I take it from an academic, professional point of view — and I think I'm qualified to do that.”
Besides teaching, Maxwell also spends his time volunteering with the SPCA, is a treasurer for a charity in Vancouver, and is president of the Royal United Services Institute Vancouver, which advocates for a strong and rational defence and foreign policy.
“It's a fairly well-known organization. It's one of those civil service, very civil-minded, civil society organizations,” he says. “I think the world's a better place for having these kinds of organizations. I get to work with some amazing and wonderful people in doing so.”
Maxwell says all of his fellow recipients were an honour to meet, but there was one who really stood out to him.
“We had a guy who had been coaching sports for 40 years. And I thought, ‘What a good guy to get this. Because the one guy in my high school that I remember even better than my teachers, that taught me so much, was my football coach,'” says Maxwell. “So, to see this guy get that medal was just amazing. All of these people had amazing backgrounds in education, in protecting Indigenous children, in child welfare in general. The width and breadth of talent and good character was so vast. It was just a delight to spend a couple hours with these people. They're just amazing.”
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