Surprise Medal Awarded to Compassionate Leader

When Canon (lay) Barbara Burrows opened an email, seemingly from the office of Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, naming her as a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for “dedicated service to Crown and country,” she thought it must be a hoax.

“I forwarded the email to my kids,” she says.

As it was, the email inviting Burrows to receive the King’s Coronation Medal was sincere. And the next day when Burrows mentioned it to Sarah Kemp, executive assistant to the Bishop at the Synod Office, her response was to “jump out of her chair, squeal and say, ‘Oh, you got it!?!?!’”

Kemp had nominated Burrows for her compassion and “tireless work behind the scenes” serving her church as an All Saints’ Cathedral member for more than 45 years and a former Secretary of Synod.

“She has provided extensive administrative oversight in her local church, and at the diocesan, provincial and national church levels. Her heart is with serving those in need…”

Burrows’ volunteer activities include initiating and/or organizing such community outreach programs at the Cathedral as the weekly hot breakfast program and Manna Market which provides affordable fresh produce to low-income seniors (many of whom are residents of the Cathedral Close apartments). As part of All Saints’ response to the 94 Calls to Action, she curated a Truth and Reconciliation exhibit at the Cathedral, in 2015, in conjunction with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final National Event at the Shaw Conference Centre.

“Barb’s service to others is a quiet faithfulness that receives little recognition, but is the backbone of our church,” said Kemp.

Faithfully serving her community and church is “how I express my love of God and our mission,” says Burrows.

Accompanied by two of her three children Janet Reiter and Andrew Burrows, she received her medal from Lt. Gov. Lakhani during a presentation on December 5, 2024, at Government House. She describes the experience of meeting other award recipients (33 medals were awarded that day, and 30,000 will be awarded to Canadians during the anniversary year), as “very uplifting.”

“Her Honour was so gracious and genuinely happy for each recipient, sharing a few congratulatory words with each of us as she pinned on the medal. Her husband (His Honour, Dr. Zaheer Lakhani) was also there, and he too was so keenly and genuinely interested in each of us.”

Humbled and exhilarated by the surprise honour, Burrows says she is grateful to “everyone at the Synod Office who agreed to send in my nomination. It was so exciting to be able to share the news with all of you."