Awards & Honours

Awards & Honors

Vernon Winter Carnival would not happen without the help of our amazing community. Annually the Vernon Winter Carnival Society presents prestigious awards to well deserving recipients who have been instrumental in the growth of Carnival.

Order of Jopo recipients - 60th Anniversary Photo

Order of Jopo

The Order of Jopo is the highest honour that the Vernon Winter Carnival can bestow. Through the City of Vernon, it has been presented to visiting dignitaries, long time Carnival supporters, past Chairmen and honoured cities around the world. All recipients have shown tremendous Community Spirit and Commitment to Carnival and the community.

Longtime Carnival Supporters & Past Chairmen

1974  George Melvin (1st Chair)
1974  Mike Kowaluk (Past Chair)
1974  Vince Lilley (Past Chair)
1974  Bill Oxley (Past Chair)
1974  Frank Oliver (Past Chair)
1975  John Ladyman (jointly)
1975  Evelyn Tebo (jointly)
1976  Dorothy Sawicki
1977  Harold McDonald (Past Chair)
1978  Bob Adsched (Past Chair)
1980  Stuart Fleming (jointly)
1980  Petie Kaulback (jointly)
1980  Sharon Shaw (Past Chair)
1981  Norm Stevenson (Past Chair)
1982  Stella Andrews
1982  Fernand Desroches (Past Chair)
1983  George Zimmerman
1984  Patrick Nicol (Past Chair)
1985  Fern Makarenko
1986  Marie Morris (Past Chair)

1987  Tom Fletcher (Past Chair)
1988  Ken Little
1989  Evelyn Lerose (Past Chair)
1990  June Rigby
1991  Bill Martin (Past Chair)
1992  Lil and Ken Nistor
1993  Carol Williams (Past Chairman)
1993  Bob Williamson (Past Chair)
1994  Don Weglo
1995  Ross Simpson
1995  Derek Hall (Past Chair)
1999  N. Ok.Amtr Radio Club
2000  Phyllis DeBoice
2000  Donna Mihalcheon (Past Chair)
2002  Ursula Gohmann
2003  Glen Taylor (Past Chair)
2003  Lettie Maloney
2004  Christel Cam
2005  Claudia Brown
2006  Carl Rigby

2006  LeRoy Peterson
2006  Duaine Brown
2007  Donna Hall (Past Chair)
2008  Brenda Fletcher
2009  Ingrid Baron
2009  Dorothy Lindley
2010  Sandi LaFleche
2012  Wayne Emde
2013  Mary Andersen
2014  Dave Fletcher (Past Chair)
2015  Calvin Hoy (Past Chair)
2016  Jack Gareb
2017  Feather Fanciers
2018  Margaret Hogan (In Memorial)
2020  Teresa Durning Harker
2021  Deb White
2022  Ruth Hoyte
2023  Laurell Cornell

Marti Giroux

The 2023 recipient of the Order of Jopo is Marti Giroux. 
Marti Giroux has been involved with Carnival since the early 2000’s.

She started out as a volunteer and has served as board member and then continued on as a volunteer after being on the board.  Her knowledge of Carnival is a true asset and her willingness to jump in and lend a hand whenever it was needed was what being a team member is all about. Marti constantly was helping fellow directors with events as well as creating organization on the administrative side of the society.

In more recent years her dedication to Carnival has continued behind the scenes. Working tirelessly as a volunteer in our office, year round. Her ability to organize, tidy and tell people what to do has been in-valuable to us, especially over the past 2 years. As a lifelong Vernon resident, she is not only an asset to Vernon Winter Carnival and to the Vernon community, but they embody the spirit and fun of Carnival and we’re so thankful for all that she’s done!

Order of Jopo Dignitaries & Honoured Cities

1974 The Hon. George R. Pearkes, VC Lieutenant-Governor of BC, The Hon. David Barrett, Premier of BC, Muni Evers, Mayor. New Westminster. Ron J. Monier, CBC-TV Vancouver

1976 Walter Owen, Lieutenant-Governor of BC. Tom Constable, Mayor, Burnaby 1977 Michael Young, Mayor, Victoria 1978 Pierre E. Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and Ken Curle, Mayor, Red Deer, Alberta

1979 The Hon. Henry Bell-Irving, Lieutenant-Governor of BC, George Furguson, Mayor, Abbotsford and Bob Neil, Mayor. Vernon

1980 Donald A. Ross. Mayor. Surrey

1981 Andy Anderson, Mayor. Lethbridge, Alberta and Neil Davidson, Mayor, Vernon 1982 Ed Schreyer. Governor General of Canada and Derrick Humphreys, Mayor, West Vancouver

1983 Charles Lakes, Mayor, Trail

1984 Ethel Winger, Mayor, Williams Lake and The Hon. Robert G. Rogers. Lieutenant-Governor of BC

1985 The Hon. Claude Richmond. Provincial Minister of Tourism

1986 Michael Harcourt, Mayor, Vancouver 1987 Lyall Hanson, MLA & Past Mayor, Vernon and Ralph Klein. Alderman, Calgary, Alberta

1988 Jack Hebner, Councillor. Spokane. Washington

1989 Cliff Branchflower. Alderman. Kamloops

1990 James H. Stuart, Mayor, Kelowna 1991 Anne Clarke, Past Mayor, Vernon, Pat Jordan, Past MLA and Geoff Battersby, Mayor, Revelstoke

1992 Wayne McGrath, Past Mayor. Vernon 1993 Rollie Rose, Mayor. Ladysmith

1994 Stephen D. Wallace, Mayor, Quesnel 1995 Richard A. Lang, Mayor, Modesto, California

1996 Kathy Watson, Mayor, Whitehorse, Yukon and Garde Gardom. Lieutenant-Governor of BC

1997 Jeff Griffen, Mayor, Reno, Nevada 1998 Larry McNabb, Alderman, Nanaimo and Vancouver Firefighters Band

2000 Guy Boissy, Mayor, Saint-Lambert, Quebec

2001 Brian Postill, Mayor, Coldstream 2002 Glen Everitt, Mayor, Dawson City, Yukon

2003 David Laird, Mayor. City of Merrit 2004 Ron McCrae, Mayor. Kimberely 2005 Ellen Woodsworth, Councillor, Vancouver

2006 David Perry, Mayor, Penticton 2007 City of New York

2008 George F. Ferguson, Mayor, Abbotsford

2009 Mayor Melamed, Whistler 2010 Wayne Lippert. Mayor, Vernon 2011 Paul Kuehn, President of Modesto, California Sister City Committee

2013 Sharel Shoff, Deputy Mayor of Drumheller. Alberta

2019 The City of Vernon

2023 Marti Giroux

Jesse Ferguson - Okanagan Spring Brewery

Jessie Ferguson Award

This year’s recipient has not only been a group dedicated to volunteering with Carnival, but they are a business who is dedicated to community.

Okanagan SPring Brewery has been a supporter and sponsor of Vernon Winter Carnival since 1986. They have participated in Vernon Winter Carnival with floats in the parade, sponsored and taken part in various events including the Balloon Fiesta and have been a long time supporter of the volunteer appreciation reception.

Their support year after year has been immeasurable! And to be honest, they’re always the life of the party! Not only do they continue to raise the bar with what it means to be a community minded business, but they are the best at raising a glass to Community and Carnival Spirit!

Nominate an individual or group to receive the Jessie Ferguson Award.

Jessie Ferguson Memorial Trophy Recipients

1967 Snowflake Presentation

1968 Terry Gower*

1969 G. Preston

1970 J. Hutchinson

1971 Jock Henniker

1972 Wayne Hickson

1973 Sis Arthur

1974 Doreen Brown

1975 Sue Nolan

1976 Isabel Medynski

1977

1978 Dick File

1979 Ed Flegel *

1980 Bob Ingersol

1981 Stella Andrew*

1982 Ken Little’

1983 Lil-Ken Nistor *

1984 Colleen Vollan

1985 Audrey King

1986 Patrick Nicol’

1987 Jack Koch

1988 Al Skaley *

1989 Jim Alverberg

1990 Ken Nistor

1991 George Zimmerman

1992 Claire Hart

1993 Carnival Cops

1994 Bert Niehaus

1995 Jim Bailey

1996 Ed Forslund

1997 Carl Rigby

1998 Sid Baker

1999 VJH Hospital Auxiliary

2000 Wayne McGrath

2001 Heather Rawsthorne

2002

2003 Christel Cam’

2004 Brenda Fletcher

2005 Sharon MacKenzie

2006 Coldstream Women’s Institute

2007 Brad Albrecht

2008 Herb Lee

2009 Mary Anderson 2010 Debbie Antony 2011 Calvin Hoy

2012 Bob Lindley

2013 Margaret Hogan

2014 June Rigby

2015 Coleen Noel

2016 Joy Stafford

2017 Ron Morgan

2018 Alvin Timm

2019 Cathy Sim Rigby

2020 Gerry Manley

2021 Cors & Pat Verhage

2022 – Okanagan Restoration Services – Terry, Kelly & Sarah Moorhouse

2023 Okanagan Springs Brewery

Christel Cam Parade Spirit Award Winners

This trophy is for Best Parade Spirit and is awarded to the entry contributing the most fun, enthusiasm, zeal and passion to the parade. This trophy is dedicated to the memory of Christel Cam for her many years of overseeing the parade, bandarama and trophy portfolios.

2023 Secure Self Storage