Douglas Elliot, a lawyer from Elliot Lake, Ont., will be awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his decades-long contributions to the HIV/AIDS movement in Canada. The prestigious honour, presented by Canada’s Governor General, recognizes 30,000 Canadians who have made significant impacts in their communities.
Elliot, who has been involved with the Canadian AIDS Society for over 40 years, said the award holds special meaning.
“The Governor General chose a select group of charities that would be allowed to nominate people they considered worthy. I was very honoured to be one of those people, especially for a kid from Elliot Lake. Not too many people from Elliot Lake would be getting that kind of national distinction,” he said.
The Canadian AIDS Society, a charity Elliot described as “very near and dear” to his heart, nominated him for the medal. Elliot has been a pivotal figure in the organization, appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada multiple times and serving on its board of directors.
Elliot’s journey into HIV/AIDS advocacy began four decades ago, during the early days of the epidemic.
“I had a friend who had AIDS, who had been living in the United States and came home to die. That’s how I got involved with the AIDS Committee of Toronto and eventually the Canadian AIDS Society,” he said.
Despite his extensive involvement, Elliot emphasized that he played no role in his own nomination.
“I wasn’t involved in nominating myself at all. That was done by someone else. It’s a great honour to receive this medal because it comes from the Governor General and the King, but it’s also at the nomination of a very worthy organization,” he said.
While speaking to CTV News, Elliot expressed concern about recent trends in HIV rates in Canada, noting that while global rates have declined, Canada has seen an increase.
“We’ve been asleep at the switch the past couple of years. A lot of public health officials and Canadians think HIV is a thing of the past, but it isn’t,” he said.
Elliot said there is a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities - including Indigenous peoples, injection drug users and homeless individuals when dealing with HIV.
“Even among more educated, sophisticated young gay men, there’s carelessness. HIV isn’t the death sentence it once was, but it’s still a disease you don’t want to get,” Elliot said.
The medal will be presented during a virtual ceremony in March, as Elliot was unable to attend an in-person event in Ottawa on World AIDS Day.
“I felt bad about missing it, but it just didn’t work with my schedule,” he said.
“The medal will be sent to me and there will be a virtual ceremony for all the nominees who couldn’t make it to Ottawa.”
Elliot told CTV news that the recognition is deeply meaningful, regardless of the format.
“It’s still a prestigious award from the Governor General and to be nominated by such a wonderful charity makes it even more special,” he said.
- With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca anchor Ian Campbell and journalist Amanda Hicks
