A commitment to community advocacy has earned Vancouver Island University (VIU) Honorary Research Associate Dr. Imogene Lim a King Charles III Coronation Medal.
The medal - the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation - was presented to Lim by NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Lisa Marie Barron on January 25. In a press release from her office, Barron said Dr. Lim has affected social change locally, regionally and provincially.
"When invited by the BC government to sit on an advisory council, she always said yes' for she knew that rural communities needed a voice," reads the bio in the release. "Similarly, when a Cumberland resident sought vocal support to conserve Coal Creek Historic Park, she said yes.' To advocate for diverse groups, Lim organizes for social justice awareness for youth and our communities."
"This award acknowledges the physical and social environment that shaped my engagement with communities north and south of Nanaimo, and the mainland," said Lim. "In addition, it reflects the community to which I belong. I am the descendant of two head-tax payers, viewed at the time as undesirable and not worthy of belonging in Canada. This award is not for me, but for my elders (the lo wah kiu). They made opportunities possible for those, like me, who stand on their shoulders."
Dr. Lim's career at VIU spanned 30 years of teaching, research and mentoring. She is an ethnoarchaeologist by training. Lim served as Chair of the Anthropology Department at various times and has earned many awards from VIU for community engagement and research. She received the BC Medal of Good Citizenship in 2020 and resides on several advisory committees and boards in BC. She retired from VIU in July 2024.
The King Charles III Coronation Medals are being awarded to 30,000 Canadians across the country for their significant contributions to community. Lim was one of 20 recipients from the Nanaimo-Ladysmith region to receive the medal last month. In the fall of 2024, a current and retired VIU Elder-in-Residence also received the medal.
