Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: November 21, 2005
• Invested on: April 28, 2006

Mary Bales, M.S.M., Kitchener, Ontario
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)

Concerned by the lack of safe and adequate housing for the most disadvantaged citizens of her community, Mary Bales founded Heartwood Place, an organization dedicated to the conversion of old and underutilized commercial buildings into affordable homes. In December 2003, Heartwood Place unveiled its inaugural project, an industrial site renovated into a 33-unit apartment facility for low-income families in Kitchener, Ontario. Through her dedication, Ms. Bales has had a major impact on resolving the critical shortage of affordable housing in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.