George Clarkson Wilkes, M.S.M., Hull, Que.
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
George Wilkes has contributed to human rights awareness and education on a national scale. In 1984, he co-founded the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights Inc., a community-based, non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and fostering awareness of the personal freedom, respect, and dignity of each individual. Leading a group of Canadian volunteers, he was the driving force behind the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights Monument, the world’s first, which was unveiled in September 1990 in Ottawa. Mr. Wilkes continues to ensure that the monument remains a reminder of universal human rights issues, which touch us all.