SUBMITTED by RCMSAR
Salt Spring Island resident Ken Squirrell has been awarded the Leadership Medal of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA), recognizing his outstanding leadership and long-standing service in marine search and rescue.
The leadership medal is awarded to individuals who have “demonstrated sustained professional excellence and outstanding leadership over an extended period of time,” according to RCMSAR CEO Bill Riggs, who was in attendance to deliver the award.
“It recognizes those whose dedication and consistently high performance have significantly advanced our mission,” said Riggs, “to save lives and promote marine safety.”
Squirrell, a member of RCMSAR Station 25 for more than a decade, said joining the unit was a natural step after a lifetime of service. Squirrell spent 25 years as a police officer in Calgary before retiring to pursue a lifelong dream of sailing the world, and in 2006 he and his wife embarked on a seven-year voyage aboard their 42-foot catamaran COPOUT.
When they settled on Salt Spring Island in 2013, fate quickly steered him to a new calling.
“We were driving into town one day and saw the RCMSAR recruitment sign,” said Squirrell. “My wife said, ‘You should apply — it’s a perfect fit.’ So I joined, and it was exactly that.”
Station leader Sky Losier said the medal reflects Squirrell’s steady influence.
“Ken is the kind of person who leads by example,” said Losier. “Calm under pressure, always prepared and deeply committed to the safety of others. He has made a remarkable impact on our team through his leadership and mentorship. That’s exactly the spirit this medal is meant to recognize.”
Squirrell said his leadership style is rooted in “fairness and respect for all,” recognizing the unique talents and sacrifices each volunteer brings — and a “calm approach” he said has guided him through many missions.
“As a coxswain, you get control of yourself first, then the boat and crew, and then the mission,” said Squirrell.
And what keeps him motivated is a sense of duty and the camaraderie of his team.
“Simply put, I signed up to go into dangerous and uncomfortable conditions — therefore I go,” he said.
“It’s the satisfaction of coming back knowing it was a job well done by a crew of dedicated, like-minded people.”
Squirrell received the award during RCMSAR’s annual summer BBQ in August.
For information about volunteer opportunities, visit rcmsar25.com.