Kimberley's Jim Ogilvie received the Order of BC from Premier Christy Clark at a ceremony in Victoria Thursday.
Ogilvie could barely contain his excitement when he spoke to the Townsman/Bulletin from Government House in Victoria on Thursday afternoon.
"It's a great day for me," Ogilvie said. "This is a great honour and I very much appreciate it."
Kimberley's former long time mayor accepted the award in person from Clark and Lt. Gov. Steven Point for his extraordinary contribution to the province. Ogilvie was in fine company at the event, with former Prime Minister Kim Campbell among the list of distinguished recipients.
Ogilvie said he couldn't believe the people in the room receiving awards with him: doctors, astronauts, mining pioneers and more.
"It's kind of humbling," he said.
Clark said in a release following the presentation that each and every recipient had changed lives in their communities.
"The Order of BC recipients invested today are examples of remarkable individuals who have contributed to improving the quality of life for British Columbians," Clark said. "On behalf of all British Columbians, I'm proud to honour each recipient and thank them for exceptional contributions to our province."
Point, who is the Chancellor of the Order, echoed her sentiment.
"The Order of BC is the Province's way of acknowledging the tireless work recipients devote every day to the people of British Columbia," he said. "I'm so proud to share this day with 12 of our brightest stars."
The Order of BC is the highest form of recognition that can be awarded by the province. It is awarded each year, and Ogilvie is among an exclusive club of 331 people who have received the honour.
Since Ron McRae took over the mayoral position in November of last year, Ogilvie has been lauded with a number of high profile awards. He collected the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Paul Harris Fellowship Award from Kimberley Rotary.
Ogilvie said the Order of BC will add to a collection of provincial awards he has received over his 46-year political career as mayor. He said he received the Confederation Medal in 1992 and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. But this new award will hold a special place in that collection.
"This one is the most special," he said, speaking from a crowded room in Victoria. "And it's really special."
Ogilvie said the Order of BC would have never happened for him if it hadn't been for a great and long list of excellent staff he worked with at the City of Kimberley.
"It was great working with all the people in the community over the years," he said.
This isn't the first time Ogilvie has met Premier Clark, and he said he's worked with many premiers over the years as mayor.
"It's always an honour to meet the premier," he said.
Ogilvie said he proudly wore his other hardware collected over the years for the first time at the presentation. The recipients were scheduled to attend a celebration dinner Thursday evening before returning to their communities.