The moderator of the PA Blind and Low Vision Support Group was recently recognized for his work with a King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Don Horncastle was nominated by the Canadian National Institute of the Blind (CNIB) and received the Medal on July 30 at the East End Community Club.
Horncastle said he knew he was receiving the award, but had to keep quiet about it.
“I was given a little bit of a heads up a few months ago that this might be coming my way. That was a surprise. Then I had to keep it a secret,” Horncastle said.
“That was the hard part because various people are saying, ‘well you should get some recognition for what you’re doing or you should do this or this should happen or whatever’ and I knew something was happening, but I couldn’t say anything,” he added.
Horncastle said he had to bite his tongue because he knew the recognition was coming but thought it was more deserving of the entire group.
The PA Blind and Low Vision Support Group began operating in 2023 with the goal of advocating for residents struggling with severe vision problems. Horncastle said the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) estimates there are 1,800 people in the Prince Albert area who are blind or low vision.
“I thought the recognition should go to the Peer Support Group because they’re the ones that inspired me to thrive with my loss of vision rather than sit around and mope about it,” he said. “They were the inspiration. They were the ones who saw things that needed to be done, whether it be with City Hall or things done in the community or getting people out for bowling,” Horncastle said.
He said that the group was the inspiration but he was the one who had the motivation to get people involved.
Horncastle thinks the group itself is very significant for the low vision people of Prince Albert and area.
“It’s important because it allows blind and low vision people to thrive and to expand
their life and their social interactions and advocate for things that are needed for their lifestyle to continue and grow,” he said.
He explained that the growth process is important if people with loss of vision want to continue to grow and thrive.
“It was better than sitting around and feeling sorry for myself,” he said. “It was also motivating to see how other people were accomplishing things.”
Horncastle gave the example of one of the members of the blind bowling team being excited after bowling above her average of 40.
“It was motivating and exciting to see people grow and develop and whether they were going fishing or golfing, or trying to get curling going or dealing with city bus systems and, coping with life and PA and mobility, all those kinds of things that people made gains and celebrated that’s the exciting part of it,” Horncastle said.
He said that he thinks the support group makes Prince Albert a better place to love for the blind and low vision community.
“But it also, I think, affects the sighted people who live in the community as they get involved in supporting those people who have challenges to life in PA and makes the whole city better,” he said.
“I want to just encourage the people with a loss of sight to continue to grow and to thrive and work on, doing better or being active in the community rather than sitting around feeling sorry for themselves,” Horncastle said.
The CNIB nomination was written by Craig Peterson CNIB Executive Director for Alberta/NWT/Saskatchewan. He wrote that Horncastle is a dedicated advocate for those with sight loss in Saskatchewan.
The Government of Canada created the medal to mark the coronation of King Charles on May 6, 2023. It is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities, province and Canada.
Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
