While biking to Canmore in September, Jasper鈥檚 fire chief Greg Van Tighem received a cryptic voicemail on his phone.
鈥淚 had just turned on my cell phone and I had a message from someone at the Governor General of Canada鈥檚 office,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey left no details except that I needed to contact them in regards to some file.鈥�
He called back right away, but at that point it was already approaching 5 p.m. on Friday. There was no answer.
鈥淚 really had no idea what it was about. I actually thought I had done something wrong.鈥�
First thing on Monday morning he called back.
When he got a hold of someone, the voice on the other line explained that Van Tighem had been nominated for the Governor General鈥檚 Meritorious Service Medal, an award given to Canadians for exceptional deeds that bring honour to the country.
Van Tighem accepted the nomination, but was still confused.
鈥淚 was honoured that someone nominated me, but I had to ask the person on the phone what this was for,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought maybe it was something to do with the fire department, but I wasn鈥檛 sure.鈥�
However, despite all of Van Tighem鈥檚 hard work leading Jasper鈥檚 fire crew, the person on the phone told him that he had been nominated for his personal work raising awareness and money for the MS Society of Canada.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know you could get an award for that,鈥� he said.
For the past decade, Van Tighem has clocked tens of thousand of kilometres cycling across North America on a quest to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.
His solo, unassisted journeys have taken him from Arizona to Jasper, from Haida Gwaii, B.C., to Winnipeg鈥攊n winter, on a fat bike鈥攁nd through the Yukon to Inuvik, NT., along the Dempster Highway, a route only passable when the tundra is frozen.
To date Van Tighem has raised more than $370,000 for MS.
Governor General David Johnston presented Van Tighem and more than 70 other Canadians with similar awards at a ceremony in Edmonton on Dec. 8.
鈥淥nce they told me what the medal was for I was in disbelief because I really didn鈥檛 think you could get a medal for this,鈥� Van Tighem said. 鈥淏ut at the same time I was proud. At the ceremony I looked around and there were all these people who have done amazing things so it was nice to be included in that.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 do this for awards, but it is nice to get the recognition for my hard work.鈥�
The fire chief also received the top fundraiser award in November at the Alberta/Northwest Territories MS Society鈥檚 year-end banquet. So far this year, Van Tighem has raised more than $31,000.
However, there is still one mystery that remains. Van Tighem has no idea who nominated him for the medal.
After asking the Governor General鈥檚 office for a name, Van Tighem was told that the nominator is the only person who can reveal themselves.
鈥淚 have some ideas, but I鈥檝e also asked a few people directly and they鈥檝e all said 鈥榥o鈥�,鈥� Van Tighem said.
Kayla Byrne
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