On 2 June 2022, His Honour the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc released the design of the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal after approval was received from Her Majesty The Queen. The Platinum Jubilee Medal program concluded on 5 February 2023.

The medal was created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the Throne. The Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal (Nova Scotia) was a tangible way for the province to honour The Queen's service while also honouring significant contributions and achievements made by residents. Nova Scotia, along with 5 additional provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta), established Platinum Jubilee Medal Programs in 2022. All 6 programs had a similar set of criteria, the same ribbon and general medal design.

The Lieutenant Governor presided over the inaugural investiture, which took place on August 4, 2022 in the Commonwealth Ballroom of the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel. Nearly 70 remarkable Nova Scotians were recognized at that ceremony.

Although the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 and the accession of His Majesty King Charles III brought Platinum Jubilee celebrations to an end, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal program will continue and conclude on 5 February 2023. This will ensure that Nova Scotians who have shown the same dedication to service and their communities which Her Late Majesty demonstrated throughout Her more than 70 years as Queen of Canada, are officially recognized.

Eligibility Criteria

The focus of this program was to honour those who have devoted themselves to the service of others, especially throughout the pandemic, be it as a result of their job, volunteer work or contributions to their community.

To be eligible for this honour, a person had to:

• Be a resident of Nova Scotia or have a strong direct connection with the Province;
• Have made a significant contribution to Canada, Nova Scotia or to a particular region or community; and
• Have been alive on 6 February 2022, the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne.

Nomination process

Nominations were considered by partner organizations, notably; the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Third Party, Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Department of National Defence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and others. A total of 5,000 medals were awarded and the program concluded on 5 February 2023.

Wearing the Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal (Nova Scotia) was incorporated into the national table of precedence for wearing orders, decorations and medals, through Federal Order-in-Council 2022-1192. This Order-in-Council authorizes recipients of the Platinum Jubilee Medal to wear the medal alongside other federal and provincial honours of the Crown. If you have been awarded a Platinum Jubilee Medal from more than one Province, you shall only wear ONE Platinum Jubilee Medal.

The medal shall be worn at the end of the table of precedence for wearing Canadian orders, decorations and medals. For uniformed personnel, and veterans, it is worn AFTER the RCMP Long Service Medal, Canadian Forces' Decoration, Service Medal of the Order of St John and Canadian Corps of Commissionaires Long Service Medal. If you have been awarded the Nova Scotia Police Long Service Medal, the Platinum Jubilee Medal is worn BEFORE this medal.

A helpful guide to wearing Canadian orders (PDF), decorations and medals has been created by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

Design of the Medal

The obverse (front) of the medal, displays a Crowned effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with her Canadian style and title, along with two natural maple leaves. This effigy was designed by renowned heraldic artist, Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

The reverse (back) displays the shield of arms of Nova Scotia, surmounted by The Queen’s Royal Cypher and the dates of the reign being celebrated, “1952” – “2022”, separated by a pair of mayflowers (the provincial flower and shape of the Order of Nova Scotia), with the phrase “VIVAT REGINA” at the base, which means “Long Live The Queen.”

Design of the Ribbon

The ribbon is based on the next permutation in the alternating colours used for the Coronation and Jubilee Medals issued throughout The Queen's reign. Blue and White are the Provincial colours as taken from the flag, while Red and White are the national colours of Canada, as taken from the National Flag and Royal Arms of Canada. The colour white also doubles as a representation of platinum.

The ribbon and reverse of the medal were collaboratively designed by Dr. Christopher McCreery, Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor and Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Gauthier, from the Directorate of Honours and Recognition of DND.

Recipients

A total of 5,145 Platinum Jubilee Medals were awarded, of which the Lieutenant Governor personally presented 879 - List of Recipients (PDF).