The owner of one of the West Kootenay's most successful and long-standing businesses has been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Ken Kalesnikoff, owner of Kalesnikoff Lumber, was given his medal at an Aug. 27 ceremony held at HMCS Discovery in Vancouver.
The Government of B.C. will be presenting 551 medals and a total of 30,000 will go out across the nation.
The diverse group of recipients have made significant contributions to British Columbia or to a particular region or community in the province or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to B.C.
Kalesnikoff Lumber was established in 1939 and in recent years has expanded to include a mass timber division that is one of the largest in North America.
Along with running the multi-generational business alongside his son and daughter, Kalesnikoff is known for his forest industry advocacy and his work promoting value-added products.
The first time he heard there was a Coronation Medal was when he received an email stating that he was going to get one and inviting him to the ceremony.
"I was really surprised," Kalesnikoff told Castlegar News. "It is very humbling."
"My whole career has always been about adding value and advocating for the industry and for the independent companies," said Kalesnikoff, who thinks it is that work that earned him the recognition.
"It means a lot to me, representing the forest industry, getting us back to a point where people respect and appreciate the forest industry."
"I think another part of this award was our continuing contributions to the community, the province and Canada," said Kalesnikoff. "We are very community focused and are always trying to give back to the community."
The day-to-day operations of the company are now mostly in the hands of a fourth generation, freeing Kalesnikoff up for more advocacy work and reaching out to local and provincial politicians. In fact, when Castlegar News tracked him down for an interview he was attending a BC Wood Global Buyers Mission and Building Connections gathering in Whistler with more than 800 other industry members.
At an age where most people are eyeing retirement, Kalesnikoff says for him, retirement looks more like just working less.
"The reason our family has been successful over the years is because we are all doers, and doers don't do holidays very well."
Kalesnikoff says he is looking forward to continuing to promote the forest industry in the years to come.
"There are really good solid people in this industry that really do care. There are a lot of stories out there that enhance people's lives and are very positive and we need to celebrate those."
