A Kelowna resident received recognition for his countless volunteer hours and teachings with St. John’s Ambulance.
John Broughton started volunteering with the nonprofit 20 years ago as a young cadet who was fascinated with the process.
“I always wanted to help people,” he said. “I was at an event and St. John wanted cadets to come and act as victims. I did it and thought ‘this is pretty neat.’ They convinced me and I pretty much have been doing it ever since.”
“When I lived in Vancouver, I used to go to the Canucks’ games as a volunteer and that was a lot of fun.”
Broughton has been a part of the military for 29 years and instructs the teachers on how to teach first-aid courses. He’s also a captain and an amour officer.
In May, he traveled to Ottawa where he was honoured with the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem medal.
The medal is awarded to those with a minimum of 60 hours of volunteer service a year and 12 years of service overall.
“They recognized my efforts to improving St. John Ambulance, improving teaching the course in the military and also as a volunteer on the civilian side,” said Broughton.
“It came as a surprise, whoever nominated me on the military side didn’t tell me.”
It was his first time in the Parliament building, but he’s been outside of it before.
“Parliament is really interesting. It’s got details you can spend a lifetime examining. Just going in there and feeling the essence of 150 years of Canada right there, it was pretty powerful,” he said.
Broughton is the local trainer for the St. John Ambulance brigade.
His career came full circle when he began teaching the cadets. Last year, he spent the summer in Vernon teaching first-aid at the army camp.
“I’ve been told I make the course interesting just because I like to teach it… for example if you’re out in the bush you can get a sun burn or heat stroke. I’ll give scenarios,” he said.
His involvement in the military and with St. John’s doesn’t come as a surprise when one examines his family tree. The Broughton involvement in the military spans generations.
His father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather were in Canadian Armed Forces along with his mother. His brother is in the U.S. military.
John Broughton Senior is proud of his son.
“He’s doing very well for himself,” said his father.
