Ken Lyotier, M.S.M., Vancouver, British Columbia
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Ken Lyotier is the driving force behind Save Our Living Environment (SOLE), an organization dedicated to improving Vancouver’s urban conditions by implementing sustainable practices. Thanks to Mr. Lyotier’s management skills, one of SOLE’s major accomplishments has been the creation of the United We Can Bottle Depot launched in 1995 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Since its opening, the facility has collected and recycled over 25 million beverage containers, and provides work and income to inner city residents who were previously receiving welfare assistance.