I had the great pleasure of presenting Jim Parker with the Governor General's Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (SMV). Jim's dedication to helping close to 50,000 people file their taxes as a volunteer for 35 years is truly remarkable. He started this work under the guidance of former MP Bob Wood and continued to do so from my office when I was first elected. In recent years, Jim has been doing this work from the offices of L.I.P.I. on Main Street in North Bay.

Volunteering is so important to building caring and inclusive communities across our country. It allows us to come together and support each other in times of need. Volunteers like Jim are an inspiration to us all and embody the caring country we aspire to build.

Congratulations Jim! You truly deserve this honour.