NORTH BATTLEFORD — Ray Fox, a longtime community leader and former city councillor, born and raised in Sweetgrass F.N., has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in recognition of his decades of service to his community: through his work with local food banks, homelessness initiatives, and legal aid services.
“Maybe I’ve got a big mouth,” he said when asked how he got the medal, laughing. “But I’ve always been involved in the community, and I just keep doing what I can.”
Fox’s path to the Jubilee Medal began over 15 years ago when he was first nominated by a local senator. Since then, Fox has been recognized multiple times for his public service, including receiving the provincial Premier's Award for Public Service.
“I'm in my later years and semi-retired now. I don’t really have a job per se, but I'm still involved in the community as much as I can.”
He’s been at the forefront of several local initiatives, including helping to relocate the community food bank to the Friendship Centre when the Salvation Army closed its doors.
Fox also works with culture. For the past three decades, he’s worked to honour the memory of seven Indigenous men who were executed in 1885 during the North-West Rebellion, including Wandering Spirit, a Cree warrior.
“Their remains are mixed up, so we can’t separate them,” he said. “We’re still trying to figure out how to properly honour them, but it’s a long and complicated process.”
As he reflects on his work, Fox remains focused on continuing to help those who need it most.
“For a while, when I reached retirement, I was just sitting around, waking up at seven in the morning and asking, 'What am I going to do today?'” said Fox. “I found a new path. It was really tough for a while with nothing to do. You know, it’s hard when you reach retirement – Everything just stops all of a sudden,” he said.
Fox’s work is a reminder that community service is often more than just helping people in the short term—it’s about tackling deeper issues that require long-term commitment.
“When somebody important, like the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, recognizes what you're doing, I think it gives you a little more motivation."
