Province’s ‘most exceptional civic leaders’ honoured

A Markham resident who has dedicated the past 15 years to strengthening veteran reintegration and a Unionville resident credited with shaping the cultural and civic landscape of Ontario’s Chinese Canadian community are among 20 of the province’s most exceptional civic leaders.

Joseph Maloney received the 2024 Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, while Aloysius (Al) Hung received the 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship at a ceremony held at Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Edith Dumont’s suite at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

The medal is the province’s second highest civilian honour and recognizes those whose leadership and exceptional volunteer service have left a lasting impact on their communities and helped build a stronger Ontario and Canada. “Service to others lies at the heart of our communities,” Dumont said at the ceremony.

Since 1973, remarkable individuals have been awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for their lifelong dedication to noble causes, including protecting Ontario’s natural heritage, promoting the arts, culture and sports, and helping create safer communities.

Maloney founded Helmets to Hardhats Canada, a program that connects Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and their families with careers in the unionized construction sector. Through strategic partnerships with unions, employers and community organizations, he has facilitated thousands of successful transitions and advanced economic stability for veterans across Ontario and Canada.

Hung’s leadership and philanthropy strengthened the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, supported the Mon Sheong Foundation and elevated major cultural events such as the Dragon Boat Festival. Through decades of advocacy, arts sponsorship and charitable service, he is credited with fostering cultural pride, deeper community connection and the continued vitality of organizations central to Ontario’s cultural fabric.

Originally called the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, the honour was first presented in 1973 by the late Queen Elizabeth II at Queen’s Park during a royal visit. In 2024, it was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship to recognize how recipients’ contributions reflect the late queen’s sense of duty and exemplary service. An independent advisory council reviews each nomination and selects the candidates. The lieutenant governor is the advisory council’s honorary chair.

Photos of Aloysius (Al) Hung (top) and Joseph Maloney (inset) courtesy of the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.