Local resident Jason Balgopal honoured with prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
Jason Balgopal, founder of the Canadian registered not-for-profit mental health initiative Beaches Mental Wellness, recently received the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship.
The medal was presented by Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Edith Dumont during a ceremony at Queen’s Park on April 14.
Balgopal was honoured for his years of tireless volunteer work to expand the venues where people experiencing mental wellness issues can find support and help.
He founded the East Toronto Mental Wellness Support Groups that meet at a number of local locations and also online.
“When people are experiencing mental health challenges, they need a web of support and that is hard to find, so I started this peer support initiative more than 11 years ago at a local community centre to be an important thread in that web. The group has grown, and continues to grow, because we create a safe and supportive place for people when they need it most,” said Balgopal, who works full time but devotes his off-work hours to developing peer leaders and helping to establish new Mental Wellness groups, in a news release.
The meetings (which run every night of the week, both in person and on-line) average between six and 10 people and are led by a trained peer facilitator.
In addition to the free peer support meetings, Beaches Mental Wellness uses funds from donations and grants to provide free professional therapy for regular members (regular members can get up to five sessions of therapy with a licensed therapist for free – and then can continue with the therapist at half the normal cost).
“This model is a virtuous circle: funders (such as the Scarborough, East Toronto and Toronto East Rotary clubs) get recognition for their donations, members get ready access to a therapist for free, and the therapists get a stream of clients – everyone wins,” said Balgopal.
The Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is Ontario second-highest honour (ranking immediately beneath the Order of Ontario). It recognizes individuals whose extraordinary volunteer efforts have fostered positive change and left a lasting impact upon their communities and the province.
The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is awarded very sparingly. It is the most selectively awarded community-service honour in the Commonwealth. With a per capita award rate averaging 0.8 per million/year, the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is the most selective non-bravery decoration currently awarded in Canada.
“I’m honoured to receive this award, and I hope it helps raise awareness of the importance of supporting those with mental wellness challenge. It is important to keep this issue before the public, and front and centre with the policy makers,” said Balgopal in the news release.
In a later interview with Beach Metro Community News, Balgopal said he was nominated for the award by Bob Murdoch, the former longtime executive director of Community Centre 55.
Balgopal said he was on vacation when contacted to be told he was going to be presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. However, he was not allowed to tell anyone until it was officially announced.
He said the awards ceremony took place for both 2024 and 2025 winners with the Lieutenant-Governor.
“There were about 20 of us and it was a lovely ceremony and truly fascinating to hear all the great things people are doing across the province. It made me realize what an exceptional honour it is to be nominated and receive,” said Balgopal.
“Sometimes we do this work and we know you are helping three or four people but it was really uplifting to see the impact and recognition across the province, and to know that people are paying attention doing and value it.”
Along with this most recent honour, Balgopal was also named Beach Citizen of the Year in 2017.
