KIPLING — A group of 21 community-minded individuals hailing from the Souris-Moose Mountain riding were celebrated recently with a special honour only 30,000 Canadians will receive. The King Charles III Coronation Medal recognizes those who have made a difference in their community, province, Canada, or for an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.
A special ceremony on Feb. 1 in Stoughton saw Member of Parliament Dr. Robert Kitchen bestow the awards to most of the recipients, but there were a few like Kipling’s Mona Lynn Stender who simply could not make the trek.
“The roads were not good, it was blowing hard,” Stender said. “The visibility was poor, and I felt we had to make the decision in the morning. So as it turned out, by one o'clock, it would have been better, but I had to make the decision in the morning, and Pat (Jackson, a fellow recipient from Kipling) was storm-stayed out west. Since she wasn't going to be able to make it either, I just didn't think it was worth the risk going myself.”
MP Kitchen will come to Kipling at a future date to give Stender and Jackson their medals and congratulations in person.
“It was very unexpected, that's for sure,” Stender said when asked about her reaction to finding out she had been nominated for a King Charles III Coronation Medal. “I just didn't feel like I had done any more than anybody else had in our little community, but anyway, I truly appreciate the honour!”
An arts council icon
Around Kipling, Stender is well-known for her involvement with the Kipling & District Arts Council.
“Music has given me so much in my life, and the Arts Council has been just such a big opportunity to share my love of music and my love of organization,” she said, adding that she has long supported shows brought to town through KDAC.
“I've been a subscription holder for many, many years—probably back to the ‘'80s—and then in 2012 I was still teaching, but I was winding down my career, and Joan Minter, the then-chair of the Arts Council was moving to Regina, and I was feeling really guilty because I wanted to keep it in the community, but I was still teaching, and I just didn't feel I could take anything on right at that time.”
One year later Minter once again asked Stender if she would consider taking on the role.
“By then, I'd been retired for a year, and I decided to give it a go, and I've enjoyed every minute of it,” Stender said.
Earlier this month, Stender decided to step down from the role of KDAC President and Performing Arts Co-ordinator with the Feb. 4 performance by West Coast duo Rumour Mill also closing the 2024/25 season.
“Matt O'Connell is going to be taking my place, and it's great. He's going to bring a lot of fresh, new ideas to it,” Stender explained. “He is a musician himself, so he's really good at the technical side of things, and it's good for an organization to have new faces and fresh ideas. I look forward to being part of the audience and enjoying it without having the responsibility of being in charge!”
The transition was no surprise to the board as Stender gave them notice a couple years back of her intentions. Her idea was to have the incoming president shadow for at least a year to see what’s involved with the role.
“That's actually what happened. I said we really need to get somebody involved now, so we had an open public meeting because our Arts Council was in a pretty bad spot; we hadn't sold many season tickets the year before,” Stender said. “So last summer, we had an open plea at our last show for new members, and then we opened up a public meeting in August, we had a very good turnout, and a lot of positive ideas came from that, and Matt was one of the people who attended that meeting and seemed excited about it.”
Currently, there are 12 people on the KDAC board, with new faces always welcome to join.
“We're always looking for new volunteers,” Stender confirmed. “A lot of them have been on the board longer than I have been, so I'm hoping that this is kind of a trend of things to come, and we're always looking for family shows and increasing the number of young families. So if young people with young families draw other families, it becomes a fun thing to do on a weekend. It’s family entertainment, and we've had more young people out this year, which is great—something for everyone.”
Love of music began early
Music has been a constant companion for Stender.
“I can't remember a time when music wasn't part of my life,” she said. “I grew up with parents who always had music playing in the house, and my mom played the church organ, too. My dad always was playing records. And my grandmothers—one grandma was an accomplished pianist and the other had a fantastic record collection. So I've always had music around me in my life.
“Mom played several instruments by ear and played the pump organ in our old country church,” Stender continued. “Dad always had music playing in the house, and would even rig outdoor speakers when we had family reunions at our farm. Music was a big part of my parents’ life as they loved to dance and were original organizing members of the Kipling Winter Dance Club. I can’t imagine how many batteries Dad replaced in my transistor radio, a gift for my 13th birthday because I would fall asleep listening to music every night!”
Stender was soon drawn to playing music.
“I took piano lessons from a neighbour lady who happened to be the church organist, and that's how I got playing music in church,” explained Stender. “She encouraged me to play for Sunday school, and then one Sunday, we were upstairs waiting—and of course, there's no phone in the church in the ‘60s—so the organist didn't show, and the minister asked if there was anybody there that could play for the service.”
What happened next would be a moment of serendipity that set Stender on a lifelong path.
“My mom gives me a nudge, and I protested, ‘Well, all I know are Sunday School songs’ and he just said, ‘That'll do—come on up!’ So that was my debut, playing for music in church, and I've been doing it for over 50 years,” she said.
By age 15, Stender had played for two weddings, and in her early 20s, she began playing at funerals.
“I've been a part of people's special moments in their lives, and that's a real blessing to my life, to be able to share in weddings and funerals and moments in their life—anniversaries, baptism and so on,” she said.
Soon, Stender was teaching piano lessons from home, classroom music at school, and entering groups in the local Music Festival. She was also involved with Junior and Senior Church Choirs, as well as the local Community Choir in Kipling.
“We sang at Remembrance Day services in Kipling and Windthorst, put on Christmas and spring concerts for the community,” Stender recalls. “There is no longer a choir, but I help with piano accompaniment when needed at Remembrance Day services.”
She continues to enjoy playing music for care home residents as an accompanist for Tuesday singalongs and church services.
The combination of bringing people together and music was strong for Stender, bringing rewards far greater than any monetary value could suggest.
“As a school teacher, I loved organizing Christmas concerts and putting kids in the music festival and organizing the Terry Fox Run between organizing and music,” she said. “My life has been really made full with all the things it's given me, and the wonderful people I've met, too.”
To receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal for something she enjoys is really the icing on the cake.
“I truly appreciate the recognition and honour of receiving this award for something I’ve loved doing that has enriched my life so much,” Stender said.
“I’ve met and worked with many wonderful people through music. I’ve been fortunate to use the gift of music in my life to connect people through events and special life moments.
"If I’ve given something back to the community where I was born, raised, had a rewarding career and raised a family of my own, I am more than happy to do so!”
