Camsell Medal

2009 Winners - James Raffan and Ted Johnson

Camsell Medal recipients James Raffan (left, photo by Lloyd Binder) and Ted Johnson (right, photo by David Barbour)

Dynamic duo

James Raffan and Ted Johnson share a love of canoeing. In the summer of 1978, long before either started volunteering for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, they met on a canoe trip that Raffan was guiding on the Coppermine River in the Arctic. More than 30 years later, they share the distinction of receiving the Society’s 2009 Camsell Medal for outstanding service.

A lawyer and senior vice-president of Power Corporation of Canada in Montréal, Johnson joined the Society’s Board of Governors in 1994. He contributed to as many as seven committees at once, including Audit, Finance and Expeditions. Johnson’s legal and financial expertise have been invaluable to the Society.

A passionate environmentalist and author based in Seeleys Bay, Ont., Raffan joined the Lectures Committee in 1994 and initiated ambitious speaking tours to reach more Society members. Raffan, who also served as a Governor, never misses an opportunity to promote the Society’s programs and publications during his frequent travels across the country.

— Monique Roy-Sole

« 2008 Camsell Award Winner

The Summits of Canada – an expedition to climb the highest peaks in all provinces and territories. “Welcome to an historic expedition to tell Canadians and the world about Canada. The legacy of this quest is not the footprints we will leave on the mountains, but the impact on people’s lives. Together we can make a difference, one step at a time.”

— James Coleridge, Expedition Leader,
Summits of Canada

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