His Majesty the King awarded the National Order of Merit, Gold, to Sam Blyth and Nancy Strickland in recognition of their personal commitment to promote relations between Bhutan and Canada and their contributions in the field of education for over 25 years.
Sam Blyth is the Chair of the Bhutan Canada Foundation and the Honorary Consul of Bhutan in Toronto, Canada. Nancy Strickland is the Executive Director of the Bhutan Canada Foundation.
The award also honors the numerous hard working and dedicated teachers recruited through Bhutan Canada Foundation, many of whom continue to teach in schools in rural Bhutan, for their valuable contributions to the development of education in the country.
Over 50 teachers have been recruited to teach English, Math and Science in schools in rural Bhutan since the establishment of Bhutan Canada Foundation in February 2009.
Bhutan Canada Foundation carries on the long association between Bhutan and Canada in the Education sector that started 50 years ago when Father Mackey came to Bhutan in 1963.
