Don Slater
Don Slater from Local 359 (Vancouver, British Columbia) has dedicated himself to serving his community and advocating for people with disabilities across Alberta. That commitment has earned him national and provincial recognition, including the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022.
Slater began his Boilermaker career in 1993 after completing BCIT’s Entry Level Boilermaker program and earning his Welding Pressure B certificate. Inspired by his brother Dave, he entered a trade that would become an important part of his life.
Early in his career, Slater suffered injuries in a car accident while returning home from a job. As his pain worsened, he was eventually forced to retire on disability. Though his disability is not visible, he lives with chronic pain and understands firsthand how easily invisible disabilities can be dismissed. That experience has fueled his determination to ensure the voices of those with disabilities are heard.
He began his service through acts of kindness for others with disabilities—finding an air-conditioning unit and helping with electrical and plumbing problems. This service eventually grew into a broader commitment to advocacy. Slater now speaks publicly, meets with politicians and writes opinion pieces for newspapers across Alberta. He has also run for MLA in Edmonton’s 2023 provincial election and a 2025 by-election. Today, he continues to represent the disability community at public events and serves on the board of Albertans with Disabilities Without Poverty.
For Slater, volunteering is about more than lending a hand. It is about recognizing the dignity and worth of every person, especially those who may be society’s most vulnerable.
“Volunteering is one of the quiet ways we remind ourselves that a human life has value beyond what it can produce or give back,” he said. “To protect the vulnerable is to recognize that the measure of a society is not how it treats the powerful, but how gently it holds those who have been given the least strength to protect themselves.”
