Prince Edward had high praise for local youth Thursday during a ceremony at the RCMP’s depot division in Regina.
In the morning he presented Duke of Edinburgh gold awards to 24 young people.
The award recognizes personal achievement in a wide variety of areas including adventure, volunteerism and physical fitness.
The prince congratulated the recipients for their accomplishments saying they have gone above and beyond in terms of achievement.
“This is your day, this is your moment and just feel a little bit proud of yourself and when you walk home a bit later, just walk a few inches taller,” he says.
One of the award recipients is 24-year-old Kaylen Larocque.
She actually completed the Duke of Edinburgh program seven years ago and had been waiting a long time for Thursday’s ceremony.
Larocque says the Duke of Edinburgh award program has made a big difference in her life.
“Absolutely, the program is designed to help shape people into well rounded adults and that is exactly what it does with the community service and giving back to the community,” she says.
The Duke of Edinburgh award recognizes international youth award between the ages of 14-24.
More than 44,000 Canadian youth are currently participating in the program.
Prince Edward ends his three-day visit to Saskatchewan Friday with stops in Saskatoon and Swift Current.