Mike Calli of Prince Rupert has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal to mark the culmination of his 47-year journey through service on Canada’s coast, marine education, and advocacy work.
Calli’s journey is marked by resilience, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of others.
In 1977, while working on tugboats for a company called RivTow in the Lower Mainland near New Westminster, a tragic accident changed his life forever. A tow line’s shackle snapped and struck Calli in the head with tremendous force.
The injury left Calli with devastating head trauma. His wife, Elaine Calli, remembers it with a clarity that still brings emotional pain.
“It was very difficult after his accident,” she said. “For a full year, he was wired shut, and then they had to re-break it and wire it again to set it properly.” Calli has undergone numerous surgeries since that day and more are still to come.
“It’s affected his whole life. It’s affected our whole life completely,” Elaine said.
The physical damage was immense, but the emotional and psychological toll cut just as deep.
“When I saw him in the hospital, his face was like a big balloon. You’d never know who he was. It was so, so awful... I’ll never forget it.”
But Calli refused to be defined by his trauma. Instead, he turned his experience into a platform for advocacy, first as an employee with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and eventually as a national leader in workplace safety.
Drawing directly from his own injury, Calli helped establish “The Worker’s Right to Refuse,” which was initially included in the Towboat Seaman’s Master Contract. He later served four years on the federal government Occupational Health and Safety Board, where his insights became part of the Canada Labour Code Part II. In 1996, the right to refuse became national law, and its principles have since spread internationally.
His advocacy didn’t stop at the water’s edge. Teaming up with Don Geiger of the B.C. Forest Service, Calli co-developed the National Safety in Bear Country Training Program and conducted research for better forms of protection for workers. This led to adopting the Remington Wingmaster Model 870 shotgun as Canada’s official policing rifle. The RCMP Commissioner formally recognized his efforts during a visit to the RCMP Training Academy in Regina.
From 2000 to 2004, Calli served with the Canadian Coast Guard. During that time, he was also quietly building his next chapter, founding CAPPS Marine Education in Prince Rupert. The program provided accredited, hands-on courses for mariners, with ten Transport Canada and Industry Canada–approved offerings. Mike taught until his retirement in 2017.
“I had a lot of information to pass on to other mariners, and I did that for 17 years, and I only gave it up because of my second bout of cancer. I decided it was time to live life a little. I’m cancer-free now. So I’m quite happy about that,” said Calli.
Yet retirement hasn’t slowed him down. He’s now planning a new chapter as a small vessel inspector and is working on restoring a 28-foot boat to enjoy the water once more. He plans to welcome guests aboard, not commercially, but simply to share his love of the sea.
“So that’s my next career. So not quite finished yet, not quite. Just really enjoy what I’m doing. So yeah, I do miss working on the water.”
Calli has also been appointed by his peers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada as an expert in three key areas: grizzly bears, salmon and salmon habitat, and herring and herring spawning.
“That was a very proud achievement,” said Calli.
Family has remained Calli’s anchor, especially Elaine, who stood by him through nearly five decades of operations, recovery, and rebuilding.
“I really feel that he has earned the medal and deserves it," said Elaine.
"He’s always been a community builder. After his major head trauma from that accident at work, I never had the man I married because the man I married I only had him for a week less than a year because it changed not only his physical features, but because of all the trauma and damage done by all the operations, it changed him mentally too, like his outlook and things,”
The couple has been married for 49 years, and Elaine says medical procedures have been constant for 48 years. Together, they’ve endured personal and financial hardships, most notably during the economic recession of the 1980s. Calli worked overtime in remote, isolated locations to keep the family afloat.
When he finally returned home, a heartbreaking moment captured the cost of sacrifice. The children didn’t recognize him. He had grown a beard, and they cried as he walked them around the block.
Shortly after, in 1989, the family moved north to Prince Rupert, where they would build a new life and become cornerstones of the community.
Calli gave back in countless ways. He served 13 years on the Prince Rupert Special Events Board, helping organize parades and festivities and bringing joy to children as a Shrine Clown and Santa.
As Santa, he would go the extra mile by gathering details from parents ahead of time so he could surprise children with Santa’s uncanny knowledge of their quirks and wishes.
Elaine, too, became a pillar of the community, helping spearhead many of the same events, all while supporting Calli through every step of his healing.
His proudest achievement, though, is simple and poignant.
“My best one was marrying my wife, Elaine. Through all the bumps and grinds, it’s been the best.”
Calli credits the community, especially Prince Rupert’s Vietnamese community, for supporting him throughout his journey. As they look ahead to quieter days, Elaine is eager to enjoy the outdoors and share time with their five grandchildren.
“That’s what makes life fun. Grandkids are the most fun,” she said.
From tragedy to triumph, policy change to parade floats, Calli has left an indelible mark in the hearts of those who know him, not just in legislation and safety protocols. He’s not quite done yet; the waters he loves so dearly still call to him.
His wife proudly celebrated a man who turned pain into purpose and was commemorated with the Coronation Medal for his remarkable service to Canada and his community.
