Sam McDadi, the name and face behind one of Mississauga and the GTA’s best known real estate brokerage companies, recently received a royal medal.
Earlier this month, McDadi announced that he was humbled and honoured to receive the King Charles III Coronation medal. The medal was created by King Charles III, who was crowned king of the United Kingdom in 2022 after his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in the fall of that year at 96.
In February, McDadi received a letter stating that the governor-general of Canada had selected him as a medal recipient for his “extraordinary contributions and commitment to Canada.”
Mississauga MP Charles Sousa presented the medal to McDadi on March 12.
McDadi (left), receiving the award from Charles Sousa (right)
McDadi tells INSauga.com that he was shocked to learn he would receive the new and prestigious medal.
“I was shocked. It was quite a surprise, a pleasant surprise. I received the call from Sousa and I was shocked and humbled by it,” he says.
McDadi says Sousa told him he was selected for several reasons, including his philanthropic work and his track record of giving back to the community and mentoring local groups and organizations.
Over the years, McDadi has become known for charitable work and was most recently recognized for donating $1 million to Trillium Health Partners’ new Mississauga hospital. McDadi’s brokerage also donates a portion of each sale to the Trillium Health Partners Foundation, an organization that helps fund health initiatives at three major GTA hospitals.
“We look at areas that are important ot the community,” McDadi says, adding that while the hospital donation was sizeable (to say the least), his team also works to spread its support amongst a litany of local charities and organizations focused on everything from health care to sports.
He also says he has been approached by community members over the years who need additional support.
“People might have an issue or a family member with cancer and need treatment, so that resonated with me. We’re always stepping up for people who need help with health or athletes who need support financially,” he says.
McDadi’s brokerage supports multiple local charities, including Batter Up Baseball School, the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Diabetes Association, Hoops for Her, the Mississauga Girls Hockey League, the Mississauga Santa Claus Parade, Princess Margaret Hospital Association, Sick Kids, the Compass Food Bank and more.
McDadi also says giving back is important because anyone can find themselves in need.
“My dad had a successful business but he lost everything when I was 15,” he says.
“If you can give someone a helping hand, that can be very important for their future path.”
The medal, which has also been given to public figures such as Canada’s top doctor Theresa Tam and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, commemorates King Charles III’s coronation and is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.
According to the Canadian government’s website, citizens who receive a medal must have made a significant contribution to Canada or a province, territory, region or community, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. Only people who were alive on May 6, 2023 are eligible.
The Royal Canadian Mint manufactures the medals.
McDadi says he was honoured to receive the medal at his office, where his team and his mother gathered to watch the presentation.
“I was just happy to have my family there and my teammates. It was special to receive it, and the messages I received after it were very dear to me as well,” he says, adding that one person who sent him a touching message congratulating him said he deserved it because of acts as simple as offering a pregnant new Canadian a job to make her transition easier.
“That act of generosity, of trust, of giving someone a sense of belonging when they needed it most, meant the world to us,” his friend told him.
“You made our landing in Canada easier, without expecting anything in return.”
As for what the future holds, McDadi says that not only will he continue giving back as much as he can, but he’ll also see the medal as a sign that Canada is a special place–and strongest when it’s united.
“Once you reach a certain type of success, giving back is an element that really completes you as well,” he says.
“In these difficult times, it’s great to see Canada be unified. Through adversity, it strengthens our bond and helps us be better Canadians.”
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