Media

Twenty-nine people to be honoured by the Governor General for acts of bravery

November 30, 2005

OTTAWA – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will preside over a presentation ceremony of the Decorations for Bravery at Rideau Hall on Friday, December 2, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. The Governor General will present 29 Decorations for Bravery to Canadians.

The Decorations for Bravery––the Cross of Valour, the Star of Courage and the Medal of Bravery––were instituted in 1972.

The Cross of Valour is awarded for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril. The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. The Medal of Bravery is awarded for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

A media schedule for the Bravery decorations presentation ceremony (Annex A), and a complete list of recipients and their citations (Annex B) are attached.

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Media information

Eric Richer
Rideau Hall Press Office
(613) 998-7280

Public information 

The Chancellery of Honours, Government House
(613) 993-2569 or 1 800 465-6890

ANNEX A

The scenario for the ceremony is as follows:

9:45 a.m.  Arrival of media

9:55 a.m.   Sound and light checks

10:00 a.m.  Guests take their seats in the Ballroom

10:15 a.m.  All media are in place

10:30 a.m.  Her Excellency enters the Ballroom

Vice-regal Salute

The Governor General speaks

The Governor General presents the Decorations for Bravery

11:30 a.m.  National Anthem

End of ceremony

ANNEX B

STAR OF COURAGE

Master-Corporal Norman Ewen Penny, S.C., C.D.	Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Sergeant Derek David Rogers, S.C., C.D.	Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador

MEDAL OF BRAVERY

Thomas Bangert, M.B.	Stavely, Alberta
Patrice Bélanger, M.B.	Rivière-Héva, Quebec
O.P.P. Constable Bryan D. Bertoncello, M.B.	Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Matthew Thomas Billard, M.B.	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Kenton Boyden, M.B.	Niagara Falls, Ontario
O.P.P. Constable Daniel Brisson, M.B.	Ingleside, Ontario
Charles Carrière, M.B.	Moose Creek, Ontario
William Stanley Connoly, M.B.	Calgary, Alberta
Ronald Joseph Crawford, M.B. (posthumous)	Hamilton, Ontario
Shawn Edward Darby, M.B.	Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia
O.P.P. Constable Angela L. Davis-Witty, M.B.	Swastika, Ontario
O.P.P. Constable Michael D. Johnston, M.B.	Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Régis Lévesque, M.B.	Québec, Quebec
David P. Major, M.B.	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Dean Vincent Metzler, M.B.	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
O.P.P. Constable Sylvie D. Moore, M.B.	Timmins, Ontario
Michael Leonard Morrison, M.B.	Kirkfield, Ontario
Sûreté du Québec Sergeant Gino Paré, M.B.	Blainville, Quebec
Dennis Louis Parker, M.B.	Chilliwack, British Columbia
Mario Robichaud, M.B.	Pont-Rouge, Quebec
Nancy Savard, M.B.	Saint-Hubert, Quebec
Kevin Schraeder, M.B.	Kirkland Lake, Ontario
James Scott, M.B.	Niagara Falls, Ontario
Nathalie Vinet, M.B.	Châteauguay, Quebec
Jordon Vlahakis, M.B.	Kingston, Ontario
Melanie Roxanne Warner-Cain, M.B. (posthumous)	Cornwall, Ontario
Michael Williamson, M.B.	North Bay, Ontario

CITATIONS 

Master-Corporal Norman Ewen Penny, S.C., C.D., Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Sergeant Derek David Rogers, S.C., C.D., Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Star of Courage

On September 19, 2004, search and rescue technicians MCpl Norman Penny, then Corporal, and Sgt Derek Rogers risked their lives to save four fishermen from drowning after their vessel capsized  near cape Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, during a storm in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Facing 10-metre waves, heavy rain and gale-force wind, the two rescuers made several life-threatening night descents from their helicopter to retrieve the victims from a life raft that was rapidly drifting towards the rocky shore. Despite a hoist failure, near-drownings from being forced under water by the panicked victims, and suffering injuries from being tossed around by high winds and powerful swells, they volunteered to be lowered again to rescue the remaining crew members who had washed up on shore along the cove and were trapped below the 25-metre cliffs. Through MCpl Penny and Sgt Rogers’ tireless efforts, four lives were saved. Sadly, two other fishermen perished during the ordeal.

Thomas Bangert, M.B., Stavely, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On July 7, 2004, Thomas Bangert rescued a man from a flaming fuel truck near Okotoks, Alberta.  Following a collision between his vacuum truck and the victim’s tanker trailer, Mr. Bangert extricated himself from his vehicle and rushed to assist the other injured driver out of his burning wreck. When his efforts to break the driver’s side window proved unsuccessful, Mr. Bangert ran to the passenger side, grabbed a piece of metal and smashed the window to allow the victim to crawl out. Despite his injuries and the threat of an explosion, Mr. Bangert grabbed the victim under the arms and helped him out of the truck cab.  Mr. Bangert then pulled the victim a safe distance away from the blaze where they extinguished the flames on their clothing.

Patrice Bélanger, M.B., Rivière-Héva, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On November 26, 2004, Patrice Bélanger made multiple entries inside a burning house to rescue a two-year-old boy in Rivière-Héva, Quebec. Although driven out by the intense heat and choking smoke on each of his previous attempts, Mr. Bélanger entered the building a fourth time, determined to reach the child trapped inside. Despite the risks, he crawled down the basement stairs and, groping around, located the unconscious victim lying on the floor. Gasping for air, he lifted the toddler in his arms, made his way back upstairs through the blinding smoke, and carried the small boy outside to safety.

O.P.P. Constable Bryan D. Bertoncello, M.B., Kirkland Lake, Ontario
O.P.P. Constable Angela L. Davis-Witty, M.B., Swastika, Ontario
O.P.P. Constable Michael D. Johnston, M.B., Kirkland Lake, Ontario
O.P.P. Constable Sylvie D. Moore, M.B., Timmins, Ontario
Kevin Schraeder, M.B., Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On September 19, 2004, these five individuals helped in the evacuation of residents from a burning building that housed three businesses and six residential apartments, in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.  As heavy flames billowed from a second floor apartment, constables Bertoncello, Davis-Witty, Johnston and Moore entered the hazardous environment and ascended the stairwell filled with black, acrid smoke to search for the trapped residents. Meanwhile, Mr. Schraeder, one of the tenants, pounded on doors to alert his neighbours to the fire, before assisting police officers in their search for missing residents. The rescuers were forced to retreat from the building when the ceiling and walls of the stairwell became completely engulfed in flames. Sadly, in spite of the rescuers’ efforts, two tenants perished in the fire.

Matthew Thomas Billard, M.B., Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Shawn Edward Darby, M.B., Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia
David P. Major, M.B., Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Dean Vincent Metzler, M.B., Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Medal of Bravery

On October 20, 2004, these four Nova Scotians saved two severely injured teenage boys from a fiery death, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.  While stopped at an intersection,  Matthew Billard and Dean Metzler witnessed a speeding car strike a utility pole and burst into flames. Without hesitation, the two 17-year-old friends jumped out of their vehicle and ran to the scene. While Matthew was able to open the front passenger door, removing one victim from the burning wreck and pulling him to safety, Dean reached in through the shattered back window in a vain attempt to save the boy in the back seat, who had been killed on impact. Meanwhile, Shawn Darby and David Major had arrived on the scene to help. The four rescuers combined their efforts and, despite the intensifying heat and flames, managed to extricate the unconscious driver whose legs were pinned under the dashboard.

Kenton Boyden, M.B., Niagara Falls, Ontario
James Scott, M.B., Niagara Falls, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On February 18, 2004, Kenton Boyden and James Scott assisted in the arrest of an armed fugitive in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  Following a vehicle and foot pursuit, a police officer  tackled the man who pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the officer’s head, threatening to kill him.  Unable to disarm the aggressor while struggling to hold him down, the officer shouted for help. Messrs. Boyden and Scott, who had witnessed the scene from a distance, ran to assist.  They managed to restrain the gunman, who still had his finger on the trigger, until other officers arrived and apprehended him.

O.P.P. Constable Daniel Brisson, M.B., Ingleside, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On March 10, 2002, Cst. Daniel Brisson struggled with an armed man to keep him from shooting at fellow officers on Highway 401 in South Dundas Township, Dundas County, Ontario.  During a routine traffic stop, the suspect suddenly pulled out a handgun and fired the weapon at Cst. Brisson, who fell to the ground.  The wounded officer blacked out momentarily, but managed to get back up in an attempt to physically disarm the attacker, who fired yet another shot at him.  Other officers on the scene returned fire, fatally shooting the gunman.  Cst. Brisson recovered from his injuries and returned to full duties shortly after the incident.

Charles Carrière, M.B., Moose Creek, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On December 11, 2003, Charles Carrière rescued an unconscious woman from a burning car on Highway 401 near Kingston, Ontario.  Mr. Carrière was driving his tractor trailer when he witnessed the victim’s vehicle leave the roadway and burst into flames.  He immediately stopped his truck and ran across the highway to assist.  After temporarily putting out the flames on the windshield and in the engine area, he opened the driver’s side door, and with the assistance of two other men, released the victim’s seatbelt and pulled the woman from the flaming vehicle.  He then carried her to a safe area until medical assistance arrived.

William Stanley Connoly, M.B., Calgary, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On January 25, 2004, at a gas plant near Manning, Alberta, William Connoly rescued a welder who was trapped in the burning gas compressor he was repairing. Sparks from a cutting torch had ignited the vapours contained in a discharge bottle, sending flames shooting out of the vessel located below the floor. The victim was immediately engulfed in flames, helplessly trapped in the burning pit. Without hesitation, Mr. Connoly jumped into the hole, grabbed hold of his colleague and lifted him up onto the floor. With bare hands, he attempted to smother the flames that consumed the man’s body, inflicting severe burns to his own hands, arms and face. Unable to extinguish the re-igniting flames, he then carried the victim out of the building and rolled him into the snow, to put out the fire.

Ronald Joseph Crawford, M.B. (posthumous), Hamilton, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On August 4, 2002, Ronald Crawford lost his life while attempting to protect a friend who was being attacked by an armed man in Hamilton, Ontario. The robber, brandishing a knife, entered a local restaurant and demanded money from the clerk.  Sensing his friend was in danger, Mr. Crawford rushed to his rescue from the shop’s back room.  He attempted to subdue the out-of-control assailant but, in the scuffle that ensued,  he was stabbed in the chest by the aggressor and, sadly, succumbed to his wounds on his way to hospital.

Régis Lévesque, M.B., Québec, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On April 23, 2004, Régis Lévesque rescued a man from his burning apartment in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Quebec. A forceful explosion had severely damaged the two-storey house and knocked down the balcony and stairs of the second floor apartment in which the man remained trapped. Without concern for his own safety, Mr. Lévesque climbed the four-metre-high pile of glass and debris in order to reach the dazed victim, who was tottering on the doorstep of his flaming apartment.  Mr. Lévesque then grabbed the injured man and, carrying him on his shoulder, climbed down the rubble back to safety, shortly before the house was completely destroyed by the flames. 

Michael Leonard Morrison, M.B., Kirkfield, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On February 8, 2004, Michael Morrison helped his wife and two small daughters escape their burning house, in Bolsover, Ontario. Awakened by an early morning fire, Mr. Morrison was met by a wall of flames when he opened his bedroom door.  With no other escape, he broke and splintered a window with his bare fists and made it outside with his wife and their infant daughter. Realizing  that his two-year-old daughter was still inside, he raced to the front door but was forced back by the flames. Despite severe bleeding, he climbed on a lawn chair to reach the toddler’s bedroom window, reached in, grabbed hold of the unconscious child and pulled her out. He then risked his life a third time, entering the house through another window to look for his son, mistakenly believed to be in his bedroom.

Sûreté du Québec Sergeant Gino Paré, M.B., Blainville, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On December 30, 2003, Sgt. Gino Paré went to the aid of a man who had fallen into the Rivière du Nord after jumping from a bridge to avoid being struck by an out-of-control vehicle in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. In spite of having sprained his knee when he jumped  out of the path of the skidding car, Sgt. Paré scaled down the hill to reach the injured man, who had tumbled down the steep incline and was lying in the water, five metres from the ice-covered shore. While clutching a concrete pillar with one hand, Sgt. Paré grabbed the victim’s arm with the other to prevent him from slipping back into the fast-flowing river. Although weakened by his efforts, Sgt. Paré held onto the man until help arrived ten minutes later.

Dennis Louis Parker, M.B., Chilliwack, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

On July 27, 2001, parole officer Dennis Parker saved his colleague from further injury at the hands of a man armed with a metal baseball bat, in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Mr. Parker was sitting in his office when he heard the woman scream and, through a window,  witnessed her trying to run away from her armed assailant in a nearby parking lot. Without hesitation, Mr. Parker ran out of the building and raced to the woman’s rescue. He confronted the violent aggressor who turned on him, taking two-handed swings at him with the bat, striking him twice full force before taking off. Mr. Parker sustained a broken wrist and injuries to his forearms in his efforts to protect his colleague.

Mario Robichaud, M.B., Pont-Rouge, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On June 7, 2002, Mario Robichaud rescued a man from a burning car on Highway 40, near Québec City, Quebec. Mr. Robichaud was travelling westbound with his family when two speeding cars passed him and collided in front of his vehicle. While the first car was able to stop, the second spun around, struck the median railing, became airborne and hit a lamppost before landing in the eastbound lanes. Grabbing a fire extinguisher from a by-stander, Mr. Robichaud ran across the busy roadway and attempted in vain to douse the fire. As the flames began burning the driver’s feet, Mr. Robichaud leaned over him to loosen his seatbelt and, with much difficulty due to the man’s severe injuries, managed to pull him from the burning wreck and carry him to safety.

Nancy Savard, M.B., Saint-Hubert, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On March 29, 2004, Nancy Savard was severely injured after saving her son from being accidentally crushed under the family van in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. Mrs. Savard was moving the van out of their driveway when she saw her three-year-old son run behind the vehicle to retrieve a toy. She immediately stopped and made her way to her son at the back of the vehicle. As she grabbed hold of her child, the minivan began to roll backward and  knocked them down, trapping them underneath. Mrs. Savard, though managing to push the boy out of harm’s way while the vehicle continued down the slope, was crushed under the wheels of the van which finally came to a stop in the middle of the street, after dragging her for several metres.   

Nathalie Vinet, M.B., Châteauguay, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On February 16, 2004, Nathalie Vinet, a teacher at the Louis-Philippe-Paré high school in Châteauguay, Quebec, put her life in danger to protect her students from a troubled teenager who had managed to get into her classroom. Armed with three knives, the apparently disturbed adolescent threatened to kill anyone who tried to leave the room. Fearing for the safety of her students, Ms. Vinet managed to keep the young man calm while one of her students, feigning an asthma attack, managed to leave the classroom to get help. Ms. Vinet’s presence of mind and composure prevented a serious situation from escalating into a tragedy.

Jordon Vlahakis, M.B., Kingston, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On May 29, 2005, Jordon Vlahakis rescued a man from a burning vehicle in Baybridge, Ontario. Mr. Vlahakis was heading home when he witnessed an out-of-control car run off the street and across three lawns before slamming into a tree. Undeterred by the flames running across the hood of the car up to the windshield, Mr. Vlahakis ran to the scene. Reaching inside the car, he undid the driver’s seat belt and started pulling him out. The revving vehicle suddenly spun around and started to move backwards, with Mr. Vlahakis in tow. As he ran alongside holding onto the semi-conscious victim, Mr. Vlahakis managed to free him from the burning car, seconds before it erupted into a ball of fire.

Melanie Roxanne Warner-Cain, M.B. (posthumous), Cornwall, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On October 4, 2002, Melanie Warner-Cain lost her life while trying to prevent a man from leaving the scene of a hit-and-run, in a parking lot in Cornwall, Ontario. After watching the vehicle accelerate in reverse and aim in the direction of the victim, Mrs. Warner-Cain desperately knocked on the rear window in a vain attempt to alert the driver to the injured man. As a result, she was pulled under the wheels of the car and dragged for several feet, sustaining fatal injuries.

Michael Williamson, M.B., North Bay, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On August 9, 2004, Michael Williamson, who is legally blind, put his life at risk to rescue two men from drowning in Lake Nipissing, Ontario.  When he noticed that the victims, clinging to their capsized canoe, were too weak to reach the rope thrown at them from his boat, Mr. Williamson jumped into the lake and swam over to reach their side.  As he returned towards the craft with the first victim in tow, Mr. Williamson was struck on the head by his boat as it rocked in the waves, and he slipped under the water. Disoriented, he temporarily lost his grip on the victim, but managed to grab him again and swim towards the back of the rescue boat.  While friends helped the man onboard, Mr. Williamson swam back to assist the second canoer until a police vessel arrived at the scene.