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Governor General announces 14 Meritorious Service DecorationsMarch 27, 2006 OTTAWA – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, today announced the awarding of 14 Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) to individuals whose specific achievements have brought honour to Canada. The recipients will be invited to receive their decoration at a presentation ceremony to be held at a later date. The Meritorious Service Decorations are separated into military and civil divisions, with two levels each: a medal and a cross. The Military Division recognizes individuals for their outstanding professionalism and for bringing honour to the Canadian Forces. The Civil Division recognizes individuals who have performed an exceptional deed or an activity that brought honour to their community or to Canada. Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division)
Additional information on the Meritorious Service Decorations (annex A) as well as the citations for the recipients (annex B) are attached. -30- Media information Public information
Annex A These decorations are an important part of the Canadian Honours System, which recognizes excellence. Meritorious Service Decorations honour either a single achievement or an activity over a specified period. The Meritorious Service Decorations are open to both Canadians and non-Canadians. Anyone may nominate an individual for the Civil Division of the Meritorious Service Decorations, while a commanding officer recommends possible candidates to a military advisory committee, which reviews nominations and submits names to the Chief of the Defence Staff. Nominations and awards may be made posthumously, but nominations for activities that occurred prior to June 1984, the year in which the honour was first created, are not accepted.
Margaret Anderson, M.S.M., Oakville, Ontario Following the death of her husband after a lengthy illness, Margaret Anderson saw the need to provide a comfortable environment for the terminally ill who could not be cared for in their own home. In 1997, she founded the Ian Anderson House in Oakville, the first free-standing in-residence cancer hospice in Ontario to provide quality end-of-life care for residents and support for their families. The facility has since been modeled by other organizations. It has also increased its influence through a fruitful partnership with the University of Toronto for research and educational activities in palliative and hospice care in the community. Mary Bales, M.S.M., Kitchener, Ontario Concerned by the lack of safe and adequate housing for the most disadvantaged citizens of her community, Mary Bales founded Heartwood Place, an organization dedicated to the conversion of old and underutilized commercial buildings into affordable homes. In December 2003, Heartwood Place unveiled its inaugural project, an industrial site renovated into a 33-unit apartment facility for low-income families in Kitchener, Ontario. Through her dedication, Ms. Bales has had a major impact on resolving the critical shortage of affordable housing in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. John Russell Campbell, M.S.M., Toronto, Ontario In 1994, John Russell Campbell founded and became president of the Oasis Addiction Recovery Society, a Toronto community-based organization that offers non-residential addiction recovery programs. In its first decade of operation, the Society has assisted over 10 000 people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to reintegrate into the workforce and society. Through his work with Oasis, Mr. Campbell has not only fostered the creation of employment programs and social and support services, but has also helped to eradicate some of the barriers to compassionate and humane treatment of addiction problems. John T. Chaffey, M.S.M., Kanata, Ontario A leading advocate of ground search and rescue (SAR), John Chaffey has greatly contributed to the development of this field nationwide. Founder of the National Ground Search and Rescue Council of Canada in 1997, he succeeded in bringing together all the provinces and territories to elaborate and implement national standards for training. Mr. Chaffey is also credited with the establishment of funding programs for volunteer ground search and rescue research and development, the creation of the SARSCENE annual workshop, as well as the organization of the SARSCENE Games, at which Canadian and international teams compete in a series of search and rescue skills competitions. Lawrence G. Euteneier, M.S.M., Ottawa, Ontario In 2003, Lawrence Euteneier conceived and developed “Web-4-All”, a world-leading technology for those with disabilities and literacy impairments that affect their ability to use the Internet. The application allows people with visual disabilities to have screens magnified or read aloud. It also permits those with difficulty using a keyboard to use settings or displays that address most dexterity issues and individuals with literacy challenges to access information using both sight and sound. Thanks to Mr. Euteneier’s achievements, Canadians with disabilities can now communicate electronically and access information and services on-line independently. Brian Lynthor Isfeld, M.S.M., C.D., Courtenay, British Columbia In 1994, Brian and Carol Isfeld’s son, MCpl Mark Isfeld, was killed in Croatia while carrying out UN peacekeeping duties. Before her son’s death, Mrs. Isfeld would knit woollen dolls for her son to distribute to destitute children and those living with HIV/AIDS in the former Yugoslavia. To honour their son’s memory, the Isfelds continue to this day to craft, ship and promote the delivery of the nicknamed ‘Izzy’ dolls to Canadian soldiers. They, in turn, give them to orphaned and vulnerable children in war-torn regions around the world. Through their generosity and compassion, Laurence Perry, M.S.M., Whistler, British Columbia On July 26, 2003, helicopter pilot Laurence Perry was dispatched on a rescue mission to the highest peak of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, United States, where seven climbers had been struck by a bolt of lightning. In spite of the approaching darkness, high altitude, strong winds and lightning strikes, Mr. Perry displayed perseverance and the highest standard of professionalism by flying his helicopter continuously for over eight hours to take rescue personnel to the incident site and to bring back the injured and deceased hikers from the mountain peak. Glen Fazal Rajack, M.S.M., San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Glen Rajack implemented a Memorandum of Understanding between the Certified General Accountants of Canada and the AFN to address the First Nations’ financial capacity and accountability issues. From this arrangement, and through Mr. Rajack’s influence, the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada was created in 1999. Its aims are to improve First Nations’ financial practices and management skills and to provide their people with an important professional development opportunity. Mr. Rajack’s hard work and dedication to his profession have benefited Aboriginal people, both nationally and internationally. Anne Richardson, M.S.M., Fort Erie, Ontario In May 1999, Robert and Anne Richardson established the Dreams to Memories Foundation in Fort Erie, Ontario. This charitable organization assists families with a terminally ill parent with children under the age of 15 in fulfilling a final wish. Actively involved in the Foundation, the Richardsons have led a number of fundraising activities—including garage sales, barbecues and motorcycle rallies—which have enabled the Foundation to grant many dreams over the years, and create precious memories for families. Everett Soop, M.S.M. (posthumous), Cardston, Alberta An advocate for Aboriginal people and physically challenged persons, the late Everett Soop, who personally suffered from muscular dystrophy, worked unselfishly for the cause of First Nations peoples living with disabilities. His efforts during his tenure with the Alberta Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities culminated in 1993 with the publication of a major report entitled Removing Barriers: An Action Plan for Aboriginal People With Disabilities. Mr. Soop, who passed away in 2001, is remembered for his relentless quest for social justice for his people, as well as for his unique contributions to his province and his country. Conchita Tan-Willman, M.S.M., Toronto, Ontario In 1987, university professor Conchita Tan-Willman founded PRIME Mentors of Canada, an innovative mentoring program for students with high creative abilities who tend to be underachievers. By tapping into the wealth of experience, talent and skills of caring adults, particularly seniors and university students, the organization delivers a special proactive program for at-risk children, pairing mentors and protégés based on similar interests and strengths. Thanks to Dr. Tan-Willman, this intergenerational project has provided a new approach to learning, while creating an opportunity for youth to initiate and lead projects, achieve high literacy skills and find motivation for lifelong learning. Vladislav Alexandrovic Tretyak, M.S.M., Moscow, Russia Remembered as an outstanding hockey player, Vladislav Tretyak, now a deputy in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly in Russia, founded the Group of Friends of Canada in 2003. As a respected advocate of Canada in Russia, he has led a group of 30 influential deputies to promote the development of strong ties between our countries and to establish ongoing relations between State Duma officials and the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. Mr. Tretyak has brought great pride to his country and to Canada. |
