Annex D – Canadian Bravery Decorations and Governor General's Commendation for Bravery

Introduction

1. The Canadian Bravery Decorations are national honours created in 1972 to recognize people who have risked their lives to save or protect others. These decorations are awarded to civilians as well as to members of the Canadian Forces (CF). The regulations governing the decorations are reprinted in Appendix 1.
2. Three levels reflect the varying degrees of risk involved in any act of bravery:
   1. Cross of Valour (CV).  Awarded for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril (refer to full description in Annex D, Appendix 1, paragraph 3.).
   2. Star of Courage (SC).  Awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril (refer to full description in Annex D, Appendix 1, paragraph 4.).
   3. Medal of Bravery (MB).  Awarded for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances (refer to full description in Annex D, Appendix 1, paragraph 5.).
3. In addition to the decorations, a certificate of commendation was created in 1993. In 2022, to mark the 50^th anniversary of the creation of the Canadian Bravery Decorations, the certificate was renamed the Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery (GGCB) and a new insignia was created to accompany the award (refer to full description on Medals Chart). The insignia was also offered to past recipients of the original certificate of commendation.
4. The Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery may be awarded to:
   1. a Canadian citizen; or
   2. a non-Canadian citizen who:
      1. has performed in Canada an act of bravery; or
      2. has performed outside Canada an act of bravery which merits recognition by Canada as being as act performed in the interest in Canada.
5. The Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery may be awarded to an eligible person described above who has demonstrated altruism at personal risk which, while not meeting the criteria for a Canadian Bravery Decoration, is deemed commendable by the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee.

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Recommendations

6. Recommendations shall be prepared in accordance with Annex D, Appendix 2 and forwarded to National Defence Headquarters/Directorate of Honours and Recognition (NDHQ/DH&R) through the chain of command, in accordance with Chapter 2.
7. Recommendations shall be supported by statements gathered from a minimum of two witnesses. If practicable, sworn statements should accompany each recommendation. These statements may be sworn before any commissioned officer on full-time service. In exceptional circumstances where there are fewer than two witnesses, a statement from one person may be acceptable (refer to Annex D, Appendix 2).
8. The recommendations should be accompanied by a supporting narrative that fully summarizes the incident according to the guidelines for composing bravery award nominations in Annex D, Appendix 2.

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Time limits

9. Nominations must be made within two years of the date the incident or act of bravery occurred, or a public entity, including a court, a quasi-judicial tribunal or a coroner, has concluded its review concerning the circumstances surrounding the incident or act of bravery.
10. If not able to meet the deadline, the incident may be registered with the Chancellery of Honours through DH&R 5 via encrypted email. Information should include the Service Number of the nominee, rank, name, initials, date of birth and a brief description of the incident. The registration will ensure that the nomination is not rejected due to time limit not being met.
11. The circumstances of each case are carefully examined to ensure fair and equal treatment for all.
12. This national program is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

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