July 13, 2004 OTTAWA — Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, announced today the awarding of eight Medals of Bravery for acts of heroism. Recipients will be invited to accept their decorations at a ceremony to be held at a later date. On the recommendation of the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee (Bravery), the Governor General has announced the following awards: Medal of Bravery Serge Bachand, M.B., Marieville, Que. Corporal Joseph Paul Herbert Bolmer, M.B., C.D., Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. Eric Charles Bonnell, M.B., Italy Cross, N.S. Bruce Brewer, M.B., London, Ont. Brian Brown, M.B., Kirkfield, Ont. Katharina Ham, M.B. (posthumous), Bow Island, Alta. Serge Landry, M.B. (posthumous), Amqui, Que. Kevin Jabez Reid, M.B., Bishop's Falls, Nfld.and L. The Decorations for Bravery––the Cross of Valour, the Star of Courage and the Medal of Bravery––were established in 1972 as part of the Canadian Honours System. 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. The citations follow (Annex). -30- Media information Rideau Hall Press Office (613) 993-8157 www.gg.ca Public information The Chancellery of Honours (613) 993-2569 or 1 800 465-6890 For more information on the Canadian Honours System, please visit the Governor General's web site at www.gg.ca Annex Serge Bachand, M.B., Marieville, Que. Medal of Bravery On August 3, 2003, Serge Bachand rescued a woman from a burning vehicle on Highway 2 in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. The car, in which the victim was a passenger, had crashed head-on into a group of motorcycles after narrowly avoiding the motorcycle Mr. Bachand was driving. Mr. Bachand rushed toward the car, which had caught fire, and saw the woman trapped under the dashboard. After unsuccessfully trying to open her door, he was able to enter the car through the back door. By pulling as hard as he could, he managed to lower the seatback of the victim, who was overcome by panic. He grasped her under the arms, removed her from the vehicle and, helped by other people, carried her to safety. Corporal Joseph Paul Herbert Bolmer, M.B., C.D., Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. Medal of Bravery On December 5, 2001, Cpl Herbert Bolmer risked his life attempting to rescue his neighbour from her burning apartment, in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec. Noticing smoke pouring out of the apartment, Cpl Bolmer attempted to gain access to the dwelling but was barred entry by the locked front door. Undeterred, he raced to the back of the building and entered through the patio door that was left ajar. He searched the unit's main floor, but the thick smoke and intense heat forced him to retreat. As he was exiting the apartment, part of the ceiling fell on him, causing severe burns to his head and face. The victim was eventually found in an upstairs bedroom by firefighters, but unfortunately, could not be revived. Eric Charles Bonnell, M.B., Italy Cross, N.S. Medal of Bravery On May 6, 2003, Eric Bonnell rescued an elderly woman from a burning house, in Italy Cross, Nova Scotia. When he noticed smoke coming from his neighbour's home, Mr. Bonnell ran to the scene and entered the house through the unlocked back door. Crouching beneath the thick smoke, he searched for the elderly woman until he caught sight of her in her bedroom. While the fire ripped through the two-storey house, setting ceilings and walls ablaze, Mr. Bonnell reached the victim and retraced his route to exit the house, carrying her to safety. Bruce Brewer, M.B., London, Ont. Medal of Bravery On July 29, 2003, Bruce Brewer put his life at risk to pull a severely injured man out of a burning truck on Highway 402, in London, Ontario. Mr. Brewer was starting a camping trip when he came upon a two-vehicle accident. First at the scene, Mr. Brewer struggled to get the door open and help the dazed passenger out of the flaming truck. While onlookers used extinguishers to fight the fire, Mr. Brewer climbed back into the front seat to try to save the unconscious driver, only to find that the seatbelt was jammed. Despite fire, intense smoke and two explosions, Mr. Brewer remained in the cab until he had freed the victim, and then carried him to safety. Brian Brown, M.B., Kirkfield, Ont. Medal of Bravery On March 9, 2002, Brian Brown saved two fishermen from being swept out to the open water by 90 kilometers-an-hour winds, on Lake of Bays, near Baysville, Ontario. Mr. Brown was ice-fishing when a violent rain storm rolled across the lake. He was picked up by the wind when he stepped out of his fishing hut and thrown face down on the slippery ice. As he clung to the semi-frozen surface to stop being swept away, he noticed dim lights farther out on the lake and, with great determination, managed to reach his all-terrain vehicle. Buffeted by the wind, he drove toward the first of two victims while struggling to maintain control of his vehicle and avoid water holes. Once he had reached the man and taken him to shore, Mr. Brown used a snowmobile to reach the second victim, much farther out, and returned him to safety. Katharina Ham, M.B. (posthumous), Bow Island, Alta. Medal of Bravery On July 16, 2003, 12-year-old Katharina Ham lost her life while attempting to rescue her seven-year-old sister who had slipped off a rock and become caught in the undertow of an irrigation canal, near Medicine Hat, Alberta. Katharina's sister had gone down the steep, rock-covered embankment to wash her feet when she slipped and fell in the canal. Aware that her little sister could not swim, Katharina jumped in the water after her and managed to drag her to the edge of the canal but, exhausted, was unable to lift her on the slippery surface. Sadly, Katharina and her sister were swept away by the strong current and both drowned. Serge Landry, M.B. (posthumous), Amqui, Que. Medal of Bravery On June 14, 2003, Serge Landry lost his life while attempting to rescue a drowning friend during a kayaking trip on the Matapédia River, in Amqui, Quebec. Observing from shore that his friend was in distress after his kayak had capsized in the rapids, Mr. Landry immediately jumped into his own kayak to help him. Upon reaching the victim, he dived into the water and managed to grab hold of him, but then he himself was swept away by the turbulent water. Unfortunately, neither of them was able to overcome the strong current, and both drowned. Kevin Jabez Reid, M.B., Bishop's Falls, Nfld.and L. Medal of Bravery On May 25, 2003, Kevin Reid attempted to rescue a friend from drowning on Cornfield Lake, near Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador. Realizing that his friend's canoe had tipped some 50 metres from shore, Mr. Reid swam to reach the struggling victim's side. He had managed to pull the man half way to shore when, exhausted, he too started experiencing trouble and could no longer hold onto his friend. Mr. Reid was taken aboard a small boat by friends who had arrived to help but sadly, the victim could not be rescued and drowned.
