April 11, 2005 OTTAWA — Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, announced today the awarding of 20 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 RCMP Corporal Kirby Brett Anderson, M.B. Nanaimo, B.C. Leslie Virginia Bennewith, M.B. Port Moody, B.C. Michael Brook, M.B. Victoria, B.C. Garth Doege, M.B. Cowichan Bay, B.C. Jesse Richard Elliott, M.B. (posthumous) Pouch Cove, Nfld. and L. John Lyle Hoar, M.B. Nelson, B.C. June Elaine Menzies, M.B. Abbotsford, B.C. Donald James Miller, M.B. Port Moody, B.C. Richard Murphy, M.B. Nelson, B.C. Derek Daniel Nightingale, M.B. Sylvan Lake, Alta. Eric Pittman, M.B. Victoria, B.C. John D. Rodger, M.B. Toronto, Ont. Craig Russel Saarinen, M.B. Hudson, Ont. David Saunders, M.B. Victoria, B.C. 2nd Lieutenant Larry William Smith, M.B. Toronto, Ont. Noreen Alison Smith, M.B. Port Moody, B.C. Peter Stacey, M.B. Surrey, B.C. RCMP Constable Kevin Tyler Thomson, M.B. Victoria, B.C. Dirk Tolman, M.B. Chemainus, B.C. Adam Wall, M.B. (posthumous) Pouch Cove, Nfld. and L. The recipient's citations follow. The Decorations for 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. -30- Media information Rideau Hall Press Office (613) 998-0287 (613) 993-8158 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 RCMP Corporal Kirby Brett Anderson, M.B., Nanaimo, British Columbia RCMP Constable Kevin Tyler Thomson, M.B., Victoria, British Columbia Medal of Bravery On October 11, 2002, Cpl. Anderson and Cst. Thomson rescued an elderly disabled woman from a burning house in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Dispatched to the scene, the officers entered the dwelling where they were met by a wall of thick, grey smoke. They called to the woman but, disoriented and frail, she was unable to move. In near-zero visibility, the rescuers crawled inside without protective gear and, groping around, followed the woman's voice until they located her in a bathroom. Cpl. Anderson and Cst. Thomson then supported her as they walked through the blinding smoke to the front door where others provided assistance. Leslie Virginia Bennewith, M.B., Port Moody, British Columbia Donald James Miller, M.B., Port Moody, British Columbia Noreen Alison Smith, M.B., Port Moody, British Columbia Medal of Bravery On August 9, 2004, Leslie Bennewith, Alison Smith and Donald Miller assisted in the rescue of a woman who was being abducted at gunpoint by her estranged common-law husband, in Port Moody, British Columbia. Mrs. Bennewith and Mrs. Smith were walking by when they saw the woman jump out of a parked truck, escape the grip of her attacker, and race toward them. Acting as human shields, the two rescuers placed themselves between the aggressor and the woman, allowing her to flee under a hail of bullets. The victim was shot in the back as she ran across a busy four-lane highway, but managed to keep going. Meanwhile, Mr. Miller had stopped his car and opened the passenger door to let the terrified runaway jump inside with the violent man in pursuit. A window exploded and the woman suffered another bullet wound as Mr. Miller sped away toward a nearby ambulance station. Although severely injured, the woman later recovered. Michael Brook, M.B., Victoria, British Columbia Garth Doege, M.B., Cowichan Bay, British Columbia Eric Pittman, M.B., Victoria, British Columbia David Saunders, M.B., Victoria, British Columbia Dirk Tolman, M.B., Chemainus, British Columbia Medal of Bravery On June 13, 2004, these five men combined their efforts to pull a family of four from a burning truck on the Trans-Canada Highway, near Shawnigan Lake, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The victims' vehicle had been rear-ended by a pick-up truck and had burst into flames before rolling backwards into a ditch, igniting nearby trees. First at the scene, the rescuers smashed windows and crawled inside the twisted wreck. Suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, the group was driven away several times by the spreading flames that engulfed the back end of the truck. Undeterred, the men persevered until they had managed to free the couple and their two daughters from the blaze. Although the parents and the toddler recovered, the nine-year-old girl later succumbed to her injuries. Jesse Richard Elliott, M.B. (posthumous), Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador Adam Wall, M.B. (posthumous), Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador Medal of Bravery On March 8, 2001, 18-year-old Jesse Elliott and 16-year-old Adam Wall lost their lives while trying to rescue a friend who had fallen into the ice-filled bay of Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. The cousins were playing with two other teenagers at the seashore, skipping from one ice pan to another, when a chunk broke off, sending one friend into the seething mass of ice and freezing water. Jesse jumped in after him but was overcome by the rolling waves and unable to save the boy. Seeing that both his friends were in trouble, Adam also leapt into the Atlantic Ocean, where he also quickly found himself in difficulty. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the fourth teenager ran for help. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all those who rushed to the scene, the three victims were swept away by the waves and drowned. John Lyle Hoar, M.B., Nelson, British Columbia Richard Murphy, M.B., Nelson, British Columbia Derek Daniel Nightingale, M.B., Sylvan Lake, Alberta Medal of Bravery On December 24, 2000, John Hoar, Richard Murphy and Derek Nightingale rescued a man from a burning two-storey heritage house, in Nelson, British Columbia. Mr. Murphy crawled upstairs in an attempt to reach his tenant's apartment, but, twice, the toxic black smoke drove him out. Meanwhile, Mr. Hoar and Mr. Nightingale had reached the scene and, in zero visibility, the trio formed a human chain to make their way inside. Although they were repeatedly forced back out for fresh air, the men succeeded in reaching the second floor where the heat was intense. With Mr. Hoar as backup at the top of the stairs, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Nightingale crawled some 10 metres along the hallway until they found the victim in a bedroom. Choking and blinded by the smoke, the rescuers then dragged the unconscious man out to safety. June Elaine Menzies, M.B., Abbotsford, British Columbia Medal of Bravery On October 22, 2002, June Menzies was injured when she tried to prevent her daughter's ex-boyfriend from stabbing the 17-year-old girl in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Mrs. Menzies' daughter was holding her nine-month-old baby when the knife-wielding man lunged at his ex-girlfriend and began stabbing her. Mrs. Menzies tried to intervene by grabbing the knife, resulting in serious cuts to both her hands. Although she was unable to restrain the aggressor, she succeeded in lifting the baby out of her daughter's arms and racing outside to get help. Both Mrs. Menzies and her seriously injured daughter recovered from their wounds. The baby was unharmed. John D. Rodger, M.B., Toronto, Ont. 2nd Lieutenant Larry William Smith, M.B., Toronto, Ontario Medal of Bravery On May 18, 2003, 2nd Lt Larry Smith and Mr. John Rodger averted a tragedy and helped in the arrest of three heavily armed members of a violent gang following a home invasion in Toronto, Ontario. 2nd Lt Smith and his family were at the Rodgers' house when three thugs forced their way inside and divided the seven occupants into two groups. In one room, the attackers kicked their victims, stabbing one and hitting another with a bottle while trying to bind them with duct tape. Mr. Rodger was slashed as he tried to restrain one knife-wielding attacker. Meanwhile, in the other room, despite having a gun pointed at his head, 2nd Lt Smith seized the opportunity of the commotion next door to make noise and create the impression that police were arriving, causing the aggressors to flee. 2nd Lt Smith and Mr. Rodger then gave chase to the fugitives, following them into a subway station and aiding in their capture by police. Craig Russel Saarinen, M.B., Hudson, Ontario Medal of Bravery Shortly after midnight on December 7, 2002, Craig Saarinen rescued his friend after their snowmobile had broken through the ice, at Maude Lake, near Schreiber, Ontario. Mr. Saarinen had managed to get out of the water when he realized that his friend was desperately trying to keep afloat. Missing one boot in minus 28oC temperature, Mr. Saarinen made his way back to the hole in the ice, where he managed to grab hold of his friend's hand and pulled him out. Suffering severe frostbite to his foot, he then began helping his friend toward their cabin. When the victim became numb with cold and could walk no further, the friends decided that Mr. Saarinen would continue alone to get help at the cabin, some three kilometres away. After the victim had been picked up, both men were taken to a hospital for treatment. Peter Stacey, M.B., Surrey, British Columbia Medal of Bravery On August 3, 2003, Peter Stacey rescued three individuals from drowning at Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. Mr. Stacey jumped from his boat when he realized that a man and a woman were unable to swim back to their own boat which was being pushed away by the metre-high waves. As he swam through the forceful surf toward the two victims, Mr. Stacey came upon an unconscious woman, floating under the surface. He immediately grabbed hold of her and, battling the choppy waters, made his way back to his drifting boat, where she was revived by others. Although exhausted from his efforts, Mr. Stacey returned for the other two victims who were frantically struggling to stay afloat and, one at a time, he towed them to his boat, where they received assistance.
