March 22, 2007
OTTAWAHer Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced today the awarding of 13 Decorations for Bravery. Recipients will be invited to receive their decorations at a ceremony to be held at Rideau Hall at a later date.
On the recommendation of the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee (Bravery), the Governor General has awarded Medals of Bravery to the following recipients:
Medal of Bravery
Constable Andrew Bakker, M.B.
Dorchester, Ont.
Wayne Terrence Bhnisch, M.B.
Morinville, Alta.
André Gagné, M.B.
Quebec City, Que.
Osman Hersi, M.B.
Toronto, Ont.
Constable Philip L. Hordijk, M.B,
Goderich, Ont.
Constable John Legault, M.B.
London, Ont.
Hans McKee, M.B.
Omemee, Ont.
Robert Miller, M.B.
Fraserville, Ont.
Prakash Mulchand, M.B. (Posthumous)
Winnipeg, Man.
Joseph Allan Sinclair, M.B.
Morinville, Alta.
Constable Scott Sladek, M.B.
Komoka, Ont.
Sergeant W. Dean Streefkerk, M.B.
London, Ont.
Second Lieutenant John Robert Walsh, M.B.
Brampton, Ont.
The citations for the recipients are attached.
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.
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Media and public informationMarie-Paule Thorn613-993-2569 or 1-800-465-6890www.gg.ca
CITATIONS
Constable Andrew Bakker, M.B., Dorchester, OntarioConstable Philip L. Hordijk, M.B., Goderich, OntarioConstable John Legault, M.B., London, OntarioConstable Scott Sladek, M.B., Komoka, OntarioSergeant W. Dean Streefkerk, M.B., London, OntarioMedal of Bravery
On June 27, 2005, these five London Police Service officers entered a burning house to rescue a mother and two of her children who were under the threat of an armed intruder in London, Ontario. Acting on information that a man had broken into the house and had assaulted the mother, the officers immediately approached the home. The gunman fired at them through a front window. As the police officers retreated for cover, they heard several more shotgun blasts from inside. Witnessing the gunman set fire to the house, they decided to enter immediately. Tragically, the gunman had shot and killed the three victims and then turned the gun on himself.
Wayne Terrence Bhnisch, M.B., Morinville, AlbertaJoseph Allan Sinclair, M.B., Morinville, AlbertaMedal of Bravery
On March 27, 2004, Correctional Service Canada officers Wayne Bhnisch and Joseph Sinclair put their lives at risk when they disarmed a mentally disturbed inmate holding a live grenade at a prison in Dubrava, Kosovo. The officers were working in an office when the prisoner suddenly burst in and struck Mr. Sinclair in the back. When the officers realized that the inmate was holding a grenade with the pin removed, they rushed forward and, undaunted by the weapon, tackled the aggressor. While they fought to subdue the offender and prevent him from releasing the grenade, they instructed other people in the vicinity to evacuate the building. After struggling with the armed man for some 20 minutes, they managed to push him against the wall and quickly exited the room, securing the door behind them before they escaped to safety. Several hours later, the prisoner surrendered to police.
André Gagné, M.B., Quebec City, QuebecMedal of Bravery
On September 6, 2005, André Gagné rescued a colleague who had fallen into the Saint-Charles River in Quebec City, Quebec. The two men were repairing a bridge when the victim lost his footing on the scaffolding and fell over five metres into the cloudy waters of the river. Without any concern for his own safety, Mr. Gagné immediately jumped from a cement platform into the river to save him. He dove under the water four times before finding the unconscious man, who had become trapped under the murky water almost three metres deep. Although he was exhausted, Mr. Gagné brought his colleague to the surface and swam five metres to a raft, where other workers were waiting to help them.
Osman Hersi, M.B., Toronto, OntarioMedal of Bravery
On June 8, 2005, 17-year-old Osman Hersi rescued a blind man who had fallen onto the subway tracks at the Sheppard-Yonge station in Toronto, Ontario. On his way to school, Mr. Hersi was waiting for the subway when he witnessed the visually impaired victim stagger toward the edge of the platform and tumble onto the tracks. Mr. Hersi raced to the scene and, without regard for his own safety, jumped down onto the rails where the victim lay motionless. Determined to save the man, Mr. Hersi picked him up and helped him onto the platform where other passengers assisted in the rescue. He then climbed out only moments before the train roared into the station.
Hans McKee, M.B., Omemee, OntarioRobert Miller, M.B., Fraserville, OntarioMedal of Bravery
On May 17, 2004, Hans McKee and Robert Miller went to the aid of a man and a woman whose canoe had capsized in Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park, Ontario. The couple had been caught in bad weather and the crashing waves sank their craft, throwing them into the freezing water. From the beach, off-duty paramedics McKee and Miller noticed the pair hanging onto the swamped canoe, furiously kicking to return to shore. They immediately grabbed their own canoe and took to the lake. Braving the forceful winds and rolling two-metre waves, they manoeuvred their unstable craft close enough to throw a rope to the victims. With the couple in tow, they began paddling and, despite being nearly exhausted, they managed to reach the safety of the shore, one hour after the ordeal began.
Prakash Mulchand, M.B. (Posthumous), Winnipeg, ManitobaMedal of Bravery
On August 3, 2005, 44-year-old Prakash Mulchand lost his life while trying to rescue his eight-year-old son from drowning in the Assiniboine River in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. The boy slipped off a concrete platform from which he had been fishing with his father and his cousin and was swept away by the current. Mr. Mulchand immediately jumped into the water to save him from the pounding waves, all the while calling for help. The boy managed to swim to his father and grab onto him but the two became separated and were carried away by the swirling current. The unconscious child was eventually recovered by a man who pulled him onto his personal watercraft and brought him to shore, where he was revived. Sadly, Mr. Mulchand had disappeared under the surface and could not be saved.
Second Lieutenant John Robert Walsh, M.B., Brampton, OntarioMedal of Bravery
On October 7, 2004, Second Lieutenant John Walsh, a teacher at an elementary school in Brampton, Ontario, single-handedly broke up a vicious assault on a 17-year old boy by five armed teenagers. Informed by a colleague that a fight had broken out in the schoolyard, Mr. Walsh rushed to intervene. As he reached the scene, two of the attackers ran off while another continued beating the victim on the head with a metal bar. Without hesitation, Mr. Walsh tackled the armed assailant and struggled with him until he dropped the weapon. With complete disregard for his own safety, he then attempted to fight off the remaining aggressors who were continuing their assault on the downed victim. The gang finally fled when another teacher arrived on the scene and called the police.
