ANNEX C – CITATIONS
James Alexander Santos, S.C.
Montréal, Quebec
Star of Courage
Constable Marco Barcarolo, M.B.
Montréal, Quebec
Constable Denis Côté, M.B.
Montréal, Quebec
Constable Alain Ibrahim Diallo, M.B.
Montréal, Quebec
Yves Morin, M.B.
Notre-Dame de l'Île-Perrot, Quebec
Vincent Pascale, M.B., C.D.
Longueuil, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On September 13, 2006, a heavily armed man arrived at Dawson College in Montréal, Quebec, and started shooting at people on the street. Witness to the incident, Constable Alain Diallo exited his police cruiser and, dodging bullets aimed at him, followed the suspect into the school. The gunman found himself cornered in the cafeteria and fired at the students around him. Upon arriving at the school, constables Marco Barcarolo and Denis Côté made their way to the atrium above the cafeteria, where they attempted to keep the shooter's attention away from the students. The gunman then ordered student James Santos to stand in front of him to shield him from the police. Despite having witnessed, at close range, the violence of the gunman, Mr. Santos tried in vain to get him to surrender. While the gunman was distracted, Vincent Pascale crawled to the cafeteria door and guided some 40 students to safety. Yves Morin was shot and injured in the shoulder when he pushed a female student out of the shooter's line of fire. The incident came to an end when, wounded by a shot fired by Constable Côté, the gunman turned his weapon on himself and took his own life.
Stanley Anglin, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Sergeant Lawrence James Zimmerman, M.B.
Burlington, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On April 14, 2005, Stanley Anglin and Sergeant Larry Zimmerman risked their lives to remove a woman and her 18-month-old baby from a burning apartment, in Toronto, Ontario. When he noticed smoke, Mr. Anglin raced up the fire escape and entered the victim's apartment. He found the disoriented woman, whose clothes were on fire, in the kitchen, and attempted to drag her outside. Assisted by Sergeant Zimmerman, who had arrived at the scene, he pulled her to safety. Taking turns, both rescuers then re-entered the dwelling in an attempt to rescue the baby but were forced to abandon their efforts due to the heavy smoke. Firefighters managed to rescue the baby but sadly, the mother died of her injuries two days later.
Petty Officer 1st class Alain Baillargeon, M.B., C.D. (deceased)
Gatineau and Granby, Quebec
Martin Baillargeon, M.B.
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Marco Bédard, M.B.
Matagami, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On December 27, 2006, during a hunting trip at reservoir Laforge, in James Bay, Quebec, these three men rescued their travelling companion twice from drowning after their snowmobiles broke through the ice. The late Petty Officer 1st class Alain Baillargeon was the first to get back onto the thin surface, and held onto the victim until Mr. Bédard arrived with a rope to help pull her to safety. Moments later, the woman found herself in the water again, this time with Mr. Bédard, when the snowmobile they were travelling on broke through the ice. Mr. Bédard crawled onto the ice on his own and held onto the woman until Martin Baillargeon arrived and assisted in pulling her out of the water. While Alain Baillargeon, Marco Bédard and the woman walked to the nearest shore to await rescue, Martin Baillargeon drove his snowmobile some 20 kilometres to get assistance, which arrived 90 minutes later.
Corporal Piotr Krzysztof Burcew, M.B.
Repentigny, Quebec
Captain Jason Edward Demaine, M.B., C.D.
Ottawa, Ontario
Corporal Adrian Roman Markowski, M.B.
Mississauga, Ontario
Master Corporal Stephen Louis Thomas, M.B.
Mississauga, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On October 3, 2006, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Corporal Piotr Burcew, Captain Jason Demaine, then lieutenant, Corporal Adrian Markowski and Master Corporal Stephen Thomas, then corporal, saved the lives of their fellow soldiers and local Afghan civilians by unloading ammunition from a disabled burning vehicle during a suicide bomber attack. Despite having to cross through flames, they repeatedly returned to the vehicle to retrieve mission-essential cargo and high-explosive ammunition that posed a deadly threat to those nearby. They moved away from the scene just moments before the fire raged out of control, detonating the remaining rounds.
Andrew Cartwright, M.B.
Banff, Alberta
Hussam Mohamed Meshmesha, M.B. (posthumous)
Egypt
Mohamed Rashed Shaban, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On April 8, 2006, 36-year-old Hussam Meshmesha lost his life while saving his son from drowning in the Bow River, in Alberta. The child had wandered onto the thin ice when it suddenly gave way. Mr. Meshmesha and his friend, Mohamed Shaban, ran to the boy, but they too fell through the ice. The father reached for his son and handed him over to Mr. Shaban, who had managed to get himself out of the water. Witness to the scene, Mr. Cartwright ran to assist Mr. Meshmesha, but as he lay outstretched on the thin surface, he too fell through. Although both men were quickly pulled out of the water with the help of onlookers, Mr. Meshmesha could not be revived.
Edith Chamberland, M.B.
Saint-Valentin, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On November 15, 2006, 15-year-old Edith Chamberland pulled a 10-year-old boy from the path of an oncoming out-of-control vehicle, in Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, Quebec. After their handball practice, the boy had stepped out into the parking lot to await his ride home while Ms. Chamberland watched him from the gymnasium door. Suddenly, she noticed a car coming from around the corner at high speed, skidding towards them. She immediately ran outside and pulled the young boy, who was directly in the path of the vehicle, out of harm's way. Her spontaneous actions saved the boy's life.
Philip Joseph Comeau, M.B.
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Medal of Bravery
On May 21, 2005, Philip Comeau rescued a man from a fiery death, in Amherst, Nova Scotia. With complete disregard for his own safety, he entered a fully engulfed building, and made his way to the basement apartment. Crawling on his hands and knees, he located the physically challenged victim who had collapsed on the floor, overcome by the smoke and heat. Mr. Comeau dragged him to the door, where other people helped take the unconscious man to a safe area. Thanks to Mr. Comeau's quick response, the victim sustained only minor injuries.
OPP Constable Dennis Armand Desjardins, M.B.
Dryden, Ontario
OPP Sergeant M. Adam W. Illman, M.B.
Kenora, Ontario
OPP Constable (retired) Gary Read, M.B.
Thunder Bay, Ontario
OPP Constable Stephen Waite, M.B.
Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On August 19, 2006, OPP Sergeant Adam Illman, constables Dennis Desjardins and Stephen Waite, as well as then constable Gary Read, rescued a man trapped in his burning car, near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The officers encountered the flaming vehicle on its roof in a deep ditch. While constables Read and Waite attempted to extinguish the fire, Sergeant Illman and Constable Desjardins struggled to open the passenger door, which was embedded in the grass and mud. In spite of the intense flames, the four police officers managed to pull the unconscious and severely burned man from the wreck. They then dragged him to the shoulder of the road and remained with him until medical help arrived.
Sarto Duguay, M.B.
Montréal, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On July 20, 2006, Sarto Duguay was instrumental in the rescue of a drowning woman at a beach in Gaspé, Quebec. Mr. Duguay swam out to the woman some 200 metres from shore, calmed her down and helped keep her head above the water. Exhausted from his efforts, he held on to the woman, fighting against high winds and waves that kept pushing them even further out into the water. Mr. Duguay and the victim were eventually towed back to shore when boaters arrived with an inflatable raft.
Katayoun (Katti) Eslah, M.B.
Egbert, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On June 22, 2006, Katti Eslah rescued an elderly man from drowning in the St.LawrenceRiver, in Brockville, Ontario. Noticing the man floating face down in the water a few metres away from a retaining wall, Ms. Eslah quickly dove into the cold water to save the victim. She then managed to swim back with the victim in spite of the strong current, until she reached a ladder at the edge of the retaining wall. Awaiting bystanders then assisted them both out of the water.
Marc-Olivier Girard, M.B.
Newport, Quebec
Lyne Lévesque, M.B.
Gascons, Quebec
Tommy Servant Lantin, M.B.
Chandler, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On June 20, 2006, teacher Lyne Lévesque and 12-year-old students Marc-Olivier Girard and Tommy Servant Lantin rescued six children from drowning during a school excursion in Bonaventure, Quebec. The children had just entered the water when they were swept away by the swift current into deeper water. Ms. Lévesque immediately dove in to rescue two of the victims who had become trapped in a five-metre-deep eddy. Although she was pulled under several times, she managed to push the victims toward the shore before making her way back to safety. For his part, Marc-Olivier Girard swam out to three other victims some 20 metres away, and brought them back to safety one by one. Tommy Servant Lantin also jumped into the water to assist a friend. Fighting exhaustion, he was eventually assisted by Marc-Olivier; together, they brought the victim to shore, where he was resuscitated by Ms. Lévesque.
Mike Giroux, M.B.
Calgary, Alberta
John Lichtenwald, M.B.
West Vancouver, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery
On June 1, 2006, Mike Giroux and John Lichtenwald rescued an elderly woman from a house fire, which claimed the life of the woman's daughter, in Calgary, Alberta. The rescuers fought their way through dense smoke, crawling on the floor and up the stairs, in search of the two women who were trapped by the flames. After pulling the older woman to safety, they re-entered the dwelling to search for her daughter, but were knocked down the stairs by a sudden explosion. The daughter was eventually pulled from the blaze by firefighters; sadly, she died on her way to the hospital.
David George Hamilton, M.B.
Morden and Berwick, Nova Scotia
Medal of Bravery
On August 22, 2005, David Hamilton rescued a woman who had become stranded on a rock by the rising tide off the Morden shore, near French Crossing, Nova Scotia. Late in the evening, Mr. Hamilton was called to assist with his boat to rescue the woman who had been spotted on a rock, some 30 metres off the beach. When he arrived at the scene, the tide had already sent her adrift. Estimating where the woman would have been taken by the current, Mr. Hamilton entered the water and swam towards her. Despite the total darkness and the heavy fog, he located the woman, some 200 metres from the beach. Reaching her side, he grabbed hold of her and, battling the strong surf and his own exhaustion, towed her back to shore, where emergency personnel waded in to assist.
John Brendan Haney, M.B.
Wolfe Island, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On October 27, 2006, John Haney rescued a suicidal woman who had jumped from a ferry into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario, moments after it left the dock, in Kingston, Ontario. The crew attempted to throw life lines to the distraught woman, who was bobbing in the water some 10 metres away. Seeing that their efforts proved unsuccessful, Mr. Haney immediately grabbed a life vest, ran off the back of the deck and dove to the victim's rescue. Both rescuer and victim were then pulled to safety by the crew.
Joseph Francis Kretschmer, M.B.
Kelvington, Saskatchewan
Medal of Bravery
On May 31, 2003, Joseph Kretschmer rescued an unconscious man from a burning vehicle, in Kelvington, Saskatchewan. Mr. Kretschmer reached into the vehicle, placing half of his body through the broken window, and groped around for the unconscious driver. Although he suffered burns to his hands, he was able to extricate the victim from the vehicle and carry him a safe distance away, with the help of others who had arrived to assist.
Stéphane Laplante, M.B.
Saint-Eustache, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On July 30, 2006, Stéphane Laplante rescued a woman from drowning, in Saint-Alphonse- de-Rodriguez, Quebec. Despite the threat of strong currents and powerful eddies, Mr. Laplante and some friends were swimming in the river, when one of them began to lose her strength and started to panic. Mr. Laplante made his way to the woman's side to assist her. Terrified, the woman pushed him beneath the surface several times, but he still managed to calm her down and bring her back to shore.
Richard Lemieux, M.B.
Montréal, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On April 30, 2005, off-duty firefighter Richard Lemieux risked his life to rescue a 16-yearold boy from a fiery death, in Montréal, Quebec. Awakened by the screams of the teenager, who was stranded on the balcony of his flaming apartment, Mr. Lemieux rushed to help, but was forced out by the intense flames. Undaunted, Mr. Lemieux ran to the apartment next door and sat on the ledge of a window. He then leaned outside backwards and, in this precarious position, coaxed the boy into leaping towards him. Mr. Lemieux then grabbed the victim by his clothing and pulled him into the room, to safety.
Captain Dennis Mann, M.B.
Victoria, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery
On October 16, 2006, Captain Dennis Mann rescued a man from drowning, near Victoria, British Columbia. Upon realizing that the passenger had not resurfaced, Captain Mann immediately stopped the engine of the inflatable boat and dove to his rescue. He managed to partially free the victim, whose life vest had become caught in the boat's propeller. After performing underwater artificial respiration, Captain Mann freed the victim from his life vest and brought him back to the surface.
Alvaro Mejia, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Theophillos Parusis, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On November 4, 2005, Alvaro Mejia and Theophillos Parusis rescued a woman who had fallen down onto the subway tracks in Toronto, Ontario. From a distance, the men saw the victim faint and fall headfirst onto the tracks, dangerously close to the electrically charged rails. Without hesitation, Messrs. Mejia and Parusis leapt down to assist the unconscious victim. Helped by bystanders, they lifted her up to safety and jumped back onto the platform, seconds before the train roared into the station.
Deputy Chief John Andrew Mellon, M.B.
Pembroke, Ontario
Constable Shawn Charles Piercey, M.B.
Pembroke, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On November 11, 2006, Deputy Chief John Mellon and Constable Shawn Piercey, of the Pembroke City Police, rescued a suicidal man from drowning in the Muskrat River, in Pembroke, Ontario. Alerted to the scene, the officers observed the victim floating down the river, unresponsive to their calls. They immediately stripped off their duty equipment, dove into the deep, cold water and swam to reach the victim's side. They grabbed the unconscious man by his jacket and, fighting the strong current, towed him back to shore. They then carried him up a steep embankment and provided first aid until paramedics arrived.
Floyd D. Morris, M.B.
Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia
Medal of Bravery
On March 19, 2006, Floyd Morris rescued a father and his two-year-old son from a burning vehicle, in Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia. Mr. Morris struggled frantically with the driver, who was in a state of shock, until he was able to extract him from the car, which was totally engulfed in flames. Hearing cries, he then ran to the other side to retrieve the baby. Although impeded by the intensifying flames and blinding smoke, he was able to cut the straps of the child's car seat and bring him out to safety.
Richard Plaisted, M.B.
Saint-Pascal-Baylon, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On August 13, 2006, Richard Plaisted rescued a 17-year-old boy who was trapped in his burning vehicle following a crash on a deserted country road near Embrun, Ontario. Noticing the vehicle on fire, Mr. Plaisted ran to the scene, endangering his life as he crossed dangling live hydro wires. He reached inside the car and struggled in vain to undo the victim's seatbelt. He eventually grabbed the young man by the waist and pulled him out to safety.
Mary Beatrice Roach, M.B.
Cornwall, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On August 28, 1993, 13-year-old Mary Roach tried to prevent a friend from drowning in a small bay near the harbour in Cornwall, Ontario. The friend, who had been playing on the rocks near the water, fell in and was unable to pull himself out. Mary immediately jumped into the deep water, managed to grab his arm and began swimming back to shore. Exhausted and hampered by the strong current and profuse weeds, she was unable to hold onto him. When she reached shore, she rushed for help, which arrived quickly. Unfortunately, the victim could not be saved.
Kevan Thomas Shaw, M.B.
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery
On November 2, 2006, Kevan Shaw assisted RCMP officers in the apprehension of a disturbed individual, in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Observing the man acting erratically, Mr. Shaw immediately called the police. Two RCMP officers arrived and quickly became involved in a violent physical confrontation with the man. With complete disregard for his own safety, Mr. Shaw joined in the struggle and, noticing that the out-of-control man was clutching an undetected knife, he grabbed his hand. Mr. Shaw then helped the officers subdue the man until back-up arrived.
Constable James John Sophocleous, M.B.
George's River, Nova Scotia
Medal of Bravery
On July 6, 2005, Cape Breton Regional Police Constable James Sophocleous saved a family of six from a house fire, in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Alerted by a passerby, Constable Sophocleous rushed to the burning home. When the mother stated that her family was sleeping upstairs, he ran inside the house and, in spite of the raging flames, assisted everyone outside to safety. Seconds later, the residence was totally destroyed by the fire.
John Austin Thriepland, M.B.
Saint-Rédempteur, Quebec
Medal of Bravery
On April 7, 2006, John Thriepland rescued a suicidal man who had jumped from a ferry into the freezing water of the Ottawa River, in Quebec. Mr. Thriepland jumped into the strong current that was thick with chunks of ice. He swam out to the unconscious victim, who was drifting dangerously close to a hydroelectric dam, retrieved him from under the surface and brought him back to the stopped ferry, where they were pulled back onboard. Although physically exhausted, Mr. Thriepland then performed mouth-tomouth resuscitation on the victim. Rushed to hospital, the victim fully recovered, thanks to Mr. Thriepland's quick response.
Ralph Edward Walker, M.B.
Salford, Ontario
Medal of Bravery
On November 4, 2006, Ralph Walker rescued a man from a fiery death in Ingersoll, Ontario. Mr. Walker was going to visit a friend when he noticed smoke coming from the building's basement apartment. He quickly ran to the scene, where he found the unconscious man lying on the floor, just inside his smoke-filled apartment. Mr. Walker was able to drag him out into the hallway and to the bottom of the stairwell, where he was met by another resident of the building who helped carry the victim outside to safety.
David Wheesk, M.B.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Medal of Bravery
On November 30, 2004, David Wheesk saved a mother and her two children from a house fire in Fort Albany, Ontario. Mr. Wheesk raced to the burning residence and, once inside, started crawling under the thick smoke to find the occupants. Through the crackling of the flames, he heard a faint whimper in the living room and moved in that direction. Groping along, he felt a child's leg and pulled the youngster towards him. With his free hand extended through the smoke, he found the other child. While he carried them to safety, they told him that their mother was still inside. Mr. Wheesk returned into the blaze and, fighting off dizzy spells caused by the toxic smoke, he located the disoriented woman in the living room and brought her to safety.
Corey William Wood, M.B.
Calgary, Alberta
Medal of Bravery
On July 25, 2006, Corey Wood risked his life to rescue two teenaged boys near Big Sur, in California. As he drove along the highway, Mr. Wood was flagged down by two individuals. He immediately climbed down the 150-metre, unstable cliff, and made his way to the vehicle, which had plummeted down and landed on its roof, partially submerged in the ocean. For more than 45 minutes, he tried to gain entry into the crushed vehicle, in an attempt to rescue the injured occupants trapped inside. When two firefighters arrived, Mr. Wood remained at the scene for over three hours, assisting the frantic emergency workers as the tide rose. The two victims were finally recovered from the wreck; sadly, they had already succumbed to their injuries.
ANNEX D - FACT SHEET ON DECORATIONS FOR BRAVERY
BACKGROUND
The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972. They recognize people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger. Every year, countless incidents occur, fraught with a great deal of danger for the potential victims and rescuers. The three levels of bravery decorations reflect the degree to which the recipients put themselves at risk:
The Cross of Valour (C.V.), the civilian equivalent of the military's Victoria Cross, recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril;
the Star of Courage (S.C.), acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril;
the Medal of Bravery (M.B.), acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.
ELIGIBILITY
Anyone is free to propose the name of a person who has risked injury or death in an attempt to rescue another person. The incident need not have taken place in Canada, and the rescuer need not be Canadian, but Canadians or Canadian interests must be involved. The decorations may be awarded posthumously.
Nominations must be made within two years of the incident, or within two years after a public entity, including a court, a quasi-judicial tribunal or a coroner, has concluded its review of the circumstances surrounding the incident or act of bravery.
For more information on the Decorations for Bravery and on the recipients of these awards, please visit http://www.gg.ca/honours/decorations/bra/index_e.asp .
