Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded on: 2004-11-25
Invested on: 2005-05-30
Johanne Bécu, M.S.M., Chandler, Quebec
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
In 1989, Johanne Bécu founded "La Maison l’Éclaircie, Aide à la santé mentale", a community- based organization located in Chandler, in the Gaspésie region of Quebec, which offers a wide range of services to patients with mental disabilities and to their families. The resource centre provides aid, information sessions, suicide-prevention assistance, and a helpline between persons in distress and the resources that can help them overcome their difficulties. Thanks to Ms. Bécu’s commitment to her community, and to the numerous projects she initiated, people with disabilities have not only gained self-esteem, but have also reintegrated themselves within society. Today, they continue to make a positive contribution in a secure environment.