Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: April 4, 1995
• Invested on: June 23, 1995

On July 16, 1993, on Highway 155 near the village of Lac-Bouchette, Quebec, Mr. Labelle risked his life attempting to rescue the passengers on a minibus which had just hit a pickup truck. The truck was towing a trailer carrying diesel fuel tanks, which sprang leaks and started a fire at the time of the head-on collision. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, Mr. Labelle, using a crowbar brought by another rescuer, shattered the windows in order to open the back door of the minibus. Seeing a woman on the rearmost seat, he took hold of her and, after she was freed of her seat belt, helped lead her to safety. He went back into the minibus and rescued another person, but the intensity of the blaze prevented him from continuing his efforts to extricate the other passengers.