Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: March 14, 1983
• Invested on: June 24, 1983

On the morning of 30 July 1981, Robert Dagenais was involved in a hold-up which occurred at the Sherbrooke Street branch of the Banque Nationale du Canada in Montreal. An escaped convict, sentenced for murder, held bank employees and customers hostage. Although the criminal ordered Mr. Dagenais, the bank's accountant, to place a large sum of money in a suitcase, he maintained his composure and kept reassuring everyone on the premises. Taking advantage of a sudden pandemonium when a customer tried to overpower the robber, at the risk of his own life Mr. Dagenais seized the suitcase and carried it to a safe place. He then shouted to the employees and customers to hurry to the basement. In spite of the warnings that shots would again be fired, he joined the bank manager and together they succeeded in disarming the culprit who was apprehended shortly thereafter.