Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1995-02-10
Invested on: 1995-06-23
On April 10, 1994, Mr. MacKinnon attempted to save a little girl from a house fire in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Awakened by a neighbour, he learned there was a child still in the burning house next door. Mr. MacKinnon ran to the side of the building and climbed up a power mast onto the veranda roof. He smashed the window and entered the smoke-filled bedroom, knowing that the source of the fire was directly below. Forced out by the heat and smoke, he entered the room two more times but was unable to find the child. Firefighters arrived but, tragically, the little girl perished in the blaze.