Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 10, 1999
• Invested on: June 26, 2000

On the evening of June 10, 1996, Leslie Blanchette rescued six neighbourhood children from a burning house in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As soon as he discovered that his neighbour's house was on fire, Mr. Blanchette rushed inside the front door and saw that the kitchen was engulfed in flames. Hearing cries at the top of the smoked-filled staircase, he raced up to find the thirteen-year-old babysitter struggling with two panicked toddlers. Together, Mr. Blanchette and the teenager located two more young children and brought them out of the house. Informed that a five-year-old girl was still missing, Mr. Blanchette quickly ran back inside calling to the child upstairs. Although the heat had intensified and the toxic black smoke made breathing nearly impossible, he was able to locate the little girl in a back bedroom and bring her to safety.