John Walter Ryan, M.S.M., Whistler, British Columbia
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Having sustained an accident that left him a paraplegic, John Ryan set out to cross Canada in the summer of 1999 on a hand-powered sport tricycle to help raise awareness and much needed funding for spinal cord injury research. During his coast to coast "Regeneration Tour" which took him from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia, Mr. Ryan covered more than 8,000 kilometres, raising some $1,200,000 for the cause. Through his achievement, he displayed courage, determination and perseverance, and became a role model for Canadians living with disabilities.