Skip to main content

Staff Sergeant John Badowski

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Meritorious Service Decorations - Civil Division

  • Meritorious Service Medal

    Awarded on: 2001-11-15
    Invested on: 2002-09-27
    Constable Brad Anderson, M.S.M., Sydney, N.S. Staff Sergeant John Badowski, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Detective Audrey Chen, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. David J. Gummo, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Constable Tammi Inwood, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Sergeant William D. Kemp, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Constable Michael Marchen, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Constable Gary McBratney, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Constable Larry Smith, M.S.M., Toronto, Ont. Meritorious Service Medal (civil division) In September 1994, during the Rwanda civil war, each of these nine individuals from the Toronto Police Service went to Africa, at his or her own time and expense, to provide humanitarian aid at refugee camps in neighbouring Zaire, where approximately 250,000 Rwandans were displaced. Undeterred by extreme living conditions, gunfire and threats by armed soldiers, they carried on with their mission, digging drainage ditches, building a makeshift hospital out of rock, distributing food, and caring for terminally-ill babies, as well as collecting and burying the dead. The devotion and determination shown by these nine individuals in the midst of a humanitarian tragedy brought credit to themselves and honour to Canada.