Alexandre-Nicolas LeBlanc, M.S.M., Montreal, Que.
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Through the efforts of Alexandre-Nicolas LeBlanc, the Centre d’écoute téléphonique et de prévention du suicide (Accueil Amitié) was established in 1984 in the Beauce-Etchemins region in Quebec. As founding president of this preventive action service, which serves over 50 communities, Mr. LeBlanc’s involvement included recruiting and supervising volunteers, providing intervention training programs and finding the funding required to operate the Centre, as well as offering educational conferences on the issue of suicide. Through this community organization, which responds to thousands of calls per year, Mr. LeBlanc has created a lifeline by providing a link between persons in distress and the resources that help them overcome their difficulties.