Decorations for Bravery Ceremony

His Excellency presented 4 Stars of Courage and 46 Medals of Bravery at a ceremony at Rideau Hall, on February 8, 2013. Created in 1972, Decorations for Bravery recognize people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger.

On November 9, 2009, search and rescue technicians Sergeant Randal McOrmond, Master Corporal Robin Richardson (pictured) and Corporal Éric Beaudoin rescued a teenager who had been separated from his companion during a hunting trip, near Coral Harbour, Nunavut. An air search discovered the youth on a large pan of unstable ice that was drifting into Hudson’s Bay. Messrs. McOrmond, Beaudoin and Richardson parachuted down to a nearby ice floe, and jumped between pieces of moving ice and gaps of open water to reach the victim, who was suffering from severe hypothermia. They provided medical attention and kept watch on two polar bear cubs standing nearby. Thanks to the courageous efforts of these three rescuers, the victim survived.

"Each of you faced some form of danger head on —from others, from the environment, from a circumstance in which you found yourselves," said His Excellency. "Yet each of you rose to the occasion, showing that even the smallest act of good can overcome the most desperate of situations. It is that innate goodness that has bound together the many and varied recipients of this award throughout its more than 40-year history."

On July 13, 2007, Kathryn Whittaker, captain of the sail-training vessel Fair Jeanne risked her life to rescue her crew and 20 cadets when their engine caught fire on Lake Ontario. About an hour after dropping anchor, thick smoke was observed coming from the engine room. After finding the source of the smoke, Captain Whittaker was unable to extinguish the flames. She then shut the door to the engine room to starve the flames of oxygen, but the smoke continued to billow out. She commanded the crew to shut off the engine and to gather up on deck. Captain Whittaker went down to the charthouse through the thick, black smoke to retrieve a hand-held GPS. She dispatched a mayday call on the VHF radio, and provided the vessel’s exact location. Shortly afterwards, several search and rescue teams and firefighting craft arrived on the scene; all those aboard the Fair Jeanne were saved.

On June 2, 2010, 12-year-old Michael Foster was injured while trying to stop the family’s pet dog from attacking his mother and younger brother, in Stouffville, Ontario. The brothers were getting ready for bed when the dog lunged towards the younger boy as he was heading to his room. Michael quickly stepped in front of the large dog to protect his brother. The animal latched onto his arm and shook it fiercely. Michael’s mother ran to intervene, but the dog, not previously known to be aggressive, turned and bit her several times. Michael grabbed onto the dog’s choke chain and wrestled it to the floor, where he kept it pinned down until help arrived.

On December 4, 2010, Kole Devisscher rescued a boy from a possible drowning, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mr. Devisscher was driving by the Red River when he noticed something moving in the water near a large hole in the ice. He stopped and saw that it was a young boy desperately hanging onto the edge and calling out for help. Mr. Devisscher took a rope out from his vehicle and cautiously walked across the unsafe ice to reach the boy. Once he was close enough, Mr. Devisscher made a loop at one end of the rope and threw it to the boy, who was able to secure the loop around his arm and neck. Mr. Devisscher then pulled on the rope and brought the young victim to safety.

On June 15, 2011, Victoria Police sergeants Michael Brown and Michael Johnston (pictured), along with constables Steve Kowan and Ken Ramsay, risked their lives to search a drug dealer’s house rigged with deadly booby traps, in Victoria, British Columbia. The officers were in danger of being electrocuted or injured by explosions from flammable liquids that were wired to homemade triggers placed randomly throughout the residence. Thankfully, no one was inside and the search was conducted without setting off any of the traps. (This is the second Decoration for Bravery awarded to Sergeant Johnston.)

On May 10, 2010, Constable Jean-Pierre Brabant, of the City of Montréal Police, rescued a suspect who had jumped into the Lachine Canal to avoid arrest, in Montréal, Quebec. Two men had been attempting to steal a vehicle when the police arrived at the scene to stop them. One man escaped and, after a lengthy pursuit, jumped into the canal. Several metres from shore, fatigued and weighed down by his waterlogged clothing, the man began to struggle. Constable Brabant jumped into the frigid water to reach him. Although exhausted from his efforts, Constable Brabant managed to bring the man to the wall of the canal where other police officers helped pull them both out.

On February 13, 2009, Asaf Shargall demonstrated exceptional courage when he pulled a friend from the path of an oncoming train, in Toronto, Ontario. Fourteen-year-old Asaf and one of his friends had been standing on the platform at the subway station when a man pushed them down onto the tracks just as a train was arriving. Asaf took cover in a small alcove, but then rushed back out to grab his friend and pull him into the secure location as the train rolled past. Because of Asaf’s courageous actions, his friend survived, despite severe injuries.

Following the presentation, all who were present warmly applauded the 50 recipients.