Presentation of Honours in Edmonton

"Today, we honour Canadians for meritorious service, for volunteerism, for bravery, for police work and for dedication to Canada’s North," said the Governor General. "All of you are making this a better country, one day at a time, one remarkable act at a time."

More than 70 remarkable Canadians were recognized for their excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service with one of the following honours: the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, the Meritorious Service Decoration, the Decoration for Bravery, the Polar Medal or the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.

His Excellency presented the Medal of Bravery to Helen Ann Goulet, M.B. On January 25, 2015, Helen Goulet rescued her elderly neighbour from her burning house in Courtenay, British Columbia. Upon hearing the victim’s cries for help, Ms. Goulet ignored the billowing smoke and entered the dwelling to search for her friend. She followed the woman’s voice and located her lying on the kitchen floor. Despite the burns she sustained to her head and arms, she managed to pull the victim outside to safety.

His Excellency presented the Medal of Bravery to Tyrone Josdal, M.B. On January 24, 2014, Mr. Josdal rescued a man from his burning car near Craven, Saskatchewan. Arriving just moments after the collision, Mr. Josdal went to the driver’s side door, but the heavy smoke made it difficult to see inside. Hearing a noise from beneath the airbag, he found the victim, pulled him out and brought him to safety before the car exploded.

His Excellency presented the Medal of Bravery to Chelsea Little, M.B. On August 11, 2014, then-15-year-old Chelsea Little rescued two people from a possible drowning in Thoburn Lake, near Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. Ms. Little was swimming across the lake with members of her family when she realized that her stepfather was lagging behind and experiencing breathing problems. Chelsea swam back to him and dragged him back to shore just in time to see her uncle in distress before he disappeared beneath the surface. Despite her fatigue, Chelsea dove to reach his side and swam back to shore with him in tow.

His Excellency presented the Polar Medal to Elisapi Aningmiuq. As a cultural teacher and counsellor, Elisapi Aningmiuq has developed key initiatives at the Tukisigiarvik Wellness Centre including physical health and wellness programs, food programs, suicide intervention and counselling sessions. She has been a strong advocate for rebuilding Inuit culture and identity, and has accordingly dedicated herself to preserving traditional skills and knowledge.

His Excellency presented the Polar Medal to Marilyn Jensen. Mrs. Jensen provides pathways to foster healing and reclaim Tlingit culture and values within the community of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. As the founder and group leader of the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, Ms. Jensen has made significant contributions to cultural revitalization through the traditional art forms of song, drumming, dance and storytelling.

His Excellency presented the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteer to Robert Chochinov. Mr. Chochinov has been involved with the Canadian Red Cross for close to four decades, encouraging emergency preparedness in the community and supporting disaster response in Manitoba. From providing personal assistance to individuals affected by the 2016 Alberta wildfires to welcoming Syrian refugees to British Columbia, he has shown great enthusiasm through his volunteer work.

His Excellency presented the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteer to Jen Hayward. Having founded the Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank in 2001, Jen Hayward, along with the many volunteers she leads, has helped ensure food security in Iqaluit, while respecting the traditional Inuit principle of sharing. She also serves her community through her involvement with Habitat for Humanity and the RCMP DARE Program.

His Excellency presented the Meritorious Service Medal (Military Division) to Lieutenant-Colonel David Charles Moar, M.S.M., C.D. From October 2014 to April 2015, Lieutenant-Colonel Moar performed remarkably as fighter detachment commander within Air Task Force–Iraq in Kuwait. His outstanding leadership enabled Canadian fighter aircraft to begin combat missions within 36 hours of arriving in theatre. Moreover, his tireless efforts to improve and sustain operations enabled impressive sortie launch reliability. Lieutenant-Colonel Moar’s accomplishments greatly contributed to Canada being recognized as an effective and reliable coalition nation in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Reflective of the city and its ethnic vitality, the production features ballet, folk and character dance in a celebration of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Christmas classic.

The cultural interlude featured Shumka Ukranian Dancers, performing a montage of the colourful characters and scenes from Clara’s Dream, a true “Edmonton Nutcracker,” produced and performed by local artists – along with guests from Ukraine.

Northerners Candice Lys and Nancy MacNeill co-founded Fostering Open eXpression among Youth (FOXY). Through life-changing workshops and peer leader retreats, they have empowered youth and especially girls in the Northwest Territories to freely express their sexual health and relationship challenges, acquire new skills to make healthy life choices, and share lessons learned with their communities. Thanks to FOXY, youth play an active role in building stronger communities in the North.

His Excellency presented the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) to Nicole Edwards. Musician Nicole Edwards was the creative force and founding executive director of Bringing Youth Towards Equality, now known as BYTE–Empowering Youth. Operating in Yukon and in other northern communities, and based on input from young people themselves, BYTE provides recreational activities and interactive workshops on a broad range of topics including leadership, career planning, healthy relationships, and the impact of climate change on the North.

In 2000, constables Ashford, Ng and Wong, Corporal Gyorfi, Sergeant MacDonald, and civilian member Ma represented the RCMP within an international law enforcement team tracking heroin traffickers in Fiji. Their successful covert operation led to the capture of seven traffickers and the seizure of 350 kilograms of heroin destined for Canadian markets. Equally impressive, these members undertook their work during a political coup and in a hostile environment at great peril to themselves.

His Excellency presented the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) to Thomas H. Greidanus, M.S.C. Orthopaedic surgeon Thomas Greidanus leads, organizes and raises funds for Operation Esperanza. He and his team travel to Ecuador yearly to perform corrective surgery on children with club feet, and hip and knee replacements on adults, all free of charge. The team also provides training to local doctors. This life-changing medical care allows patients who were previously unemployable to find work and support their families.

His Excellency presented the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) to Carolyn Mitchell Hamilton Pennycook Cross, M.S.C. As the chair and chief executive officer of Ondine Biomedical Inc., Cross has spurred the company to become a global leader in the field of photodisinfection, a new technology that uses light to eradicate harmful micro-organisms. This innovative technology is being used to treat periodontal disease, infected wounds and burns, and HIV transmission from mother to fetus, without accelerating the risks of antibiotic resistance seen in traditional approaches.

His Excellency presented the Order of Merit of the Police Forces to Sergeant Howard James Burns, M.O.M., for his achievements in policing, for his contributions to fostering relationships between police agencies and the wider community, and for his support for other serving members.

His Excellency presented the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteer to Françoise Lavoie. Mrs. Lavoie has been volunteering for the cultural centre, the Carnaval de St-Isidore and her parish for 35 years. In 1978 she co-founded the folkloric dance troupe Plein Soleil, of which she is still a member; she also sits on the board of the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta régionale de Rivière-la-Paix.