Meritorious Service Decoration (Civilian) - February 2021 recipients

RECIPIENTS OF THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE CROSS (CIVIL DIVISION) (M.S.C.)

Helen Margaret (Peggy) Truscott, M.S.C. (posthumous)
Toronto, Ontario

For establishing the Walk of Hope, Ovarian Cancer Canada’s premier annual, cross-country fundraising event.

Robin Wettlaufer, M.S.C.
Ottawa, Ontario

For her central role in the evacuation of a group of White Helmets civil volunteers and their families from Syria when their security was at risk.

RECIPIENTS OF THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL (CIVIL DIVISION) (M.S.M.)

Mustafa Alio, M.S.M.
Bassel Ramli, M.S.M.
Omar Salaymeh, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For founding Jumpstart Refugee Talent to help newcomers enter the job market, become contributing citizens and start to rebuild their lives.

Pierre Allard, M.S.M. (posthumous)
Annie Roy, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For co-founding the cultural organization ATSA, Quand l’art passe à l’action, which seeks to create a fairer, more united and more ecological world through art.

Stephen Allen, M.S.M.
York, Prince Edward Island
Don Wright, M.S.M.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Ken Zakem, M.S.M.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

For creating Santa’s Angels, an organization that distributes care packages, food hampers and toys to hundreds of homes on Christmas morning.

Roger Augustine, M.S.M.
Eel Ground First Nation, New Brunswick

For creating the Rising Sun Treatment Centre, which offers programs that focus on alcohol- and drug-free lifestyles.

Yahya Badran, M.S.M.
Terrebonne, Quebec
Mohamed Hage, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec
Kurt D. Lynn, M.S.M. (posthumous)
Gores Landing, Ontario
Lauren Elizabeth Rathmell, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For creating Lufa Farms, an innovative agriculture business that provides Montréal residents with fresh produce from the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse.

Carolyn Elsie Louise Bateman, O.P.E.I., M.S.M.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Joan Elaine Hoffman te Raa, M.S.M. (posthumous)
York, Prince Edward Island

For creating the Autism Society of Prince Edward Island and the Stars for Life Foundation for Autism to support family members, professionals and individuals affected by autism.

Betty Begg-Brooks, M.S.M.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

For founding Gifts from the Heart, a local charity that collects food, clothing and household items for re-distribution to people in need.

Elyse Benoît, M.S.M.
Maryse Bouvette, M.S.M.
Isabelle Delisle, M.S.M. (posthumous)
Suzanne Fitzback, M.S.M.
Robert Gendron, M.S.M.
Gatineau, Quebec

For founding La maison Mathieu-Froment-Savoie, a vital link in palliative care in the Outaouais.

Maureen Bianchini-Purvis, M.S.M.
Edmonton, Alberta     

For creating No Stone Left Alone, a project that engages school children in honouring the sacrifices of Canada’s veterans by placing poppies on headstones each November.

April Billard, M.S.M.
Joan Bell Chaisson, M.S.M.
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador

For starting the Autism Involves Me group to support parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to better integrate those with ASD into the community.

Dana Bookman, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For founding Canadian Girls Baseball and championing the expansion of women’s and girls’ baseball leagues in Canada.

Clarence Bourgoin, M.S.M.
Saint-Léonard, New Brunswick

For creating the Rendez-vous des artistes symposium, which showcases painting and sculpture in Atlantic Canada.

Alan Broadbent, C.M., M.S.M.
Scott Bryan, M.S.M.
William Di Nardo, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For founding the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation to reduce the financial, geographical and cultural barriers preventing youth from participating in the sport.

William C. Brooks, M.S.M.
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Georges Edward Potvin, M.S.M.
Gatineau, Quebec
William Frederick George Williams, M.S.M.
Greely, Ontario

For creating the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which honours firefighters who have died in the line of duty and provides support for their families.

Didier Calvet, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For founding the Association pour la création littéraire chez les jeunes, which disseminates children’s and young adult literature across the international Francophonie.

Claude Caron, M.S.M.
Longueuil, Quebec

For founding L’Antre-temps Longueuil, a shelter working to overcome social exclusion among youth.

Roland Case, M.S.M.
Vancouver, British Columbia

For his many years of leadership at The Critical Thinking Consortium, and for promoting the importance of critical thinking in teaching and learning.

Stephanie Case, M.S.M.
Chamonix, France

For founding Free to Run, which brings outdoor sport and leadership training to women and girls in conflict zones.

Susan Chalmers-Gauvin, M.S.M.
Igor Dobrovolskiy, M.S.M.
Moncton, New Brunswick

For co-founding Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, which raises the profile of Canadian ballet both here in Canada and abroad.

Shannon Christensen, M.S.M.
Kelowna, British Columbia

For founding Mamas for Mamas, a charitable organization that helps mothers, caregivers and families in need.

Diane Lee Clemons, M.S.M.
Michael Clemons, O.Ont., M.S.M.
Mississauga, Ontario

For providing marginalized youth with better access to education through the Pinball Clemons Foundation.

Jocelyn Dianne Cousineau, M.S.M.
Captain Médric Léo Robert Cousineau, S.C., M.S.M., C.D. (Ret’d)
Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

For founding Paws Fur Thought, which pairs service dogs with veterans and first responders affected by operational stress injuries.

Marie-France Dubreuil, M.S.M.
Patrice Lauzon, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For founding the Ice Academy of Montreal, which contributes to the development of Canada’s and the world’s top ice dancers.

Jeremy Dutcher, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For creating the album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, an innovative fusion of traditional Wolastoq First Nation songs, archival recordings and original, contemporary music.

Marilyn L. Dyck, M.S.M.
Calgary, Alberta

For founding The Doorway, a centre that helps street youth rejoin society and make lasting, positive change in their lives.

Corey Fleischer, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For being the driving force behind the #Erasinghate initiative, a citizen movement that has led to the removal of thousands of hate graffiti tags worldwide.

Jean-Martin Fortier, M.S.M.
Hemmingford, Quebec

For his pioneering role in the field of organic farming and in the development of micro-farms.

Serge Fournier, M.S.M.
Robert Lessard, M.S.M.
Jonathan Michaud, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For their role in rebuilding the school pavilions of École Mark Bourque in Debussy, Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake.

Brother Réjean Gadouas, M.S.M.
Ottawa, Ontario

For founding La Manne de l’île, an organization helping people in need in the Outaouais to achieve food security.

Larry Gauthier, M.S.M.
Rick Goodwin, M.S.M.
Ottawa, Ontario

For founding The Men’s Project, which provided mental health services to male victims of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse.

James Adrian Gehrels, M.S.M. (posthumous)
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Glenn C. Stronks, M.S.M.
Orillia, Ontario

For founding Lifewater Canada, a charitable organization that brings clean drinking water and adequate sanitation to communities in developing countries.

Isabelle Genest, M.S.M.
Catherine Morissette, M.S.M.
Mathieu Ouellet, M.S.M.
Québec, Quebec

For creating La grande journée des petits entrepreneurs, an initiative to stimulate entrepreneurial culture among Quebec youth.

Claude B. Gingras, M.S.M.
Ottawa, Ontario

For his outstanding leadership as head of the Fondation franco-ontarienne, helping to improve its financial situation.

Art Gruenig, M.S.M.
Cranbrook, British Columbia

For his leadership in nature conservation through the protection and revival of vulnerable bird and turtle populations in the East Kootenay region.

Robert Hughes, M.S.M.
Kamloops, British Columbia

For guiding ASK Wellness Society through a major transformation that focused on harm reduction and stable housing solutions for vulnerable individuals.

Colonel Robert Mark Hutchings, M.S.M., C.D., (Ret’d)
Kingston, Ontario

For spearheading the creation of a monument to commemorate the 1917 Battle of Hill 70 in Loos en Gohelle, France.

Narmin Ismail, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For establishing the Spark of Hope Foundation to provide university scholarships to young women from disadvantaged countries.

Brent Kaulback, M.S.M.
Summerland, British Columbia

For leading the development of educational material and books in the Indigenous languages of the Northwest Territories.

Tim Kwan, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For his leadership in the design and establishment of Mon Sheong Court, a series of culturally relevant residences for seniors in Toronto’s Chinese communities.

Martine Laurier, M.S.M.
Normand Martin, M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec

For their outstanding work in raising awareness of suicide prevention and mental health among police officers in the Montréal community.

Pat Lazo, M.S.M.
Steve Wilson, M.S.M.
Winnipeg, Manitoba

For founding Graffiti Art Programming and Gallery to showcase Winnipeg’s emerging artists and to engage inner-city youth in a range of art forms.

Brian Leavitt, M.S.M.
Eric Rajah, A.O.E., M.S.M.
Lacombe, Alberta

For founding A Better World Canada, a charitable organization that tackles poverty in some of the world’s most disadvantaged regions.

Patricia (Patti) Leigh, O.B.C., M.S.M.
West Vancouver, British Columbia

For her inspirational leadership as founding president and executive director of The Science Fair Foundation of BC.

Victoria Lennox, M.S.M.
Cyprian Szalankiewicz, M.S.M.
Ottawa, Ontario

For founding Startup Canada to unify and support Canada’s entrepreneurs, enhance economic development and build an environment for entrepreneurship in Canada.

Todd McDonald, M.S.M.
Ashley Ward, M.S.M.
Halifax, Nova Scotia

For founding GIVETOLIVE, which organizes and hosts challenging sports events to raise funds for charity.

Bruce McKelvey, M.S.M.
Janet McKelvey, O.Ont., M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For co-founding TRIP Canada, a humanitarian organization that provides shelters and services to the people of Tangalle, Sri Lanka.

Steve Mesler, M.S.M.
Calgary, Alberta
Leigh Parise, M.S.M.
New York, New York, United States of America

For creating Classroom Champions to help children succeed inside and outside the classroom.

Julia Ogina, M.S.M.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

For her leadership in protecting, promoting and revitalizing Inuit culture, traditions, and language in her community and throughout the North.

Kelvin Redvers, M.S.M.
T'áncháy Sarah Judith Redvers, M.S.M.
Deninu K’ue First Nation, Northwest Territories

For co-founding We Matter, a national non-profit organization that provides support, hope and life promotion for Indigenous youth experiencing hardships.

Elaine Ruth Maxine Cormier Semkuley, M.S.M.
Myron Semkuley, M.S.M.
Calgary, Alberta

For founding Medical Mercy Canada, a volunteer organization that provides support and humanitarian assistance to refugees and disadvantaged communities in Myanmar, Nepal and Ukraine.

Jacques-Denis Simard, M.S.M.
Jacques Simoneau, M.S.M.
Québec, Quebec

For founding the La Vigile therapy centre, which helps members of the military and first responders who have experienced trauma in the course of their duties.

William J. Simpson, M.S.M., Q.C. (posthumous)
Ottawa, Ontario

For successfully leading the effort to have paralegals accredited and registered to provide legal services in Ontario.

Christopher Southin, M.S.M.
Harry J. Stewart, M.S.M.
Thessalon, Ontario

For founding Rainbow Camp, which gives LGBTQ2S+ youth a safe place to have fun and explore emerging identities while helping to change societal attitudes.

Nancy Stevens, M.S.M.
Kingston, Ontario

For founding Kenya Help, a charity that empowers the residents of Kenya to rise out of poverty.

Brent Tookenay, M.S.M.
Fort Frances, Ontario

For leading the growth of the Seven Generations Education Institute, where he has helped facilitate the increased participation and success of Indigenous students.

Marian Walsh, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario

For leading the physical and strategic redesign of the Bridgepoint Active Healthcare facility, resulting in improved patient care and outcomes.

Marion Willis, M.S.M.
Winnipeg, Manitoba

For founding St. Boniface Street Links to offer support and services to individuals facing homelessness or poverty in the St. Boniface neighbourhood of Winnipeg.