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A few moments from the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers ceremony at Rideau Hall on April 21, 2022. 

This video was produced by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. 

[Screen Description: The screen reads, “Mary Simon – Governor General of Canada” in English and French. The background is blue and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text. A watermark at the bottom of the image indicates that this video is owned by Rideau Hall.]

[Music plays throughout the video.]

[Screen Description: The video illustrates a series of scenes featuring Governor General Mary Simon, recipients and guests during an honours ceremony.] 

Louis St-Cyr shares his experiences as a volunteer and what receiving the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers has meant to him.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “Canadian Honours, Louis St-Cyr, Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.” There is a viceregal lion above the text.]

[Screen Description: Several words characterizing honours recipients move across a black screen. The screen reads, “Canadian honours presented by the Governor General”.]

[Screen Description: Louis St-Cyr is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Louis St-Cyr, Cantley, Quebec, Recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers”.]

[Louis St-Cyr:] There are two verbs I like to use: to love and to help.

What led me to take my first humanitarian trip?

I think it was a little bit of curiosity, to see how people lived elsewhere.

My first trip was to Guatemala.

We built the second and third floors of a school.

I took a liking to it immediately.

I went to El Salvador five times.

We built a residence for sick people.

After that, I went to the Dominican Republic to build a youth centre.

Eighty percent of people who go there are not necessarily skilled tradespersons.

And when someone has a trade, their skills are in high demand.

They are promoted to foreman automatically, even if they can’t speak Spanish.

These humanitarian trips gave me a new vision of the world, I grow as a person, each time I go.

And today, that work led me to do volunteer work with an organization called "L'Amicale des personnes handicapées physiques de l'Outaouais."

[Screen Description: Throughout the video, the screen alternates between Mr. St-Cyr, Mr. de Bellefeuille, and a series of scenes featuring Mr. St-Cyr participating in volunteer work, including building homes and working with people with disabilities at L’Amicale des personnes handicapées physiques de l’Outaouais.]

[Screen Description: Mr. Jacques de Bellefeuille is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Jacques de Bellefeuille, Managing Director of L’Amicale.”]

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] We are a drop-in centre for people who are physically disabled.

It provides a place for people to come together, to alleviate their isolation, to join in and to achieve their potential.

[Louis St-Cyr:] The first time I went to the centre, it was to fix a leaky faucet for free.

When I saw the condition of the faucet and the kitchen sink, I said to myself, "There's no way to fix that faucet."

So I changed it and the sink as well.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] That's how it started. Louis has never stopped.

[Louis St-Cyr:] Then I thought, why not fix the tiles?

After, I renovated the large common room.

I renovated the two bathrooms, and adapted them for their needs.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] In an organization like ours, our budgets for renovations or for improving the physical spaces are very limited.

Louis grasped L'Amicale’s mission and folded it under his wings.

[Louis St-Cyr:] So now, for the last two years, I've been the chairperson of L'Amicale.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] He has such a big heart.

[Louis St-Cyr:] The impact of receiving this award, of receiving the Sovereign's Medal, is that it can give people the incentive to do the same, to make a small gesture, to give a little bit to society, and to the community...

It gives me personal satisfaction and it's fulfilling.

I love it.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers pays tribute each year to the dedication, passion and extraordinary commitment of volunteers who embody the caring country we aspire to build. gg.ca/honours” There is a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers above the text.]

[Screen Description: A viceregal lion on a grey background.]