Canadian Awards...June '07

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Mark Jordan, S.C. Mississauga, Ont.
Medal of Bravery

Constable Andrew Bakker, M.B. Dorchester, Ont.
Sharon Jean Bard, M.B. Champion, Alta.
Private Jonathan David Olivier Beaudin, M.B. Lorraine, Que.
Wayne Terrence Bhnisch, M.B. Morinville, Alta.
Rachel Davis, M.B. (posthumous) Vancouver, B.C.
Matthew de Koning, M.B. Cache Creek, B.C.
Kayla Denomme, M.B. Toronto, Ont.
Kiana Denomme, M.B. Toronto, Ont.
André Gagné, M.B. Que. City, Que.
Éric Girard, M.B. Sherbrooke, Que.
Rocky Hanson, M.B. Edmonton, Alta.
Osman Hersi, M.B. Toronto, Ont.
Jessica Lauren Holman-Price, M.B. (posthumous) Portugal Cove, N.L.
Constable Philip L. Hordijk, M.B. Goderich, Ont.
Robin William Johnstone, M.B. Bowmanville, Ont.
Constable John Legault, M.B. London, Ont.
Thomas Murray Martin, M.B. Pickering, Ont.
Hans McKee, M.B. Omemee, Ont.
Sarah McLean, M.B. Amherstburg, Ont.
Rideau Hall
Robert Miller, M.B. Fraserville, Ont.
Prakash Mulchand, M.B. (posthumous) Winnipeg, Man.
Daniel Harold Peacock, M.B. Rimbey, Alta.
Charles François Pelletier, M.B., C.D. Victoria, B.C.
Claude Plante, M.B. Lambton, Que.
Constable Gerald Proctor, M.B. Delta, B.C.
James Daniel Reilly, M.B. Etobicoke, Ont.
Jamie D. W. Robertson, M.B. Calgary, Alta.
Joseph Allan Sinclair, M.B. Morinville, Alta.
Constable Scott Sladek, M.B. Komoka, Ont.
Bradley Patrick Roy Smith, M.B. Edmonton, Alta.
Acting Sergeant Leon Tadeusz Sowa, M.B. Pickering, Ont.
Sergeant W. Dean Streefkerk, M.B. London, Ont.
Gerald Alfred Strickland, M.B. Newman’s Cove, N.L.
Detective-Constable Paul Gordon Stuart, M.B. Whitby, Ont.
J. Robert Walsh, M.B., C.D. Brampton, Ont.
ANNEX C - CITATIONS
Mark Jordan, S.C.
Mississauga, Ontario
Star of Courage

On September 6, 2005, Mark Jordan was seriously injured while fighting off a black bear
that was attacking his wife at a remote campsite in Missinaibi Provincial Park, Ontario.
The couple was setting up camp when the large bear suddenly attacked Mr. Jordan’s wife
and began dragging her into the woods. Mr. Jordan confronted the animal, which backed
off momentarily then charged back at the victim. Armed only with a pocketknife, Mr.
Jordan wrestled with the animal and repeatedly stabbed it until it finally released her.
Tracked by the wounded bear, he managed to drag his wife to the beach despite his own
injuries, to pull her into their kayak and to paddle towards a nearby campsite to get
assistance. Sadly, his wife did not survive
Constable Andrew Bakker, M.B.
Dorchester, Ontario
Constable Philip L. Hordijk, M.B.
Goderich, Ontario
Constable John Legault, M.B.
London, Ontario
Constable Scott Sladek, M.B.
Komoka, Ontario
Sergeant W. Dean Streefkerk, M.B.
London, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On June 27, 2005, these five London Police Service officers entered a burning house to
rescue a mother and two of her children who were under the threat of an armed intruder
in London, Ontario. Acting on information that a man had broken into the house and had
assaulted the mother, the officers immediately approached the home. The gunman fired at
them through a front window. As the police officers retreated for cover, they heard
several more shotgun blasts from inside. Witnessing the gunman set fire to the house,
they decided to enter immediately. Tragically, the gunman had shot and killed the three
victims and then turned the gun on himself.
Sharon Jean Bard, M.B.
Champion, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On December 10, 2005, Sharon Bard rescued her 13-year-old grandson and her husband
from a fire that had spread through their home in Champion, Alberta. Awakened to the
early morning fire by her husband’s screams, Mrs. Bard jumped out of bed to alert her
grandson and then led him outside through the burning debris falling on them. Despite
severe burns to her hands and feet, she went back in to search for her mobility-impaired
husband. Feeling her way through the thick, toxic smoke, she located the semi-conscious
man on the hallway floor, grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him outside to safety.
Private Jonathan David Olivier Beaudin, M.B.
Lorraine, Quebec
Medal of Bravery'

On September 20, 2005, Private Jonathan Beaudin rescued his team leader trapped inside
their submerged armoured vehicle during a night tactical training exercise at Canadian
Forces Base Wainright, in Alberta. The soft earth on which the vehicle was travelling
suddenly gave way, sending it rolling into the frigid water of the Battle River. Although
disoriented and in complete darkness, Private Beaudin was able to find a tiny air pocket
in a corner of the overturned machine. The other two victims remained trapped and
submerged. Despite his injuries, Private Beaudin pulled one of his colleagues from his
precarious position and led him through the combat door to safety. Regrettably, the
accident claimed the life of the driver of the vehicle.
Wayne Terrence Bhnisch, M.B.
Morinville, Alberta
Joseph Allan Sinclair, M.B.
Morinville, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On March 27, 2004, Correctional Service Canada officers Wayne Bhnisch and Joseph
Sinclair put their lives at risk when they disarmed a mentally disturbed inmate holding a
live grenade at a prison in Dubrava, Kosovo. The officers were working in an office
when the prisoner suddenly burst in and struck Mr. Sinclair in the back. When the
officers realized that the inmate was holding a grenade with the pin removed, they rushed
forward and, undaunted by the weapon, tackled the aggressor. While they fought to
subdue the offender and prevent him from releasing the grenade, they instructed other
people in the vicinity to evacuate the building. After struggling with the armed man for
some 20 minutes, they managed to push him against the wall and quickly exited the
room, securing the door behind them before they escaped to safety. Several hours later,
the prisoner surrendered to police.
Rachel Davis, M.B. (posthumous)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

In the early hours of January 3, 2004, 23-year-old Rachel Davis lost her life after
breaking up a gang assault on a teenage boy in Vancouver, British Columbia. The fight
took place outside a nightclub where she had been with friends. Witnessing the
commotion, she ran to intervene. In an attempt to stop the beating, she jumped into the
middle of the fray to shield the unconscious victim from the blows. The attack stopped,
but in the scuffle that ensued, a gun was pulled out by a member of a rival gang and shots
were fired. Tragically, Ms. Davis received gunshot wounds to the head and died on her
way to the hospital.
Matthew de Koning, M.B.
Cache Creek, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

On December 15, 2005, Matthew de Koning risked his life to disarm a suicidal man in a
local bar in Langley, British Columbia. The distraught man, armed with a hunting rifle,
stormed into the bar and chambered a round. As patrons started running for the exit, Mr.
de Koning confronted the gunman. Without concern for his own safety, he tried to calm
the man down and quickly grabbed the rifle from his hands. Other people then helped
restrain the disturbed man until police arrived.
Kayla Denomme, M.B.
Kiana Denomme, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On August 19, 2005, 13-year-old Kayla Denomme and her 12-year-old sister Kiana saved
their grandmother from drowning in the flooded basement of their house during a heavy
rainstorm in Toronto, Ontario. Warned of an impending tornado, the trio took refuge in
the basement but the water started coming in and rapidly filled the room. The girls tried
in vain to break through a window in the hope of scrambling out. While swimming
amongst the floating furniture and debris in some two metres of cold, dark and dirty
water, they managed to grab hold of their grandmother and made their way outside
through the front door before taking shelter at a neighbour’s house.
André Gagné, M.B.
Quebec City, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On September 6, 2005, André Gagné rescued a colleague who had fallen into the Saint -
Charles River in Quebec City, Quebec. The two men were repairing a bridge when the
victim lost his footing on the scaffolding and fell over five metres into the cloudy waters
of the river. Without any concern for his own safety, Mr. Gagné immediately jumped
from a cement platform into the river to save him. He dove under the water four times
before finding the unconscious man who had become trapped under the murky water
almost three metres deep. Although he was exhausted, Mr. Gagné brought his colleague
to the surface and swam five metres to a raft, where other workers were waiting to help
them.
Éric Girard, M.B.
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On August 7, 2005, Éric Girard saved his fiancée from drowning in Lac Saint-Jean,
Quebec, after the couple’s personal watercraft experienced mechanical difficulty. As
night fell and they were too far from shore to be heard or seen, the couple found
themselves in the water when waves over a metre high capsized their watercraft. After
trying for several hours, in vain, to tow the watercraft, Mr. Girard began swimming to
shore while pulling his fiancée, who was barely conscious and suffering from
hypothermia. It was not until dawn, after courageously battling the powerful waves for
more than four hours, that Mr. Girard finally managed to reach the shore at Vauvert,
some 36 kilometres from the couple’s starting point, where they received help.
Rocky Hanson, M.B.
Edmonton, Alberta
Bradley Patrick Roy Smith, M.B.
Edmonton, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On November 11, 2005, Rocky Hanson and Brad Smith rescued several senior residents
from a burning apartment complex in Edmonton, Alberta. Mr. Smith was visiting his
grandmother when he was alerted to a fire in a nearby suite. Without hesitation, he rushed
over and, with a fire extinguisher, tried to put out the flames engulfing an unconscious
man. Forced to abandon his efforts due to the rapidly spreading fire that ultimately
claimed the victim’s life, he retreated outside where he met up with Mr. Hanson, another
visitor alerted to the fire. Together, they ran back inside and, although unable to see in the
smoke-filled hallways and stairwells, made their way through the three-story building,
kicking in doors and evacuating several residents before firefighters arrived and took
over.
Osman Hersi, M.B.
Toronto, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On June 8, 2005, 17-year-old Osman Hersi rescued a blind man who had fallen onto the
subway tracks at the Sheppard-Yonge station in Toronto, Ontario. On his way to school,
Mr. Hersi was waiting for the subway when he witnessed the visually impaired victim
stagger toward the edge of the platform and tumble onto the tracks. Mr. Hersi raced to the
scene and, without regard for his own safety, jumped down onto the rails where the
victim lay motionless. Determined to save the man, Mr. Hersi picked him up and helped
him onto the platform where other passengers assisted in the rescue. He then climbed out
only moments before the train roared into the station.
Jessica Lauren Holman-Price, M.B. (posthumous)
Portugal Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
Medal of Bravery

On December 19, 2005, 21-year-old Jessica Holman-Price lost her life while preventing
her 10-year-old brother from being crushed by the wheels of a snow-removal truck in
Montreal, Quebec. The two were standing on a snowbank at a busy intersection, waiting
to cross the street. When the light turned green, the truck came around the corner and
caught the edge of the mound, causing the boy to slide under the vehicle. Ms. Holman-
Price reached for him but she too lost her footing and slid under the wheels of the truck.
In a split second, she managed to push her brother out of harm’s way before the massive
truck fatally injured her.

Robin William Johnstone, M.B.
Bowmanville, Ontario
Thomas Murray Martin, M.B.
Pickering, Ontario
Acting Sergeant Leon Tadeusz Sowa, M.B.
Pickering, Ontario
Detective-Constable Paul Gordon Stuart, M.B.
Whitby, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On October 29, 2005, Robin Johnstone, Murray Martin, Acting Sergeant Leon Sowa and
Detective-Constable Paul Stuart rescued a suicidal woman who had set fire to her house
in Ajax, Ontario. After gaining entry and searching the front rooms, they went down the
hallway but were forced back out by the heavy smoke. The men re-entered the house by
kicking in the back door, which was obstructed with pieces of wood. Crawling under the
thick smoke, they searched the bedrooms and hallway, retreating outside often to get
fresh air. They finally located the semi-conscious victim in the kitchen, hiding under a
desk and office equipment that she had placed in front of her for concealment. Despite
their great difficulty breathing, the rescuers grabbed the resisting woman and carried her
outside to safety.
Hans McKee, M.B.
Omemee, Ontario
Robert Miller, M.B.
Fraserville, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On May 17, 2004, Hans McKee and Robert Miller went to the aid of a man and a woman
whose canoe had capsized in Lake Opeongo, in Algonquin Park, The couple had been
caught in bad weather and the crashing waves sank their craft, throwing them into the
freezing water. From the beach, off-duty paramedics McKee and Miller noticed the pair
hanging onto the swamped canoe, furiously kicking to return to shore. They immediately
grabbed their own canoe and took to the lake. Braving the forceful winds and rolling twometre
waves, they maneuvered their unstable craft close enough to throw a rope to the
victims. With the couple in tow, they began paddling and, despite being nearly exhausted,
they managed to reach the safety of the shore, one hour after the ordeal began.
Sarah McLean, M.B.
Amherstburg, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On January 30, 2006, Sarah McLean rescued three people from a house that burst into
flames after an explosion in Amherstburg, Ontario. On hearing the blast and seeing
smoke coming from the house across the street, Ms. McLean, then four months pregnant,
ran to investigate. Noticing that the occupants were still inside, she rushed to the front
door, which a man was trying to kick open. Without concern for her own safety,
Ms. McLean removed the frame of the blown out living room window and climbed inside
the smoke-filled house. As the back of the house was engulfed in flames, she led the
dazed occupants out through the window one by one before she left the house and guided
the group to safety.
Prakash Mulchand, M.B. (posthumous)
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Medal of Bravery

On August 3, 2005, 44-year-old Prakash Mulchand lost his life while trying to rescue his
eight-year-old son from drowning in the Assiniboine River in Portage La Prairie,
Manitoba. The boy slipped off a concrete platform from which he had been fishing with
his father and his cousin and was swept away by the current. Mr. Mulchand immediately
jumped into the water to save him from the pounding waves, all the while calling for
help. The boy managed to swim to his father and grab onto him but the two became
separated and were carried away by the swirling current. The unconscious child was
eventually recovered by a man who pulled him onto his personal watercraft and brought
him to shore, where he was revived. Sadly, Mr. Mulchand had disappeared under the
surface and could not be saved.
Daniel Harold Peacock, M.B.
Rimbey, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On June 24, 2006, 15-year-old Daniel Peacock rescued a friend from drowning in the
Ram River, near Nordegg, Alberta. The victim accidentally slipped from a five-metrehigh
cliff, hit his head and fell into a deep pool of water some 15 metres from the bank.
Daniel immediately dove to his rescue but the two were swept apart by the current and
into a whirlpool. Finally reaching his friend’s side, grabbed hold of him, but the
frightened teen kept pulling him under water. In spite of the strong undertow and with his
panicked friend climbing onto his shoulders, used the rocks underfoot to propel them
both to the surface, where the victim was able to float on his back until he was close
enough to the shore to be pulled to safety by others. Meanwhile, got hold of a fallen tree
and manoeuvred himself into a calmer pool of water, where other people came to his
assistance.
Charles François Pelletier, M.B., C.D.
Victoria, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

On May 27, 2004, Charles Pelletier, then a volunteer with the United Nations in Bukavu,
Congo, spearheaded the evacuation of 42 people from the Orchid Hotel during gun
battles between rebels and the Congolese army. When the armed troops moved closer to
the hotel compound, Mr. Pelletier assembled the occupants and instructed them to take
refuge on the lower floor of the lobby, which afforded more protection from mortar
rounds and machine-gun fire. Acting as a human shield, he then repeatedly exposed
himself to gunfire as he escorted the fleeing hotel occupants, in groups of 10, across the
open courtyard to armoured personnel carriers. Thanks to Mr. Pelletier’s efforts, the
group escaped the riots and safely reached the UNcompound, one kilometre away.
Claude Plante, M.B.
Lambton, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On March 14, 2006, Claude Plante rescued an elderly man from drowning off Margarita
Island, in Venezuela. Realizing that the man was in trouble, Mr. Plante grabbed a boogie
board, jumped into the high waves and swam out to him. He handed the man the
floatation device and, struggling against the powerful undertow, pushed him back
towards the shore until they could touch bottom. Exhausted, Mr. Plante was suddenly
caught in the undercurrent and pulled back to sea where he lost consciousness.
Fortunately, onlookers were able to reach him and bring him back to safety.
Constable Gerald Proctor, M.B.
Delta, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

On the night of January 2, 2006, in Vancouver, British Columbia, police constable Gerald
Proctor saved a woman from drowning after the car in which she was travelling was
involved in a violent collision and landed in the Fraser River, some 20 metres from shore.
Moments after the impact, the injured victim emerged from the sinking vehicle, calling
desperately for help as she was swept downstream in the fast-flowing river. Witness to
the scene, Cst. Proctor plunged into the freezing water and, battling the forceful current,
swam to the woman some 40 metres out. Although exhausted and suffering from
hypothermia, he managed to grab hold of her clothes and pulled her to shore where other
police personnel offered assistance.
James Daniel Reilly, M.B.
Etobicoke, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On December 19, 2005, off-duty firefighter James Reilly risked his life to rescue a
woman from a burning house in Etobicoke, Ontario. As he was driving by, Mr. Reilly
noticed smoke billowing from the house and stopped to investigate. After calling 911, he
knocked on the door to alert the lone occupant. Receiving no response, he kicked down
the locked door and crawled into the house but was quickly forced out by the heavy
smoke. Undeterred, he raced back inside the flaming building. Feeling around blindly, he
located the unconscious victim and attempted to pull her outside but, overwhelmed by the
choking fumes, retreated from the house again. Mr. Reilly charged into the structure a
third time, managed to dislodge the woman, whose leg had become stuck in the doorway,
and dragged her outside. Tragically, despite Mr. Reilly’s best efforts, the victim did not
survive.
Jamie D. W. Robertson, M.B.
Calgary, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On October 31, 2005, in Calgary, Alberta, Jamie Robertson came to the rescue of his
neighbour who was being stabbed after opening her door to a man masquerading as a
trick-or-treater. The intruder had pushed his way inside and was lungeing at the victim
repeatedly with a knife. Hearing the woman’s screams, Mr. Robertson immediately
rushed to her aid from his basement suite. He burst through the front door and pushed the
assailant off the victim, struggling to gain control of the weapon. As both men fell out of
the open doorway onto the ground outside, the attacker managed to break free from Mr.
Robertson’s grip and escaped. Despite the serious stab wounds that she incurred during
the vicious attack, the victim recovered.
Gerald Alfred Strickland, M.B.
Newman’s Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
Medal of Bravery

On January 23, 2006, Gerald Strickland saved an elderly couple from their burning house
in Newman’s Cove, and Labrador. After entering the flaming house, he called out to the
occupants and heard a muffled reply from the man. Through the blinding smoke, Mr.
Strickland made his way towards the kitchen where he bumped into the man’s
wheelchair, stuck in the doorway. Although gasping for air, Mr. Strickland was able to
free the chair and bring the man outside. Only once they were outside did he notice that
the victim’s wife had been holding onto the chair as it was pulled to safety, seconds
before the house was completely destroyed by the flames.
J. Robert Walsh, M.B., C.D.
Brampton, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On 7, 2004, Mr. Robert Walsh, a teacher at an elementary school in Brampton, Ontario,
single-handedly broke up a vicious assault on a 17-year old boy by five armed teenagers.
Informed by a colleague that a fight had broken out in the schoolyard, Mr. Walsh rushed
to intervene. he reached the scene, two of the attackers ran off while another continued
beating the victim on the head with a metal bar. Without hesitation, Mr. Walsh tackled
the armed assailant and struggled with him until he dropped the weapon. With complete
disregard for his own safety, he then attempted to fight off the remaining aggressors who
were continuing their assault on the downed victim. The gang finally fled when another
teacher arrived on the scene and called the police.