Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) Ceremony

The Governor General presented the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) to 43 recipients from various sectors across the country on Friday, December 11, 2015 during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. On this occasion, he presented 5 Meritorious Service Crosses and 38 Meritorious Service Medals.

Founding president of La Tablée des Chefs, Jean-François Archambault, M.S.C. (Candiac, Quebec), is dedicated to reducing food waste and poverty by linking food surplus producers with food banks, shelters and soup kitchens. Through his socially responsible work and business innovation, he empowers youth to adopt healthy eating habits and provides many Canadians in need with nourishing meals.

Group photo taken prior to the reception held in honour of the recipients of the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division).

The program was created to recognize individuals who have performed an exceptional deed or activity over a limited period of time that has brought honour to the community or to Canada.

Dedicated to promoting a return to traditional Inuit foods, Rebecca Veevee, M.S.M. (Iqaluit, Nunavut and Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon, Quebec), is the host and chef of the popular Inuit TV cooking show “Niqitsiat”, which means “healthy cooking” in Inuktituk. Through her program, she has demonstrated a commitment to combatting a growing epidemic of diseases related to poor nutrition in northern communities.

For the past 18 years, Kim Sutherland, M.S.M. (Regina, Saskatchewan), has shown enthusiasm and commitment in providing at-risk youth with support to better their lives. He founded Street Culture Kidz Project in 1997; since then, the organization has been providing housing, work experience, skill development and education programming to vulnerable youth.

Winner of several prestigious sommelier awards, Véronique Rivest, M.S.M. (Gatineau, Quebec), is the first woman to ever make the podium of the World’s Best Sommelier award. Through her passion and success, she has encouraged other women to join this previously male-dominated profession and has shared her knowledge through wine education in Canada and beyond.

After two years of groundwork, Supreme Court law clerks Owen Rees, M.S.M. (Toronto, Ontario), and Grégoire Webber, M.S.M. (Ottawa, Ontario), established the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute as a resource for both novice and experienced counsel appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. The Institute increases the effectiveness and the quality of advocacy before the Court, and ultimately improves access to justice for all Canadians.

Committed to breaking down attitudinal barriers isolating the Jane–Finch community, a low-income, ethnically diverse area in Toronto, Paul Nguyen, M.S.M., O.M.C. (Toronto, Ontario), created an inspirational website. Through the site, as well as through his collaborative work with the police and other community partners, he has empowered the community by giving a voice to marginalized residents, creating a sense of pride, and fostering positive change.

Former National Hockey League player Joé Juneau, M.S.M. (Saint-Raymond, Quebec), was the driving force behind the creation of the Nunavik Youth Hockey Development Program, which encourages Inuit youth to pursue their studies, develop life skills and stay healthy. Thanks to his dedication, kids are inspired to build a better future for themselves. The program is now available in all 14 villages throughout Nunavik and has over 600 participating youth.

RCMP Sergeant James Giczi, M.S.M. (Whitehorse, Yukon), identified the need for a central resource to conduct searches for tire mark matches. Through countless hours of work on his own time, he conceptualized, built and maintained a comprehensive database. Thanks to his efforts, the database is now used regularly by the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Sûreté du Québec and other municipal police services.

Sharing a passion for dance and an interest in recreational programs for youth with special needs, Melissa Emblin, M.S.M., Marie-Élaine Patenaude, M.S.M., and Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli, M.S.M. (Montréal, Quebec), founded Project RAD (Réservé aux danseurs). This organization gives people with various disabilities an opportunity to take urban dance classes. They also train dance instructors, help existing dance studios become more accessible to special needs clientele, and deliver dance workshops in schools, youth centres and hospitals.

Hélène Campbell, M.S.M. (Ottawa, Ontario), is a champion of organ and tissue donation. Diagnosed with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis—a fatal lung disease—at only 20 years old, she underwent a double lung transplant that saved her life. Through her innovative social media campaigning, she has raised public awareness of the donor process, increased the number of registered donors, and fundraised to help patients on the organ transplant waiting list and their families.

In 1999, Bonnie Buxton, M.S.M. and Brian Philcox, M.S.M. (Toronto, Ontario), established FASworld Canada as a way to raise awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Through their commitment and advocacy work, they created a support network for caregivers, developed better services for individuals and families affected by FAS in Canada and abroad, and established International FAS Day on September 9.

In 2013, Mylène Paquette, M.S.C. (Montréal, Quebec), became the first person to row solo across the North Atlantic Ocean, from Canada to France. The remarkable courage and perseverance she showed throughout her arduous journey has motivated others to overcome fears and barriers, and to commit themselves to physical fitness. Her story is a source of pride and inspiration for many people in Canada and overseas.

"You’re all especially focussed and determined to make a difference," said His Excellency. "And together, you’re part of a community that is changing Canada for the better, one act at a time."