Canadian Honours Presentation

Governor General Julie Payette presented honours to 40 recipients during a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Governor General Julie Payette presented honours to 40 recipients during a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Alex Harvey was presented with a Meritorious Service Cross.  In 2017, Alex Harvey made Canadian cross-country ski history by becoming the first North American to win the Nordic World Ski Championships. A role model for young people, he is actively involved in numerous social and community causes, promoting healthy, active living and encouraging teens to stay in school.

A Meritorious Service Medals was presented to the Doctors Olivier Farmer and Lison Gagné, the architects of the Programme réaffiliation itinérance et santé mentale. By offering intensive psychosocial care in addition to medical and psychiatric treatments and follow ups, this initiative is helping the homeless to get off the streets. In partnership with several community organizations, this program has changed the lives of nearly 150 homeless people by giving them stable housing and facilitating their social reintegration.

A Meritorious Service Medal was presented to Musician Robb Nash who shares music and a message of hope with millions of Canadian youth, playing concerts in schools, detention centres and other small venues where he speaks candidly of suicide, depression, bullying, self-harm and addiction. The lives he has touched are evidenced in a tattoo on his arm bearing the names of fans who have handed him discarded suicide notes as a gesture of solidarity, strength and perseverance.

Amar (Alex) Sangha was presented with a Meritorious Service Medal.  He is the founder of Sher Vancouver, a cultural and support group for LGBTQ+ South Asians, their friends and their families. With patience and compassion, he has built bridges in his community and changed social attitudes toward all types of lifestyles. His courage to speak out in the face of prejudice and resistance paved the way for countless others to step forward and began a cross-cultural dialogue on understanding diversity.

Constables in training Charlène Desrosiers and Gabriel Roy-Lacouture were presented with Medals of Bravery.  On August 9, 2015, they attempted to rescue two people from drowning near the Dorwin Falls, in Rawdon, Quebec. Arriving on the scene, CIT Roy-Lacouture jumped into the water and swam 15 metres to rescue a distressed child, returning him to shore and handing him off to CIT Desrosiers. Noticing another victim in the water, CIT Roy-Lacouture swam out again to retrieve the boy’s father. Exhausted, he called for help and CIT Desrosiers jumped in to help bring the unconscious man back to shore. Tragically, the father did not survive.

Cameron Gouck and 10-year-old Keegan Herries was presented with a Medal of Bravery. On July 2, 2017, they saved the life of a man who was drowning in the Welland River, in Chippawa, Ontario. The pair were standing on a dock when they heard cries for help. Mr. Herries immediately jumped into the fast-moving water and swam out to the man, nine metres from the dock. The panicked victim grabbed hold of Mr. Herries, pulling both of them under. Mr. Gouck quickly jumped into the water and persuaded the victim to release the boy and grab onto him instead. They then worked together to bring the distraught man back towards the dock.

Hayley Hesseln was presented with a Medal of Bravery. On February 4, 2018, she rescued a woman who had fallen through the frozen South Saskatchewan River, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Ms. Hesseln heard screams coming from the river and saw the victim clinging to an ice shelf, six metres from shore. Grabbing two five-foot-long fallen branches, Ms. Hesseln lay flat on her stomach and dragged herself across the ice, using the branches to pull the victim out of the water. Once safely returned to shore, she covered the victim in her winter coat and ran to a nearby road to get assistance from passing drivers.

A Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers was presented to Jasdeep Bajwa. For more than 15 years, Jasdeep Bajwa has been involved in the Ottawa Sikh Society as a fundraiser, board member and organizer. He has become a role model for youth and is considered an exceptional leader in his community.

A Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers was presented to Amanda Fritz. Through her work with the McCord Museum and the Montreal Children’s Library, Amanda Fritz has made it possible for kids in underserved areas to access the museum and library programs for free. In addition, as a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, she has encouraged individuals and corporations to practice ethical fundraising.

A Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers was presented to Joe Goudie. For more than 40 years, Joe Goudie has worked to preserve local heritage and to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, notably as the founder of the Labrador Heritage Society and as the former president of the Labrador Métis Association.