QUEBEC CITY – When Haiti endured a catastrophic earthquake, killing and injuring over 160,000 people, Canadian emergency personnel volunteered to help.
It’s just one example of the acts of bravery being recognized in Quebec City on Monday.
“There were a lot of friends over there who died…people that I shook hands with 15 minutes before the earthquake,” Sgt. Claude Cuillerier with Montreal police recalled emotionally.
“I could hear people screaming, ‘Claude, help me.'”
The officer was trapped under rubble after the 2010 earthquake that levelled most of Port-au-Prince.
Even though he was scared for his own life, he tried to rescue as many others as he could.
“There was a person that was stuck in the basement. We could see her face, but she couldn’t get out, so we started to dig through the walls,” he said.
In his speech, Governor General David Johnston described the importance of the ceremony.
“The decorations for bravery are symbolic of our very best selves,” he said.
Canada’s Governor General recognized eight police and RCMP officers for their acts of bravery in Haiti and handed out medals for bravery to 31 individuals from across eastern Canada.
“I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like anyone who would have been in my place would have done the same thing,” said Cst. Paul-André Rodrigue, an RCMP officer also deployed to Haiti after the earthquake.
“You wouldn’t believe the number of cases we see every year of people putting their lives in danger to save somebody else, so I think it tells a lot about the generosity of Canadians,” said Governor General deputy secretary Emmanuelle Sajaous.
Every year, Canadians put forward nominations and the office of the Governor General reviews them all.
The number one criteria for “bravery” is putting someone else’s life before one’s own.