Medal of Bravery (Canada)

Medal of Bravery
Reverse of the Medal of Bravery
Awarded by the Queen of Canada
Type	Medal
Awarded for	Acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.
Status	Currently awarded
Post-nominals	MB
Statistics
Established	1 May 1972
First awarded	20 July 1972
Total awarded	2,522
Precedence
Next (higher)	Medal of Military Valour
Next (lower)	Meritorious Service Medal
Ribbon of the Medal of Bravery

The Medal of Bravery (French: Médaille de la Bravoure) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the third highest award for bravery,^[1] and one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council. Created in 1972, the medal is presented to both living and deceased individuals deemed to have performed "acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances,"^[2] and grants recipients the ability to use the post-nominal letters MB.^[2]

Design

The Medal of Bravery is in the form of a 31.8 millimetres (1.25 in) diameter silver medal with, on the obverse, the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch beneath a St. Edward's Crown, symbolizing the Canadian monarch's role as the fount of honour,^[3] and the inscription BRAVERY • BRAVOURE. The reverse bears a maple leaf surrounded by a laurel wreath, and the name and rank of the recipient is engraved on the medal's edge.^[2]

This medallion is worn on the left chest, on a 31.8mm wide ribbon coloured red with three vertical blue stripes: for men, hung from a bar, and for women, on a ribbon bow, both pinned to the left chest.^[2] Should an individual already possessing a Medal of Bravery be awarded the medal again for subsequent acts of bravery, he or she is granted a medal bar, in silver and bearing a maple leaf, for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.^[2]

Eligibility and presentation

On 1 May 1972, Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of her Cabinet under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, created the Medal of Bravery to recognize acts of great gallantry. The name of any person, living or deceased, may be submitted to the Canadian Decorations Advisory Council^[4] — a part of the Chancellery of Honours at Government House — as a possible recipient of the Medal of Bravery. It is not necessary that the act of bravery take place in Canada, nor must the person who carried out the act be a Canadian; however, the event must have involved Canadians and/or Canadian interests. Nominations can be made no later than two years following either the act of bravery itself or the conclusion of any coroner's or court's inquest into the events for which the person was nominated.^[1] As of August 2009, the Medal of Bravery has been presented to 2,478 people, though no bars have yet been issued.^[5]

Commemoration

The Royal Canadian Mint in 2006 released a general circulation commemorative quarter showing on the reverse a variation of the design of the Medal of Bravery.

Recipients

The following are some notable recipients of the Medal of Bravery:

• Robert Binder MB, awarded 26 November 2010^[6]
• Mary Margaret 'Diane' Brock MB, awarded 2 December 1977^[7]
• Joseph Jacques Mario Charette MB, awarded 1 February 1994^[8]
• Konrad Lionel Shourie MB, awarded 18 April 2002^[9]
• Éric Fortier MB, awarded 18 April 2002^[10]
• M. Mohamed Chelali MB, awarded 19 June 2003^[11]
• Paul Landry MB, awarded 26 February 2002^[12]
• John Boyarski MB, awarded 19 August 1989^[13]

See also

• Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
• State decoration

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Decorations > Decorations for Bravery". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.gg.ca/honours/decorations/bra/index_e.asp. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Veterans Affairs Canada. "Canada Remembers > Records & Collections > Canadian Orders, Medals and Decorations > Canadian Military Medals and Decorations > Modern Honours of Canada > Medal of Bravery". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group02/mb. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
3. ^ Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Honours and Recognition Programs > Canadian National Honours". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/nat-honour-honneur/index-eng.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2009. 
4. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Decorations > Decorations for Bravery > Eligibility and Nominations". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.gg.ca/honours/decorations/bra/bd-info_e.asp. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
5. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Decorations > Decorations for Bravery > Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List > Level of Award: Medal of Bravery". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/index_e.asp?results=1&Firstname=&Middlename=&Lastname=&City=&Province=&TypeID=br&Title=&PostNominal=&Incident=&Honours=1&AwardStart=&AwardEnd=&InvestStart=&InvestEnd=&npp=25. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
6. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada. "It's an Honour > Find a Recipient > Leading Seaman Robert Binder, M.B.". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=54440&t=3. Retrieved 7 December 2010. 
7. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Constable Mary Margaret Diane Brock, M.B.
8. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Caporal Joseph Jacques Mario Charette, M.B.
9. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Corporal Konrad Lionel Shourie, M.B.
10. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Dr. Éric Fortier, M.B.
11. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, M. Mohamed Chelali, M.B.
12. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Mr. Paul Landry, M.B.
13. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada Search: Decorations for Bravery Recipients List, Mr. John Boyarski, M.B.

External links

• Robertson, Megan C.. "C > Canada > Orders, Decorations and Medals of Canada > Medal of Bravery". http://www.medals.org.uk/canada/canada019.htm.