61-year-old charged with bootlegging

Peter Lozinski
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61-year-old charged with bootlegging

A 61-year-old is facing charged after a bootlegging investigation from late May.

Between May 18 and 20, Stony Rapids RCMP began focusing on bootlegging in Stony Rapids and Black Lake.

Three bottles of alcohol were seized valued at about $300 if they were to be illegally resold.
A 61-year-old man from Black Lake is charged with selling beverage alcohol, section 138(1) of the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act. The investigation is ongoing.

“The RCMP sits on a number of committees working to reduce bootlegging and the impact of alcohol in and around our northern communities. We are dedicated to continuing to work with our partners and communities who have resolutions in place to curb bootlegging,” said Sgt. Uliski, Stony Rapids/Black Lake detachment commander in a press release..

“Specifically in the Black Lake area, we have met with local Chief and Council and other community partners twice over the past six months to discuss alcohol strategies.”

Nisbet Church and blockhouse to come down by June 21

Peter Lozinski
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Nisbet Church and blockhouse to come down by June 21

The historic Nisbet Church and Blockhouse located in Kinsmen Park will be dismantled before June 21.

According to a press release, the buildings have been “underutilized” for the last 40 years.

“The Nisbet Church and Blockhouse are buildings of historical significance to the city and the province. Unfortunately, because they’ve been moved from their original locations near the river and they have deteriorated over the years, they are now a hazard and difficult to restore,” said Connie Gerwing, president of the Historical Society in a press release.

“The City and the Prince Albert Historical Society together have decided that the best course of action is to take them apart, save as much of the original structures as possible and store them. Our plan is to reconstruct them in some form when a suitable location and funding are available.”

Since the buildings were moved from their original location, they’re not eligible for heritage protection.

Stable parts of the buildings will be protected and preserved in another location. The city and the Historical Society will work to save the historically relevant parts of the building, including the gun ports in the blockhouse.

The work is to be done by Darryl Sande of Pipestone Creek Contracting prior to National Aboriginal Day celebrations on June 21.

The Nisbet Churh/School was constructed in 1872 by Rev. James Nisbet downtown. He used the church for his mission in Prince Albert until 1881. It was moved to its current location in 1932 to be used as a heritage museum, a purpose it served until the 1950s, and again from the early 1970s until 1977.

The Blockhouse was constructed as a stable for P.A.’s first lawyer, William Maclise, in 1881 by Archie Ballantine.

It was used as a stable until 1885, when it was transformed into a blockhouse to protect the city during the North-West Resistance, and moved to its current location in 1933.

Home, sweet home

Peter Lozinski
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Home, sweet home

Tuesday was one of the best days in the cycle of a new Habitat for Humanity home, likely second only to move in day.

Tuesday was the day a family got to see what would be their new home, and step inside, for the first time.

The family in question — the Shar and Paw family — was on hand for the unveiling, as were representatives from Saskatchewan Polytechnic, where the home was framed and exterior finished, and government officials.

The home was funded through a joint provincial and federal agreement that saw the two governments jointly contribute $65,000 to build the home through the 2014-19 Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement. The build itself is a partnership between Habitat for Humanity Prince Albert and Saskatchewan Polytechnic Institute. The home is the fourth of five to be put together by Level 1 and Level 2 carpentry students at the institution.

But while the institution and the government were touting their contributions, it was clear the event was about one key element — the family.

“We are very excited,” said Lay Nah Shar, whose wife Ku Paw and three children will move into the house once it’s fully completed.

“We see the new house and everything. It looks really good and cool.”

The family had been rejected twice before they were finally approved on their third try.

“My wife pushed me really hard to get it,” Shar said. “I listened to her and tried again, and we got it.”

Tuesday, the as friends and family explored what will eventually become their new home, the three kids explored the house’s various rooms and chased each other through the wooden framing.

“They are (really looking forward to it too,” Shar said.

“Every time I drove by here, my kids told me ‘go this way, let’s go and see our house.’”

Construction on the home, a raised bungalow about 1,175 square feet in size, began in April. Level 1 carpentry students begin construction, and Level 2 apprentices complete the framing and the exterior finish as part of their training.

For now, the house is located beside the east end of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic building. Now that the students are done with it, it will be moved to its new location at 767 17th Street West. There, other tradespeople and the family will work together to put up walls and ceilings, and outfit the house with everything needed to make it a home.

For Habitat Prince Albert president Victoria Jurgens, seeing a family explore what will be their new home for the first time stirs up positive memories.

“It’s so exciting to watch them, because it almost feels like your own house. You can remember when you (moved),” she said.

A key element of any Habitat for Humanity build is the family’s sweat equity. A total of 500 hours are required, but many families put in much more.

“With this family, it’s easy to see they’re going to be out helping others as well,” she said.

With all the work left to do inside, there are lots of opportunities for the family, and other volunteers, to come help.

But the framing and exterior are done, and that’s a big help. While the partnership only has one more home to go, Jurgens is hopeful Sask. Polytech and Habitat for Humanity can work together more in the future.

“I would hope that we could continue,” she said.

“That’s an important point from today. This is giving students skills they’re going to use down the road as well. It’s a tangible skill. They can actually practice what they’re learning and they get to see the benefits directly for the community and fore the family they’re building the home for.”

A build like this doesn’t just benefit the family receiving the home. According to numbers provided by Jurgens, a 2015 study showed that for every $1 spent, about $4 of benefits accrue back to society. In Prince Albert, that means with an average of $175,000 per partner family and 27 homes built, it amounts to a value of $4.725 million in societal benefits to Prince Albert alone.

The project will provide great benefit to the community. It’s a benefit Sask. Polytech would also like to see continue. Dan Duperreault, the associate dean for the schools of construction and transportation, would also like to see the partnership with Habitat for Humanity extend beyond just one more build.

“The applied learning is a fantastic thing. It’s something we pride ourselves on,” he said.

“We do build other projects, and students do different projects o make sure they match the outcome and learn what is intended to be learned. But something like a house for Habitat is fantastic because it’s a true project that people will live in.”

Some of that work includes building things like sheds and cupboards for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. But nothing quite compares to seeing a family explore their future home for the first time.

“This is great,” Dupperreault said.

“This is the first time I’ve represented Saskatchewan Polytechnic at this event. It’s extremely rewarding and I hope to be back next year.”

 

 

Ride on

Peter Lozinski
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Ride on

Pine Needle Music and Mountain Bike festival boasts another year of growth

With a little help from Mother Nature, the annual Pine Needle Music and Mountain Bike festival saw even bigger numbers this year than last, the previous best year on record.

The annual festival combines a daylong mountain bike relay through Little Red River Park with a kids’ wilderness race and a slate of concerts. All proceeds collected go back to Little Red.

“It was our biggest and most well-attended festival to date,” said organizer Mike Horn.

In total, 149 people rode in the six0hour mountain bike relay, and 87 kids ran in the wilderness run. In addition, there were six bands, bouncy castles and multiple food vendors, as well as “tons of people” who came out to listen to the music and enjoy the food.

“I had a lot of really good, positive feedback from people that have been there before, and they were commenting on how many more people there were over last year,” Horn said.

“Last year was a good year too, so they were all pretty excited.”

Food vendors were running out by the end of the day – a good problem to have, Horn said.

One reason for the event’s success was the cooperation of the weather.

“Friday and Saturday were a lot less desirable. Even Monday. We had this little sliver of sunshine in between. That helped,” Horn said.

“Mother Nature helped us too. It can make or break an outdoor event. If you have a cool, wet, rainy day you’re not going to get people out. They came out in droves. The bands were great, and the mountain bikers were riding hard and doing their best, we had good feedback from them too. “

Horn and the event’s other organizers are now looking through to see how much money they were able to raise. Early indications put that figure at about the $5,000 mark. That means, over the last eight years, the event has raised about $50,000 for Little Red River Park.

“As the festival grows, it gets tricky,” Horn said.

“Our revenue stream is from the registrations of the cyclists and our local sponsors. Without that, we don’t really have anything to donate, so the local sponsorship money is huge in helping cover the costs of running the event.”

To grow it, Horn said, they might have to push more for people to fundraise and collect pledges.

‘We’ve got to really put the emphasis on that because that really helps drive the money we can donate back into Little Red.”

With the strong turnout this year and last, Horn hopes to continue to put on the festival. Next year’s date — June 9, 2019 — has already been chosen.

“it’s hard to quit when there’s a lot of momentum and excitement around it,” he said.

While the funds that are raised are important, so is the experience, and the ability to show people all that Little Red can offer.

“That’s one of the reasons why we do this festival, to really put the spotlight on Little Red,” he said.

“We’re very fortunate to have this part. It’s not only about money, but also an awareness thing for the park. Getting that many people out enjoying and using it is, I think, probably almost more valuable than the money. We want to keep on doing that.”

Students paint P.A.’s first rainbow crosswalk for Pride month

Peter Lozinski
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Students paint P.A.’s first rainbow crosswalk for Pride month

Drivers and pedestrians frequenting the area between Carlton Comprehensive High School and Carlton Court Plaza will notice a colourful difference this month.

Students from the school’s Queers and Allies (Q&A) group received the go-ahead earlier this year to paint the crosswalk in Pride colours.

The school provided the materials and the labour. The city just helped with traffic control.

The project was inspired by last year’s visual promotion of Pride Month, where the pride and trans colours were displayed on doors as people entered the school.

They were put up to recognize that it is an important month, and that diversity and inclusivity exists within the school and the community, said Adrienne Schenk, a Carlton teacher and the club’s supervisor.

“We had a positive response. My principal suggested we go bigger next year,” Schenk said.

“She suggested we paint the crosswalk. We ended up getting permission to do so, and here we are today.”

The proposal came up at a May 28 council meeting. It received a lot of support, but Mayor Greg Dionne voiced concerns about safety issues, such as crosswalk visibility. Ultimately, the motion passed.

Already. Schenk said, the project has generated a lot of interest.

“It’s super important and it’s super informative,” she said.

“It was creating great conversation as we were out there this morning. Kids were asking what it was for, and not just asking me but asking their peers as well, so some of our students were able to explain to their peers what’s going on. We have a lot of schools coming to track from elementary schools walking by and wondering what’s going on. So to see us literally putting a mark, a positive mark on our community, I think was really cool. The kids are feeling pretty pumped about it.”

One of the students involved in the project is Ailah Carpenter, She joined the Q&A club last year, when it formed, and remains a member this year. She was happy city council accepted their proposal to paint the Pride flag in the crosswalk.

“I was more than pleased. There have been bad experiences off and on throughout the city,” Carpenter said.

“I know (Mayor Dionne) didn’t agree with us completely, but at least we got to do this for the sake of everyone else who believes it matters, because it’s harmless and it means something.”

The crosswalk that was painted does have an overhead light indicating it is a crosswalk. The students also painted the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violent rainbow colours between the crosswalk’s existing white bars, so as to not diminish the crosswalk’s visibility.

Students and teachers on site said the response to the project has been positive so far, a good sign, as a similar project in Saskatoon was vandalized last year.

The crosswalk project is only one event planned by the group this year. They will be marching in Saturday’s pride parade, and have other events planned throughout the month.

But this week, the focus is on the crosswalk. Staff and students agreed the project sends a strong message to students at Carlton.

“I believe that bringing visibility whether or not you are out is not only inclusive, it’s a reminder that there re people out there who think the same, who feel the same about just wanting to be yourself,” Carpenter said.

Schenk was proud of the students.

“To show our kids, some are allies, some identify as a member of the queer community, to see them out there saying ‘hey, this is us, take it or leave it, love us or not, we’re ok with it, we’re comfortable in our own skin,’ is huge,” she said.

“I hope that message is sent to our students who, for whatever reason, aren’t at a place yet where they feel safe enough or comfortable enough to do so, that they still see that we accept them and love them for who they are.”

Chamber of Commerce announces new CEO

Peter Lozinski
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Chamber of Commerce announces new CEO

A Saskatoon-area entrepreneur has been selected as the new CEO of the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber sent out a press release Monday evening announcing Elise Hildebrandt as the new person in the position, with a start date of June 4.

Hildebrandt has worked in the financial industry for 20 years, and has experience in business, self-employment and community-development. She has also been active in non-profit and community associations, which, according to the press release brings “significant knowledge with Chamber of Commerce operation and development.”

“We are ecstatic to have Elise as our new CEO,” said Meghan Mayer, board chair of the Chamber in a press release.

“She comes with an extensive background of experience in working with Chambers and a wealth of business knowledge. We are confident she’s an excellent fit for the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce.”

A quick web search brings up a Mortgage Centre site listing Hildebrandt as a Mortgage Associate with The Mortgage Centre Saskatoon. The website has a Warman Chamber of Commerce logo on it.

Her LinkedIn page lists her as having worked in the mortgage industry since 2002.

Hildebrandt said she is excited to get to know the Prince Albert business community.

“I think this is an exciting time for the Prince Albert and district businesses, board of Directors, myself and Chamber staff,” Hildebrandt said.

“We have a chance to review our goals and start to shape what we want the future of the business community to look like.”

“I believe the Chamber is about keeping the business community engaged via education, advocacy and networking. It’s recognizing and acknowledging each other’s business accomplishments and at the end of the day making sure our business voice is heard.”

The CEO position has been vacant since Kelvin Pankiw was relieved of his duties earlier this year. He had been selected to succeed Larry Fladager, who retired at the end of 2017. Pankiw was let go just three months after he started work as chamber CEO.

A message of hope

Peter Lozinski
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A message of hope

Survivors’ lap provides hopeful message as dozens attend annual Relay for Life event to raise money for cancer research and remember those who have been lost

Of the last 18 Relays for Life, Vern Hodgins has been involved in 17 of them.

He walked in the first event, and a few others, but mostly he helped plan and organize the annual fundraiser.

Saturday was a little different.

This time, Hodgins was at the front of the pack, carrying the banner for the survivor’s walk. It was his first time being on that side of the iconic moment.

“If you look at all these people wearing all these yellow shirts, some are saying they’re 17 year, 20 year or 30 year survivors. I’m a five-week survivor.”

Hodgins had his surgery just five weeks ago. While the survivors’ lap has always held meaning for him, this year’s meant more than ever before.

“It was very emotional,” he said.

“I know a lot of these people. A lot of those people following us are friends of mine. I’ve watched them over the years; stood there as a committee member and watched them go by. Now that I’ve been in it, I realized how powerful it is. Before, I didn’t realize the impact it had.”

That same impact was likely felt by the 155 other survivors, all dressed in matching yellow t-shirts, who followed the banner around Kinsmen Park for the first lap of the 2018 Prince Albert Relay for Life. Despite the cold and the rain, 15 teams consisting of 140 walkers came out to raise $62,606 for cancer research and to share a message of hope.

 

The face for that message, this year, was 17-year-old Chelsea Mitchell. Mitchell and her family were the honorary chairpersons for the 2018 event. Before the survivors’ lap got started, the Mitchells took to the stage to talk about their journey with cancer.

Chelsea was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in 2013. She did three rounds of chemotherapy over eight months. When Chelsea didn’t respond to the chemo, the Mitchell family packed up and moved to Calgary, where Chelsea was to receive a stem cell transplant.

After the transplant, and radiation and more chemotherapy, Chelsea was cancer-free. Four and a half years later, she still struggles with some of the after effects of her treatment.

“Our family, like many families, has had many ups and many downs, but we feel very blessed Chelsea has beaten it,” said Chelsea’s mom Shelley Mitchell.

“That’s why we’re so excited to be a part of Relay for Life this year. I truly believe one day there will be a cure, and this is how we accomplish it – together as a community.”

As honorary chairperson, Chelsea got to cut the ribbon to start the relay, and she walked the first lap just behind Hodgins.

“It felt really good to be starting it,” she said.

“It’s quite powerful. Everybody gets to see all the people who have accomplished beating the type of cancer they had. (When people) see all these survivors … they’ll have hope that they can be in their place one day.”

While the theme of the day was hope, there was still the important acknowledgement of all who have been lost.

The Mitchells didn’t just walk to celebrate Chelsea’s success. They also walked to remember someone who wasn’t so lucky.

“Mason Gariepy, this is for you,” Shelley said before her daughter departed for the survivors’ lap.

Mason was a seven-year-old boy from Prince Albert who also battled leukemia. However, unlike Chelsea, who had ALL, Mason was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. It’s rarer, and has a lower survival rate than ALL.

“He also went to Calgary for a transplant,” Shelley said.

“Same doctor, same team as Chelsea, but he passed away in December. We’re walking for him. He was only seven years old. It’s unfair and it needs to stop.”

Other participants walked for others who had lost their battles to cancer. The names of those loved ones lost were written on the side of the luminaries that lined the walking path where the relay participants walked their lap. A total of 627 luminaries were purchased in honour of someone who lost their fight with cancer.

But even though the event remembered those who didn’t make it, that message of hope still remained intact.

“It’s amazing,” Shelley said. “It’s hope. Exactly what the big luminary ceremony will be about today, it’s hope.

“Even though we’ve lost a lot on the way, there’s still that hope that some day there will be a cure. That’s why we do this. We get together and try to raise awareness and raise as much money as we can for research so someday another child won’t have to go through what Chelsea went through or what Mason’s family is going through right now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conservatives, Council of Canadians decry purchase of Trans Mountain Pipeline

Peter Lozinski
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Conservatives, Council of Canadians decry purchase of Trans Mountain Pipeline

A pair of unlikely allies found themselves on the same side of a contentious issue Monday, though for very different reasons.

The Council of Canadians, an advocacy group that advocates for a shift away from the use of fossil fuels, held a national day of action Monday to protest the federal government’s announced plan to buy Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline assets for $4.5 billion. The Prince Albert chapter participated by protesting outside of MP Randy Hoback’s office.

And while politically, Hoback and the Council of Canadians rarely see eye-to-eye, not spending $4.5 billion in public money on a pipeline is one thing they can agree on.

“(The Council of Canadians) is against pipelines in general. We need to leave the oil in the soil,” chapter spokesperson Nancy Carswell said.

About a dozen people showed up to the demonstration with signs offering suggestions for better ways to spend $4.5 billion, including education, veterans, renewable energy and clean drinking water for First Nations people living on reserve.

The group came with a list of alternative ways to spend the money going to the Trans Mountain Pipeline. They handed that list to a staffer, with the intent of getting it to Hoback, and eventually, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“We’re in agreement that the buyout is a bad idea,” Carswell said of Hoback, “Although the reasoning and the rational is very different.”

In response to the day of action, Hoback put out a statement himself condemning the decision to nationalize the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

“This handout of taxpayers’ money will not build one inch of new pipeline,” he wrote.

“Every penny of the purchase will go into the pockets of a Texas oil company which will now build pipelines outside of Canada in competition with our industry.

“Under Trudeau’s leadership, our oil industry went from Kinder Morgan wanting to invest $7 billion in Canada, to sending over $4 billion of taxpayers’ money out of our country into the United States. Trudeau vetoed the approved Northern Gateway pipeline and killed the Energy East pipeline with last minute rule changes and a regulatory standard that do not apply to companies shipping oil into Canada. Kinder Morgan wanted certainty, not taxpayer money to build its pipeline.”

Hoback also argued fewer regulations would have guaranteed the conditions for success to build the pipeline, even though current delays are being caused by objections from the BC government. He also argued that the pipeline purchase would give the federal government total control of movement of oil to tidewater “if the government choses to ban the transport of oil by rail and truck when the pipeline is completed

“The industry could face a slow and agonizing death through federally imposed regulation,” the statement said.

While Hoback would like to see regulations removed and the oil industry grow, the Council of Canadians would like to see that $4.5 billion used instead to retrain people working in the oil sector to make them employable in the renewable energy sector.

“We need to rapidly transition off fossil fuels towards a fossil free economy,” Carswell said.

“By building a pipeline, we are perpetuating our dependence on fossil fuels, particularly by ripping and shipping it out of the country on bitumen. Let’s take this 4.5 billion and start retraining workers who want retraining.”

Carswell mentioned a group, Iron and Earth, led by workers and aiming to help train people working in oil and gas into renewable energy workers.

“Workers in the oilfields can do many things,” Carswell said, “And they prefer to do renewables.”

P.A. Pride 2018 off to a flying start

Peter Lozinski
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P.A. Pride 2018 off to a flying start

A legal dispute may have ended the city’s practice of raising courtesy flags on its guest flagpole, but thanks to Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the Pride flag is still flying over Prince Albert this year.

Monday marked the first day of Pride Week, held annually to mark the progress made and raise awareness about the work yet to be done in accepting members of the LGBTQ+ community.

According to Jennifer Brockman, seeing the flag flying at Saskatchewan Polytechnic is an important message.

“I think that symbolism is really important. It shows that Sask. Polytech is doing the work towards diversity and inclusion, and it’s important for people who may not feel comfortable or safe to go to different pride-related community events,” Brockman said.

“They know when they see that symbol, this is a safe place to go, and they’re accepted and loved for who they are. That symbolism is really important to have and to show and acknowledge this week.

The six-coloured rainbow pride flag was designed in San Francisco in 1978. The original design had eight colours, selected through colour therapy, each with its own meaning. Pink and turquoise were dropped because they were not a part of the flag manufacturer’s palette.

The current flag includes red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for serenity/harmony and violet for spirit.

About a dozen people attended the flag raising Monday morning, including Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt. While some Prince Albert city councillors often attend pride events, many are still in Halifax, where they travelled this past weekend for the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference.

“I know within our NDP caucus we feel it’s important to attend many Pride events going on this month because we want to make sure people know it’s a safe place within our party. We’re going to have good representation at the Pride parade as well,” Rancourt said.

“It’s really nice that Sask. Polytech continues their flag raising here. Wirth a lot of students attending, its important to show that it’s a safe place and diversity is important.”

Brockman thanked Rancourt for attending.

“Nicole Rancourt has always been very supportive of our community,” they said,

“Just knowing that she personally and the NDP are not only saying they have diversity and inclusion within, but taking the steps to actually show it too.”

Premier under fire for skipping pride parade

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe will not be attending the Regina Pride Parade, several media outlets have reported. According to CBC, Moe plans to be in his home riding of Rosthern-Shellbrook that day. The Sask. Party said other government MLAs will be attending Pride events.

Rancourt said she was disappointed with the premier’s decision.

“I think it’s really important for him to show that he’s inclusive, and diversity is very important within our government,” she said.

“We feel it’s important to show support to all Saskatchewan residents and show that diversity is really important.”

In a statement, the government defended its support of the LGBTQ community.

“Our government supports the LGBTQ community and supports inclusion, safety and compassion in Saskatchewan,” said the statement, which noted several government MLAs will be attending Pride events.

Schedule of events:

Tuesday
Movie night — Stublejumper. A docudrama. 6 p.m. at the library. Free

Thursday
Indigenous Peoples Artist Collective film festival 7 p.m. at the Mann Art Gallery. Free.

Friday
Drag 101, 7-9 p.m. at the Prince Albert Union Centre. Free.

Saturday
Prince Albert Pride Parade, noon at the Federal courthouse (Court of Queen’s Bench) marching south to Kinsmen Park

Pride in the Park and community BBQ. Free. 1 p.m. at the Kinsmen Park amphitheatre.

P.A. man to be honoured for bravery

Peter Lozinski
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P.A. man to be honoured for bravery

A Prince Albert man will receive one of the highest honours in the country for his valiant efforts saving a life in 2013.

Ronald Minter of Prince Albert and Const. Elmer Russell of the Saskatchewan RCMP are receiving the Medal of Bravery, which recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

On May 31, 2013, Minter and Russell teamed up to rescue a man from his burning vehicle in Saskatoon.

The driver was intoxicated and fleeing police.

According to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Russell was following an impaired driver speeding north on Hwy. 11. During the pursuit, the driver struck and killed conservation officer Justin Knackstedt, who was assisting the RCMP.

The SUV rolled off of an overpass, landed on its roof and caught fire, with the driver trapped inside.

Despite heavy smoke and the risk of an explosion, Russell continued trying to reach the driver. Minter joined Russell as they broke a window to free the man.

The man was hanging upside down in his seat inside the SUV.

They released him from his seat belt, but his legs were still trapped underneath the steering wheel. The two men raced against time, tugging the man free and dragging him to safety.

Both men were previously awarded with the Royal Canadian Humane Association Bravery Awards silver medal.

Minter and Russell will be honoured during a June 5 ceremony by Governor General Julie Payette, one of 43 people receiving honours.

In addition to the decorations for bravery, the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Meritorious Service Decorations and the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers will be handed out.

The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972 to recognize those who risk their own lives or choose to defy their survival instinct to save someone whose life is in danger.

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