ST. JOHN AMBULANCE INVESTS 24 OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS INTO THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN
August 03, 2023

Sub-Lieutenant Sean Livingston receives bronze lifesaving medal of the Order

OTTAWA, ON (June 20, 2022) – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, in her capacity as the Prior of the Priory of Canada, invested 24 outstanding Canadian volunteers into the Order of St. John at a ceremony held in the Senate Building of Canada on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Sub-Lieutenant Sean Livingston was also presented with a Lifesaving Medal of the Order in Bronze.

The Order of St. John recognizes meritorious service and dedication to duty by the volunteers of St. John Ambulance. The Order of St. John is a Royal Order of Chivalry and is part of the Canadian Honours System. As such, all appointments are sanctioned by the Governor General on behalf of the Queen of Canada.

Receiving the highest honour that the Order can bestow – the grade of Bailiff Grand Cross, was Mr. Robert White from Brooklin, ON. White began his volunteer career with St. John Ambulance as a young cadet in 1988 and served in various roles of ever-increasing responsibilities at the local, provincial, national, and international levels ever since. In 2012 he was elected Deputy Chancellor and in 2014 became Chancellor for the Priory of Canada. Over the past 34 years White has contributed over 16,000 hours of voluntary service to St. John.

Promoted to the grade of Knight was Major Robert Frank (retired) of Pointe Claire, QC, E. David Hodgins of Victoria, BC, and Mr. Richard Neville of Ottawa, ON. 

John Macdonell of Ottawa, ON, Dr. Kevin McCormick of Sudbury, ON, and Andrew Philpot of Kamloops, BC, were promoted to the grade of Commander at the ceremony. 

Receiving the Insignia of Officer were Brandon Fang, Patricia Kearney, and Vicken Koundakjian of Ottawa, ON and Lieutenant-Colonel Henri Levasseur (retired) of Quebec City, QC. 

The following individuals received the Insignia of Member:
 

  • Corporal Stephen Brown – Peachland, BC
  • Major-General Guy Chapdelaine – Montreal, QC
  • Paul Filkiewicz – Toronto, ON
  • Captain Mark Gallant – Nepean, ON
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Joudrey (retired) – London, ON
  • Gloria Madden – Brockville, ON
  • Christopher McCormick – Sudbury, ON
  • Michael Osborne – Oakville, ON
  • Warrant Officer Claire Paquet – Jacques-Cartier, QC
  • Jason Paul – Mountain, ON
  • Lisa Paul – Mountain, ON
  • Alexandra Tardif-Morency – Laval, QC
  • Jerry Rankin – Kanata, ON

 

On January 13, 2021, Sean Livingston helped save the life of a man that had smashed his car into a tree outside his home. Livingston instructed his wife to call 911 after hearing a loud crash in the middle of the night. Approaching the car, Livingston saw a man slumped over inside and could smell rotten eggs in the air from a gas leak. Fighting the urge to flee, Livingston slid the driver out of the car onto the ground while supporting his head and neck and dragged him as far as possible to safety while they waited for Emergency Services to arrive. For his heroic and selfless acts of bravery, and for his knowledge and use of first aid, Sub-Lieutenant Sean Livingston was awarded the St. John Life-saving medal at the Bronze level.
 

About St. John Ambulance 
As Canada’s standard for excellence in First Aid and CPR services, St. John Ambulance offers innovative programs ensuring Canadians receive the best quality training. Revenue generated from training supports St. John Ambulance’s charitable work. St. John Ambulance is an international humanitarian organization and part of the Order of St. John. Our Vision: Everyone in Canada prepared to save a life. Learn more at www.sja.ca.

Contact: communicaitons@sja.ca