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Appointments

After a number of years working with the search and rescue program in Saskatchewan, Carla Dee Bellanger has moved on to the position of Manager, Saskatchewan Emergency Social Services.

Ken Snell, Public Safety Officer, has now taken over the search and rescue file for Public Safety & Sask911, which includes serving as a provincial representative on the Ground Search and Rescue Council of Canada.

Brad Andres has been appointed Emergency Management Officer, Government of Alberta.

Singer and composer Loreena McKennitt has been appointed Honourary Colonel of 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron.

Geraldine Underdown has been appointed Interim Executive Director of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat replacing Jean Murray. Ms. Underdown comes to the Secretariat from the Department of National Defence where she was Director General, Nuclear Safety.

Anne-Marie Pelletier, formerly Director for the Health and Environment Policy division at Environment Canada, has been appointed Director, Policy and Review with the National Search and Rescue Secretariat.

Walter Parnell is the new President of the Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association, replacing Charlie Strickland.

There have been three new appointments within the Canadian Forces with respect to SAR:

• Rear Admiral T.H.W. Pile has been appointed Commander joint task force in Esquimalt. He will be Commander for the Pacific SAR region.
  
  
• Brigadier General J.M. Duval has been promoted to Major General and appointed to Commander 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg.
  
  
• Major General J.D.A. Hincke has been appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff at the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, replacing Major General W.A. Watt. He will be the Canadian Forces representative to the Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue.

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After almost six years as Executive Director of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Jean Murray has moved to the Department of Public Safety as Director General, Emergency Management Policy.

Ms. Murray created a national search and rescue (SAR) planning, management and reporting framework which has improved the overall coordination of the National SAR program at all levels of government. She has improved collaboration among the members of the Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue and National Ground Search and Rescue Council of Canada, which together represent all jurisdictions across the country.

Ms. Murray has strengthened the ties between Canada and other countries with similar SAR challenges and has gained recognition for SAR in Canada among several nations. She improved the accountability and management of the SAR New Initiatives Fund and strengthened the national conference, SARSCENE to include all parts of the SAR community: air, marine and ground.

Perhaps her greatest impact, however, was in the field of boating safety where Ms. Murray has devoted significant professional and personal time promoting the wear of Personal Flotation Devices and maintaining a strong commitment to SAR prevention through her involvement as a Director of the Canadian Safe Boating Council.

Ms. Murray's commitment to Search and Rescue and her accomplishments as the Executive Director of the NSS have set a higher standard for Search and Rescue in Canada.

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Awards

On February 15th 2007, Major Joe Goodyear, a maritime air navigator from Newfoundland, was awarded the Russian medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms.

The medal recognizes Maj. Goodyear's role in the rescue of a Russian sailor, on October 29, 2001. The sailor was in critical condition after developing a post-operative infection at sea. Maj. Goodyear and his crew airlifted the sailor off the ship and took him to a Hospital in Northern Ireland. All crew members involved in the rescue were awarded with the Russian Federation medal which is given to foreigners who assist Russians in emergency situations.

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In February 2007, Sergeant Marc Saumure was awarded a National Assembly Medal for his outstanding contribution to search and rescue. It has been announced that Yves Duguay-Gagné and Sergeant Arnold Lessard will also be receiving National Assembly Medals for their role in SAR.

Both Sgt. Lessard and Sgt. Saumure are Police Coordinators for ground SAR with the Sûreté du Québec. Mr. Duguay-Gagné is active and involved with ground SAR volunteers and is the civil coordinator for his district. All three have helped create the "Programme provincial de gestion des bénévoles en recherche et sauvetage de la Sûreté du Québec".

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