Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Among the medal recipients were Inspector Jean-Ernest Célestin, a police officer from the Montreal City Police Service who recently created Haiti’s first-ever police bike patrol, Corporal Jean-François Leduc, an RCMP member working closely with the Haitian National Police who helped restore peace and order in Fort Liberté after recent anti-government demonstrations, and Detective Sergeant Janice Laws, an officer from the Montreal City Police Service, who works with the UN Women’s Network in Haiti to promote the equality of women in policing.

Senior police officers from eight police services participated in the proceedings along with the Canadian chargé d’affaires, the UN’s Special Representative to the Secretary General in Haiti and the Chief of the Haitian National Police, among others.

Quick Facts

• Since 1989, more than 3,000 Canadian police have served in international peace operations in 30 countries. Nearly two-thirds of these men and women have served on various UN missions in Haiti since 1993.

• Police officers must spend 90 days serving a mission to be eligible to receive the UN’s peacekeeping medal. Currently, 81 Canadian police are serving with the UN mission in Haiti.

Quotes

 “On behalf of our Government, I would like to thank the many Canadian police officers who have contributed to increasing the safety and security of countries like Haiti over the last 25 years. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their community, no matter where they live. Their contributions in foreign countries are invaluable and I am very proud of the work they do.”

- Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“It is my honour to congratulate our men and women in Haiti and thank them for continuing the legacy of 25 years of Canadian police contributions in the pursuit of peace.  Besides helping to make Haiti a safer place by sharing their expertise and skills with their Haitian police counterparts, they have also shown great compassion and charity, helping many vulnerable people in this impoverished nation. All Canadians can be proud of their achievements.”

- Bob Paulson, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police