RCMP officers who responded to the April 2020 mass murders in Nova Scotia will receive bravery medals from Governor General Louise Arbour.
An announcement is expected “imminently,” says an Arbour spokesperson. The medals follow 23 awards for excellence quietly distributed last year by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme to RCMP members and employees who managed the grisly incident, in which 22 people were brutally murdered by a gunman impersonating a Mountie.
“The honours recognize acts of bravery demonstrated in connection with the events in Portapique [N.S.] and their aftermath,” Julianne Veraldi, media officer for Arbour, said in an email.
In 2023, a $50-million commission of inquiry slammed the RCMP for bungling the hunt for the killer over 13 hours, and for failing to warn the public about the mortal danger. The gunman, from Portapique, drove a fake RCMP patrol car across northwestern Nova Scotia trolling for victims, including a woman Mountie and a pregnant healthcare worker.
Veraldi declined to provide details of the bravery medals, including identities, saying the names would be listed in a forthcoming edition of the Canada Gazette, the official notice-board of the federal government.
The RCMP submitted at least 15 names to the Governor General’s office in October 2025, say internal documents obtained under the Access to Information Act. One of the nominees was a civilian. The release package, heavily redacted, is available for download here:
The RCMP has steadfastly refused to say who received its 23 internal citations last year for bravery (15 awards), for ethics & integrity (3) and for outstanding service (5), claiming the names are protected by the Privacy Act. The force has frequently identified recipients of earlier such awards during public ceremonies, and cited their actions in detail.
The Governor General’s three awards for bravery – the Cross of Valour, the Star of Courage and the Medal of Bravery – are routinely published with names of the recipients, including a news release. There’s also a formal investiture ceremony presided over by the Governor General.
“Decorations for Bravery recognize people who risked their lives to try to save or protect another,” says an eligibility document. “From entering burning buildings to calming gunmen to plunging into icy waters, the recipients put their lives on the line to help another person … The degree of risk faced and persistence despite the risk are important in the evaluation.”
Two or three bravery award ceremonies are held each year, typically for between 90 and 110 recipients, and medals can be awarded posthumously. More than 3,000 medals have been issued since their inauguration in 1972. The vast majority are the silver Medal of Bravery.
The actions of the individuals the RCMP nominated to the Governor General for bravery medals “reflected positively on the reputation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and of Canada,” says a letter from Insp. Roshan Pinto, chair of the RCMP nominating committee.
The Mass Casualty Commission’s final report on March 30, 2023, found the RCMP’s inept handling of the incident led to confusion and delays in stopping the killer. The force misinformed Nova Scotians, or kept them in the dark, about the killer’s movements and about his Mountie disguise, including his replica patrol car.
The Mounties also failed to respond adequately to earlier reports of the killer’s illegal gun collection and his episodes of intimate partner violence.
The commission did laud the actions of some officers, including Acting Corp. Heidi Stevenson, 48, who died in a roadside gunfight with the killer.
The legal firm Patterson Law filed a class action in Nova Scotia arising in part out of the RCMP’s alleged mishandling of the mass casualty and later investigation. The firm has been seeking damages for the spouses, children and parents of those killed or injured.
Words fail me.