KAMSACK, Sask. — A Kamsack resident’s granddaughter, who is also a summer resident of Madge Lake, has received the Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery.
Sarah Boychuk of Regina, a granddaughter of Sylvia Boychuk of Kamsack, received the Commendation for Bravery pin by mail on Oct. 8.
“I am pleased to inform you that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada, has awarded you a Commendation for Bravery in recognition of your efforts during an incident that took place in Kamsack, Saskatchewan on July 5, 2023,” said Steve Fudge, Program Officer for Decorations and Medals, in the letter to Boychuk.
“Commendations for Bravery are part of the Decorations for Bravery Program instituted in 1972 by Her Late Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II,” Fudge’s letter says. “The commendation recognizes those who have performed selfless acts in hazardous circumstances.
“Your altruistic actions are an inspiration to others and represent a high form of citizenship of which you can be very proud,” the letter states. “The Governor General extends her warmest congratulations, to which I add my own.”
Asked by the Times during a telephone interview to describe the events for which she is being recognized, Boychuk said that it had been at night, about 9:30 p.m., when she and two friends had been walking a dog at Ministik Beach at Madge Lake in Duck Mountain Provincial Park.
“We had walked past the beach and were on our way up the hill when we heard cries for help,” she said, adding that they had seen someone with a cane on the beach as they had walked past.
As the screams for help had continued, they ran down the hill and soon realized something had happened.
“Scanning the sand, my friend said, ‘Oh my God, he’s in the water.’”
An inflatable device was in the water, and it looked as though this guy had decided to swim to it, Boychuk explained, adding that it seemed as though swimming had not been his forte.
“We could hear him yelling and then we saw as he went under the water. He came up and then went under water again.
“I jumped into gear,” she said. “It had been cold. I had been wearing a sweater and jeans. I took off my sweater and ran into the water.”
Boychuk said she had run in the water until it became too deep, and she started swimming towards his head which was above the water.
“When I got close, about five feet away, I told him to turn around, so he was not facing me. I put my arm under his shoulder, held his body, and began kicking backwards.
“He was a big man, over six feet tall, and looked to be in his late 30s or 40s,” she said. “I was under water trying to keep his head up.”
Soon her feet could touch the sand, and she told the man that he would be OK.
“He was absolutely exhausted. I cradled him and pulled him onto the beach to safety. I listened to his breathing while he and I coughed up water.
“Soon, he began breathing normally.
“I am not trained as a lifeguard. I just took normal swimming lessons as a child until Grade 8 but spending so much time at the lake, I’ve become a strong swimmer.”
Having heard about the incident from the three friends, Joan Konkin, a fellow cabin owner at the lake, nominated Boychuk for the award.
Raised in Yorkton, the daughter of the late Ronald and the late Janice Boychuk, Sarah works in marketing in Regina and spends much of the summers at her cabin at Madge Lake.
She said that about two weeks prior to her having received the award, she had received a call from the office of the Governor General letting her know that the award would be arriving. She said she plans to have the certificate and pin framed and will hang it by her desk so that prior to any stressful meetings, she will be able to see it as a good reminder.
“It felt really special to receive it,” she said.
The incident is a reminder that when around water one might encounter a situation and one must be careful not to become a second victim.
Reflecting on the incident, Boychuk said that she should have reacted differently. She should have grabbed a stick or threw jeans to him.
The adage is “reach or throw, don’t go,” she said.
She said she is reminded how every day one can have an impact on another.
“Choose friendliness or give a compliment. It is so important. You never know what another person is going through, and some kindness can go a long way.”
The Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery was created by the Right Honourable Ramon Hnatyshyn, in 1993, to honour acts of selflessness in hazardous circumstances, says the website. Since then, more than 4,000 Canadians have been recognized with a commendation.
The Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery may be awarded to any Canadian or non-Canadian citizen who has performed a selfless act in hazardous circumstances in or outside Canada, which merits recognition as having been performed in the interest of Canada.
The Commendation for Bravery pin consists of a cluster of frosted maple leaves which measures 30 mm long and 10 mm wide at its widest point. It is accompanied by a gold-embossed scroll inscribed with the recipient’s name and signed by the Governor General.
The Commendation for Bravery may be worn on appropriate civilian attire and by members of uniformed organizations as provided by their respective dress regulations, the website says.
The Commendation is worn horizontally and centred on the left side, on the pocket of a dress jacket or thereabouts, it says. The stem shall point to the wearer’s right with the stalk of the branch furthest from the left shoulder.
