French Consul General in Vancouver Jean-Christophe Fleury will bestow nine Medals of the Legion of Honour, one of France’s highest distinctions, during an official ceremony to be held at Alberta Legislature Building Rotunda in Edmonton, Monday, February 8 at 4:00 p.m. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Robert Wanner, MLA for Medicine Hat will host this remarkable event.

The nine Canadian D-Day veterans are Mr. Elmer Carlson, Mr. Vincent Chaney, Mr. Martin Jones, Mr. George Philips, Mr. Alfred Pritchard, Mr. Frederick Russell, Mr. Manuel Sharko, Mr. Douglas White, and Mr. William Lefaivre.  

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day landings, the French government has decided to bestow the Legion of Honour award to some of the living Canadian veterans who participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy operations. This process involves in total 600 veterans, more than 50 of whom are from Alberta.
 
WHAT: Ceremony to award Medals of Legion of Honour to Canadian Veterans
WHEN: Monday, February 8 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Alberta Legislature Building, 10800 97 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 0B7, Canada
 
The Legion d’Honneur is the highest decoration that France can bestow and, as such, it is equivalent to the Order of Canada. The law that brought the Legion of Honour and its governing organization into effect was passed in the Legislative Assembly on May 19th, 1802, during the reign of Napoleon. It rewards the outstanding merits of individuals from all walks of life, regardless of their respective social, economic, hereditary or even national backgrounds.