Individual

John Lenwood Roach is a retired Boatswain who served with the Royal Canadian Navy. He is a most generous individual always giving and always ready to help another person. Lenny has been helping Veterans with Veterans Affairs claims for many years. He is very patient and thorough meticulously working through and sorting out the material required so that the Veteran will be able to present his application for a claim in a well-organized and concise manner.

Lenny will spend hours at his kitchen table working for his fellow Veterans. He has a very high success rate and has certainly become well respected by his peers. Lenny, despite being very ill, continues to give and give. He continues to sit at his kitchen table working for and helping out other Veterans.

Leah Cuffe is the wife and caregiver of MCpl (Ret’d) Michael Trauner, an Afghanistan Veteran who in 2008 suffered from the loss of both of his legs and the majority of his left arm and hand functions. After her husband’s injury, Leah left her job and sought different employment for a more flexible schedule to provide and care for him.

She is not only a central source of support to her husband’s ongoing battle, but also a dedicated advocate for Veterans and their families. Leah provides peer support for Veterans with amputations and their families, offering advice on navigating their similar struggles. She is actively involved with foundations, such as True Patriot Love, Soldier On, and Support Our Troops, along with raising awareness and garnering public support for wounded soldiers.

Sergeant Daniel Lafontaine was born in 1964, and grew up in Chelmsford outside Sudbury in Northern Ontario. His father’s mother was Algonquin (Anishnabeg), born in the Baskatong region of Québec; his mother’s grandmother was Innu (Montagnais) from the area of Les Escoumins, Québec; and he is a francophone first-generation Métis in Québec. He is proud to be a Canadian Veteran, and even prouder to be an Indigenous Veteran. In 1983 he enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and was quickly promoted to the ranks of Corporal, Master Corporal, and then Sergeant. He was deployed on peacekeeping missions with both the United Nations and NATO in Cyprus, Haiti, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. After he left the Forces in 2003, he found that his biggest challenge in retirement was adapting to civilian life while dealing with PTSD. Each year on National Peacekeeper’s Day (August 9th), he is proud to bring together more than 1,000 Veterans for a Sunset Ceremony to honour Canadian Peacekeepers.

After 25 years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces, Lorne McCartney continued to serve by taking on the role of Dominion Secretary-Treasurer with the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada (ANAVETS) for nearly ten years. Guided by his motto “What is best for the Veteran and their family?” Lorne dedicated much of his time to advocating for Veterans and their families as a participant of the Veterans Affairs Canada Stakeholder meetings, the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group, the Gerontological Advisory Council and the Special Needs Advisory Group. He was also on the Advisory Councils of the Canadian War Museum, the Perley Rideau Veterans Health Centre, and the Veterans Ombudsman. In 2011, as the NATO Veterans of Canada Association was forming, Lorne acted as mentor and advisor on issues surrounding the New Veterans Charter, Long-Term Care and funeral and burial benefits. Although Lorne passed away in 2016, he is remembered by his colleagues, friends and Veterans for his dedication, in-depth knowledge, and unwavering commitment to helping Veterans and their families get the support they deserve.

Jenifer Migneault is a dedicated and devoted caregiver of a Veteran suffering from PTSD, as well as an advocate on behalf of all caregivers. Her efforts have led to a national discussion on support to military families, especially those caring for ill and injured Veterans. Her resolve and tenacity led her to knock on every door available resulting in Veterans Affairs Canada launching new programs and benefits to help caregivers of ill and injured Veterans. Jenifer shares her story publicly and openly to help others struggling with the issues she has faced. She organizes meetings to help Veterans and their families, posts videos to YouTube and Facebook and blogs regularly to ensure families know they have someone to lean on. She has become a trusted source of support and encouragement for other caregivers, and continues to contribute to an important national conversation on their treatment. As a result of her tireless efforts, she has recently been appointed to the Minister’s Advisory Group on Families.

Roméo Dallaire is a retired Canadian Senator, a retired Canadian Army Lieutenant-General, and a devoted advocate for human rights. He currently dedicates his time to increasing public awareness on Veterans’ issues and their quality of life, and has spoken out for improvements to the New Veterans Charter and other issues facing Veterans and their families. His openness about Operational Stress Injuries has helped educate the public about mental illness suffered by serving members, Veterans and their families, and has inspired many to seek help. His work and dedication have been recognized by many as inspirational and life-changing. View clips of an interview conducted with this recipient follwoing the Award Ceremony.

With 38 years of dedicated military service, Captain (Ret’d) Ray Kokkonen is a founding member of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association and has been its president for the past six years. In this role and behind the scenes, Mr. Kokkonen educates Veterans and helps them access the support they need. He also tirelessly advocates for improvements to the New Veterans Charter so that current and future Veterans and their families are properly supported. As one of the founding members of the Assembly of Veterans Organizations, Ray has recently been working towards harmony within the Veterans’ community in order to improve conditions for all. View clips of an interview conducted with this recipient follwoing the Award Ceremony.

Thomas Lewis (Tim) Hoban retired from the RCMP after 24 years as Senior NCO/Detachment Commander. For his contribution, he received both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden & Diamond Jubilee medals. Tim has been an active member of the community and member of the Lions Club International for 45 years as well as past President and Governor of the RCMP Veterans’ Association. Over the years, he showed particular interest in helping troubled youths and Aboriginal Veterans. Recently, he’s been advocating for Homeless Veterans, to ensure those who proudly served maintain an acceptable standard of living.