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Ranger receives honour from Governor General

A veteran Canadian Ranger says receiving one of Canada’s most prestigious honours from Governor General Michaëlle Jean was an unforgettable experience.

“It was exciting and also nerve wracking at the same time,” said Sgt Albert Sutherland of Constance Lake First Nation, near Hearst, Ont. “But it was an experience I will never forget.”

Sergeant Sutherland is one of only a handful of Canadian Rangers appointed a Member of the Order of Military Merit, the military version of the Order of Canada, since it was instituted in 1972.

He was invested at Rideau Hall, official residence of the Governor General in Ottawa.

A Canadian Ranger since 1996, he was cited for his “expert leadership” in guaranteeing the “operational readiness of his Canadian Ranger patrol” and for his work with the Junior Canadian Rangers, a youth program for boyare the Special Service Medal and the Canadian Forces Decoration.

Sergeant Sutherland met the Governor General informally at a reception after the investiture ceremony. “She told me the Rangers are doing a good job in the North and that we should keep up our good work with the Junior Canadian Rangers,” he said. “She said we should make sure that we get the kids in our communities involved in the program.”

In addition to the medal of the order, he received a large scroll. “I’m getting it framed,” he said, “and it’s going on the wall at home.”