MP Rochefort backs petition involving Victoria Cross honours
A petition calling on Ottawa to establish an independent Military Honours review board to investigate awarding the Victoria Cross to Afghanistan veterans is gaining traction.
It calls for the first review to involve the late Jess Larochelle, who was born in Restoule.
He was awarded the Star of Military Valour for bravery while defending his position with a broken back against overwhelming Taliban forces in Oct. 2006.
Nearly 440 signatures have been collected so far on the e-petition, which is backed by Pauline Rochefort, MP for Nipissing-Timiskaming.
“Join me in signing petition 6661 in recognition of Private Jess Larochelle,” states Rochefort in a social media post. “The Victoria Cross is awarded for ‘the most remarkable bravery, an exceptional act of bravery or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy’… and that describes what Private Jess Larochelle faced on October 14th, 2006.”
The petition opened for signatures on Wednesday morning (July 23) and closes Nov. 20.
Once a petition reaches 500 signatures, it’s then read in the House of Commons and garners a government response.
Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
