Petite-Vallée, Quebec
Mr. Bouchard served with the Canadian Armed Forces for a dozen years, during which time he was posted to various military bases including Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Borden, Mont-Apica, Bagotville, Falconbridge, Portage-La-Prairie and the remote base in Alert. In 1998, he moved to the Gaspé Peninsula and joined the Cadet Instructors Cadre for ten years. Upon his arrival in the peninsula, Mr. Bouchard took steps to build a mobile cenotaph and a permanent monument for Remembrance Day ceremonies in his community. Seeing the importance of sharing memories, he organizes meetings between students and Veterans and is even an interviewer for special community television programs that allow Veterans to share their stories. As a cadet instructor, Mr. Bouchard and his team of three cadets won the Cadet JUNO competition in 2004. As a reward, he took the young cadets to ceremonies marking the 60th Anniversary of D-day in Normandy, where the team gave a conference on the role of Canadians in the success of liberation operations. Mr. Bouchard is also responsible for organizing various noteworthy events in his community, including the visit of Senator and retired Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire, the Snowbirds air show, the Royal 22e Régiment band, as well as the RCMP Musical Ride. At each event, Mr. Bouchard ensures that tribute is paid to war Veterans. Year after year, Mr. Bouchard continues to give back to his community and its Veterans by acting as local president of the poppy campaign, and he makes it his duty to be present at the funerals of his brothers in arms who have passed, to pay them a well-deserved tribute.