The Cross of Valour, medal and ribbon coloured with the red of venous and arterial blood, was established on May 1, 1972 to replace the Order of Canada's Medal of Courage and to "Canadianize" the British George Cross (which I'm still partial to, by the way). The Australians followed suit with their own Cross of Valour in 1975. Today's winning recipient, only the 20th ever awarded the decoration (only three have ever been awarded in Australia), is told in the current edition of the Globe and Mail:"First Officer Leslie Palmer of the Canadian Coast Guard was aboard the vessel Point Henry on Dec. 27, 2004, when he braved the worst of mid-winter weather to rescue the men, who were barely responsive and near death.
The Cross of Valour is the highest Canadian civilian award for bravery and is given for "acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril." It has only been awarded to 20 people, including Mr. Palmer, since its creation in 1972. Governor General Michäelle Jean, who announced Thursday that Mr. Palmer would receive award, will bestow the honour upon him at a later date."