‘He is a role model’: Retired general Roméo Dallaire honoured for humanitarian work – Montreal | 24CA News
Retired Lt. General Roméo Dallaire had not returned to the place he grew up in East Montreal for years, however on Thursday morning, he discovered himself again in his hometown to simply accept an award recognizing his outstanding efforts as a humanitarian.
“It’s sort of a homecoming for me and I’m very grateful for it and it gave me the opportunity to introduce Marie, my lovely wife who has given me a second breath of life, to see my youth,” Dallaire mentioned. “What I have seen was a miracle, from a disastrous chemical and polluted part of town into one of the greenest, most beautiful and lovely places to be.”
Dallaire is being acknowledged for his humanitarian work by Canada’s Walk of Fame, a not-for-profit group that celebrates extraordinary Canadians. The group was shaped 25 years in the past. Awards was once handed out in Toronto to Canadians from throughout the nation, however six years in the past, the group created a hometown initiative, honouring Canadians within the cities the place they grew up. Dallaire was the primary honouree to be celebrated in French.
“By bringing our inductees back to their hometown, we are not just honouring them, we are also honouring the people that were part of their walk to fame, their journeys,” mentioned Canada’s Walk of Fame CEO Jeffrey Latimer.
Organizers say Dallaire’s lengthy, celebrated humanitarian efforts have been a pure match for the award. From alerting the world to the Rwandan genocide in 1994, his work serving to troopers with PTSD, to his openness together with his personal psychological well being battles and his efforts towards using baby troopers, the record of his achievements is lengthy and impactful.
“He is a role model for young people and if you are going to pick a general who has gone through so much, he represents so many great stories for us as Canadians to be inspired by,” Latimer mentioned.
The former senator says he’s humbled by the popularity and hopes it evokes others.
“If they can use it to help others, to encourage others to continue to want to serve this extraordinary country of ours by their example or their works, well if that is their ultimate goal, I am for it and happy to participate,” he mentioned.
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