Captain Wayne Dickson of Entry Island

Captain Wayne Dickson of Entry Island has received the medal of public-spiritedness at the National Assembly of Quebec, on Monday, November 9th, 2009, in regard to his actions during the tragedy of the Acadien II, on March 29, 2008.

The Islander Captain and his crew had taken part in rescuing the seal hunters during the shipwreck of the Acadien II.  The boat had capsized in the ice while it was being towed of the Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaker, Sir William Alexander.  Wayne Dickson and his crew had saved two Madelinots from the icy waters. Four other members of the crew had died in the tragedy.

Captain Dickson was said to be visibly touched during the ceremony.

Their petition as been handed to the Federal Court and Radio-Canada obtaining a copy, related the activities during the dramatic night, on March 29, 2008.  The petition contains a number of reproaches addressed to the Canadian Coast Guard regarding the manner which they had treated the towing of the Acadien II, the manner which they had executed the maneuvers  and its general behaviour in regard to this dossier.

“During the time when the boat, the Acadien II, was being towed by the Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaker, the Sir William Alexander, no one had met prior to removing the crew of the ship.  As a consequence, when the boat had capsized, a catastrophe followed,” the petition said.

In accordance with the requesting party, the arrangements for the towing between the ice-breaker Sir William Alexander and the Acadien II was made in English only, that the crew of the Madelinot ship was French and that only one officer of the Sir William Alexander spoke French fluently.

Four Madelinot hunters died during the shipwreck.  One victim’s body has never been found and two others survived the tragedy.  The survivors are Bruno-Pierre Bourque and Claude Deraspe.

Furthermore, the survivors and the families of the victims have petitioned that the appeal for the defense be held on the Magdalen Islands.  Their lawyers consider that their requests cannot be ignored, under the circumstances.

This type of a petition is a first for the Federal Courts of Canada.