Marissa Ramnanan
Local Journalism Initiative
On June 18, community advocate, retired nurse and veteran journalist Yvonne Sam was recognized with the D’Arcy-McGee Citizenship Medal for her decades of work advancing racial equity and community relations in Montreal.
A retired nurse, educator, author and longtime journalist, Sam has devoted her life to uplifting others. Some of the work she has done includes collaborating with universities to reform curricula and promote diversity, and working with the Montreal police force to diversify their ranks and encourage a better relationship between racialized communities and local authorities. She is also the Chair of the Rights and Freedom Committee at the Black Community Resource Centre.
Sam was among eight upstanding leaders and organizations of the Montreal community to receive this prestigious award.
The ceremony, chaired by Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass, opened with a performance by the Montreal Shira Choir, made up of neurodivergent young adults at the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre. The other recipients were: Karen Malkin, Joe Ortona, Jon Reider, Michael Goldwax, Federation CJA– represented by president and CEO Yair Szlak, Hubert Sison, and posthumously to former CSL resident Alexandre Look, who was killed while shielding others during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Prass said Sam was the only recipient for whom their team received letters and emails thanking them for giving Sam a medal.
“When we publicly announced that she was one of our recipients tonight, we received so many messages from so many different people saying how deserving she was and how thankful they were that she was finally getting this kind of recognition,” Prass said. “Former city councillors, members of the police force, members of the community– and that speaks volumes.”
Commander Mathieu Fournier of Station 9 from the City of Montreal Police Service was also there to deliver a speech from Pierre St-Antoine, the Director General of École nationale de police du Québec.
Yvonne Sam and Director St-Antoine worked closely with each other over several years to foster stronger relationships between racialized communities and the SPVM.
“Her dedication to diversity, inclusion and dialogue has helped advance meaningful conversation about representation and a stronger connection between public institutions and the community they serve. This honour is a defining recognition of a truly engaged and inspiring citizen,” read Fournier on behalf of St-Antoine.
Sam said now, after all of her hard work trying to change the way police interact with racial minorities, she has hope they will truly listen.
“I’m really honoured to receive [the award], but the work is not finished, it’s just started,” said Sam. “Together, we will make new waves, or we will make new avenues, whichever one comes first.”
“The medal might have my name on it, but no one builds community alone,” Sam reflected. “Thanks to the community: Côte-des-Neiges, Côte-Saint-Luc, who accepted me with open arms. Shared their stories with me. Allowed me to advocate on their behalf.”
“As Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.’ I want to thank the good Lord for the strength he gives me.”
