Canadian War Museum volunteers receive honours from Governor General

Two Friends of the Canadian War Museum received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in front of friends, family and Gov. Gen. David Johnston on Sept. 6.

Michael Braham and Mai-Yu Chan were among the 46 laureates from the National Capital Region to receive the honour at this month’s ceremony.

The medal recognizes exceptional volunteers from across Canada, and is the only honour for volunteerism given out by the Governor General.

“We are so very pleased to see their volunteer efforts at the War Museum and other organizations recognized with such a prestigious honour,” said Stephen Quick, director general of the museum.

Braham and Chan are two of the hundreds who donate their time to the museum each year. According to Linda Colwell, president of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum, volunteers give anywhere between 15,000 and 18,000 volunteer hours to the museum annually.

“They are an important part of running of the museum and contribute a lot,” Colwell says.

The Friends work on a volunteer-basis as interpreters, fundraisers for projects such as the refurbishing of vehicles at the museum’s Lebreton Gallery, and even work in the archives under the direction of the museum’s archivist.

Braham, who volunteers with both the Canadian War Museum and the Diefenbunker — the Cold War museum located in the west-end Ottawa village of Carp — owes his time as a volunteer to personal history.

The son of John Randall Daniel Braham, a British Royal Air Force pilot and Second World War veteran, Michael graduated from the Royal Military College in 1952, and worked with the Canadian Forces until he left the service as a navy captain in 1987. His career took him from working in submarines to being the director for national logistics operational planning.

Braham later worked for Emergency Preparedness Canada. He retired from public service in 2008.

He has been volunteering at both the war museum and the Diefenbunker ever since.

During his time as a volunteer at the War Museum, he has been the editor for the museum’s newsletter, handled the Friends of the Canadian War Museum website content, coordinated its translation, created nearly 30 fact sheets used for public outreach, and has been an interpreter during exhibitions – among many other jobs.

“He was in the navy so he knows how to coordinate well. He is very organized, very efficient,” says Colwell.

Another Friend who received the Medal for Volunteers was longtime volunteer Mai-Yu Chan, who has been with the Canadian War Museum since 2003. She chaired its membership committee and helped coordinate numerous events at the museum.

Receiving the award is quite the achievement for both recipients. Laureates are nominated by individuals or organizations, and these nominations are sent to the Governor General’s office. Nominations are then reviewed by a committee comprised of up to seven members, who select the shortlist of laureates for a given region.

Braham noted that many of this year’s laureates are seniors.

“We have a burgeoning senior population. They’ve got all kinds of expertise and knowledge, and it would be a pity if it was wasted,” said Braham. “It’s nice to see that so many of these folks who do volunteer have the time and the knowledge.”

Braham still enjoys volunteering for numerous reasons.

“My wife doesn’t want me sitting at home,” he laughs. “If I can help a little, have fun and hopefully help people learn in the process, that’s great.”