Minister Fantino and Minister Shea Present Awards of Excellence to Local Veterans

August 27, 2013

The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, and the honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Egmont, presented awards of excellence to Master Corporal Shane Coyle, Sergeant Brian Duncan and Veteran Lawrence Durant for their service to Canada.

Master Corporal Shane Coyle has served three tours of duty since 2007 in camps Mirage, Kandahar and Kabul. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service. He was the youngest Canadian soldier during his first two tours of duty. MCpl Coyle is currently posted in Kingston, Ontario.

Sergeant Brian Duncan joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983 and served in Afghanistan in 2010. He is a music teacher in Morell, Prince Edward Island, and has a 23-year career in the education system both as a teacher and an educational assistant.

Veteran Lawrence Durant is the only known surviving P.E.I. member of the Second World War from the Devil's Brigade, a joint American and Canadian unit specializing in hand to hand combat and going behind enemy lines. Mr. Durant will be presented with the United States Congressional Gold Medal this summer.