UN peacekeepers from N.B. get 'long overdue' recognition for Nobel Peace Prize

In their blue berets and uniforms, adorned in medals, nine New Brunswickers received an honour over the weekend that's been a long time coming.

United Nations peacekeepers, an international force made up of civilians, military and police personnel deployed to areas of conflict, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.

However, few from Canada have ever been formally recognized for the honour.

On Sunday, nine peacekeepers and their families gathered at the Ridgewood Veterans Wing in Saint John for a recognition ceremony.

Lee Boudreau from Saint John joined the peacekeeping force 1957 and was deployed to Egypt and later spent 25 years in the Canadian military.

"I think it's well-deserved, for the amount of people and for friends of mine who are not alive," Boureau said."Very few of us at our age are alive.

"The sacrifice that these people put in during the time, it was not a very good time involved in peacekeepeing. You're in between the people that are shooting through you, so it's not a very good time."

Boudreau said he only learned of the Nobel Prize honour last year, just over 30 years after the fact.

"Other countries honoured their peacekeepers, but Canada didn't seem to do it, really," he said.

The ceremony in Saint John is one of four the province is holding this month across the province at the request of Fred LeBlanc, a Fredericton peacekeeper. He founded the group the Blue Helmets, an association for those who served with the peacekeepers.

LeBlanc was unable to be present at the Saint John ceremony, but will be at another in Fredericton next week.

"He has been determined to make sure that our peacekeepers are recognized for the time that they served," said Mary Wilson, the provincial minister responsible for military affairs.

In a speech before giving the peacekeepers a certificate and letter from the premier, Wilson said more than 125,000 Canadians served as peacekeepers between 1948 and 1988, and 131 lost their lives in service. UN peacekeepers were deployed to more than 19 missions in that time, she said.

"I'm deeply humbled by Mr. LeBlanc's passion and continued dedication to bringing more visibility and recognition to New Brunswick peacekeepers," Wilson said, adding that the honour was "long, long overdue."

Dennis Ripley was another peacekeeper honoured on Sunday, who deployed to Cyprus as a cook in 1974 but ended up participating in patrols on his days off because the UN force was short-staffed, he said.

Ripley also participated in several tours to Egypt and the Golan Heights through the 1980s and 1990s.

"I've done my share of peacekeeping," Ripley said.

"I have the medal for the Nobel, but to get the actual certificate, it's a good thing," he said of Sunday's ceremony.

Boudreau said it's important to remember the sacrifices peacekeepers took.

"It's our friends and our brothers, people you meet that get killed who were with you at the time, and you think of them. You never forget it," he said.

"There's still a few of us around, not too many."