Sometimes special circumstances warrant special recognition. St. John Ambulance has several awards and certificates, but this one is unusual because it is specific to a particular event: the S.S. Noronic fire. It was awarded to Mrs. A. Harwood and signed by the President of St. John Ontario Council and the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
On the night of September 16, 1949, the cruise ship S.S. Noronic caught fire while docked in Toronto Harbour. Recovery of the bodies was so difficult that there is no exact count of the number of dead; it is estimated to be between 119 and 139 people.
St. John Ambulance established a first aid post at the doc and an ad hoc morgue at the Horticultural Building at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. The Noronic fire became one of the largest operations for St. John Ambulance in Toronto.
