Riley Valcin awarded a posthumous Quebec National Assembly medal

Friends and family came together Thursday in Montreal North to honour the memory of Riley Jonathan Valcin, a young man who died in a work accident at the Grande Roue de Montréal on December 25.

He was awarded with the medal of the National Assembly.  

“The medal of the National Assembly is given to those who make a difference in their community and Riley was one of them,” said the MNA for the Bourassa-Sauvé riding, Paule Robitaille, who held the ceremony to award the medal to Riley, in partnership with the Henri-Bourassa High School. 

Riley’s family accepted it on his behalf. They also announced a $1,000 scholarship, bearing his name. It will be awarded to a deserving student each year.

The young man remains a model of success for his peers, as a student at Polytechnique and a talented and hard-working basketball player. 

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“It was important to us to show that people like that are models for that community, for the community of Montreal North and we wanted the memory of Riley to last,” Robitaille said.

Riley’s best friend, Roberto Rivera Rubio, was on hand for the ceremony.

“There’s so many things to say about Riley, but he was someone really inspiring,” Rivera Rubio said. “I will remember him as a very good friend, really loyal, he was always there for me, and always there for other people. If you ever needed something, he would do anything he could to help you.” 

Rivera Rubio said he’ll always be grateful for his friendship with Riley.

“Having a friend like Riley is really rare, you don’t find that everywhere,” he said. I’m really happy that I had him in my life.”