You're right. In protecting our heritage, we try to strike a balance between the public interest and the rights inherent in personal property. That is the reasoning on which the present legislation is based.
For medals of great significance, like the Victoria Cross, to my knowledge, none have left the country because of a lack of funds. The grant program for protecting these medals is offered to national museums and institutions in Canada. A contribution has been made to buying these medals, which are of national importance, and the export of which is subject to a delay imposed by the commission responsible for exports.