Elite athletes, volunteers and business leaders received the Order of Manitoba yesterday from Lieutenant Governor John Harvard
Elite athletes, volunteers, receive Order of Manitoba
When Clara Hughes donated $10,000 to the Right to Play charity to assist less fortunate kids enjoy sports her gift sparked many others to do the same thing.
That act showed Hughes as a shining example of the way sports celebrities can give back to the community when she made the donation after winning gold and silver medal in the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
But standing in the ornate Manitoba Room of the legislative building Thursday along with the nine other newest recipients of the Order of Manitoba, Hughes said it was people like Eileen Collins and Reverend Donald Pratt — two others who received the Order of Manitoba yesterday — who inspire her.
Collins, 83, is a long-time tireless volunteer in every manner of community initiative in Pilot Mound, Man. and Rev. Pratt, 88, is credited as having made significant contributions to sustaining the Dakota culture through his church and community activity.
“More than anything I am inspired by those older recipients,” Hughes said. “As athletes, we are at the beginning of our lives. We have been able to do things in the athletic field. But to hear of the volunteerism from this group, it is just amazing. It puts my life in perspective and makes me realize this is just the beginning.”
Speed-skating superstar Cindy Klassen and hockey great Jennifer Botterill joined Hughes yesterday from the world of sports as part of this elite group — now numbering 95 Manitobans — who have received the stylized crocus-shaped medal and the right to use the letters O.M. after their names.
The Order of Manitoba was established in 1999 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence and achievement in any field of endeavor and who provide some sort of betterment to the well-being of the province.
It is one of the most important days in the annual schedule of Lieutenant Governor John Harvard, who referred to the inductees as the living embodiment of what we all aspire to be.
“There are many icons in this building like the beautiful dome of the legislature, the grand bisons in the entrance and the Golden Boy,” he said. “But those great symbols of the province do not hold a candle to the living icons in this room today.”
James Burns, 76, was the only inductee yesterday who has also received the Order of Canada. One of the country’s deans of the financial services industry, Burns was the former president and chairman of Great-West Life and former president of Montreal’s Power Corp. He has been the eminence grise behind several community undertakings in Winnipeg over the years. He is most recently famous for providing the vision — and the money — to build the new world-class skateboard park at The Forks.
Arnold Frieman, 77, joined Burns as veteran members of the business community to receive the O.M. Frieman, who owns and still runs Advance Electronics , continues to beat the big box stores at their own game.
Rounding out the recipients yesterday were Neil Bardal, a leader in the Icelandic community and a third generation funeral director; Albert Cerilli, a long time labour movement activist and current volunteer teaching students about workplace safety; and Leonard Smith, the inventor the Tundra Buggy, of Churchill, Man.
Probably the most famous people nominated for the honour this year — world-renowned ballerina Evelyn Hart and rock icon Neil Young — were unable to attend yesterday’s event.
Evelyn Hart will be in the city soon and will receive her medal then. Harvard still hopes to have a chance to place the medal around Neil Young’s neck, perhaps as soon as Friday evening, when Young will be performing at the MTS Centre with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
