Gymnast Ellie Black among Nova Scotians named to Order of Canada
CBC
Four-time Olympian Ellie Black and Mi’kmaw ethnologist Roger Lewis are among the latest Nova Scotian appointees to the Order of Canada.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon appointed 80 Canadians to the order, including Black, Lewis, Dalhousie University president Kim Brooks, and emergency medicine expert Patrick Croskerry.
"Representing this country has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. This recognition reinforces my belief that sport can be a powerful platform for leadership, progress and positive impact," Black told CBC News in a statement.
"I hope this encourages young people to believe in themselves, embrace challenges and understand that their passion can create lasting, meaningful change."
Lewis, an ethnologist who worked as a curator at the Nova Scotia Museum before his retirement, is best known for his work to preserve Mi'kmaw cultural heritage in Nova Scotia. Lewis is a member of Sipekne'katik First Nation and a survivor of the Shubenacadie residential school.
He also helped lead efforts to identify unmarked graves at the site of the former school. He is currently the vice-president of the board of directors at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre.
Mandy (Bear) Rennehan, originally from Yarmouth, N.S., but now living in Ontario was also appointed to the Order of Canada. An entrepreneur and TV personality, she’s also known for her work advocating for women and underrepresented individuals in the skilled trades.
"I have been doing this work, in this industry, for the last 30 years, and to be recognized by my country and welcomed as an officer of the Order of Canada, has made this East Coaster smile and raise a glass," Rennehan told CBC News.
MORE TOP STORIES
For those hoping to ring in the new year in style, there are a variety of events across Toronto.
Small bridges around Paulatuk, N.W.T., are giving harvesters a safer way to get to their camps, as climate change makes travelling on the land more dangerous.
A year-end poll from Nanos suggests Canadians will want to see action from the Liberal government on major economic files in the new year.
City of Calgary officials say they have identified the location of what they are calling a second “catastrophic” water main break in the northwest in less than two years, but they do not have a timeline as to when it might be fixed.