NOTE: Full biographies and photos of the 2015 Order of Nova Scotia recipients are available at: novascotia.ca/iga/2015recipients.asp .
Five outstanding Nova Scotians whose excellence and community leadership gained them provincewide acclaim and respect will be invested into the Order of Nova Scotia this fall.
Lt.-Gov JJ. Grant, Chancellor of the Order of Nova Scotia, made the announcement today, Aug. 28.
“Through their remarkable achievements and passion for helping others, these individuals inspire our fellow citizens to strive for excellence in all facets of life,” said Lt.-Gov. J.J. Grant. “On behalf of the Queen and all Nova Scotians, I extend my sincere thanks to the recipients for their lifelong service to our province.”
The 2015 Order of Nova Scotia recipients are:
— Dr. Margaret Macdonald Casey, Halifax: Dr. Margaret Casey is a health-care provider, an educator, and a community advocate. She is one of a small group of health professionals who recognized the urgent need of accessible health care for families in the north end of Halifax and worked to provide it. Dr. Casey is a role model and mentor to many in the medical profession who champions the importance of improving the social determinants of health.
— Louis E. Deveau, Dartmouth: Originally from Salmon River, Colchester County, Louis Deveau founded Acadian Seaplants Limited, a multi-national, bio-tech manufacturing company specializing in technical marine plant-derived products with exports to over 80 countries. Today, the company employs over 350 people in eight countries and 700 seasonal harvesters in Canada, Maine and Ireland. It also operates five major manufacturing facilities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ireland.
— Martin R. (Rudy) Haase, Chester: Rudy Haase is an exceptional community leader, mentor, and entrepreneur with decades of service to a range of causes. Rudy is one of Nova Scotia’s longest serving environmentalists. He has fought against harmful pesticides, uranium mining, nuclear power, and clear-cut logging, always with wisdom and civility. He was the first landowner to donate a conservation easement to the new Nova Scotia Nature Trust, protecting a tract of land on the Bras d’Or Lakes in 1996.
— Sharon Hope Irwin, Sydney: Sharon Hope Irwin has devoted 40 years to ensuring that child care is inclusive, affordable, accessible and comprehensive. She moved to Nova Scotia in 1974 to create the Town Daycare Centre in Glace Bay and serve as its executive director. The centre successfully integrated children with visual impairments, children who had brittle bone disease and those with cerebral palsy. Ms. Hope Irwin created the non-profit SpeciaLink: The National Centre for Early Childhood Inclusion.
— Alistair MacLeod, Dunvegan (Posthumous): Alistair MacLeod is recognized as one of Cape Breton Island’s finest literary voices. Alistair was a storyteller, deeply influenced by the Gaelic language and culture of his people. He was able to translate the spirit and value of oral traditions into the printed word and his words were translated into 17 languages. He has been acknowledged by numerous accolades, including, in 2001, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his novel, No Great Mischief.
The Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council selected the recipients from 108 nominations brought forward by their fellow Nova Scotians
The 2015 recipients will be recognized at the 14th investiture ceremony on Sept. 30 at Province House in Halifax.
The Order of Nova Scotia was established in June 2001 and is the highest honour bestowed by the province. Since it was created, 77 recipients have been invested into the Order. Recipients have the right to use the initials O.N.S. after their names.
Source: Release
