Order of Nova Scotia Recipients Invested
Premier's Office
Published Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis and Premier Darrell Dexter hosted the 2009 Order of Nova Scotia recipients at the investiture ceremony at Province House.
Michael Gilbert Baker of Lunenburg (posthumous), Melvin James Boutilier of Halifax, Muriel Helena Duckworth of Bedford (deceased), Philip Riteman of Bedford and Viola Marie Robinson of Truro, were invested into the Order of Nova Scotia today for their significant contributions to their communities and the province.
Quotes
“All Nova Scotians, especially young people, need to see that a life full of personal accomplishment and success can also create a tremendous benefit for others. This year's appointees embody the true spirit of the Order. They have brought honour and prestige to themselves and to Nova Scotia. They have sought excellence. Please accept our congratulations from a grateful province.
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Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis
“It is people like these five Nova Scotians that make our province, and our world, a better place to live. I would like to thank the advisory council for their hard work narrowing down the field to these deserving recipients.
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Premier Darrell Dexter
“We have been blessed to receive nominations of so many deserving and worthy Nova Scotians who have made our province a better place in which to live. Each year, the Advisory Council has the privilege of reviewing the nominations of great Nova Scotians. We also have the difficult task of selecting only five recipients from the long list of deserving nominees.
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Sister Dorothy Moore, Chair, Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council
Recipients
Michael Gilbert Baker (posthumous), Lunenburg, was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 1998, representing the constituents of Lunenburg. He served in cabinet as the Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Minister of Communications Nova Scotia, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and Minister of Finance. During the final years of his tenure, he continued to provide exemplary service to the people of the province despite his own personal battle with a life-threatening and debilitating disease. His untimely death cut short a lifetime of dedicated, and committed service to Nova Scotia and its residents.
Melvin James Boutilier, Halifax, is the founding member and current director of the Community Care Network, formerly known as the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank. He has dedicated his life to helping the underprivileged and easing the burden of poverty in Nova Scotia for the past 25 years. His efforts help to feed more than 20,000 people in Halifax annually. He has been instrumental in creating a Community Skills Development Centre in partnership with the Nova Scotia Community College. The centre offers courses to people in the community who would otherwise not be able to afford an education. His strong social commitment, and selfless dedication to helping those most in need has enriched the lives of thousands of Nova Scotians.
Muriel Helena Duckworth (deceased), Bedford, worked as a tireless crusader and advocate for social justice and change through her involvement with numerous organizations for more than 70 years. Supporting peace initiatives, social reform, women's rights, and educational development had been her life's work. Over several decades, Ms. Duckworth played an integral role in the evolution and development of Canadian women's social and peace movements at local, provincial and national levels. She was one among a thousand women worldwide nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. She was a recipient of the Persons' Award and the Pearson Medal of Peace. She had received numerous honorary degrees from various universities across Canada. She was a Companion of the Order of Canada.
Philip Riteman, Bedford, has dedicated the past 20 years of his life to the education and enlightenment of Nova Scotia's youth on the unspeakable horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust. In his mid-teens, he and his family were deported to Pruzhany Ghetto. From there they were transported by train in January 1942 to Birkenau Auschwitz. Mr. Riteman was the only one of his family to survive. He began to share his story and give a voice to the more than six million Jews who were killed. He speaks with great courage and without bitterness of his personal experiences in Auschwitz. He has made an outstanding contribution to the province of Nova Scotia with his message of respect, responsibility, compassion and hope.
Viola Marie Robinson, Truro, is a longtime advocate for Mi'kmaq people and for the advancement of Aboriginal and treaty rights in Nova Scotia and Canada. Her expertise and unique perspective have contributed to the development and implementation of the Made-In-Nova Scotia Process which is designed to address Mi'kmaq social, legal and political issues between the federal and provincial governments. Having received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Dalhousie University, she went on to study law, graduating with a law degree in 1998. Her leadership, inspiration, hard work and dedication to her fellow Mi'kmaw has led to many positive changes within First Nations communities in Nova Scotia and across Canada.
Quick Facts
- The recipients were selected in June by the Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council from 79 nominations from across the province.
- The Order of Nova Scotia was established in June 2001 and is the highest honour bestowed by the province. Recipients have the right to use the initials O.N.S. after their names.
Learn More
Media Contacts
- Jennifer Stewart
- Premier's Office
- 902-424-0007
- E-mail: stewarjl@gov.ns.ca
- Melanie Fewer
- Protocol Office
- 902-424-4463
- E-mail: fewerma@gov.ns.ca
