Award to Former Rural Leadership Assistant Director

George MacKenzie, retired assistant director with the Rural Leadership Branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing, is the latest recipient of the Erland Lee Award from the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada.

Women's Institutes provide women with opportunities to enhance their quality of life through education and personal development, allowing them to meet the changing needs of their local and global communities.

"In a day when women were without a public voice, and with limited access to specific knowledge, Erland Lee lent them his voice, his position, his contacts and his influence," said Theresa Osborne, executive secretary of the Women's Institutes of Nova Scotia, the provincial arm of the federated group and the organization that nominated Mr. MacKenzie for the award. The provincial institute is associated with and receives funding from the Department of Agriculture and Marketing.

The prestigious award is presented to a man who most exemplifies the qualities of Erland Lee, a farmer from Stoney Creek, Ont., who was instrumental in paving the way for the first Women's Institute to be formed in 1897.

As president of the local Farmers' Institute and a leader in agricultural and government circles across southern Ontario, he worked to ensure institute members were aware of issues affecting women. He joined with the founding members of the first Women's Institute to help write the organization's first constitution. Mr. Lee later used his influence to obtain a government grant for the group and ensure a strong association with the Ontario Department of Agriculture.

Women's Institutes soon spread across the country with the first branch in Nova Scotia organized in July 1913 at Salt Springs, Pictou Co. In 1919, the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada was organized to co-ordinate the work in the provinces.

"Our organization is built on enhancing the leadership skills of our members," said Ms. Osborne. "George MacKenzie, through his commitment to working with the Women's Institute, has helped us accomplish our goals. For this reason, we feel he is a more than worthy recipient of this very special and honourable award."

The award will be presented Friday, Feb. 12, in Truro.