2004 Order of Nova Scotia Recipients Announced

NOTE: Photos and biographies of the award recipients can be found at www.gov.ns.ca/prot/2004recipients.htm .

Nova Scotia's arts and culture community are well represented in this year's 2004 Order of Nova Scotia recipients. Premier John Hamm announced the names of the recipients today, July 22.

"The Order of Nova Scotia is a very prestigious honour and I would like to congratulate this year's recipients," said Premier John Hamm. "Although their fields of endeavour are diverse, they have each made a significant contribution to our province."

The 2004 recipients are:

• Anne Marie Comeau, Saulnierville, Digby Co., is the founder and artistic director of Le Baie en Joie. Her outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of Acadian culture, regionally, nationally and internationally has been recognized with many awards.

• Donald Michael Julien, Truro, Colchester Co., has been the executive director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq since 1994. He has been a life-long promoter of Mi'kmaq history and culture and is a member of the board of governors of the Nova Scotia Museum and a member of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council.

• Major (ret'd) Marial M. Mosher, Halifax Regional Municipality, has been a dancer, military officer and academic. Her dance career took her to New York where she performed on Broadway. During the Second World War she joined the Canadian Women's Army Corp., and served in Canada and Great Britain. She was instrumental in introducing the Canadian Studies program at Mount Saint Vincent University.

• Dr. Oscar Shiu-Yuet Wong, Glen Margaret, Halifax Regional Municipality, is a radiation oncologist and medical educator. He is the founding member and president of the Chinese Society of Nova Scotia, board member of the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association, and founding member and director of the Canada/Hong Kong Business Association.

• Sherman Zwicker, Lunenburg, Lunenburg Co., was a former mayor of Lunenburg. For more than 50 years he has been involved with groups and agencies that work to promote the health and well- being of the people of his community and to preserve the cultural heritage of Lunenburg and its fishing tradition.

The recipients were selected by the Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council from 137 nominations submitted from across the province. They will be recognized at an investiture ceremony at Government House, Halifax, on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

The Order of Nova Scotia was established in June 2001. Ten people were selected as inaugural members in 2002, with no more than five people being selected as recipients in the following years. Recipients have the right to use the initials O.N.S. after their names.