Recipients of 2010 Order of Nova Scotia Announced

NOTE: Photos and biographies of the 2010 Order of Nova Scotia recipients are available at http://www.gov.ns.ca/iga/2010recipients.asp

A inspiration in musical education, an advocate for racial equality, and a founder of Christmas Daddies are among the five Nova Scotians to be invested into the Order of Nova Scotia this year. Premier Darrell Dexter announced the 2010 Order of Nova Scotia recipients today, Oct. 12.

"The Order of Nova Scotia recognizes those who have brought honour and prestige to our province," said Premier Dexter. "This year's recipients have made outstanding achievements and helped make life better for Nova Scotia families in every region.

"I want to thank all the recipients for their contributions to their communities, and to all Nova Scotians."

• J. Chalmers Doane, South Maitland, Hants Co., has been calledone of the most outstanding music educators in Canada. He was a supervisor of music education in the Halifax school system from 1967 to 1984. He established an innovative music education program that taught thousands of children to play an instrument and helped foster a lifelong appreciation and love of music. His unique, accessible program, featuring the ukulele, was so successful that it quickly became adopted in schools across North America. He is a multi-instrumentalist and has founded many orchestras and bands. His passion for music and his ability to generate enthusiasm in students and teachers has had a lasting influence on generations of Nova Scotians.

• James (Jim) Herbert Leonard Hill (deceased), Dartmouth, was beloved throughout the Maritimes as one of the two founding "daddies" of the Christmas Daddies Telethon. He found his life calling in 1964 when he and his colleague, Jack Dalton, witnessed a young boy panhandling while having lunch. They passed a hat and raised $15 for the boy and the idea for the Christmas Daddies Telethon was born. Today it is one of the longest-running telethons in North America and has raised more than $27 million to provide toys, food, and clothing to less fortunate children across the region. It has been running for 46 years, inspiring hundreds of volunteers to help thousands of children and their families.

• Burnley (Rocky) Allan Jones, Halifax, is a fierce champion of racial equality and justice. He is a promoter of social reform in the areas of justice, employment, housing, and education. Believing that African Canadians need to work together for change, Dr. Jones helped establish the Black United Front of Nova Scotia and the National Black Coalition of Canada. He helped create two Dalhousie University programs: the Transition Year Program, to redress educational inequities faced by members of the First Nations and African Canadian communities, and the Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq Initiative at Dalhousie Law School, to increase the representation of Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq in the legal profession. He heads his own law firm devoted to human rights, labour and criminal law.

• Eva June Landry, St. Peter's, Richmond Co., is a deeply committed educator and passionate advocate for rural and economic development. She was a teacher, a principal, a reading specialist, and became the first female superintendent of schools in Richmond Co., Cape Breton. In 1980, she became the province's first female inspector of schools. She has served as a 4-H leader for more than 50 years, actively promoting the youth development organization in Canada and abroad. For the past 25 years she has been a volunteer with Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, where she has worked to maximize access to hearing and speech services for children and adults throughout the province.

• Rev. William Robert (Bill) Pope (deceased), Mount Denson, Hants Co., was a minister, care facility manager, publisher, and philanthropist who selflessly served his community. After seven years as a United Church minister, he helped establish Windsor Elms Senior Citizens Home and served as its first manager. Rev. Pope and his wife Isabel established a publishing company, Lancelot Press, and printed and bound more than 500 books, inspirational magazines, and newsletters. After their son, Robert, an artist, died of cancer at age 35, they established the Robert Pope Foundation to foster health and healing through art, education, and community health initiatives. It provides scholarships to students at NSCAD University, supports the medical humanities program at Dalhousie University, and contributes to palliative care facilities and hospices.

The recipients were selected by the Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council from 75 nominations from across the province.

The 2010 recipients will be recognized at an Investiture Ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Province House.

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.