October 18, 2006
OTTAWA -- The Honourable Beverley Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, is pleased to announce the names of the recipients of this year's Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case. The Awards, which honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of life for women in Canada, will be presented at Rideau Hall on Persons Day, October 18.
“Today, we honour six extraordinary women,” Minister Oda said. “These women embody the spirit of the ‘Famous Five,’ who inspired these Awards. It is a spirit of courage, commitment and hope, reflected in their lifelong dedication.”
The following six women are this year's recipients:
Joyce M. Hancock, of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a strong proponent of grassroots economic development, and has worked for women’s rights and social justice in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as in Canada and throughout the world, for more than 25 years.
Maureen Kempston Darkes, of Toronto, Ontario, is a long-time champion for women, who co-founded the General Motors of Canada National Women’s Advisory Council, thus opening doors for women in the corporate world.
Doreen McKenzie-Sanders, of Vancouver, British Columbia, has worked to advance equality for women, focusing on the business world. She was the driving force behind Women in the Lead/Femmes du tête, a Canadian non-profit corporation dedicated to creating a national directory of expert women candidates for appointment to corporate boards.
Jan Reimer, of Edmonton, Alberta, has worked tirelessly to promote safe communities and ensure the well-being of society’s most vulnerable members – seniors, youth and women in abusive relationships.
Youth Award recipient Seema Shah, of Markham, Ontario, has dedicated herself to community and charitable organizations working to advance gender equality. She is a student at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.
Charlotte Thibault, of Montréal, Québec, has for over 25 years, worked both in volunteer and paid capacities to advance equality, from the local to the international levels, through such organizations as the Fédération des femmes du Québec and the Canadian Women's Foundation, as well as through all United Nations conferences on women since 1985.
The Persons Case is a significant historical landmark in the fight for equality by Canadian women. In 1929, five Canadian women – Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Nellie McClung, who became known as “The Famous Five,” – fought and won the right for women to be recognized as persons and therefore, eligible to sit in the Senate. The Government of Canada established the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case in 1979 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Persons Case decision, and to salute the contributions of contemporary women to the advancement of gender equality. Each year, Persons Day is celebrated on October 18, and the Awards are given to recipients on or around that date.
An official call for nominations for the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case is made each spring. Nomination forms and brochures outlining selection criteria are always available on Status of Women Canada’s website. Nominations may be submitted at any time and will be considered at the annual Selection Committee meeting, held in late summer.
For more information, visit the website at http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/.
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For more information, please contact:
Nancy Heppner
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
(819) 997-7788
Nanci-Jean Waugh
A/Director-General, Communications Outreach and Parliamentary Relations
Status of Women Canada
(613) 995-7839
