OTTAWA—His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will honour teachers, along with other outstanding Canadians, for furthering an interest in and understanding of Canadian history and heritage, at the Governor General’s History Awards ceremony, being held at Rideau Hall, on Tuesday, November 19, 2013, at 10:30 a.m.
The 18th Governor General’s History Awards honour exceptional achievements in five areas: teaching, scholarly research, popular media, museums, and community programming.
The Governor General’s History Awards for Excellence in Teaching:
- Rachel Collishaw – Glebe Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, Ontario
- Romy Cooper and Graeme Cotton – General Gordon Elementary School, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Matt Henderson – St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Lucie Jean-Mercier – Académie Lafontaine, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec
- Catherine MacDonald – Fr. L.J. Austin Catholic Secondary School, Whitby, Ontario
- Neil Orford – Centre Dufferin District High School, Shelburne, Ontario
The Governor General’s History Award for Scholarly Research (Sir John A. Macdonald Prize):
- William C. Wicken, Toronto, Ontario – The Colonization of Mie Col Memory and History, 1794-1928: The King v. Gabriel Sylliboy
The Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media (Pierre Berton Award):
- Tim Cook, Ottawa, Ontario – Award-winning author and military historian
The Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Museums History Alive!
- Écomusée du fier monde, Montréal, Quebec – Citoyens – Hier, aujourd’hui, demain
The Governor General’s History Awards for Excellence in Community Programming:
- The Boom Trail Community Initiatives Society, Camrose, Alberta
- Corportation Spect-Arts, Trois-Rivières, Quebec
In addition, the SEVEC Ambassador of History Award and eight national student awards will be presented to the following individuals:
SEVEC Ambassador of History Award:
- Roy Mills, Vegreville Composite High School, Vegreville, Alberta
Kayak Kids’ Illustrated History Challenge:
- Kelsey Omaga, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Maude Boissonneault, Saint-Arthur, New Brunswick
The Begbie Canadian History Contest:
- Brett Dowling, Richmond, British Columbia
- Margaret Lin, Richmond, British Columbia
Aboriginal Arts and Stories:
- Catherine Blackburn, Prince Albert Saskatchewan
- Robert McCue, Tottenham, Ontario
- Hanna Waswa, Langley, British Columbia
- Brandan Wilson, Copper Cliff, Ontario
The Governor General’s History Awards were first established in 1996, by Canada’s National History Society, to recognize excellence in teaching Canadian history. Since the creation of the awards, over 100 teachers have been honoured at Rideau Hall and at the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle of Québec. In partnership with Canada’s leading national history organizations, including the Begbie Society, the Canadian Historical Association, the Canadian Museums Association, and the Historica-Dominion Institute, the Society has worked to expand the awards to recognize the many different ways history is taught, communicated and celebrated by Canadians. The Governor General’s History Awards now provide an annual opportunity to bring together museums, community organizations, writers, historians, students, teachers and media producers to celebrate Canadian history and to learn from one another. For more information about these awards, visit www.canadashistory.ca/Awards.
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