Twelve Manitobans named to Order of Manitoba
The 12 people who will receive Manitoba's highest honour include an expert on hypothermia, the co-owner of a production company, the head of St. Boniface Street Links, an Indigenous elder, a business executive and philanthropist, and a former senator.
'I am very honoured. I didn't really expect it,' said Trudy Lavallee, who is one of the 12, on Monday.
Lavallee was the child and family advocate for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs when she began helping Jordan River Anderson.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Trudy Lavallee, executive director of Animikii Ozoson CFS, is being honoured with the Order of Manitoba for her advocacy for First Nations children and for developing the concept of Jordan's Principle.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Trudy Lavallee, executive director of Animikii Ozoson CFS, is being honoured with the Order of Manitoba for her advocacy for First Nations children and for developing the concept of Jordan's Principle.
Jordan was born with a rare medical condition that kept him in hospital for the first years of his life. His family lobbied to get funding for home care so he could go home. That funding was locked in a jurisdictional dispute between the federal and provincial governments.
Jordan died at age five, never having left the hospital.
Lavallee wrote an article about his case that became the basis of Jordan's Principle. That, along with her longstanding advocacy for First Nations children, is why she will be inducted into the Order of Manitoba.
Jordan's Principle was established by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to ensure First Nations children have the same government services as non-Indigenous children.
The inductees will receive the honour at a ceremony at the legislature on July 17. The distinction celebrates Manitobans 'who have demonstrated excellence and achievement, thereby enriching the social, cultural or economic well-being of the province and its residents.'
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES
Gordon Giesbrecht. a.k.a. Professor Popsicle, beside water tanks in his office and research lab at the University of Manitoba in December 2023. Giesbrecht, who retired soon after, is being appointed to the Order of Manitoba.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES
Gordon Giesbrecht. a.k.a. Professor Popsicle, beside water tanks in his office and research lab at the University of Manitoba in December 2023. Giesbrecht, who retired soon after, is being appointed to the Order of Manitoba.
Gordon Giesbrecht, known as Professor Popsicle, is another recipient.
The retired University of Manitoba professor is a leading authority on hypothermia, ice safety, and cold-water immersion survival. He has demonstrated the techniques needed to increase the chance of survival on television shows hosted by comedians David Letterman and Rick Mercer.
'I am very honoured and very humbled,' Giesbrecht said.
'I'm fortunate the work I did was seen by the media as sexy. I just wanted to get a life-saving message out there and through the years people say I saved their lives or your work is saving lives.'
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Marion Willis, the founder of St. Boniface Street Links, was surprised to get a phone call from Lt. Gov. Anita Neville even though she knew she had been nominated for the Order of Manitoba.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Marion Willis, the founder of St. Boniface Street Links, was surprised to get a phone call from Lt. Gov. Anita Neville even though she knew she had been nominated for the Order of Manitoba.
Marion Willis, the founder of St. Boniface Street Links, which helps homeless people and established the Morberg House transitional home for men dealing with addiction and mental-health issues, knew she had been nominated, but was still surprised to get a phone call from Lt. Gov. Anita Neville.
'I feel pretty proud, but I guess my reaction to her would have been a little puzzling. I still don't really understand why,' Willis said. 'I haven't done this on my own. I have an amazing team of people around me.'
She said she has spent her life trying to be a change agent.
'I'm glad I've been a rebel with a cause.'
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Other Manitobans named to the order are:
Maria Chaput: She was the first franco-Manitoban woman to be a senator. She was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 2002. She retired in 2016 and was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2022. Before her appointment, she led several fundraising campaigns for organizations, including Cercle Moliere.
Rebecca Gibson: She is co-owner of Eagle Vision and an award-winning actor, writer, director and producer. She won the 2023 International Emmy Award, only the second Manitoban to win, for the documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Digvir Jayas, VP at the University of Manitoba.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Digvir Jayas, VP at the University of Manitoba.
Digvir S. Jayas: The world renowned scientist, whose research has enhanced grain preservation around the world, was vice-president (research and international) and a professor in the University of Manitoba's department of biosystems engineering. He is currently president of the University of Lethbridge.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Files
Glen Kruck, project manager for CHHA Westman.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Files
Glen Kruck, project manager for CHHA Westman.
Glen Kruck: He was instrumental in the development of Brandon's first homeless shelters and he helped people in need during his 35-year career with Community Health and Housing.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Language keeper Ken Paupanekis teaches Cree at the University of Manitoba.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Language keeper Ken Paupanekis teaches Cree at the University of Manitoba.
Ken Paupanekis: The Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation elder has helped to revitalize Indigenous languages. His work at the province's universities will help future generations use culturally relevant learning material.
Kristie Pearson: As a fundraiser and volunteer, she has helped raised more than $30 million for various charities and projects, including the Clan Mothers Healing Village, Rainbow Resource Centre, and United Way Winnipeg.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Walter Schroeder speaks at the launch of the Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts after the donation of $15 million from Walter and Maria Schroeder through the Schroeder Foundation in 2024.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Walter Schroeder speaks at the launch of the Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts after the donation of $15 million from Walter and Maria Schroeder through the Schroeder Foundation in 2024.
Walter Schroeder: He grew up in Winnipeg and went to the University of Manitoba, before moving to Toronto where he founded the Dominion Bond Rating Service. He took it from a one-room office to the fourth-largest bond rating agency in the world. After selling the company in 2014, he pledged more than $500 million to the Schroeder Foundation to support educational causes, and has donated $15 million to create RRC Polytech's Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts and $1.25 million to help the Ozhitoon Onji Peenjiiee – Build from Within program to help Indigenous teachers.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Charlie Spiring of Wellington-Altus.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Charlie Spiring of Wellington-Altus.
Charlie Spiring: He founded Wellington West Capital, which was sold to National Bank Financial for $333 million in 2011, and later Wellington-Altus Private Wealth. He has given millions of dollars to programs including Siloam Mission, Adoption Options Manitoba, and the Health Sciences Centre Foundation.
Photo by Brett Nicholls/The Press
Felix Walker, CEO of the NCN Family & Community Wellness Centre, which he has been involved with for over 20 years.
Photo by Brett Nicholls/The Press
Felix Walker, CEO of the NCN Family & Community Wellness Centre, which he has been involved with for over 20 years.
Felix Walker: He was elected a band councillor of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation at age 25. He leads programs based on traditional Cree values, including reducing trauma to children in care. He also created a group home for youth.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
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Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News earlier Thursday that Misipawistik Cree Nation in the Interlake region, nearly 400 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, was also preparing to evacuate vulnerable residents. "Priority 1 individuals are going to be evacuated to southern Manitoba, but what the leadership wants is … actual hotel spaces before they send their community members to the south," Wilson said. A fire 2,500 hectares in size was about eight kilometres north of Misipawistik as of Thursday's provincial fire bulletin. There were also two active fires west across the bay around Easterville, according to the province's fire map — the largest about 35 hectares in size. Other evacuations taking up space The Island Lake communities have about 16,000 members combined, with roughly 2,000 being Priority 1 residents — those considered most vulnerable and the first to be evacuated, McDougall said. 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Watch as CBC Weather Specialist Riley Laychuk tracks the fires threatening the communities of Flin Flon, Sherridon and Pukatawagan. The AMC grand chief is calling for a regional emergency management strategy in which Indigenous communities have more participation than they do now. "We need First Nations leadership to be involved in the decision-making, and the response time needs to be quick," she said. Meanwhile, McDougall said there would be no need for Island Lake to be partially evacuated if the region had a hospital of its own. "Service would be available locally, and that's been the argument of our leadership," he said. "You compare the size of the population of any other non-First Nation population — they have hospitals." Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@
