Half of all inductees to Order of Manitoba have UM connections

Lt.-Gov. Philip S. Lee will induct 14 new members into the Order of Manitoba on May 21, 2014, many of whom have significant connections with the University of Manitoba. The event will be extraordinary, since Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will be attending this year’s ceremony and participating in the event.

Friends and graduates of the University of Manitoba to be invested in 2014:

• Robert Bryan (Bob) Brennan [Cert.Bus.M/71, CA/66, LLD/01], the former president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, under whose stewardship the Crown Corporation became an industry leader and for his contributions to numerous corporate and community boards;
• Raymonde Gagné [B.esA/1976, Cert.en Ed/1977], the innovative president of Université de Saint-Boniface, for her significant contributions to the advancement of French-language post-secondary education in Manitoba and Canada;
• Israel Idonije, the first graduate of the University of Manitoba Bisons to play in the National Football League, the 11-year veteran defensive lineman has garnered even more acclaim through the public service and philanthropic accomplishments of the Israel Idonije Foundation and IZZYz KIDz; [He will be given an Honorary Degree at this Spring Convocation on June 5, 2014];
• Jennifer Jones [BA/96, LLB/99], one of the most successful skips in Canadian curling, made history in 2014 when she led her team to an unprecedented 11-0 record, which included the gold medal victory at the Sochi Winter Olympics;
• Hermann Lee, assistant professor in the faculty of dentistry at the University of Manitoba and practicing orthodontist, for his considerable service to the Chinese-Canadian community and the community at large including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra;
• Roland Penner, C.M. [BA/49, LLB/91], former attorney general of Manitoba and former dean of law at the University of Manitoba, for his groundbreaking contributions to the administration of justice in the fields of law and public service, and his tireless promotion of access to justice, human rights and the rights of First Nations people;
• Doris Sarah Young [BA(Hons)/82], assistant to the president on Aboriginal Affairs at the University College of the North, is a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, a residential school survivor and a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who has championed treaty rights, human rights and social justice initiatives during her lifelong efforts to improve the lives of Aboriginal people in Canada. She also served on the the University of Manitoba Board of Governors in 2002 and 2003.

Established under special legislation, the Order of Manitoba is the province’s highest honour. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence and achievement in any field of endeavour, benefiting in an outstanding manner the social, cultural or economic well-being of Manitoba and its residents.

Recipients are selected by an independent advisory council that evaluates all nominations received and then recommends the candidates each year to the chancellor. Once inducted into the order, members may use the initials O.M. after their names for life.

This year’s investiture will take place at a ceremony to be held May 21, 2014, at the Manitoba Legislative Building.