Nominations close March 30th for the highest honour the Province of Prince Edward Island can award.
The Order of Prince Edward Island was established in 1996 to recognize the Island’s most outstanding citizens. Since its inception, 39 Islanders have been awarded the medal.
Most recently, membership in this exclusive Order was expanded by three to include Prince Edward Island Poet Laureate Frank Ledwell, in recognition of his commitment to youth and his dedication to the artistic and cultural life of this Island; Summerside’s Dr. Sheldon Cameron, acknowledging an exemplary career as an aggressive, forthright and compassionate leader in the field of addictions care; and Mrs. Dorothy Lewis of York whose life of volunteerism is the epitome of the Island spirit of generosity and dedication to community.
Nominees must be living Canadian citizens who are current or former residents of the Island. The award is not given to sitting members of any Provincial Legislature, nor to Islanders in the Senate or House of Commons or sitting as judges. The Order is not conferred posthumously, except when a nominee passes away between the time his nomination is confirmed and the medal is awarded. Only three medals are awarded each year.
Recipients have come from many different worlds on the Island, including Medicine, the Arts, Politics, Community Service and Religion. What they all share, though, is a lifetime of effort and accomplishment that truly has been remarkable.
“This is a unique and wonderful award,” says Nils Ling, who chairs the Advisory Council that reviews the nominations for the Order Of Prince Edward Island. “It is an honour that is conferred by the people of Prince Edward Island upon one of their fellow citizens. Nominations can and do come from people of all walks of life and from all over the Island, folks like you and me who see excellence in a friend or neighbour and believe it ought to be recognized.”
Ling says the Order of PEI has intentionally broad criteria. “Simply put, the medals are awarded to recognize individual excellence, achievement and contributions to the social, cultural or economic well-being of Prince Edward Island and its residents. On merit, many, many Islanders are eligible for the honour. But only three are chosen from the dozens of citizens nominated each year.”
With that many nominations coming from across the Island, the Advisory Council has its work cut out to narrow the nominations down to the most deserving three. Ling points out that while a nomination may not be successful in a given year, there is nothing to stop any citizen from putting the same name forward the next year or in any year.
While nominations close at the end of March, the selection process continues through the summer as the nominees are winnowed down to the three the Council believes represent the most deserving of that year’s list. The awards are presented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island in a grand ceremony in September attended by the Premier, former recipients, and friends and family of the honourees.
“That is a wonderful and touching evening,” says Ling. “Without exception, those who have been selected to receive the Order of Prince Edward Island are modest and self-effacing about their accomplishments, surprised to be singled out. The gratitude they feel and the pride and happiness on the faces of those who love them is inspiring.”
Ling is passionate about the importance of the Order of Prince Edward Island. “In a world where awards are often viewed as ‘elitist,’ this is an honour that comes from friends and neighbours,” he says. “It is important for the people of this Island to acknowledge that there are outstanding people living, working and making important contributions to our lives. And it’s important for so many reasons that those people get the recognition they deserve.”
Individuals and organizations can get more information on nominating deserving citizens to the Order by going online at www.assembly.pe.ca/orderofpei/index.php, by picking up nomination forms any Access PEI outlet, or by contacting the secretary of the Advisory Council, Charles MacKay, by email at chmackay@gov.pe.ca or by phone at (902) 368-5970.