Maitland MacIssac, Chair of the Order of PEI Advisory Council, announced today that nominations for the Order of Prince Edward Island are now being received by Council. The nominations deadline this year is March 26 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, 48 Islanders have been awarded the medal and inducted into the Order.
Last October, membership in this exclusive Order was expanded by three to include Wilma Hambly of Charlottetown, Elmer MacDonald of Augustine Cove and Frank Zakem of Charlottetown.
Nominees must be living Canadian citizens, who are current or former long-term residents of the Island. The honour may not be awarded 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 and only three medals may be awarded each year.
Recipients have come from many different backgrounds on the Island, including
medicine, the arts, politics, community service and religion. What all Members of the Order share, however, is a lifetime of effort and accomplishment that truly has been remarkable.
“This is a unique and wonderful award,” says Mr. MacIsaac, who chairs the Advisory Council that reviews the nominations for the Order Of Prince Edward Island. “It’s 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, people like you and me who see excellence in a friend, neighbour or colleague and believe it ought to be recognized by the Province.”
MacIsaac says the Order of PEI has intentionally broad criteria. “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 them down to the most deserving three. MacIsaac points out that, while a nomination may not be successful in a given year, nominators are encouraged to resubmit nominations for the same person in the next year or in any year.
While the deadline to submit nominations is March 26, the selection process continues until June 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 Hon. Barbara Hagerman, Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island and Chancellor of the Order in a special ceremony at Government House in September attended by the Premier, former recipients, and friends and family of the honourees.
“As Chair of the Council, I had the special privilege of presiding at the 2009 Order of PEI ceremony and it was truly a wonderful and touching evening,” says MacIsaac. “Those selected to receive the Order of Prince Edward Island are modest and self-effacing about their accomplishments and are often surprised by their selection. The gratitude they feel and the pride and happiness on the faces of those who love and support the honourees is inspiring.”
MacIsaac feels strongly 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’s 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 richly deserve.”
Individuals and organizations can get more information on nominating deserving citizens to the Order by going online at www.assembly.pe.ca/orderofpei, by picking up nomination forms at any Access PEI outlet, or by contacting the secretary of the Advisory Council, Charles MacKay, by email at chmackay@assembly.pe.ca or by phone at (902) 368-5970.