The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today congratulated winners of the 2009 Manning Awards, which acknowledge the work of organizations whose primary focus is preserving Newfoundland and Labrador�s cultural heritage through public presentation.

The awards ceremony, held annually by the Historic Sites Association (HSA) of Newfoundland and Labrador, took place Wednesday, March 25, in St. John�s.

"All Newfoundlanders and Labradorians owe a debt of gratitude to the individuals and organizations which preserve our history and culture � and then find interesting and unique ways to present it to the public," said Minister Jackman. "I congratulate and thank this year�s Manning Award recipients for their continued commitment and efforts."

This year, the awards were presented in four categories: community, provincial, national and international. The winners were: the James J. O�Mara Pharmacy Museum, Newfoundland Pharmaceutical Association (St. John�s); Them Days Magazine, Board of Directors (Labrador); the Crow�s Nest, Crow�s Nest Officer�s Club (St. John�s); and, the Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Radio Amateurs (SONRA) (St. John�s). The winners are selected by a committee composed of past and present HSA board members.

Joan Ritcey, Chair of the HSA board of directors, said this year�s recipients were well-deserving of the honour.

"Thank you to the award recipients for their hard work in preserving our history", said Ms. Ritcey. "We hope their example will be an encouragement to others."

In addition to the Manning Awards presentation, Carl Miller, a native of Rushoon and distance education folklore student from Memorial University, was presented with the Dr. Paul O�Neill Scholarship for excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador Studies. Administered by the HSA, the scholarship was created to recognize Dr. O�Neill�s contributions to the study and promotion of Newfoundland and Labrador�s culture and history. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate student at Memorial University enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program. Eligible candidates must show academic excellence, enthusiasm and interest in some area of Newfoundland Studies as part of their degree program. The successful candidate is selected by the dean and the associate dean of the Faculty of Arts at Memorial University.

Established in 1993, the Manning Awards honour the late Bill Manning, a former Parks Canada Superintendent of Historic Sites for Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Manning realized that the preservation and presentation of our heritage requires the involvement of the people in individual communities. Over the past 17 years, Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador has recognized more than 100 projects and initiatives across the province through the Manning Awards program.

For more information about the Manning Awards visit www.historicsites.ca

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Provincial � Them Days Magazine, Labrador
Launched as a Labrador Heritage Society project in 1973, Them Days Magazine was initially created to be a single publication that focused on the life and times of people in various Labrador communities. In August 1975, after establishing a board and raising the funds required, the first public issue of Them Days was published. In addition to the publication, the Them Days Labrador Archives � a continuously growing collection of diaries, letters, photographs and more � was established in 1984. Today, Them Days is published quarterly and continues to operate as a non-profit organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors.

National � The Crow�s Nest, St. John�s
In July 1946, The Newfoundland Officer�s Club � Crow�s Nest, officially opened for business. Established in downtown St. John�s as a club for officers from the Army, Navy and the Air Force of both World Wars, the club is currently known worldwide as the Crow�s Nest Officer�s Club. The club is run and owned by its members and has become an unofficial museum filled with thousands of military artifacts. In 1990, the Crow�s Nest and the surrounding building was officially registered as a Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

International � Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs (SONRA), St. John�s
In April 1959 the Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs (SONRA) was formed. The SONRA secures the interests and benefits of those interested in amateur radio, creates local community interest, and provides services to its amateur radio membership. The SONRA operate an HF station from Cabot Tower, the same location where Guglielmo Marconi received the first wireless transatlantic signal in 1901. Operated solely by volunteers, the SONRA also works with the local Emergency Measures Organization office and when requested, provides emergency communications support.