The following is being distributed at the request of Her Honour, the Honourable Judy M. Foote P.C., O.N.L, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador:
At a ceremony today at Government House, the Honourable Judy M. Foote, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, recognized the significant contributions of 10 individuals who were invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Joseph Butler, Richard Cashin, Paula Dawe, Rev. Arthur G. Elliott, Darryl Fry, Cassandra E. Ivany, Kaetlyn Osmond, Odelle Pike, John Christopher Pratt and Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe became the latest recipients of the Order because of their accomplishments in ‘a field of endeavour benefiting in an outstanding manner Newfoundland and Labrador and its residents.’
They join the 100 Newfoundlanders and Labrdorians who were previously invested. Biographies of each of this year’s recipients can be found in the backgrounder below.
Each recipient of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador is nominated for the award and is presented with a medal bearing the shield of Newfoundland and Labrador surmounted by the Crown. Members receive a certificate signed by the Lieutenant Governor, Chancellor and sealed with the seal of the Order, as well as a miniature medal and a lapel pin. Members of the Order are entitled to use the initials O.N.L. after their names.
More information on the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador can be found at gov.nl.ca/onl.
Quotes
“The diversity of these recipients is indicative of today’s Newfoundland and Labrador; they represent different genders, age groups and cultures. They come from many different backgrounds and their interests and endeavours cross many areas. One thing they all have in common though is that they serve as strong role models. I congratulate the 10 people invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador and I commend them for being shining examples of all that is good about our great province.”
Honourable Judy M. Foote
Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
“What a fantastic group of individuals recognized this year with the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. Collectively, they have devoted literally hundreds of years to beneficial and inspiring endeavors, and they are held in high regard by their peers and those who have benefited from their efforts. It was an honour to meet them all and participate in their important day.”
Honourable Dwight Ball
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media contact
Kristina George
Special Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor
709-729-4494
kgeorge@gov.nl.ca
Jason Card
Office of the Premier
709-729-3558
jasoncard@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of those invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
Joseph Butler
Joseph Butler is a pioneer of the radio industry in Newfoundland and Labrador and one of the province’s top philanthropists. Mr. Butler became very involved with VOCM in 1954 after the death of his father. He began a period of considerable expansion for the radio station that considerably increased the power of the flagship station in St. John’s and led to more coverage in rural areas of the province. Under Mr. Butler’s leadership, VOCM became the first station in Newfoundland and Labrador to extensively use computers in a province-wide news operation and to install its own weather radar and satellite delivery systems.
Mr. Butler led the creation of the VOCM Cares Foundation in 1983, which he chaired for 17 years. Since its inception, the foundation has raised millions of dollars for hundreds of charities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Other initiatives that he had a hand in launching include the Coats for Kids Campaign, the Happy Tree, and the Children’s Wish Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. He also personally supported causes such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Garden of Hope at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre.
Mr. Butler was awarded Honorary Life Membership in the Atlantic Association of Broadcasters in 1991 and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in 1992. Also in 1992, he was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Honourable Richard Cashin, P.C., OC
Richard Cashin has had a significant impact on Newfoundland and Labrador as a lawyer, politician and advocate for the fishing industry. After graduating from St. Bonaventure’s College in St. John’s, he attended St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie Law School in Nova Scotia. In 1962, Mr. Cashin was elected as the Member of Parliament for St. John’s-West and was re-elected in 1963 and 1965.
In 1971, he became President of the Newfoundland Fisherman, Food and Allied Workers Union – a position he held until his retirement. Mr. Cashin has represented Newfoundland and Labrador as the Atlantic Commissioner of the Task Force on National Unity. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Salt Fish Corporation, Petro Canada and the Export Development Board.
In 1989, Mr. Cashin was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Paula Dawe
Paula Dawe is a retired primary school teacher who has been an active volunteer in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay region for decades. She is one of the organizers with the Roland Shears Memorial Christmas Hamper Program, a cause that she has served for 40 years. Ms. Dawe was also a volunteer with the Melville Mantas Swim Team for more than 20 years participating in local and provincial boards and representing the province nationally as well.
She currently oversees the local Kids Eat Smart Program at Peacock Primary School, ensuring that children have access to nutritious food during the school day. She performs virtually all tasks required from purchasing food to delivering it to the classrooms. Ms. Dawe is also well known as a tutor with a particular attachment to children that face challenges. Ms. Dawe remains actively involved with the United Church as a member of the Ministry and Personnel Committee.
Rev. Arthur G. Elliott
Rev. Arthur G. Elliott is a retired minister of the United Church of Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University and a Master of Divinity degree from Pine Hill Divinity Hall in Halifax. Rev. Elliott served as a school principal in Twillingate and Port Ansten before serving as minister of the United Church in several Canadian provinces before coming home to serve in Newfoundland and Labrador in Bay Roberts, Lewisporte and St. John’s. He has held several leadership roles within the church including as the President of the United Church Conference.
Once he retired as a minister, Rev. Elliott undertook a number of volunteer activities in the Lewisporte area. He has served as Chair of the Lewisporte Area Economic Development Committee, President of the Lewisporte Area Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Directors of the Gander International Airport Authority. Rev. Elliott is well known for his advocacy for social and health issues including his tireless efforts leading to the establishment of a health care centre for the town and for founding of the Calypso Foundation, an organization that assists adults with developmental delays.
Rev. Elliott received a Seniors of Distinction Award in 2011.
Darryl Fry
Darryl Fry received a Bachelor of Science degree at Memorial University and a Chemical Engineering degree from Nova Scotia Tech. He then embarked on a business career that spanned more than 30 years culminating with him serving as the CEO of Cyanamid and then Cytec.
Darryl and Marlene Fry are co-founders the Fry Family Foundation, an organization that contributes to building stronger communities and developing the future talent of our province by supporting heath, social causes, and the arts. The foundation has provided support to the Agnes Pratt Home Foundation’s “Change of Face Project”, the Salvation Army’s Glenbrook Lodge and the Centre for Hope and helped establish the House of Diamonds and the Ken Diamond Memorial Park in Glovertown.
The foundation also invests in the development of the future talent of Newfoundland and Labrador through providing more than 1,000 scholarships to date to students at Memorial University, the Marine Institute and the College of the North Atlantic. In addition to the scholarships, Mr. Fry has acted as a mentor and investor with MUN’s Genesis Centre and he helped launch the university’s Horizons Leadership Program.
Mr. Fry received an honorary doctorate from Memorial University in 1997 and was named as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Junior Achievement Hall of Fame in 2012.
Cassandra Ivany
Cassandra Ivany was born in Clarenville in 1929 and has lived there her entire life. As a young woman, Ms. Ivany began volunteering with the Red Cross which started a relationship that lasted for decades, culminating with her receiving a citation and Certificates for Merit and Appreciation. Ms. Ivany is well known in Clarenville for her hospice work with the sick and the infirm and for her significant contributions to the Dr. G. B. Cross Memorial Hospital.
In 1954, Ms. Ivany became a member of the Rebekahs and still faithfully attends monthly meetings. She has held a number of executive positions with the organization including Warden and Noble Grand. She is also a lifetime member of the United Church Women and participates in fundraising, funerals, special occasions and accompanies the minister on home and hospital rounds.
In her 80s, Ms. Ivany began working with GATHER (Generating Awareness Through Healthy Eating and Recreation), a service providing activities that enhance quality of life with exercise, socialization, continuous learning, inter-generational activities, entertainment, outings and mutual caring. She volunteered with numerous youth organizations in the region, including considerable time with the Clarenville Area Minor Hockey Association.
In 2001 the Government of Canada recognized her for “outstanding service and contribution as a volunteer’ and in 2013, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador issued her a Certificate of Appreciation for “in recognition of her community contribution and volunteer service.”
Kaetlyn Osmond
Kaetlyn Osmond was born in Newfoundland and Labrador where she called Marystown home for her early childhood. She started figure skating when she was three and at the age of eight, moved with her family first to Montreal and subsequently to Edmonton, where she could receive better training. In 2006 at the Junior National Championships, Ms. Osmond set a Canadian record in the Juvenile category on her way to winning her first national title when she was just 10 years old.
Since then, Ms. Osmond has won three national titles, Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals and the 2018 World Figure Skating Championship, becoming the first Canadian woman in 45 years to achieve the honour. Remarkably, Ms. Osmond managed these accomplishments despite having to overcome and rehabilitate from a career-threatening leg injury that she suffered in 2014.
Having become one of the world’s top athletes at such a young age makes Ms. Osmond is an inspiration to many. In 2014, Marystown named the local arena and a street in her honour. In 2018, the Provincial Government renamed the Burin Peninsula Highway as Osmond Way in recognition of her considerable achievements.
Odelle Pike
Odelle Pike is a Mi’kmaq Elder who has devoted her life to numerous Indigenous organizations and causes and has been a volunteer and supporter of figure skating in Newfoundland and Labrador for decades. She served three terms as President of the Aboriginal Women’s Network. She has also held leadership positions with Ulnooweg, the Bay St. George Cultural Circle, the Newfoundland and Labrador Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, the Southwest Coast Tourism Network and the Salmon Preservation Association for the Waters of Newfoundland. Ms. Pike has provided support for family members attending sessions of National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
For more than 40 years, Ms. Pike has volunteered for figure skating in the province. She served as the Western Region Director of Skate Canada Newfoundland and Labrador and also on the Board of Directors of the provincial skating body. She served as a judge at many competitions throughout the province and as chairperson for many provincial competitions. Ms. Pike was honoured by Skate Canada as its Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer of Excellence in 2000. She has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Ulnooweg, an NLOWE Visionary Award, and has been named as Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year with the City of Corner Brook.
John Christopher Pratt, CC
Christopher Pratt is one of the most successful, respected and renowned artists in Canada. After being raised in St. John’s, he moved to Salmonier in 1963 and had his first solo exhibition at the Memorial University Art Gallery in 1965. Since then, Mr. Pratt has devoted his life and his art to his home province and his art has been extensively exhibited nationally and internationally. In 2013, he was the subject of a major nationally touring retrospective organized by the National Gallery of Canada. In 2015, The Rooms launched a 10-year retrospective of his works which emphasized his travels on the island of Newfoundland. Mr. Pratt has been collected by other prominent galleries including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Canada Council Art Bank, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. His work has also been the subject of a number of major publications. Mr. Pratt continues to have a close working relationship with The Rooms and has gifted the largest single collection of his works to Memorial University and The Rooms to ensure they are available for study by artists, curators, publishers and researchers from around the world.
Mr. Pratt was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1973 and elevated to the level of Companion in 1983. He has honorary doctorates from Memorial University, Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Ontario College of Art. In 1980, he designed the provincial flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe
Originally from Sierra Leone, Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe received a law degree from the University of South Australia and moved to Newfoundland and Labrador in1982. Since coming to the province, she has distinguished herself for decades in academia and for her dedication and support for a number of social causes. Her committee work has helped inform public policy initiatives on culture, law, population growth and immigrant integration.
Dr. Quaicoe is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sharing Our Cultures. Established 20 years ago, the program engages high school youth in skills-development workshops which culminate in them sharing their cultures with the public and hundreds of Grade 6 students at an annual event at The Rooms. She also serves, or has served, on numerous committees and boards including the Ministers’ Roundtable for Immigration; the Multicultural Education Advisory Committee; the OMNI East Advisory Council; the St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership; the Law Commission of Canada; the Multicultural Women’s Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador; the African Canadian Association of Newfoundland and Labrador; the International Ministries Team at Bethesda Pentecostal Church; the Seniors Resource Centre; the Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador; the Newfoundland and Labrador Health in Pluralistic Societies; and the Macdonald Drive Elementary School Council where she advocated for resources for immigrant children.