Order of Canada adds five Nova Scotians, promotes another

A pastime during her childhood in Newfoundland turned into a multifaceted business for Deanne Fitzpatrick and now an appointment to the Order of Canada.

The Amherst woman is being honoured for her “contributions to the advancement and recognition of rug hooking as an art form.”

Fitzpatrick grew up in Placentia Bay, where rug hooking had been mostly abandoned, as she once put it, as a “chore of poverty.”  Now her work hangs in the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

Even so, she never saw a call from the office of the Governor General coming.

“I’m a rug hooker. I just don’t think about that,” she said of the surprise. “I’d love to know who nominated me. I’m just so nosy.”

Fitzpatrick moved to Amherst 30 years ago, and in her studio there does her own work, sells kits, writes books, teaches rugmaking and runs online creative retreats.

“I really believe rug hooking changes people, being creative changes people,” she said. “I love making art and helping people make theirs.”

Other Atlantic Canadians named Thursday as members of the Order of Canada were: SaltWire cartoonist and New Brunswick native Michael de Adder, who lives in Halifax: Halifax developer Jim Spatz: Halifax architect Richard Kroeker: Inuk opera singer Deantha Rae Edmunds of St. John’s, N.L.; Paralympian Francine Lemire, of Corner Brook, N.L.; and historian George Edward MacDonald, of Charlottetown. Mi’kmaw elder Albert D. Marshall, of Cape Breton was appointed as an Officer and Dr. Ron Stewart was elevated to Companion.

The Order of Canada, created in 1967, recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.

SaltWire’s Michael de Adder was working in his basement when he got word he had been named “for his artistic contributions and pointed commentary in the field of editorial cartooning.”

“This would have been a month ago,” he said Thursday afternoon from that same basement. “I’ve known for a month, and I was sworn to secrecy. They didn’t really say I had to limit how many people I told, just not to announce it online.”

De Adder has been sent two pins to wear on his blazer for the induction ceremony at Rideau Hall, though he doesn’t know when that will be.

“It’s not something I ever expected to get. So, it comes out of the blue and it’s immediately the biggest award I ever won. As cartoonists, as journalists, we dream of getting a National Newspaper Award or an Atlantic Journalism Award, but the Order of Canada isn’t something you necessarily strive for. It comes out of nowhere, so it’s pretty amazing.”

Jim Spatz was in Sarasota, Florida with his wife Val when he found out he was to be named to the Order of Canada.

Spatz, owner of Southwest Properties, is being honoured for his “business and community leadership, and for his philanthropy in support of diverse causes and initiatives.”

“It is a tremendous honour to have been nominated and appointed to the Order of Canada,” said Spatz in a news release from Southwest Properties. “I also celebrate the other new appointees who have made a difference within their communities and our country.”

Spatz was 11 months old when he arrived in Canada as the son of immigrant parents who had survived the Holocaust.

“Growing up in a home where I was taught to be grateful to live in Canada created a strong desire to give back within the community,” said Spatz, who was recognized for his diverse volunteerism.

His list of accomplishments includes being inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame and being named Atlantic Business Magazine’s CEO of the Year for Atlantic Canada.

Spatz has led Southwest Properties for the past 33 years, after a career as a physician practising family and emergency medicine.

Others named to the Order of Canada this year include:

Richard Kroeker of Halifax for “his innovative leadership as one of Canada’s leading architects who uses multiple perspectives of Indigenous and Western artistic and environmental models in his work.”

Deantha Rae Edmunds of St. John’s for “her significant contributions as Canada’s first Inuk opera singer, and for her original compositions and her mentorship of young Indigenous musicians.”

Francine Lemire of Corner Brook for “her accomplishments as a Paralympic medallist in cross-country skiing and for her exemplary leadership in family medicine.”

George Edward MacDonald of Charlottetown for “his leadership as a historian and scholar of Prince Edward Island, and for his mentorship of tomorrow’s heritage conservationists.”

Elder Albert Marshall of Cape Breton was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions to the “understanding of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed-Seeing, and for his dedication to promoting Mi’kmaq culture, language and environmental ethics.”

Dr. Ron Stewart, a former Nova Scotia health minister and adviser to the Clinton administration in the U.S, was elevated to Companion of the Order of Canada for his long service in the field of health care.

Visit Gov. Gen. Mary Simon’s website for a complete list of recipients.