Three people from Edmonton are among the 99 people added Friday to the Order of Canada, which turns 50 this year.
READ MORE: Order of Canada marks 50 years with 99 Canadian additions
Gov.-Gen. David Johnston said the individuals on the list, just like those appointed half a century ago, “are truly inspiring as they have helped to build the smart and more caring nation that we, as Canadians, are all so proud to call home.”
Mark Messier, NHL player
Mark Messier captained his hometown Edmonton Oilers, leading them to five Stanley Cup championships, then led the New York Rangers to another title in 1994, making him the first and so far only player to captain two different teams to the title.
He also captained the Vancouver Canucks, making him one of three players to wear the C for three different teams. And the National Hockey League now hands out an annual leadership award named after the man nicknamed “Moose.”
Growing up, he just wanted to be a hockey player like his idols Bobby Orr and Guy Lafleur, Messier said. Now, like them, he is also part of the Order of Canada.
READ MORE: Mark Messier, Peter McAuslan among Canadians added to Order of Canada
Anita Molzahn, Nursing professor
Dr. Anita Molzahn was added to the order “for her influential research on quality of life in aging populations and for her administrative leadership in the field of nursing.”
Molzahn is a nursing professor and was the dean in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta for nine years, with her term ending Friday.
Her clinical and research areas of interest relate to quality of life of people with chronic kidney disease.
Jane Ash Poitras, Cree artist
Jane Ash Poitras was selected for “her contributions to Canada’s artistic landscape as an influential First Nations visual artist.”
Poitras is a Canadian painter and printmaker of Cree descent, and also a long-standing sessional instructor with the University of Alberta.
Her work has been featured in galleries around the country, including the National Gallery of Canada.
Molzahn and Poitras were named members, which recognizes outstanding contributions at the local or regional level or in a special field of activity.
Messier was named an officer, which recognizes national service or achievement.
The highest level is companion, which recognizes national pre-eminence or international service or achievement. Prince Charles, on a tour of Canada right now, was one of three people named a companion.
READ MORE: Prince Charles and Camilla kick off 3-day Canadian tour in Iqaluit
— With files from Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
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