Peterborough activist Rosemary Ganley to receive YMCA Peace Medal

Longtime Peterborough humanitarian and activist Rosemary Ganley has been announced as this year’s recipient of a YMCA Peace Medal.

The YMCA says the medal recognizes the achievements of individuals who — without any special resources, status, wealth or position — demonstrate the values of peace throughout contributions made on the local, national or global levels.

“Rosemary Ganley is an educator, humanitarian, feminist, journalist and activist,” stated the YMCA of Central East Ontario. “She and her late husband, John Ganley, founded the charitable organization Jamaica Self-Help. Ganely has also twice represented Canada at the United Nations Conference on Women and recently served on the G7 council on issues of gender equality. Her editorial columns, highlighting the beauty of the Peterborough community are regularly published in The Peterborough Examiner.”

The medal was created in 1987 by a group of volunteers and staff at the YMCA of Frederiction. It’s now annually presented across Canada.

The YMCA of Central East Ontario – Balsillie Family Branch in Peterborough – first held a peace medal ceremony in 1993. Since then, more than 25 people/groups have been recognized.  Previous recipients of the award include community leaders such as Charmaine Magumbe, Gord and Heather Rodin with Hope Grows, Margaret Slavin, Janet McCue, Maryam Monsef and her Red Pashmina campaign, Goodith Heeney, Micky Renders and Jean Koning.

Ganley will accept her medal at a Nov. 23 ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. at the YMCA’s Peterborough branch. The event is open to the public.