INVERNESS COUNTY: Heather Rankin, a celebrated entertainer from Inverness County, has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour.

Rankin is being recognized for her remarkable contributions to Canadian music, both as a member of the award-winning band The Rankin Family and as a solo artist.

According to the Governor General’s office, her solo albums and performances have inspired audiences across the country. She is hailed as a revered icon of Cape Breton music and a dedicated mentor within the music industry.

Rankin is among 88 individuals newly appointed to the Order of Canada, a list that includes prominent figures such as actor and philanthropist Ryan Reynolds, former CTV Atlantic News anchor Steve Murphy, and former Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Jean-Pierre Kingsley.

The formal induction ceremony for Rankin and her fellow appointees will take place at a later date.

Drake Lowthers

Drake Lowthers has been a community journalist for The Reporter since July, 2018. His coverage of the suspicious death of Cassidy Bernard garnered him a 2018 Atlantic Journalism Award and a 2019 Better Newspaper Competition Award; while his extensive coverage of the Lionel Desmond Fatality Inquiry received a second place finish nationally in the 2020 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards for Best Feature Series. A Nova Scotia native, who has called Antigonish home for the past decade, Lowthers has a strong passion in telling people’s stories in a creative, yet thought-provoking way. He graduated from the journalism program at Holland College in 2016, where he played varsity football with the Hurricanes. His simple pleasures in life include his two children, photography, live music and the local sports scene.

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Drake Lowthers
Drake Lowthers has been a community journalist for The Reporter since July, 2018. His coverage of the suspicious death of Cassidy Bernard garnered him a 2018 Atlantic Journalism Award and a 2019 Better Newspaper Competition Award; while his extensive coverage of the Lionel Desmond Fatality Inquiry received a second place finish nationally in the 2020 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards for Best Feature Series. A Nova Scotia native, who has called Antigonish home for the past decade, Lowthers has a strong passion in telling people’s stories in a creative, yet thought-provoking way. He graduated from the journalism program at Holland College in 2016, where he played varsity football with the Hurricanes. His simple pleasures in life include his two children, photography, live music and the local sports scene.