OTTAWA: An author, Antigonish resident, and former StFX professor was named to the Order of Canada.
In a press release issued on June 29, Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, named Sheldon Currie as a Member of the Order of Canada.
Currie, a native of Reserve Mines, was named a member for his contributions to Canadian literature, notably his 30 years as a fiction editor of The Antigonish Review.
Currie also wrote short stories, plays, and novels about life in mining towns in Cape Breton, and taught English at StFX University.
His 1976 short story, The Glace Bay Miners’ Museum, which was originally published in The Antigonish Review, was made into a feature film called Margaret’s Museum starring Helena Bonham Carter and Clive Russell.
Currie also wrote the novels The Company Store in 1988, and Down the Coaltown Road in 2002. That same year he wrote the play Anna, which was produced at Festival Antigonish. In 1997 he wrote the plays Lauchie, Liza, and Rory and Two More Solitudes.
Late last month, the Governor General announced 85 new appointments to the Order of Canada and four promotions within the Order. The new appointees include one Companion (C.C.), 13 Officers (O.C.) and 71 Members (C.M.). As well, three individuals were promoted from Officer to Companion, and one Member was promoted to Officer.
Those invested will be presented with their insignia at future investiture ceremonies (dates to be determined), they said.
The Order of Canada was created in 1967, by Queen Elizabeth II, to honour people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations, and whose compassion unites our communities.
“The Order of Canada celebrates the lives, endeavours and successes of people from coast to coast to coast and from all walks of life,” Simon said. “Those being appointed today come from a variety of sectors, have achieved national and international success, and have shown ingenuity, innovation and generosity. What’s more, they have made a difference in their communities and for Canada with their outstanding dedication and commitment. Congratulations to the new Order of Canada appointees, as well as those celebrating a promotion within the Order.”
The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours and to date, more than 7 600 people from all sectors of society across our country have been invested.
Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the order: “They desire a better country.”