Eight to receive awards - Saskatchewan Order of Merit

[JPL]

The graphic artist who designed the Order of Canada medal and more than 20 other official medals and decorations is one of eight people who will receive the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

Bruce W. Beatty, who died March 21, 2011, in Ottawa will be named posthumously as a recipient of the award, which he designed.

He designed Canada's gallantry awards, the Medal of Bravery, the Star of Courage and the Cross of Valour. He designed hundreds of official crests, badges, logos and coats of arms and every royal visit lapel pin for 59 years. The recipients will be invested into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit by Lt.-Gov. Vaughn Solomon Schofield at a ceremony Nov. 27 in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan's highest honour, the Order of Merit, recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the well-being of the province and its residents.

Recipients are:

. Raymond E. Ahenakew of the Ahtahka-koop First Nation has been a leader with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, on national boards and committees, and as CEO of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council when it purchased a successful forestry business that improved the economy.

. Sandra L. Birdsell, an award-winning writer, editor and teacher from Regina who has written six novels, three collections of short stories and scripts. She is involved in Sage Hill Writing Experience and many other writers' guilds and unions and writers' awards.

. Barbara Keirnes Young, an education innovator, advocate for the arts and mentor for women in leadership in Regina. She brought the national Learning Through the Arts curriculum to Regina Public Schools and helped create a human rights equity policy for the division.

. W. Thomas Molloy, a Saskatoon lawyer and chief federal negotiator with the government of Canada for almost 30 years. He is a respected negotiator for indigenous land claims and treaty settlements, including the creation of Nunavut.

. Brian G. Rossnagel, professor emeritus has worked to improve economic returns and lower business risk for farmers. He has worked on more than 100 research projects advancing science in agriculture, collaborating with researchers in plant breeding and genetics, grain quality, human and animal nutrition, pathology and agronomy.

. David A. Thauberger, a Regina painter and sculptor who is recognized nationally and internationally for his colourful paintings of prairie storefronts celebrating small-town Saskatchewan. He has taught at universities and has served on the Canada Council for the Arts board.

. W. Brett Wilson, a Calgary-based entrepreneur, community leader and philanthropist who devotes effort to his home province of Saskatchewan. He provided $2 million for an entrepreneurial centre of excellence at the University of Saskatchewan.

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Jean-Paul