Each issue we honour some of the Manitoba women who are making a difference in our community and across the world.

Former Winnipeg MLA Muriel Smith was one of five Canadian women to receive the prestigious Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, on Oct. 17, 2007 in Ottawa.

Smith was the first woman president of the NDP and the first woman to be named deputy premier. She brought in pay-equity legislation, the Manitoba Child Daycare Program, worked to set up a network of women’s shelters and resource centres, and fought to create domestic violence policy within the justice system.

This annual award was created in 1979 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Persons Case. This landmark 1929 case won Canadian women the right to be recognized as persons, and thus be eligible to sit in the Senate. Among The Famous Five who fought for that initial case was Manitoba’s own Nellie McClung.

The 2007 award was also given to Wendy J. Robbins (New Brunswick), Shari Graydon (Ontario), Elaine Hemond (Quebec) and Dr. Mildred L. Burns (Quebec). The youth award was given to Viviana Astudillo-Clavijo of Toronto. — LSG

In November, Winnipeg professor Dr. Susan Close launched her insightful book Framing Identity: Social Practices of Photography in Canada (1880-1920) at MAWA (Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art). The book looks at the work of four women photographers whose work helped establish the identity of Canadian women at the turn of the last century. Close received a doctoral fellowship for her research on women photographers in Canada and has taught subjects from art history to environmental design at four universities. She currently teaches in the faculty of architecture at the U of M and is a former MAWA mentor. — LSG

On Nov. 30, 2007, Manitoban Tracy Bone was named Best Female Artist at the ninth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMAs) for her debut album No Lies. Twenty-eight awards were handed out at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, celebrating aboriginal artists from across the country. Other Manitoba winners were Darren Lavallee (Best Fiddle Album) and Little Hawk (Best Folk Album). — LSG