Women of Note

On May 7, the 2008 YWCA-YMCA Women of Distinction Awards were presented to nine women who are recognized for their contribution to their respective fields. This years winners are: Trudy Schroeder (Arts and Culture), Kelley Beaverford (Business and the Professions), Nahanni Fontaine (Community Voluntarism), Margo Goodhand (Creative Communications), Christine Penner (Education and Training), Gladys Yeung (The Gerrie Hammond Memorial Award of Promise), Rayleen De Luca (Health and Wellness), Karin Wittenberg (Research and Innovation), Jane Polak-Scowcroft (Young Woman of Distinction).

On April 12, the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association honoured two women for their outstanding work in the pharmaceutical field.
Dr. Ruby Grymonpr received the 2007 Pharmacist of the Year Award. Specializing in geriatric pharmacy, Dr. Grymonpr is a pharmacist and lecturer at the University of Manitoba. She is also credited with assisting in the development of a medication information help line for the elderly.

Catherine Sabiston was honoured with the 2008 Bonnie Schultz Memorial Award for Practice Excellence for her work as a pharmacist for critically ill infants.



Also in April: Winnipegger Ashley King received the President Award for her stint with the Wayne State University women's hockey team.

A senior forward for the Detroit team, King held a 4.0 GPA in back-to-back semesters and recorded 10 points during the team's 34 games.

Earlier this year, King was one of five finalists for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup, which is given to an outstanding role model among athletes, and was one of eight finalists for the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award. She was also named to the College Hockey America All-Academic Team three years in a row. King graduated from Wayne State in May.



On April 24, Winnipeg photographer Sarah Anne Johnson won the inaugural Grange Prize, a $50,000 award created by the Art Gallery of Ontario and Aeroplan honouring the best in contemporary photography.

Johnson, who competed against three jury-selected finalists from China and another from Canada, won for her photo of handmade dolls planting trees and standing in a circle in the morning mist.

The Grange Prize is the only award of its kind in Canada in that the public chooses the winner. Johnson received 53 per cent of online votes on the Grange Prize website.

The Art Gallery of Ontario will display her work next spring.



This spring, Dr. Marilou McPhedran joins the University of Winnipeg as the Principal of the new Global College which offers a degree program in Human Rights & Global Studies. Dr. McPhedran is an internationally recognized human rights advocate who has been awarded by the Governor General, Queen's Jubliee and inducted into the Order of Canada.