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

This February, Pat Solman of MTS Allstream was named Mentor of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) annual awards gala in Ottawa.

In her 20 years with MTS, Solman has mentored countless women, encouraging them to strive for their career goals and teaching them how to find balance between their professional and personal lives. Now the vice-president of customer care in the consumer markets division, she has led several leadership and mentoring initiatives within the company.

Solman also finds time to volunteer at charitable organizations such as the United Way and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s CIBC Run for the Cure.
Another local CWC award winner was Golden West Broadcasting, which took home the title of Employer of the Year for its commitment to creating a corporate environment that both supports and promotes women’s advancement in all of its departments.

At the Manitoban-based radio broadcasting company, women represent an impressive 40 per cent of senior management, 72 per cent of the sales force and 40 per cent of the company’s board of directors, making it clear that these women are an important part of the company’s success.

The CWC Annual Awards were created to recognize exceptional women in the Canadian communications industry.

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Several of Manitoba’s most dedicated volunteers were honoured this April at Volunteer Manitoba’s 25th Annual Volunteer Awards Dinner at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The awards honoured the dedication of outstanding volunteers and recognized the valuable services they perform around the province.

One such volunteer-winner was Helen Hayles, who received the Volunteer Centre Award for Outstanding Community Leadership. Named to the Order of Canada in 2000 for her volunteer work, Hayles has made significant contributions to various cultural, educational and charitable organizations in Winnipeg. She also held the position of executive director of the Volunteer Centre of Winnipeg, now Volunteer Manitoba, for more than 20 years.

Other recipients of awards included Sandra Lynn Dzedzor, who received the Lieutenant Governor’s Make a Difference Community Award, along with Myrna Gail Lane and Colleen Smook. Dzedzor was also awarded with the Lieutenant Governor’s Vice-Regal Volunteer Award. Doris Anderson, Marie Pouteau, Carissa Nikkel, Allison Kulikowski and Gladys Yeung were honoured with the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award.

Volunteer Manitoba was established in 1978 with the goal of promoting volunteerism and celebrating its spirit in our province.

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In February, the Canadian Public Relations Society’s Manitoba chapter presented Gail Asper and Kim Jasper with the Communicators of the Year award for their work in promoting the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Coinciding with the chapter’s 50th anniversary, the first-ever award was designed to honour those who have displayed excellence in public communications. The two women planned and executed a successful communications campaign for the museum, which led to public understanding of the museum’s mandate as well as financial support from the local, provincial and federal governments.