Greg Selinger, Steve Bell among newest recipients of the Order of Manitoba

WINNIPEG — A former Manitoba premier, an award-winning musician and one of the founding directors of the Winnipeg Folk Festival are among the latest people to receive the province’s highest honour.

The province announced 12 Manitobans will receive the Order of Manitoba this summer, which honours people who have enriched “the social, cultural or economic well-being of the province and its residents,” according to a release.

“The exceptional women and men to be invested into the Order of Manitoba serve to inspire us all and reinforce that each of us has the power to make a difference,” said Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon in a statement. “These individuals truly exemplify resiliency, adaptability and leadership, and they are all most worthy of acknowledgement and acclaim. We are proud to celebrate the passion and leadership of these great Manitobans.”

The 12 Manitobans who will receive the order this year include Greg Selinger, who served as Manitoba premier from 2009 to 2016, in addition to being a city councillor and working in social services in Winnipeg.

Steve Bell, a singer-songwriter who has won multiple Juno awards, is also being recognized this year, as is Ava Kobrinsky, one of the founding directors of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The other names being recognized include:

—Franklin (Lynn) Bishop, a business executive who served as the CEO of Winnipeg International Airport, and played key roles in the establishment of Winnport Logistics and its evolution into Cargojet;

—Elder Ruth Christie, who has dedicated her life to preserving Indigenous history;

—Dr. Michael Eskin, one of the world’s leading food science writers. Eskin was named to the Order of Canada in 2016 for his work on the functional properties of canola oil;

—Gordon Goldsborough, the current president of the Manitoba Historical Society;

—Gregg Hanson, the former president and CEO of Wawanesa Mutual, who now chairs an initiative to assist Winnipeg’s most vulnerable children. Hanson was also named to the Order of Canada;

—Kyle Irving, the co-owner of Eagle Vision, a production company that has produced numerous films and television series;

—Claudette Leclerc, an advocate for provincial arts, culture, and heritage, and the former president and CEO of the Manitoba Museum;

—Doris Mae Oulton, the current chair of the Nellie McClung Foundation and the Canadian Federation of University Women Charitable Trust, and a long-time advocate for women’s rights; and

—Arni Thorsteinson, an entrepreneur who founded Shelter Properties and spearheaded the capital campaign for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

This year’s ceremony is tentatively set to take place on July 15 at the Manitoba Legislative Building, depending on the current COVID-19 situation in the province.