NINE TO RECEIVE SASKATCHEWAN’S HIGHEST HONOUR

Today Lieutenant Governor Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart announced the names of nine recipients to be invested into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

"The nine remarkable individuals who will be invested with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit this year are outstanding citizens who have made a tremendous difference in the lives of countless people; we are truly in their debt," Barnhart said. "I am proud and pleased that our province has established the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, so that we may honour these extraordinary men and women."

This year's recipients are:

• Chief Darcy M. Bear, Whitecap Dakota First Nation - Whitecap;
• Mr. Joseph L. Bourgault, President of F.P. Bourgault Tillage Tools and Entrepreneur - St. Brieux;
• Dr. Edward Busse, Retired Cardiac Surgeon - Qualicum Beach, B.C.;
• Mr. Ronald Carson, Chief Executive Officer, Carson Energy Services - Lampman;
• Mr. Malcolm Jenkins, Entrepreneur - Prince Albert;
• Mr. Courtney Milne (posthumous), Photographer - Grandora; 
• Dr. Karim Nasser, Professor Emeritus of Engineering - Saskatoon;
• Ms. Shirley Schneider, Retired Educator - Regina; and
• Ms. Ruth Smillie, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer, Globe Theatre - Regina.

The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is the province's highest honour, recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to the well-being of the province and its residents. Including the nine new members, there have been 184 appointments to the Order of Merit since its inception in 1985.

For more information on the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and its members, or the Saskatchewan Honours and Awards Program, please visit www.ops.gov.sk.ca/som.

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For more information, contact:

Jay Teneycke
Office of the Provincial Secretary
Regina
Phone: 306-798-6095
Email: jay.teneycke@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-8630