Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON-Canada Electronic Newsletter #2

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Activities to mark UN/50 held across Canada

Three UNA-Canada Medals of Honour were presented in Toronto on November 3 by Ontario's Lieutenant-Governor, Henry N.R. Jackman, as part of that province's official ceremony marking the UN's 50th Anniversary.

The medal recipients included former UN Assistant Secretary-General Tamar Oppenheimer, who headed a UN summit on drug abuse in 1987. Also honoured were fisheries expert Harry Winsor and nutritionist Jean Steckle, both of whom enjoyed distinguished careers with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Many other Canadians were honoured at UN/50 ceremonies across Canada. The Lieutenant-Governors of Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec and New Brunswick all hosted events on or around October 24, at which both UNA-Canada Medals of Honour and UN/50 Global Citizens Certificates were presented to honour local contributions to the work of the United Nations.

Other Canadian cities celebrated the UN's 50th birthday in their own ways. Vancouver's UN/50 commemoration on October 24 included a panel discussion on the UN. Panelists included Dr. Mary-Wynne Ashford of Physicians for Global Survival, environmental activist Dr. Tara Cullis, former NDP Member of Parliament John Brewin, and Lieutenant Chris Henderson, a naval officer who served two peace-keeping tours in Bosnia. Also at the event, Norm Hoye of Veterans Against Nuclear Arms received the Vancouver Citizens' Peace Award.

Calgary marked the anniversary with a special performance by the Calgary Boys' Choir. The choir began their performance with A Survivor from Warsaw, commemorating the end of World War II, and ended with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.