Manitoba 150 honouree a credit to community
Published in the Canstar Metro and Headliner
May 21, 2021
By Myrna Driedger
The constituency of Roblin is made up of two amazing and unique communities, Charleswood and Headingley. During my time representing our communities, I have had the privilege of meeting many wonderful and dedicated local community leaders.
Our province turned 150 years old last year in 2020 – what a milestone.
Although we were not able to gather and celebrate as originally planned, there will come a time when it will be safe to do so. That’s not to say that there haven’t been any kind of celebrations. I’ve been happy to read about all the amazing awards and recognitions over the past few months. One of those is the Manitoba Honour 150 Award.
The Manitoba Honour 150 awards list, presented by Canada Life, recognizes 150 people from across the province who stand out for their role in making Manitoba such an amazing province. Award winners receive a special medal created by Manitoba artist Takashi Iwasaki, and also choose a charity to which Canada Life will donate $500. This donation is in keeping with the selfless spirit of those honoured with this important award. To see the full listing of Manitoba Honour 150 award recipients, check out Manitoba150.com
One impressive award recipient, Dorota Blumczynska, is a member of our community here in the constituency of Roblin. At the young age of nine, Ms. Blumczynska moved with her family to Canada as a refugee. She experienced challenges and struggles in Canada that, unfortunately, many newcomers face. Despite these challenges, Ms. Blumczynska has thrived in Manitoba and used her experiences to help others. To me, that is the most selfless endeavour that there is, to use your lived experiences to help your community.
I am in awe of this wonderful community member. She spent 13 years as executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba. Ms. Blumczynska has now taken on a new challenge as CEO of the Manitoba Museum.
Ms. Blumczynska chose Hospitality House Refugee Ministry to receive this award’s donation. Hospitality House is a non-profit organization, and has for many years been Winnipeg’s leading sponsor of refugees.
I want to thank Dorota Blumczynska for all that she does in our city. She is a dedicated community leader with a strong record of making an enormous impact in the lives around her.
Thank you, Dorota!