Vernon resident Dr. Margo Greenwood and Peachland winery owner the Honourable David Ross Fitzpatrick.
Image Credit: UNBC/www.rossfitzpatrick.com
December 30, 2021 - 1:00 PM
Two Okanagan residents have been appointed to the Order of Canada.
Vernon resident Dr. Margo Greenwood and Peachland winery owner the Honourable David Ross Fitzpatrick were two of 135 appointees to the Order of Canada.
Fitzpatrick was awarded for "his lifelong dedication to the cultural and economic development of the Okanagan, and for his leadership and conservation efforts in the region," and Greenwood was awarded for "her scholarship as a professor of early childhood education, and for her transformational leadership in Indigenous health policy," reads the Governor General of Canada website.
Dr. Greenwood is an Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry, who spent more than 30 years working to transform the health and well-being of Indigenous children, families and communities.
"It’s a calling that makes my heart sing," Dr. Greenwood said in a Northern Health press release. "I’m accepting this award for my three sons who can see their contributions to our family realized, and for my granddaughter to see the full potential of women. I thank my Elders, teachers and colleagues who’ve advised and supported me in this journey."
The release says Dr. Greenwood was born in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and now lives in Vernon.
Fitzpatrick is the proprietor and chairman of Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards at Greata Ranch, a winery south of Peachland that opened in 2017.
According to his online biography, Fitzpatrick worked as the research director to the Royal Commission into the Tree Fruit Industry of British Columbia before embarking on a successful business career founding and developing companies in aerospace, oil and gas and mining.
In 1986, he returned to the Okanagan and founded the CedarCreek Estate Winery to pioneer the planting of vinifera grapes to produce premium quality wines.
In 1998, he became a member of the Senate of Canada and sat for 10 years.
The Order of Canada was created in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. To date, more than 7,000 people have been appointed to the Order of Canada.
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