Presented to people of Caribbean heritage who have made significant outstanding contributions on an international scale in their respective fields, or people who have brought to prominence issues which affect the Caribbean (West Indian) Region.

Mr. Donovan Bailey

Mr. Donovan Bailey

Few names can instil a feeling of awe and pride like the name of sports legend Donovan Bailey. Bailey commanded the world’s attention in the 1990’s when he exploded onto the track and field circuit determined to do what no other man before him had done.

It may not have always been his calling, but it was apparent from an early age that Bailey had no interest in marching at the pace of the rest of the world. He was more extraordinary than that. Bailey’s physical dominance, mental brilliance and impenetrable drive cast him as a formidable opponent in all of his endeavours. When most other youngsters in their early 20’s were just dabbling with adulthood, Bailey had already began a successful career in finance and was comfortably shooting up the corporate ladder when he decided to redirect his energy and revive a childhood passion in sprinting.

In just a few short years, Bailey was running alongside some of the greatest sprinters on the circuit – the same great sprinters that he soon began to surpass. His performances started to capture the attention of the track and field community. Then came the sports enthusiasts. Canada. Jamaica. And then the whole world followed.

Winning titles and smashing records, Bailey left his indelible mark by becoming one of the most revered all-time greatest athletes in the history of track and field.

Donovan Bailey. World champion. Olympic Champion. World’s fastest man. Extraordinary.

Career Highlights
• Birth Date: December 16, 1967
• Birth Place: Manchester, Jamaica
• Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
Donovan Bailey is indisputably among the best athletes in track and field history. Track & Field News declared Bailey "Sprinter of the Decade" (1990's) and one of the world's all-time greatest and most dominant sprinters.
• Two-time World Record holder
• Two-time Olympic Champion
• Three-time World Champion
• Eight-time Canadian Champion
• Pan American Games Champion
• Goodwill Games Champion
• Commonwealth Games Champion
• 1995- Dominated the World Championship in Gothenburg by winning the 100-metre sprint and the 4 x 100-metre relay titles.
• 1996, Bailey broke the indoor 50-metre world record in Reno, Nevada, posting a time of 5.56 seconds — a record still held to this day.
• 1996 he earned the rare triple title of World Champion, Olympic Champion, and World Record holder. (Bailey electrified Canada and the world where he shattered the World and Olympic record, winning Canada’s first gold medal ever in the glory event of the Games. Bailey ran a sizzling 9.84 seconds)
• Awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy and named Canadian Newsmaker of the Year.
• In 1997, Bailey won a third World title with the Canadian relay team and beat American sprinting champion Michael Johnson in a much publicized 150-metre race to determine who was the "World's Fastest Man."
• Bailey was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 individually, and inducted again in 2008 as part of Canada’s 1996 Olympic gold relay team.

Dr. the Honourable Harry Belafonte

Dr. the Honourable Harry Belafonte

Musician, Actor, Social Activist and Philanthropist.

Harry Belafonte was born in Harlem in New York City in 1927. Overwhelmed and intimidated by its ghetto streets and thinking the islands to be a safer place, his immigrant mother sent him back to the island of her birth, Jamaica. The island and all its variety became a cultural reservoir, which he ultimately drew upon for his artistic expression. At the outbreak of World War II, his mother retrieved him from the island and brought him back to Harlem. He tried to adapt to his new environment, a process which came with great difficulty and finally, unable to finish high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for almost two years as a munitions loader. After his tour of duty ended, he was honorably discharged and returned to New York City where he worked both in the garment center and as a janitor’s assistant.

For doing repairs in an apartment (of Clarice Taylor and Maxwell Glanville) Belafonte was given as his gratuity a ticket to a production of “Home is the Hunter” at a community theatre in Harlem called the American Negro Theatre (A.N.T.).

The world that the theatre opened up to him put Belafonte, for the first time, face to face with what would be his destiny – a life in performing arts. He joined the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of the School of Social Research under the tutelage of the great German director, Erwin Piscator, and with classmates like Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, Rod Steiger and Tony Curtis – just to name a few – Belafonte became thoroughly grounded in the world of his choice… theatre.

Paralleling this pursuit was Belafonte’s immersion in the world of Jazz. His love of the culture profoundly shaped his deep interest in its workings and revelations. From this experience he developed a relationship with the young architects of the art form, the geniuses of modern jazz and on the occasion of his first professional appearance had Charlie Parker, Max Roach, Tommy Potter and Al Haig as his “back-up band”. Since that launching, Belafonte has sustained an inordinately successful career:

His RCA album “Calypso” made him the first artist in industry history to sell over 1 million LP’s.

His first Broadway appearance in “John Murray Andersons Almanac” gave him the coveted Tony Award

As the first black producer in television, he won his first Emmy for his CBS production of “An Evening With Belafonte” directed by Norman Jewison

At the dawning of his cinematic film career, “Carmen Jones”, took top critical honors and attracted Oscar nominations

His many firsts in the overturning of numerous racial barriers in the world of culture in America is legend

In the early 50s, Belafonte met a young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his historic visit to New York. From that day until the leader’s assassination, Belafonte and King developed a deep and abiding friendship that for Belafonte still stands as one of the most precious of his experiences. Dr. King said of his friend that “Belafonte’s global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the Civil Rights movement here in America. We are blessed by his courage and moral integrity.” Belafonte was prominent in the contribution to the ending of the oppressive Apartheid Government of South Africa and the release of his friend, Nelson Mandela, after twenty seven and a half years of incarceration.

Belafonte was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as the cultural advisor for the Peace Corps. He served for five years. Harry Belafonte has been honored many times by such diversified groups as the American Jewish Congress, the NAACP, the City of Hope, Fight for Sight, The Urban League, The National Conference of Black Mayors, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the ACLU, the State Department, the Boy Scouts of America, Hadassah International and the Peace Corps. He has received awards such as The Albert Einstein Award from Yeshiva University, in 1981, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize and in 1989, he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for Excellence in the Performing Arts and the Acorn Award from the Bronx Community College for his work with children. He was the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award and was honored at the White House with the 1994 National Medal of Arts from President Clinton for his contributions to cultural life in the United States of America. He has received honorary degrees from City University of New York, Spellman College in Atlanta, Tufts University, Brandeis University, Long Island University, Bard College and most recently Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia University and many others.

Disturbed by cruel events unfolding in Africa because of war, famine and drought, Belafonte set in motion the wheels that led to “We Are the World” on January 28, 1985. He contacted manager, Ken Kragen, who responded favorably and together, along with others, undertook to guide and direct the project known as USA for Africa. In 1987, Belafonte accepted the appointment as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, thus making him the second American to hold this title – the first was Danny Kaye. Belafonte has continued to devote himself globally to civil and human rights issues, focusing in particular on the United States and Africa.

Belafonte also has two children from a previous marriage – Adrienne and Shari and two children David and Gina from his 2nd wife Julie. He boasts of five grandchildren – Rachel, Brian, Maria, Sarafina and Amadaus. He says of them, “They represent my final contribution to a world in need of love.” Mr..Belafonte is currently married to Ms.Pamela Frank, of Boston.

The Honourable Mayann E. Francis

The Honourable Mayann E. Francis

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Education has been the common thread running through the life of the Honourable Mayann E. Francis. Ms. Francis is the first African Nova Scotian, and only the second woman to be named Lieutenant Governor in Nova Scotia, a post that pre-dates Confederation by more than 100 years. From her installation on September 7, 2006, Ms Francis has brought a unique and wide-ranging perspective to her role as the Queen's representative in Nova Scotia.

Her parents, Archpriest George A. Francis and Thelma Francis, instilled in Ms. Francis the importance of education with words and deeds. From her childhood home in the Cape Breton Island community of Whitney Pier – at one time one of the most ethnically diverse communities in Atlantic Canada - Ms. Francis went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary's University, a Master's in Public Administration from New York University, a certificate in equal opportunity studies from Cornell University and a certificate in theological studies from the Atlantic School of Theology.

She became a pioneer in senior positions with the provincial governments of Nova Scotia and Ontario, and was instrumental in advancing diversity and equality through human resource positions at Dalhousie University. In 1999, Ms. Francis was named CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. In 2000 she was appointed Provincial Ombudsman. Ms. Francis is focusing on youth, education, seniors and community in her new role with the goal of increasing equity and inclusion.

Her Honour has been recognized for her outstanding achievements with a Harry Jerome Award for professional excellence, an award from the Multicultural Education Council of Nova Scotia, and a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.

In 2008, Her Honour was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Mount Saint Vincent University in recognition of her work on behalf of women and the disadvantaged.

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