Humanitarians and Philanthropists
Bonnie Cappuccino.	Born St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. 1934. She trained as a registered nurse. She married and had two children and then her family grew even more with 19 adopted children. In 1985 she founded and became director of Child Haven International which is a non-profit charitable organization. The organization helps destitute children and women throughout the world. They maintain four children's homes in India , one in Nepal, one in Tibet and one in Bangaladesh. Bonnie travels to each of the children's homes four times a years. For her efforts she has been awarded the Ontario Citizenship Medal in 1985, the Canada Volunteer Award in 1986 the UNESCO Prize for teaching of Human Rights in 1998. She and her husband Fred were the first Canadians to win this award. In 1996 they both received the Order of Canada.
Carol Ann Cole.	Born March 28. She has written a couple of books including "Comfort Hearts". Maclean's Magazine recognized her as one of 12 outstanding Canadians in 1998. Among the many awards she hold are the Terry Fox Citation of Honour, the YWCA Women's Recognition Award and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. In 2001 she became a member of the Order of Canada
Lotta Hitschmanova	Born Prague, Czechoslovakia November 28, 1909. Died July 1990. She studied journalism and political sciences in Europe and earned her PhD. It was however her first hand view of the horrors of life in war torn Europe that would affect the rest of her life. She emigrated to Canada and was founder and a tireless worker of the USC (Unitarian Service Commission). International she was recognized for her works with humanitarian awards from France, Korea, Greece, India and her adopted Canadian homeland with the Order of Canada. People who are presented with awards often wear a small coloured ribbon signifying their award. Dr Hitschmanova had five rows of ribbons to wear!!!!
Evelyn Horne	Born Truro, Nova Scotia February 23, 1907. Died March 21, 2005. She started her working career as a teacher in a one room school in Halifax. While working in the office of the Provincial Secretary she caught the attention of Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1941 and she moved to Ottawa to work in the PM's secretariat. She would later serve in the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and the National film Board retiring at the age of 69. By the age 74 she was working as acting Director of the Canadian Hearing Society. After her retirement she also President of the Youth Services Bureau as well as a long-standing and forceful member of the Quota Club of Ottawa. She was presented with the Caring Canadian Award by the Governor General of Canada and a Community Builder Award from the United way and a Living legend Award from the Quota Club.
Margaret McTavish Konantz	née Rogers Born Winnipeg, Manitoba April 30, 1899. Died May 11, 1967. As a young woman she was a founding member and president of the Junior League of Winnipeg and in 1933 she was the Canadian representative the the Junior League of America. In 1936 she was the chair of the Manitoba campaign of child-care division of the Canadian Welfare Council. During world War ll she worked on the home front in the Patriotic Salvage Corps, Bundles for Britain and the Women's Volunteer Services in Western Canada. or her war efforts she was awarded with the Order of the British Empire. After the death of her husband in 1954 she devoted herself even more to her humanitarian work visiting Asia on behalf of UNICEF. She turned successfully to politics and in 1963 became the first woman from Manitoba to be elected to the House of Commons in Ottawa. In 1965 she became the national chair of the UNICEF Committee.
Anne Molson	née Molson Born Quebec April 8, 1824.Died January 3, 1899. She married her cousin John Molson , June 9, 1895. They would have three children that survived infancy. In 1864 she suggested an award and designed a medal to be given to the best student in Physics, Mathematics and physical sciences at McGill College. Perhaps it was this event which called her to lobby to have women students at McGill. She became the first president of the Montreal Ladies Educational Association which was founded in May 1871. She would see women accepted at McGill in 1884. She was also active in the Montreal Ladies Benevolent Society and the Montreal Society of Decorative Arts. There is not much in the way of written accounts of Anne Molson as she left no diaries and there is little detail provided in Molson family archives.
Pauline Vanier	(née Archer) Born Montreal, Quebec 1898. Died March 1991.Her training as wife and mother of 5 children was used outside of the home as a Red Cross volunteer in Paris during and after the Second World War. She is one of the few Canadians to have been honoured by France for her services with the Jacques Cartier Medal. Her husband, Georges Vanier, was also honoured by France for his services during the war. Pauline would support her husband in all of his diplomatic postings abroad and as "First Lady" of Canada when Georges served as Governor General of Canada. A widow and in her 70's, she moved to France where she worked with her famous son and institution he founded called L'Arche, a refuge for the mentally handicapped. Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp commemorating Pauline Vanier and Elizabeth Smellie as part of the Millennium series January 17, 2000.