Helene Campbell

Advocate for organ and tissue registration and blood donation

While awaiting for a double lung transplant in Toronto, Campbell, a 20-year-old Ottawa resident is raising awareness on organ and tissue registration and donation all over the world.

She successfully got Justin Bieber to tweet her plea for organ and tissue registration to his millions of followers last month. After she and her friends took to Bieber through Twitter, registration on Ontario’s Trillium Gift of Life Network website beadonor.ca umped fourfold. During the week and a half of the Justin Bieber campaign, Trillium’s registry saw 1,300 new donors sign up. Since then, they’ve been averaging 160 a day. Before Campbell took to Twitter, the provincial agency mandated with organ and tissue donation and transplant averaged 50 new registrants daily

She appeared via Skype on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on February 16, 2012 to bolster her campaign of awareness by making a direct appeal to Ellen in a video on her website alungstory.ca

alungstory.ca.

www.thestar.com

www.ottawacitizen.com

Victor Tolgesy Arts Award

This award was inaugurated in 1987 by the City of Ottawa and the Council for the Arts in Ottawa to recognize the accomplishments of residents who have contributed substantially to enriching cultural life in the city. It is named in honour of Ottawa artist Victor Tolgesy who died in 1980.

Between 1987 (first year of the award) and 2010, 13 women won the Tolgesy award. They are:

1987
Trudi LeCaine, arts supporter, volunteer and advocate

1988
Pat Durr, visual artist and champion of arts policy and development

1994
Barbara Clark, choral director and arts education advocate

1998
Claire Faubert, actress, artistic director, teacher and volunteer
Diane Holmes, arts leader, volunteer and advocate

2001
Jennifer Dickson, visual artist and arts advocate

2002
Eleanor Crowder, founder of Salamander Theatre for Young Audiences

2004
Susan Annis, arts patron and leadership volunteer

2005
Jennifer Cayley, founder and former Director of MASC

2006
Penny McCann, Director of SAW Video Association

2008
Paulette Gagnon, significant contribution to the arts through French theatre and francophone artists

2009
Christine Tremblay, Executive director of Arts Ottawa East

2010
Mela Constantinidi, involved in the cultural sectors at the municipal, provincial and federal levels for 30 years

http://arts-ottawa.on.ca

Patrice James

Film maker

Executive director of the Independent Film-makers Co-operative of Ottawa.

Widely known and respected in the city’s arts community.

Her film projects include the documentary "Black in Ottawa” (co-produced with Orpheus Morgan). This thought-provoking documentary is the first to explore the struggles, triumphs and interactions of Ottawa's various black communities while also examining the relationships between these groups and 'mainstream society'.

Nominated for the Tolgesy Award in 2012, Ottawa’s top annual arts prize.

www.blackhistoryottawa.org

www.ottawacitizen.ca 

Félicité Murangira

Advocate for immigrant community and HIV prevention

Born in Rwanda, grew up in Congo and Burundi and came to Canada in 1986 as a landed immigrant with 4 young children.

Has a Bachelor's Degree in Law from University of Burundi and is the Global Ottawa AIDS Link Project Coordinator at Women's Health Research Unit, University of Ottawa.

Her involvement with the GOAL initiative links the Black community to the academic researchers for an exchange of knowledge and development of innovative best practices in HIV prevention, care, treatment and support.

Has been an advocate for immigrant community in Ottawa for the last 18 years. She is the recipient of the 1990 Canadian African Women's Organization Award, the recipient of the 1994 Canadian African Solidarity Volunteer Award, the 2005 Rwandese Association Award for contribution to the settlement and well being of the Rwandan community of Ottawa/ Gatineau, the 2006 recipient of the Planet Africa Volunteer of the Year Award and the recipient of the 2006 YMCA -YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Healthy Living.

Co-founder and Co-Chair of the African and Caribbean Health Network of Ottawa.

http://www.blackhistoryottawa.org

Rachel Décoste

Motivational speaker, community activist

Is a software engineer, was born and raised in Ottawa.

Holds a Bachelor in Computer Science from the University of Guelph and Project Management training from La Cité Collégiale.

A published poet, she has been a community activist since her youth, engaging in letter-writing campaigns to push for change in issues close to her heart: working with the Children's Aid Society to mentor foster children for over 15 years, assisting in the care of seniors at La Résidence St-Louis, and participating in the regional effort to save the Montfort Hospital, among many other activities.

Has a strong record of volunteerism: she received the Volunteer Appreciation Award for her efforts with the Black Canadian Scholarship Fund, a charitable organization which awards bursaries to bright disadvantaged students. She has served on the Event Committee of the Famous 5 Foundation from its inaugural year in Ottawa.

Is a member of the Selection Committee for the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case since 2008.

http://www.blackhistoryottawa.org

Damilola Otepola

Youth community leader

Came from Nigeria to Canada in 2003, and started grade 10 at Brookfield High School in Ottawa.

Became passionate about the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund (NMCF) and helped raised funds for the group through a CD of songs, with her as a lead vocal.

Co-organized black history in her school where for the entire month of February they featured black pioneers and leaders, played African music, and celebrated black history.

Wrote a song, Move Your World for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for their 2006 theme "Move your world".

Won the Global Citizen Award organised by the Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa (CAYFO) in 2006; was later featured in the Ottawa Citizen and the Talk Black Radio (98.1) for her achievements and aspirations.

Graduated from high school with honours and won several awards including the Principal's award and the Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award for Students. She is currently a third year Chemical Engineering student at the University of Ottawa.

http://www.blackhistoryottawa.org

Noella Charles

Community activist and mentor

Born in St. Lucia; has lived in Ottawa for the past thirty years.

Active member in the community including past Vice President of United Black Women of Ottawa, past Vice President of Fete Caribe, past and Vice President of the St. Lucia Ottawa Association.

Presently the President of the St. Lucia Ottawa Association.

Worked for the E.A.G.L.E. Training Centre as Outreach Fundraising Manager, and the Mentoring Coordinator; owns an event planning business called Diamond Events.

Serves as a volunteer in the Ottawa community as a member to the Caribbean Associations Presidents committee, and the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean Advisory Committee to the OECS High Commissioner.

Volunteered for the Parent Council Awards Committee at Hillcrest High School and was a past Fundraising Coordinator at Robert Bateman Public School.

Was part of the team who planned a very successful first for Ottawa; the Caribbean Games Evening, in March 2008.

Her commitment and dedication to the community was recognized in 2007 as the recipient of the City of Ottawa, Civic Appreciation Award 2007.

http://www.blackhistoryottawa.org