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Sonnet L'Abbé, poet, literary critic, teacher (born at Toronto, Ont, 24 September 1973). Sonnet L'Abbé's poetic themes of ethnicity and environmentalism display the influence of her father, a FRANCO-ONTARIAN potter, and mother, a Guyanese artist.

Laure Waridel, CM, CQ, social activist, author, environmentalist, lecturer and columnist (born 10 January 1973 in Chesalles-sur-Oron, Switzerland). Regarded as one of the 25 most influential political personalities in Québec, Laure Waridel holds an honorary doctorate from the Université du Québec à Rimouski, the Insigne du mérite from the Université de Montréal, and the rank of Knight of the Order of La Pléiade. She is a co-founder of Équiterre, a Québec organization that encourages individuals and governments to make choices that are fair, ecological and consistent with the principles of solidarity. The author of a number of books and essays on environmental issues, Waridel has contributed to many magazines, such as Voir and Reader’s Digest, in addition to hosting the radio show Acheter, c’est voter on Radio-Canada. She is currently strategic advisor for CIRODD, an interdisciplinary centre for research on operationalization of sustainable development. This centre is based at Polytechnique Montréal, and its membership includes over 80 researchers.

Olga Melikoff, Murielle Parkes and Valerie Neale were leaders of the parent group behind the creation, in 1965, of Canada's first bilingual education program, at Margaret Pendlebury Elementary School in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Lambert, Quebec. Their education activism laid the groundwork for the French immersion system in Canada. As a result of their efforts, Melikoff, Parkes and Neale are often referred to as Canada’s “founding mothers" of French immersion.

George Baird, CM, architect, critic, educator, author (born 25 August 1939 in Toronto, ON).

Jean Bédard, philosopher and social supporter (b 1950). Jean Bédard appeared like a meteor on the literary scene. In 1996, at his riverside home at Saint-Fabien-sur-mer near Rimouski, he inaugurated seminars for reflective thought on Western culture and modernity.

Richard Bruce Wright, novelist, editor, teacher (born 4 March 1937 in Midland, ON; died 7 February 2017). Richard Wright's novels frequently explore lives in urban Canada and crises of personal identity in modern cities.

Maryvonne Kendergi, Armenian pianist, broadcaster, teacher, musicologist, administrator (b at Aïntab (now Gaziantep) Turkey 15 Aug 1915, naturalized Canadian 1960, d Montreal, 27 Sep 2011).

His paternal forebears settled in Nova Scotia in 1760. Both parents were musical and encouraged the development of his talent. In Victoria he sang in the Anglican Cathedral choir directed by Stanley Bulley and studied piano at the age of six with Ogreta McNeill, then with Gwendoline Harper.

Al Baculis (Joseph George Alphonse Allan). Alto and tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, teacher, b Montreal 21 Nov 1930, d Seminole, Florida 22 Jan 2007; L MUS clarinet (McGill) 1951.

Charles Margrave Taylor, CC, GOQ, philosopher, political theorist and public intellectual (born 5 November 1931 in Montreal, Quebec). An internationally celebrated Canadian philosopher, Taylor’s work bridges the gap between philosophical theory and political action. His writings have been translated into more than 20 languages, and have covered a range of subjects including multiculturalism, modernity, humanity, morality, artificial intelligence, language, social behaviour and Canadian politics.

Robert (Henry) Cooper. Choral conductor and clinician, radio producer, teacher, tenor, b. Fredericton, NB, 7 Apr 1948; B MUS (Western) 1972, M MUS (Western) 1975. He sang leading roles in high school musicals and later with the Orpheus Operatic Society of Ottawa.

Guillaume (Ladislas) Dupuis. Teacher, choirmaster, b Montreal 3 May 1887, d there 25 Apr 1954.

Malcolm Ross, humanist, educator (b at Fredericton 2 Jan 1911; d at Halifax, N.S., 4 Dec 2002).

Marta (Iren) Hidy. Violinist, teacher, conductor, b Budapest 11 Jan 1927, naturalized Canadian 1963, d Hamilton 4 Nov 2010; Performance Diploma (Franz Liszt Academy) 1946, honorary FRHCM 1978.

Mary (Elizabeth) Munn. Pianist, teacher, administrator, b Montreal 28 Jun 1909, d Calgary 10 Oct 1991; LRAM 1928, RAM Certificate of Merit 1929, M MUS (New England Cons) 1967, DMA (Boston) 1973, honorary LLD (Lethbridge) 1991.

Stanley (Llewellyn) Osborne.

Louisa (Sister Marie-Valentine) Paquin. Lexicographer, teacher, b St-Barthélémy, Que, 23 Jan 1865, d Lachine, near Montreal, 9 Jun 1950; honD MUS (Montreal) 1937.

Angelo (McCallum) Read. Teacher, composer, organist, b near St Catharines, Canada West (Ontario), 22 May 1854, d Port Maitland, Ont, 15 Jul 1926. His early musical training took place in St Catharines and in the USA.

Alvin (Harry) Reimer. Bass, teacher, b Winkler, Man, 5 Jun 1940; Bachelor of Religious Education and Diploma, Sacred Music (Mennonite Brethren Bible College) 1965, BA (Waterloo Lutheran) 1968, Künstlerische Reifeprüfung (Academy of Music, Detmold) 1978.

Rosette (Rose Madelaine) Renshaw. Teacher, ethnomusicologist, translator, born Montreal 4 May 1920, died New Paltz, NY, 13 Mar 1997; BA (McGill) 1942, B MUS (Toronto) 1944, D MUS (Toronto) 1949. She attended the École Vincent-d'Indy 1936-8 and studied with Alfred Whitehead and Claude Champagne.