Exceptional contributors

Nominees sought for Katharine McLennan Award

Nominations are now being accepted for a prestigious award that recognizes exceptional contributions to the areas of arts, culture or the historical preservation of Cape Breton Island.

The Katharine McLennan Award is named for the daughter of Senator J.S. McLennan.

They were strong advocates for the designation of the Fortress of Louisbourg as a National Historic Site and spent years researching the eventual partial reconstruction of the mid-18th century fort.

“Katharine’s life was spent in service to her community,” said Catherine Arseneau, cultural resources director at Cape Breton University, who explained that the award came about through a partnership between the Beaton Institute, the Cape Breton Regional Library, the Fortress of Louisbourg Association and Parks Canada.

“She served as a Second World War nurse, she was an artist and photographer and a community developer of museums and libraries, so this award is a fitting legacy of her work and a way to recognize those among us who give so much to the culture of our island today.”

For those interested in learning more about this remarkable woman, both the regional library and the Beaton Institute boast collections containing archival information including letters, documents, photographs and works of art. Information is also available by visiting www. kmclennan.com to access the Through Her Eyes: Katharine McLennan website.

The awards committee is accepting nominations until June 15 and will honour this year’s recipient at a Sept. 6 ceremony at the Fortress of Louisbourg.

The previous recipients are John C. O’Donnell (2013), Shirley Chernin (2014), Ronald Caplan (2015), Rosemary McGhee (2016) and Margaret “Margie” MacInnis (2017).