On October 7, 2020, Mount Saint Vincent University celebrated the Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour virtually with a video hosted by President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mary Bluechardt, with special messages from donors Dr. Jim Spatz and John Flemming, and new honouree Dr. Noni MacDonald.
The Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour is a unique installation dedicated to honouring women of all walks of life. It provides friends and families the opportunity to commemorate and share their stories in a personalized, meaningful way.
This year we are pleased to honour:
Heather (MacLaggan) Smith
Judy Thordarson
Connie Fudge
Stacey Lewis Pineau
Lauren Leal
Gwendolyn “Aunt Gwen” Dorothy Flemming
Anne Clark McGuire
Karen Greene
Sister Jean Eudes SC, PhD, RN
Linda Irene Rose
Donna Cotie
Lily Durepos
Emma Marie McMullin Arnold
Lucy Griffiths
Dr. Noni MacDonald, OC, ONS
Heidi Stevenson
Marjorie A. Lindsay
Additional information on each honouree can be found on the virtual wall, which showcases the stories on some of the over 500 women feature on the wall. One of these stories is that of new honouree, Dr. Noni MacDonald:
Dr. Noni MacDonald is a pioneer in the medical community in Canada and internationally. She was the first woman Dean of Faculty of Medicine at a Canadian Medical School, serving as Dean of Medicine at Dalhousie University from 1999 to 2004. She is currently Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre.
Dr. MacDonald was the first pediatrician in Canada certified in pediatric infectious diseases by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She founded the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Ottawa in 1981 and led the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Service at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, serving as Chief until 1999.
Dr. MacDonald has long been recognized in Canada and internationally, as an advocate for children and youth health and as a leader in pediatric infectious disease and global health. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and is a recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia. To read Dr. MacDonald’s full bio, please visit https://www.womenswallofhonour.ca/.
Congratulations to all of our honourees and the families of those we honour in memoriam, and thank you for showing us of the power of women.