Released on October 29, 1996
Five citizens will receive the province's highest honour, the
Saskatchewan Order of Merit, from the lieutenant-governor at a formal
investiture ceremony in Regina Oct. 30.
The 1996 recipients of the order are:
þ Angus Campbell of Saskatoon, former director of alcohol and drug
abuse programs;
þ Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown of Regina, musician and former director of
the University of Regina conservatory of music;
þ Dr. Morris Shumiatcher of Regina, lawyer, civil libertarian and
patron of the arts;
þ Dr. John Spinks of Saskatoon, scientist and former president of
the University of Saskatchewan; and
þ Tillie Taylor of Saskatoon, first woman judge in Saskatchewan and
first chair of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.
Dr. Spinks will be unable to attend due to health reasons. His wife
Mary will receive the honour on his behalf.
Lieut-Gov. John Wiebe presents the insignia of the order - a medal and
lapel pin - to the recipients at the investiture. Following the
ceremony, Premier Roy Romanow will host a dinner in honour of the new
members of the order.
Including the five new members, there are now 68 appointments to the
order since its inception in 1985. The order has recognized a wide
range of endeavour, including the arts, agriculture, business and
industry, research and education, the professions, public service,
community leadership and volunteer service.
-30-
For more information contact:
Michael Jackson, Secretary
Saskatchewan Honours Advisory Council
Protocol Office
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-3109
Note to editors:
Media are welcome to cover the investiture ceremony on Oct. 30, 6:30
p.m, in the Regency Ballroom of the Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza,
Regina.
There will also be a photo and interview opportunity with the
recipients on Oct. 30, 2:45 p.m, in the Library Room, convention floor
of the hotel.
SASKATCHEWAN ORDER OF MERIT
Biographies of 1996 Recipients
Angus R. Campbell
Born in 1917 in Swift Current, Angus Campbell has played a key role in education and rehabilitation in the
field of alcohol and drug abuse and has been instrumental in raising public awareness of the problem of
chemical dependencies. He also made a major contribution to alcoholism programs in corrections, Aboriginal
organizations, health education and industry. He began his career in 1955 as the first counsellor in the
Saskatchewan Bureau on Alcoholism, doing pioneer work in research and public education on alcohol
dependency. In 1959, after graduating from the Yale School of Alcohol Studies, Mr. Campbell became
supervisor of the bureau's first counselling and referral centre in Regina. He also founded the Saskatoon
Alcoholism Society, which led to the establishment of the multi-discipline, in-patient Calder Centre. Mr.
Campbell was the first director of the centre from 1967 to 1975, designing and administering its programs
and helping industry develop alcoholism programs in the workplace. In 1976 the Moose Jaw District
Alcoholism Society named their intervention and recovery facility the Angus Campbell Centre in his honour.
>From 1975 until retirement in 1983, Angus Campbell was director of community services with the
Alcoholism Commission of Saskatchewan. From 1980 to 1993 he served as chairman of the St. Louis
Alcoholism Rehabilitation Centre, the first treatment facility in Canada for those convicted of impaired
driving. In 1993, Mr. Campbell published a history of Saskatchewan's alcohol rehabilitation efforts, called
The Grand Vision, was awarded the medallion of distinction by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse,
and received the Canada 125 Commemorative Medal.
Telephone (306) 653-1101, Saskatoon
Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown, C.M., D.F.C.
An eminent violinist and teacher of music, Howard Leyton-Brown was born in 1918 in Melbourne, Australia,
where he received his early musical education before undertaking further studies in Europe in 1937. During
the Second World War he served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force, including a period as instructor with the
Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Estevan, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war
Dr. Leyton-Brown continued his musical career in England. In 1955 he was elected a Fellow of the Guildhall
School of Music and Drama in London. He emigrated to Canada in 1952 to teach music at Regina College
and was appointed director of the conservatory of music in 1955, a position he held until his retirement in
1987. He was also director of the Western Board of Music Examination System from 1953 to 1987. He
received his doctorate of music from the University of Michigan in 1972.
Dr. Leyton-Brown was conductor of the Regina Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1971 and concertmaster
from 1978 until 1989. He was also associate conductor of the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra
between 1984 and 1986. As director of the conservatory of music he designed the bachelor of music
program; former students are now playing in major orchestras across North America and in Europe. Dr.
Leyton-Brown has an international reputation as adjudicator and examiner. He has performed as a soloist
with symphonies and has broadcast recitals in Canada, the United States, Australia, Britain and Europe. He
has served on the Canada Council and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. In 1987, Dr. Leyton-Brown was
named a member of the Order of Canada. In 1991, he received a lifetime award for Excellence in the Arts
from the Arts Board. He also received the Canada 125 Commemorative Medal in 1993 and an honourary
doctorate from the University of Regina in 1994.
Telephone (306)352-9306 (residence), Regina
585-5760 (work)
Dr. Morris C. Shumiatcher, O.C, Q.C.
A noted barrister and civil libertarian, Morris Shumiatcher has left a profound mark on the legal history of
Saskatchewan and Canada. Born in Calgary in 1917, he was educated at the Universities of Alberta and
Toronto, where he received his doctorate in law. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the
Second World War. Starting in 1945 he assisted in the legislative program of the new C.C.F. government in
Saskatchewan. Among the innovative laws drafted by Dr. Shumiatcher were the Farm Security Act, the
Trade Union Act, and legislation establishing Crown corporations. He was also the author of the
Saskatchewan Bill of Rights, the first statute of its kind in Canada and a model for the Canadian Bill of Rights
of 1960. Dr. Shumiatcher acquired a national reputation in the practice of law, taking a particular interest in
human rights issues, including the plight of Aboriginal Canadians and the status of women. The Matrimonial
Property Act was in part a result of his able defence of cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Morris Shumiatcher has been a leader in legal education and a prolific writer and speaker. He served as
national chair of the civil liberties section of the Canadian Bar Association. In 1979 he published a book on
the legal profession, Man of Law: A Model. Dr. Shumiatcher served as honourary consul-general of Japan
and dean of the Saskatchewan consular corps and in 1987 was made a member of the Order of the Sacred
Treasure by the Emperor of Japan. Morris Shumiatcher and his wife Jacqui are respected patrons of the arts
and major contributors to fund-raising for worthy causes. Dr. Shumiatcher has served as president of the
Regina Symphony Orchestra and Mackenzie Art Gallery. In 1981, he was appointed an officer of the Order
of Canada and in 1995 received a Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Bar Association. Theatres
at the Mackenzie Art Gallery and the University of Regina are named in his honour.
Telephone (306)522-7027 (residence), Regina
352-2651 (work)
Dr. John W.T. Spinks, C.C., M.B.E.
Former university president and a distinguished scientist, John Spinks was born in England in 1908 and
emigrated to Canada in 1930 to join the chemistry faculty of the University of Saskatchewan. He continued
research in photochemistry at Saskatoon and in Germany. During the Second World War, Dr. Spinks
developed search-and-rescue operations for the Royal Canadian Air Force, took part in the early work on
atomic energy and was made a member of the Order of the British Empire. Returning to the University of
Saskatchewan after the war, Dr. Spinks pioneered the use of radioactive isotopes in agricultural and
chemical research. His isotope labelling technology has proven to be of international significance and led to
new areas of basic and applied research. He was an active member of the Canadian delegations to the
United Nations conferences on the peaceful uses of atomic energy and frequently involved in scientific
exchanges with Europe. He published over 250 scientific and other works and through his teaching inspired
generations of students and researchers.
Dr. Spinks was appointed dean of graduate studies at the University of Saskatchewan in 1949 and president
of the university in 1959, a post he held until retirement in 1974. During his tenure the university, with its
two campuses in Saskatoon and Regina, grew from 4,500 to 13,500 full-time students. Dr. Spinks became
a recognized authority on university education and served on the Saskatchewan Research Council, the
National Research Council, the Defence Research Board and the Canada Council. In 1970 Dr. Spinks was
named a companion of the Order of Canada, the nationþs highest honour. He has received a number of
honourary degrees, is a member of the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame and was Saskatoon Citizen
of the Year in 1985.
Telephone (306)244-4787, Saskatoon
(Note: due to Dr. Spinks' health, please speak to Mrs. Spinks)
Tillie Taylor
Born in Saskatoon in 1922, Tillie Taylor has long been a role model for women in Saskatchewan. As a
young woman she was involved in the Youth Congress Movement, an organization committed to finding
solutions to poverty and the threat of war. She graduated in arts from the University of Saskatchewan in
1941. Returning later to the university, she graduated in law in 1957. After serving as deputy registrar in
the Saskatoon Land Titles Office, in 1960 Mrs. Taylor was appointed a provincial court magistrate (now
provincial court judge), the first woman to hold such a post. She became known for her common-sense and
sensitive approach to legal issues. She was a member of the first board of directors of the Canadian
Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and a board member of the Canadian Council of Social
Development. She also worked with the John Howard Society.
In 1972, Tillie Taylor again fulfilled a role as pioneer when she became the first chairperson of the
Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. Although still sitting as a judge she handled the challenging task
of building the commission, clearly establishing its legal mandate, and making a mark on the social
conscience of Saskatchewan residents. She succeeded in establishing the commission as a leader in
expanding the understanding of human rights in Canada and in building a firm foundation for the protection
of minority and individual rights in Saskatchewan. She served as president of the Canadian Association of
Statutory Human Rights Agencies.
Telephone (306)652-6648 (Saskatoon)
