At a ceremony held at Halifax’s Canadian Museum of Immigration on July 13, four members of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences were honoured by Gov. Gen. David Johnston.

Professor emerita Dr. Sandra Clarke, former head of the Department of English, Prof. Robert Hollett and retired linguist Dr. Harold H. Paddock were presented with meritorious service medals. Dr. Philip Hiscock was not in attendance and his medal will be presented at a future ceremony.

Canadian contribution

The group was recognized for preserving the historic dialects of Newfoundland and Labrador and their overall contribution to Canada’s cultural knowledge.

Linguist Dr. Clarke, folklorist Dr. Hiscock and English Prof. Hollett built on the earlier work of linguist Dr. Paddock to create the Dialect Atlas of Newfoundland and Labrador. Launched in 2013, the atlas is an online record of the province’s unique linguistic features.

More than 70 recipients from across the Atlantic provinces were recognized for their excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service at the recent ceremony.

The Governor General presents honours on behalf of all Canadians in communities across the country to help share inspiring stories, celebrate tremendous contributions to our society and connect with Canadians.

For more information about the awards, please visit here.