Inuk opera singer and Paralympic medalling doctor appointed to Order of Canada

Opera singer and composer Deantha Edmunds and Paralympic medallist Dr. Francine Lemire are part of the latest cohort of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to be named as members of the prestigious Order of Canada.

They were two of the 78 appointments that Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announced Thursday.

Deantha Edmunds, Canada's first Inuk opera singer, was recognized for her original compositions as well as mentoring young Indigenous musicians.

"I'm still in disbelief about this appointment. I'm so touched and it is an absolute honour to be recognized for my work and I'm just thrilled," Edmunds told CBC News. 

"Every single day I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to do the work that I do as an artist, and I am always grateful for that. A lot of my work is rooted in truth and reconciliation, and I try to highlight the message of Inuit agency through creative expression."

The award is also special, she said, because it came from Mary Simon, Canada's first Inuk governor general, which Edmunds called the "icing on the cake."

Edmunds, who grew up in Corner Brook, said a love of music instilled in her at a young age. She said her father shared stories about choirs and music from church that he heard growing up in Hopedale, Labrador.

In addition to composing and mentoring younger musicians, she has performed for King Charles and Pope Francis, as well as at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2021, where she sung a prayer in Inuktitut. Edmunds added it was also a important memory because Gov. Gen Simon was in attendance, who understood the language.

Francine Lemire made the list because of accomplishments as a Paralympic medallist in cross-country skiing — she represented Canada at the 1984 Winter Paralympics and at the 1988 Winter Paralympics — as well as for her leadership in family medicine.

"I certainly can say that it took me by surprise, but I view it as a validation of my lifetime commitment to family medicine and to improving the lives of Canadians and also [to] better support family physicians," she said from Corner Brook.

"So I'd like to hope that it is an attestation, a validation of the importance of the work of family doctors in a robust primary care system."

She added it's also recognition for the work she does with her clinical teams, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as her patients.

While Lemire said she's had a wonderful career practicing family medicine in a small town, it's not always possible for doctors to practice in rural areas due to other factors like the needs of spouses, family members or schooling commitments.

At a time when the N.L.'s health care system is under strain, Lemire called for more investment into primary care, which she called the foundation of a good health care system.