Charlene Alexander, M.S.M., Whitehorse, Yukon
Susan Rose, M.S.M., Sackville, New Brunswick
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
In 1989, Charlene Alexander and Susan Rose founded the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Held annually, the ten-day festival has grown into one of the premier events to celebrate and enhance northern arts and culture. It has become a venue for visual and performing artists, ranging from carvers and printmakers to traditional craftspeople, to showcase their works for the benefit of local visitors and world travellers alike. Through their drive and dedication, Ms. Alexander and Mrs. Rose have built a fledgling arts festival into a major cultural event that celebrates northern Canada’s diversity and creativity.