Local woman honored with Order of Canada
Published Friday June 20th, 2008
A lifetime of volunteer work led to the award for Flora Dell, but she still gives the credit to others
To someone who has spent their life behind the scenes reaching out towards others, it may seem overwhelming to receive Canada's highest civilian honour in front of an audience.
For local Order of Canada recipient, Flora M. Dell, the February ceremony signified a lifetime of achievements obtained only through the perseverance of a group.
Presented to deserving Canadians who 'desire a better country', the award recognizes Flora's contribution to volunteering.
Although the recipient seems to be a Director or Executive Member of every organization within the area, such as the Canadian Arthritis Network of Excellence, Osteoporosis Canada National Board and the CIHR/Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis to name a few, she began her work when she was a young child.
Even at the knee-scraping age of eight, her leadership skills were showing promise.
"When I was in growing up in Montreal in Grade 3, we had an accident on the corner of the street where a child was struck," she recalls. "It was a student and I was so upset I started the Red Cross Safety Club.
"We held meetings once a week to teach children safety such as looking both ways before crossing the street. Teachers were impressed and they would supervise the meetings."
Not only did Flora get her teachers involved, but public awareness grew from the importance of her group and soon, the class was sponsored, with little red pins adorning each student.
When asked why she started her volunteering career out that day, Flora shakes her head and looks at you with those calm blue eyes.
"I don't know why I began volunteering," she says. "I saw things that needed to be done and just did it."
Flora describes that day as a stepping-stone to her lifelong commitment to volunteering, where one event leads to another with little time for recognition.
Qualification to receive the Order of Canada is a lengthy process, involving absolute secrecy and a strong list of 700-800 potential candidates deserving to be decorated each year. The candidates themselves are unaware they are in the running unless they get a phone call to announce their honour.
Flora remembers the day quite clearly and recalls it with nostalgic charm. While going about her daily volunteer schedule, she was waiting for a response from Ottawa concerning a project submission for the Seniors Centre in Moncton.
"When I got the phone call that day, and heard what the lady said to me on the phone, I couldn't speak," chuckles Flora. "She said, Mrs. Dell, are you there?"
As soon as the announcement was made public, Flora was inundated with congratulations from family members and those who backed her during the nomination. It is from those connections, that she shows the hard work of all the people she represents.
"One reason I'm really proud of the recognition is that all the people that supported me, they all worked as hard as I did," she says. "They received the Order of Canada along with me. They were being honored in this ceremony too."
Flora believes although the award is given to one individual, she is solely a representative for the group's contributions and organizations.
"There are many people who could have been singled out in society to receive this award," she says. "It certainly makes you feel very humble, but you never stood alone doing the things that you did. This award is not something you gain by yourself, but is obtained by sharing the same dream."
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