Field: Civic Life

For 22 years, Rosemary Sadlier served as President of the Ontario Black History Society, spearheading the national declaration of February as Black History Month. She also successfully secured Emancipation Day commemorations municipally in 1994 (now, Emancipation Month), provincially in 2008, and nationally in 2021. As an esteemed educator, Sadlier contributed to the development of the African Canadian curriculum and authored 7 books on African Canadian history. Her numerous awards, including the Order of Ontario and the Martin Luther King Jr Community Service Award, recognize and celebrate her unwavering dedication to social justice and education.

With her influence as a governance leader and consultant for diversity, equity, and inclusion projects, Sadlier continues to make a significant impact.

The first professionally trained children’s librarian in the British Empire, Lillian H. Smith was hired in 1912 as the head of Toronto Public Library‘s Children’s Department. ​​She expanded the Library’s collections and services for children, opening new Children’s Rooms at multiple branches and introducing staff training in children’s literature and programming. To meet rising demand, the Library purchased 40 St. George Street in 1922 and transformed it into “Boys & Girls House,” a new space dedicated to children’s books and activities. Recognizing Smith’s efforts in advocating for children’s literacy, the Toronto Public Library named a branch after her in 1995.

Smith’s efforts laid the foundation for modern children’s library services, leaving a lasting impact on Toronto’s library system and the countless readers whose lives have been enriched by the libraries she helped shape.

Born in the Philippines, Columbia Diaz immigrated to Toronto in 1980 to work as a nanny and quickly became a fierce advocate for caregivers’ and domestic workers’ rights in Canada. From the early years of INTERCEDE for the Rights of Domestic Workers, Caregivers, and Newcomers, she played an integral role until its closure. Diaz was a founding member of the Caregiver Connections, Education, and Support Organization (CCESO), a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating and supporting newcomers and caregivers.

Diaz’s unwavering advocacy and dedication have empowered care workers and shaped government policies to protect the rights of caregivers and domestic workers.

Verna Johnston, an Ojibwe woman from Neyaashiinigmiing reserve, made a lasting impact on the urban Indigenous community in Toronto. She established a boarding house specifically for Indigenous women – offering community, culture, and care. The house’s unique structure embraced the daily routines and cultural values of the Indigenous community, fostering a sense of belonging and support. Verna’s activism and dedication were instrumental in the development of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, a vital institution that continues to serve and uplift the Indigenous population in the city.

Johnston’s compassionate advocacy and community-building efforts have left a legacy of positive change for countless lives.

Josephine Mandamin, also known as “Grandmother Water Walker ” and Biidaasige-ba (”the one who comes with the light”), was an environmental activist from Wikwemikong First Nation. From 2003 to 2017, she walked around the Great Lakes, raising awareness about water pollution and environmental degradation in the region and on Indigenous reserves. Inspired by her Ojibwe spiritual worldview, which honoured water as a living being, Mandamin’s activism earned her the Anishinabek Lifetime Achievement Award (2012) and the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Cross (2018).

As a woman, elder, “lifegiver,” and “water-keeper,” Mandamin felt a sacred duty to pass on her water knowledge (nibi giikendaaswin) to present and future generations, leaving a lasting legacy of inspiring others to protect and preserve water resources.