Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 19/05) - A new medal will honour contributions to the North.

Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson announced the creation of a new annual honour. It will be awarded to a person "whose actions and achievements have contributed to the evolution and constant reaffirmation of the Canadian North as part of our national identity."

Clarkson will announce the first recipient at an inaugural presentation ceremony on Sept. 22 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. The Canadian Heraldic Authority, a department of Rideau Hall, designed the award.

The medallion depicts a snowy owl to represent "a watchful guardian spirit, its flight symbolizing many possibilities arising from movement in different directions."

A small Canadian Arctic Diamond represents the North Star. It is surrounded by the Aurora Borealis, representing Northern diversity and potential. The crystal base evokes the power and beauty of an iceberg.

A seven-person advisory board is responsible for nominating and selecting the honouree. Recipients must be Canadian citizens and can live anywhere in the country, provided they contribute to an awareness and understanding of the North.

"With every award that the chancellery presents, we try to have a good representation of the country," said France Langlois, of the Rideau Hall press office. "There's always a representation factor in the selection."