Warmest Congratulations to Jeanne Sauvé Foundation director Blake Goldring on his selection as the 2014 Vimy Award Winner!
2014 Vimy Award Winner – Hon Col Blake Goldring
The CDA [Conference of Defence Associations] Institute is pleased to announce that Honorary Colonel Blake Goldring has been unanimously selected as the recipient of the Vimy Award for 2014. The award will be presented on Friday, 7 November 2014 at the Vimy Award Gala Reception and Dinner in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.
Honorary Colonel Goldring has made outstanding contributions and shown significant leadership to strengthening the integration between the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Canadian society. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Royal Military College of Canada. He is founder and Chairman of the Canada Company, a charitable organisation that acts as the bridge between business and community leaders and Canada’s military. Honorary Colonel Goldring created the Canada Company Scholarships for the children of fallen military. He has advanced the Employer Support for Reservist program (Sharing of Sacrifice) that is designed to ensure that the financial burden for hiring Reservists is shared by all Canadians, and he ensured that female members of the CAF are properly recognized for their service. He has also founded and funded the Soldier Wellness Program to support returning Afghanistan Veterans in BC and has sent children of CAF members to summer camps, including those with special needs. Throughout his career Honorary Colonel Goldring has sought to improve and strengthen the fabric of Canadian society through contributions in service and donations to a wide variety of institutions.
Honorary Colonel Goldring, by his many avenues of support for the members of the CAF and members’ families has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of our nation, and towards the preservation of our democratic values.
The Award honours the bravery and sacrifices of the Canadian soldiers who were victorious at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. The CDA Institute is the sponsor of the Vimy Award.
Previous recipients of the Vimy Award include eminent Canadians, from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some of those recipients include the Right Honourable Joe Clark (first recipient), General Paul Manson, Général Ray Henault, General Rick Hillier, Master Warrant Officer William MacDonald, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Lieutenant-General Jonathan Vance and Brigadier-General W. Don Macnamara (last year).
The Vimy Award Selection Committee was composed of General Ray Henault (Ret’d), as Chairman and, as Members, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, General Thomas Lawson, Lieutenant-General Richard J. Evraire (Ret’d), Vice-Admiral Drew Robertson (Ret’d), Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard (Ret’d), Brigadier-General W. Don Macnamara (Ret’d), Dr. John Scott Cowan, Dr. Fen Osler Hampson, M. Richard Bertrand, Mr. Chris Pogue, Mme Louise Mercier, and Colonel Barry MacLeod (Ret’d).