At the recent Annual Meeting of The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland, Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas presented the 2023 Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland Social Justice Award to two very worthy recipients: Gabriella de Haas and Dylan Rickerby.

The $500 award, itself, celebrates a youth or youth group who

• Has dedicated time and energy to making positive social change and building a more just and equal society and/or
• Has worked effectively to change those social situations, public attitudes, structures or policies which cause people to be excluded, impoverished or disempowered and/or
• Has served as a leader, innovator, or supporter of social justice-related work, locally or beyond (provincially, nationally) and/or
• Has advocated for the rights and needs of low-income populations and/or
• Has demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of low-income residents of Northumberland

This year, the Board decided to recognize two individuals, each of whom they felt more than met the criteria, but in very different ways.

Gabriella, or Gabi to her friends, is a recent graduate of St. Mary Catholic Secondary School. While there, Gabi, an Anishinaabe Kwe herself, was deeply involved in many indigenous initiatives. She led the school community in recognizing two National Days of Truth and Reconciliation as well as spearheading Red Dress Day campaigns, and she raised awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. More broadly, she championed Terry Fox campaigns and Christmas hamper drives.

As his nominator states, “Dylan has made considerable contributions to social justice locally, working to both shift public attitudes and to improve the immediate safety and wellbeing of vulnerable and unhoused people in Cobourg.” He volunteered at the emergency warming room this past winter and was a founding member of the local overdose-prevention site. He has also worked to enlighten his fellow students by arranging for school presentations on social inequity.

Our presenter this year is Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas, a founding Board member of our organization and a tireless advocate for social justice, both in her career as an education leader in the union movement as well as in her community life where she has most recently been very active supporting our healthcare system and the people working in that field. “Each year, we choose a long-serving champion of social justice to present the award to a new crusader in the community. In this way, The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland celebrates both the old guard and the new vanguard of change, and no one can argue that Linda very much deserves this honour,” shares Beth Bellaire, Chair of the Board.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Alison Lester, a local lawyer and past board member, who has generously supported this initiative financially. Alison is a great community supporter and has taken on this award as a special interest of hers.

The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland looks forward to continuing to encourage the next generation in the cause of social justice through annual presentations of the Social Justice Award at their Annual Meeting. A plaque commemorating the previous winners is on display at the Cobourg office of the organization.