This week, Our Lady of Lourdes will present Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, with its National Leadership Award.
The high school's National Leadership Award has been given out to dozens of prominent Canadians — politicians, aboriginal leaders, athletes, and business leaders among them.
Bellegarde was first elected as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in 2014 and in July he was reelected to a second term.
The award was established in 1991 by then-teacher Joe Tersigni, who now sits on the local Catholic school board.
The award has placed Lourdes on the national stage for its recognition of exceptional leaders in this country. Leading politicians, athletes, educators, and entertainers have been among the award recipients.
Past recipients of the award include artists Ken Danby, Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, sports figures like Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Olympian Penny Oleksiak, as well as a number of Canada's prime ministers, including Brian Mulrony and Paul Martin. In 2010, then-MP Justin Trudeau received the award, five years before becoming prime minister.
The award will be presented to Bellegarde in person at 12:30 p.m. in the school's auditorium, with a speech to follow.
