Two Anglicans – Walter Gretzky and Irene Pfeiffer – recently joined the distinguished list of people awarded with the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour.
Walter Gretzky, best known as the father of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, was named to the Order of Canada “for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada, and for his dedication to helping a myriad of local, provincial, and national charities.” A parishioner at St. Mark’s, Brantford, Ont., in the diocese of Huron, Mr. Gretzky has been involved in raising funds for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind for three decades now.
Ms. Pfeiffer, a licensed lay reader in the three-point parish of Meota, in Okotoks, Alta., was cited for outstanding volunteer service. A prominent businesswoman, she has received numerous other awards, including the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for community service.
“One of the things about getting the Order of Canada that was so awesome is that I do wear my faith, I do speak my faith and it hasn’t held me back one bit. Many people say we live in a secular world but I have found that people respect you for what you believe,” she told The Sower, the newspaper of the diocese of Calgary.
