The Fifth James McGregor Stewart Award

The Speaker, the book and the Honorand

We are pleased to announce that Jen Powley is the winner of the 2019 James McGregor Stewart Award.

In a ceremony on June 27th, just shy of Stewart's 130th birthday, Powley was presented with a certificate and a cheque by Speaker Kevin Murphy.

The Award recognizes leadership, effective advocacy and outstanding personal achievement of a person with a disability. “The award honours the resolve shown by Stewart”, says Warren Reed, a co-founder of the Society. “In Jen Powley our selection committee found a person that, like Stewart, leads and excels regardless of barriers.  Jen is a force of nature”.

Jen is an author whose first book, Just Jen--Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis, is a powerful memoir that tells Jen's story from diagnosis as a teen through the infinite and irrevocable ways her life has changed since then. The memoir won the 2018 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award, Non-Fiction;

A planner and consultant who has contributed to enhanced accessibility and sustainable transportation systems Jen is also a community leader who has co-founded a new organization, No More Warehousing. This Nova Scotia association advocates for co-housing, supports and community living for persons with severe physical disabilities.  Her leadership continues in other sectors, including support for refugees.

She has generated public awareness of the gifts that Nova Scotians with disabilities can share with their community. Jen's advocacy for supported community living for persons with severe disabilities has driven the issue to front-page status. A public meeting this winter drew a spill-over crowd, and a press conference at the Legislature received wide media attention, even at the national level.

Jen Powley's personal accomplishments are many and varied: she holds four university degrees, including two (journalism and fine arts in creative non-fiction) from the University of King's College in Halifax, NS.  She has worked for Independent Living NS, NS LEO, and the Ecology Action Centre. In study, in work and in community, Jen has always accomplished her goals with the highest level of personal excellence. 

The Award recognizes the spirit of Mr. James McGregor Stewart who overcame many barriers, despite a disability resulting from polio. First in his class at Dalhousie Law School in 1914, he was also President of the Students' Council. He was shortlisted for the Rhodes Scholarship but was not successful, due to concerns expressed about his physical condition. Nevertheless, Stewart went on to head a Halifax law firm that became the present day Stewart McKelvey. He was Chairman of Dalhousie's Board of Governors. In 2000, Canadian Lawyer magazine named him as one of Canada’s ten greatest lawyers.

The Award was established by friends of the Society through the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, an organization that supports philanthropy across the province.