James "Jim" Herbert Leonard Hill, O.N.S. (Deceased)
Dartmouth

Jim Hill was beloved throughout the Maritimes as one of the two founding "daddies" of the Christmas Daddies Telethon, one of the longest-running telethons in North America. Thanks to his compassion and commitment, Christmas Daddies has raised over 27 million dollars to provide toys, food, and clothing to less fortunate children across the region. Jim Hill joined CJCH-TV when it opened in the early 1960s, and rose through the ranks to become an award-winning producer and director for programming and news. On a cold, slushy day in November 1964, Jim and his colleague, Jack Dalton were having lunch at a Halifax tavern while a poorly clothed boy, not much more than eight years old, was repeatedly being thrown out of the tavern for panhandling. When they saw him return a third time, Jim and Jack intervened. They discovered the boy needed money to buy bread and milk for his mother and baby sister. Jim and Jack passed a hat, the boy went home with fifteen dollars, and Jim had discovered his life's work. He and Jack immediately hatched plans for the telethon, to ensure fewer children were faced with such a plight at Christmas. The Christmas Daddies Telethon has been running for 46 years, with Jim Hill at the helm, inspiring hundreds of volunteers to help thousands of less fortunate children and their families. Although Jim is no longer with us, his compassion lives on in the Christmas Daddies legacy.

Burnley "Rocky" Allan Jones, O.N.S., LL.B., LL.D. (Hon.) (Deceased)
Halifax

A fierce champion of racial equality and justice, Rocky Jones has devoted his life to the fight to achieve these ideals. He is an outspoken promoter of social reform in the areas of justice, employment, housing, and education. His legendary community leadership has changed the lives of many Mi'kmaq and African Canadians. Believing that African Canadians need to work together for change, Rocky Jones helped establish the Black United Front of Nova Scotia and the National Black Coalition of Canada. He also helped create two Dalhousie University programs - the Transition Year Program and the Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq Initiative. The Transition Year Program was designed for First Nations and African Canadian adults to redress educational inequities faced by members of the First Nations and African Canadian communities. The Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq Initiative was established with the purpose of reducing discrimination by increasing the representation of Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq in the legal profession. Rocky Jones was the valedictorian of the first graduating class of the Indigenous Blacks and Mi'kmaq Initiative at Dalhousie Law School. He now heads his own law firm devoted to human rights, as well as labour and criminal law. He is revered among his peers for having successfully argued a groundbreaking case before the Supreme Court of Canada in 1997 that set a precedent for race related litigation and contextualized judging. He also frequently takes on cases with no expectation of compensation. He has worked closely with the Aboriginal community on land claims, justice, and educational issues, and is a Canadian expert on environmental racism. Dr. Burnley "Rocky" Jones is an unrelenting and courageous crusader, devoted to creating a more just society.