Order of Ontario Awarded to Retired Prof
January 24, 2011 - News Release
University of Guelph professor emerita Elizabeth Waterston has been named to the Order of Ontario, considered the province's most prestigious honour.
Waterston is among 30 distinguished Ontarians who will receive the award during a ceremony at Queen's Park Jan. 27.
The Order of Ontario honours people who have enriched the lives of others by attaining the highest standards of excellence and achievement in their field.
Waterston, professor emerita in the School of English and Theatre Studies, was honoured for her distinguished career in writing, research and teaching.
An expert on Canadian authors, Waterston has fostered the study of Canadian literature in high schools and universities since the 1950s and mentored writers such as Mordecai Richler and Guelph graduate Jane Urquhart.
She taught literature at the University of Guelph for more than two decades.
Waterston is a leading expert on the life and writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series. Along with U of G professor emerita Mary Rubio, she has travelled the globe researching the famous Canadian author’s life and legacy.
Waterston’s book Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery explores the Anne stories, drawing parallels between Montgomery’s personal life and professional career and the characters in her novels. Along with Rubio, she edited The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery and wrote the short biography Writing a Life: L.M. Montgomery.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982 or dhealey@uoguelph.ca.
