Windsor Law alumna Marion Overholt (LLB 1981), executive director of Legal Assistance of Windsor and Community Legal Aid, will be honoured for her social justice advocacy this weekend during the national conference of the Council of Canadians.

Overholt and Pat Noonan will receive awards as activists of the year during “ImagiNations: Reframing our Collective Future” at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts. Overholt will also join a panel discussing the conference theme.

The Council of Canadians is a non-profit social action organization. Its conference will explore a number of issues, including:

• strengthening public health care,
• protecting water and the environment,
• achieving justice for Indigenous peoples,
• creating opportunities for young people,
• restoring democracy and civil society, and
• negotiating fair trade agreements.

“We can say without a doubt that Canadians want change,” says Maude Barlow, national chair of the Council of Canadians. “But what kind of change? And how can ordinary people help make it happen? More than ever we have to work hard to ensure that progressive voices are heard and that our values are upheld.”

A public forum Friday reflecting on the federal election results and what they mean for Canada will feature keynote addresses by Unifor national president Jerry Dias, Ryerson politics professor Pamela Palmater and economist Gordon Laxer, as well as Barlow.

Admission to Friday’s 7 p.m. forum is “pay what you can,” with a suggested donation of $15. Conference fees include lunch and offer a reduced rate for youth, seniors, and those on fixed incomes.  Find details, including registration and a full agenda, on the conference website.