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Meet this year's batch of Women of Distinction award winners

Translator to Sudbury newcomers among those being honoured by YWCA Sudbury
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Some of the women who will be honoured at this year's Women of Distinction Awards Gala are pictured here. Photo by Heidi Ulrichsen. 

When Maha Dabliz came to Sudbury from her home country of Lebanon in 1974, she didn't speak any English.

She said her husband, Abdul-Hak Dabliz, the imam at the Sudbury Mosque, did a great job of translating in those early years, but still, she remembers laughing at jokes 10 minutes after they were told.

As her English skills progressed, Dabliz began working as a translator for Arabic-speaking newcomers to the city. 

Most recently, she's done this for the Syrian refugee families who have been arriving in Sudbury since December 2015.

“It's meant so much joy,” said Dabliz, who's told these families she will translate when they need her services.

“Those people, they are coming from fear and pain, and to welcome them and give them hope give them smiles. That is something, I thought it was beautiful.”

A volunteer with the Islamic Association of Sudbury, the Multicultural and Folk Arts Association and the Sudbury Interfaith Dialogue, Dabliz is being honoured for her contributions by YWCA Sudbury.

She's one of seven award winners who will be celebrated at this year's Women of Distinction Awards Gala, set to be held May 5.

Dabliz said she doesn't think she's done anything that special, but appreciates the award all the same.

“You do it because you like the work,” she said, speaking at a March 21 press conference where this year's winners were revealed.

“You get self-satisfaction from helping others. To be recognized, it's beautiful. I never thought of it before. I was humbled, I was surprised, and I'm very grateful.”

The Women of Distinction awards recognize women or groups of women who are working to better the lives of women and girls, said Marlene Gorman, executive director of YWCA Sudbury. 

“I'm amazed with the work that they do,” she said. 

“They're mothers, they work full time, they volunteer in their community. They seem to find the time and the energy to do this. It's just amazing how many women we're able to find in this community that are working hard and contributing to the betterment of our community.”

The awards gala takes place starting at 6 p.m. May 5 at the Steelworkers Hall. Tickets cost $75 each before April 1 and $85 each after that date. Phone 705-673-4754, ext. 310 to reserve seating.

Here's a full list of this year's winners:

  • Chrisanne Daniel, Young Woman of Distinction – A graphic designer, she previously worked at 50 Carleton, and now at NORCAT. Daniel is a former board member of the Sudbury Design Society and lead in the Sudbury chapter of Ladies Learning Code.
  • Heather Campbell and Laura Stradiotto, Women of Distinction (group) – The two local writers founded Latitude 46 Publishing in 2015, at a time when no other local English-langurage publisher existed. In 2016, their focus was on publishing female writers.
  • Chantal Mayer-Crittenden, Woman of Distinction – Her outstanding work as a speech pathologist has led her to become one of the youngest directors at Laurentian University, where she helped found the Orthophonie (speech and language pathology) program.
  • Christine Lafortune, Woman of Distinction – As a rehabilitation practitioner at the Canadian Mental Health Association, she is highly revered. But her work extends beyond that, including playing a role in establishing the PASS program at Sudbury Secondary School, which gives students the opportunity to receive counselling instead of being sent home with a suspension.
  • Jessica Watts, Woman of Distinction – An employee of the Greater Sudbury Public Library, she's created a variety of innovative new programs, including, for example, the lending of snowshoes and fishing rods.
  • Maha Dabliz, Woman of Distinction – Since coming to Sudbury from Lebanon more than 40 years ago, she's been involved in translating for newcomers to the city and volunteering with a variety of organizations.
  • Stephanie Baker, Woman of Distinction – As a criminal lawyer, she is a pioneer in Sudbury, being the sole woman in Sudbury practicing criminal defence when she began her career as a junior associate in 2002.




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Heidi Ulrichsen

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