Harris, Larocque receive Order of Manitoba

A pair of outstanding athletes with connections to the region were awarded the province’s highest honour last week.

Jocelyne Larocque and Andrew Harris were part of a group of a dozen who inducted into the Order of Manitoba July 16.

The order was first established in 1999, with the goal of recognize citizens’ “excellence and achievement, thereby enriching the social, cultural or economic well-being of the province and its residents.”

Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville is the chancellor of the order and formally inducted Harris and Larocque.

“The 12 exceptional Manitobans being inducted into the Order of Manitoba this year epitomize what makes Manitoba so special,” Neville said in a news release.

“From world-class athletes and gifted musicians to compassionate community leaders and brilliant medical and scientific minds, their diverse achievements reflect the extraordinary breadth of talent, dedication and service across our province.”

Harris first stepped onto a football field in Steinbach, before moving onto Winnipeg and becoming one of the greatest running backs in Canadian football history.

He won the Grey Cup four times, getting named most valuable Canadian in the game twice. In 2019, playing for his hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Harris became the first player in league history to win the championship game most outstanding player and most outstanding Canadian award in the same game.

Harris is the only Canadian-born player to eclipse 10,000 total rushing yards in the CFL He signed a one-day contract in 2024 to officially retire as a Blue Bomber.

Larocque, who grew up playing minor hockey in Ste Anne, is still playing professionally and helped the Ottawa Charge to their second consecutive league finals appearance earlier this year.

In addition to her accomplishments at the collegiate and professional level, she has become a mainstay on Team Canada. Larocque was a heart-breaking final cut for Team Canada’s 2010 Olympic team, but used that disappointment as fuel, suiting up in a Maple Leaf jersey countless times over the years.

She has four Olympic medals (two gold), 11 world championship medals and won the Tom Longboat Award given to the country’s top Indigenous athlete in 2018.

The ceremony was held July 16 at the Legislature building.

The duo of Eastman athletes were joined at the ceremony by the 10 other inductees including former Premier Brian Pallister, opera singer Tracy Dahl, Juno-award winning singer-songwriter Chantal Krevianzuk, orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Peter MacDonald, Mondetta Clothing CEO Ash Modha, head of Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force Dr Joss Reimer, Indigenous leader Diane Roussin, former children’s advocate of Mantioba Elder Billie Schibler, University of Manitoba electromagnetism professor Dr. Lotfollah Shafai and WOW! Hospitality Group founder and philanthropist Douglas Stephen.