Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: October 18, 2001
• Invested on: November 30, 2002

Her writing captures the essence of the Saskatchewan prairies and explores the lives and musings of the people who inhabit them. Author of both fiction and non-fiction, she has given an important voice to rural women and touched readers with her own spirituality and deep sense of place. A dynamic mentor, she is a frequent guest speaker at the Banff Centre for the Arts and helped to establish Wallace Stegner House as a retreat for young writers. Involved in her community, she is also active in the preservation of her province's natural grasslands.