Missionary nun invested into the Order of Canada

By ART BABYCH
Canadian Catholic News
Ottawa

The Catholic missionary from Pembroke, Ont., a member of the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, was one of 44 people invested into the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

In 1959, Gibb and a colleague opened a school in a poor sugar cane district of the Dominican Republic. Since then, she has been a catalyst for the construction of numerous modern facilities including several schools, a home for the elderly, a cultural centre and a housing project for teachers and their families, said the citation from Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson, who presented the medals.

"Having served as a teacher and school principal, she is the only non-Dominican to be appointed supervisor of a school district, where she helped to make education accessible to all and to establish the highest educational standards in the country."

Gibb was raised in Windsor, Ont., where she played softball, an athletic skill that served her well when she came to Consuelo, DR. "It was almost natural that we started playing baseball together, volleyball and basketball too," she said.

She is reported to have taught at least 25 major baseball league players, more than any other teacher anywhere has.

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