OTTAWA—The life and times of former Expositor editor Diane Sims have not been easy, but her life has been a testament to what can be accomplished through an indomitable spirit and dogged determination. On June 25, the accomplishments of this most remarkable woman saw her invested into the Order of Canada—with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada pinning the medal signify her elevation to the ranks of 8,000 of our nation’s most accomplished and admired citizens.
The citation accompanying the announcement of her investiture barely skims the list of her accomplishments:
“Diane Sims is a celebrated writer and accessibility advocate. Her publications include the internationally distributed ‘An Ovarian Cancer Companion,’ as well as candid writings about her lifelong perseverance through medical hardships and her personal journey with medical assistance in dying. She is also a long-time volunteer with organizations focused on multiple sclerosis and ovarian cancer.”
As the paper has previously reported, Ms. Sims’ accomplishments far outstrip her Expositor stint in the late 1980s. Despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a teenager and told she would likely not live beyond the age of 35, despite being afflicted with all manner of ailments as a result of the MS including: vision loss in one eye and leg paralysis; ovarian cancer; preventative breast removal (while earning a master’s degree in divinity, no less); and having her leg broken in three places, this most resolute of human beings went on to author a number of books that have gone on to be published internationally and enjoyed several successful careers including in national print and broadcast media, the editor at a publishing house and then as a corporate editor at a Crown corporation. She has had short stories published in half a dozen international anthologies and was nominated for a National Magazine Award for her article about medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Maclean’s magazine in 2024.
The Expositor caught up with Ms. Sims following her investiture ceremony.
“I am totally humbled and dumbstruck by it,” she said of the experience. “It was the most outstanding ceremony I could ever imagine.”
Ms. Sims was seated at the front row of those being invested in the Grand Ballroom of Rideau Hall. “I was the only one in a wheelchair,” she quipped. “I got to see everyone receiving their awards; it’s very choreographed. They tell you, ‘first go to X on the rug and bow before the Governor General.’ It was the first time that I bowed before royalty. Then you move to another spot facing the audience and they read your citation—the reason you are getting the award. Then you are back in front of the Governor General and she pins the award on your lapel.”
“I had a nice lapel,” she assures The Expositor, “I had on a mauve outfit and looked nice.”
In a move not repeated for any of the other recipients, Governor General Simon placed her hand on the back of Ms. Sims as she guided her to turn for the official photographer.
Following the ceremony, Ms. Sims “retired” to the dining tent. “We had a gorgeous luncheon.” Hers was one of only two reserved tables. “Mine was closest to the door.”
The meal included a shrimp and rice dish. The chef informed her that the Parmesan cheese came from the Montforte cheese factory near Stratford. “I know the owner, Ruth,” said Ms. Sims. “The chef came back to check on me and I asked if I could have a little more.” He was quick to comply.
“The Governor General came in and I gave her a copy of my book,” said Ms. Sims. “I told her, ‘you gave me something, now I am giving you something’.”
The Governor General read the back cover of her book. “She said ‘oh, Lloyd,’” recalled Ms. Sims. The back of her book includes a citation from storied journalist Lloyd Robertson, himself an Order of Canada recipient. He was the anchor of CTV’s news broadcast for decades and one of the most trusted voices in Canada.
Accompanying Ms. Sims at the ceremony was her personal support worker, Jim Mitchell. She noted that he was a friend of her late brother. “I have known him for 40 years,” she said. “It was like having a bit of my brother with me.”
Ms. Sims reflected on how she wound up receiving our nation’s highest honour. She noted that former Manitoulin Expositor owner and publisher Rick McCutcheon had written “a beautiful letter about everything I have done” in support of her nomination for the Order of Canada.
“I thought about the work that I have done,” she said of what was going through her mind during the ceremony. “I started the first MS chapter in Sault Ste. Marie and everything I have done with MS all through my 20s and 30s.”
“Then I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and became and advocate for ovarian cancer and spoke all over the country about the disease and how women must become the most important person on their health team—they have to learn everything they can about the disease.”
At age 22 she also began advocating for accessibility, a cause she is still deeply involved in. “I lobby the mayor of the City of Stratford.” She currently sits on the accessibility committee of that community. “I succeeded in getting the police station made accessible,” she said. “There is now a ramp so people can get into the reception area.”
Her latest project is aimed at improving the accessibility of a bridge leading to a popular local park. The current bridge is very steep, she explains, and nearly impossible for anyone in a wheelchair to be able to cross. She is also lobbying the famed Stratford Festival to ensure their new facilities are fully accessible as well.
Ms. Sims has been named as National Honourary Champion for Bridge C-14, a network of peer-to-peer connections and community supports through all stages of medical assistance in dying (MAiD). She told The Expositor that she has decided to take advantage of MAiD herself when she is unable to chew her own food or talk. Her voice, she explains, has been her world. These days, her always softspoken tone may be weaker than in some days past, but her passion for life and the causes she works tirelessly on behalf of, still resonate in her words
Copies of ‘Living Beyond the Shadow’ are available for sale at Print Shop Books at The Expositor Office in Little Current.
