kudos Judy

Well done, Judy. I am very proud of you.
As Michael Sean said "Sometimes one person can make a differance".

NB Telegraph-Journal Saint May 31, 2006

LOCAL ACTIVIST WIN AWARD

Judy LeBlanc one of nine to get the Canadian Lung Association's National Clean Air Day Award

Judy LeBlanc, a wife and mother living on the outskirts of Saint John, is about to be honoured along with famous ecologists and multi-million dollar retail collectives for her efforts to clean the air. Mrs. LeBlanc will one of nine to receive the Canadian Lung Association's first annual National Clean Air Day Awards for outstanding personal contributions to clean air on Friday.

"When I heard I'd been nominated, I didn't really pay too much attention," Mrs. LeBlanc said. "I'm nominated for awards all the time, but very rarely do I actually win them."When she was told she was the only person in Atlantic Canada to receive one of the awards, and environmentalism celebrity Dr. David Suzuki and those behind the environmentally conscious retail collective Mountain Equipment Co-op were two of the other nine, Mrs. LeBlanc said she was convinced there had been a mistake."I didn't want to offend Dr. Suzuki, because he's been working to improve air quality for pretty much his entire life," she said. "I've only been at this for about 10 years."Mrs. LeBlanc, who has bronchiectasis, was forced to move out of East Saint John 10 years ago, when the city air began to overwhelm her. Her disease is a chronic inflammatory or degenerative condition that causes her breathing passages to swell up when they take in irritants, such as ozone and sulfur dioxide, or even Eucalyptus.

She became involved in campaigning for clean air with friend and asthma sufferer Cynthia Marino. Before Ms. Marino died of an asthma attack in May of 1995, the two made a pact that if one of them died, the other would continue their work in the movement.Since then, Mrs. LeBlanc has not only become a very visible activist in the clean air movement, but a shoulder to lean on for families stricken with respiratory disease. She said she gets phone calls from people just learning of their diseases, and gives advice on how to live with it."Judy has certainly put a human face on the problem of air pollution in the city," said Gordon Dalzell, who acts as co-chairman of the Saint John Citizens Coalition For Clean Air with Mrs. LeBlanc.Mr. Dalzell said Mrs. LeBlanc is an inspiration, devoting a large chunk of her life to working faithfully towards her cause, at times risking her own health and well-being."She's the Mother Teresa of the clean air movement."The ceremony will be at the Canadian Lung Association Commemorative Plaza at Rockwood Park at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.Mrs. LeBlanc hopes the award presentation at Rockwood Park will serve to promote awareness of air quality in Saint John and the surrounding region.

"I feel sort of funny inviting people to come out and watch me get this award, but I really want use it to spread the word about living with lung disease," she said. "The other winners are scientists with degrees. I am a mom and a wife who just wants to know what's in the air."