There were only gentle hugs, if any, for renowned children’s entertainer and singer Charlotte Diamond on Friday when she received the Order of Canada at a ceremony hosted by Canada’s Governor General in Ottawa.
That’s because the 71-year-old was bandaged up after breaking her collar bone last month at her cabin in Vernon.
Collar bone aside, “it was pretty exciting,” Diamond, a long-time Richmond resident, told the Richmond News Monday.
She said Governor General David Jonsson pinned a “beautiful medallion” on her chest in recognition of decades of work entertaining and advocating for children.
“The Investiture Ceremony is quite lovely. You bow to Governor General and give a big smile,” said Diamond.
Diamond said, despite all her success selling music, it was her work with teachers that she considers to be the crowning moment of her career that brought her to Rideau Hall.
“Having the opportunity to reach out to teachers and say, ‘look, the arts and music are so important for the development of children to express themselves verbally,’” said Diamond, who shared the moment with her husband Harry, a retired fisherman from Steveston.
“That certainly would have resonated for the committee that chose me.”
Diamond said those who receive the Order of Canada have contributed to Canadian culture and making the country a better place to live in.
“You go through life and know an experience like this will inspire . . . to make Canada a better place,” said Diamond, who has relocated to the Sunshine Coast.
The Governor General noted on his website: “Over the past 30 years, Charlotte Diamond has made an enduring contribution to Canadian children’s music . . . Her understanding of how music and lyrics are foundational to literacy has also helped teachers, as she has produced learning guides that focus on brain development and language patterns in young learners. An ambassador for UNICEF, she continues to perform for audiences of all ages.”
Diamond joked about her injury at the ceremony, suggesting a new song about her clavicle may be in the works.
But the injury did remind her of an old song named Wounded Bird, from 1992.
“It’s a song about something that slows you down and makes you stop,” she said.
“I performed it a lot at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. It’s an ideal song, the words are ‘wounded bird, you will fly again.’ And you will. Sometimes we are all faced with adversity.”
Diamond, who is known to find those silver linings, said she bought a “very nice” sling to match her black dress for the ceremony.
