Visionary Board Chair appointed to the Order of Canada
“Why me?”
It’s a question Tina Jones modestly asked herself after a phone call with the Governor General’s office on April 18 when she learned she was being appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.
“There are so many deserving and wonderful people in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba doing important things for the community,” says Jones, Chair of the HSC Foundation Board of Directors since 2015. “It feels surreal to be honoured in this way.”
Jones is one of more than 7,600 Canadians named to the Order since 1967, when the designation was established to honour people who make extraordinary contributions to the country. As Chair of the Foundation, her impact on Manitoba as a leader and philanthropist has indeed been extraordinary, to say the least.
Under Jones’s leadership, the Foundation has successfully funded a number of initiatives to improve and modernize patient care at Health Sciences Centre. These include the Transplant Wellness Centre, the Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites, the redeveloped RR4 Plastic Surgery Trauma Clinic, and the Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit, to name a few. As she enters her last year as Chair, she is at the helm of the Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign to support surgical innovation at HSC—an objective about which she is exceptionally passionate.
“Over the years I have learned that philanthropy drives innovation,” says Jones. “Every project we have funded—regardless of its size—has had a significant impact on care because every project helps our doctors and other medical professionals embrace innovation and use new technology.”
Jones is the daughter of the late Lucille and Louie Tolaini, who immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1956. She was born in Virden and moved to Brandon at a young age. As a proud second-generation Canadian, Jones adopted her father’s work ethic and spirit of entrepreneurship. She also came to understand that true success includes giving back to the community through volunteerism and philanthropy.
As a business leader, Jones is a partner in The Rink, a trailblazing sports leadership and athlete support enterprise; and founder of Jones & Company Wine Merchants, Winnipeg’s largest private wine store.
“Having great teams in business has allowed me the time to devote energy to my volunteer work,” says Jones, reserving special praise for Mike Muirhead, her Vice President at Jones & Company. “I don’t think I could do what I do for the HSC Foundation without Mike and the rest of my team.”
She is also exceedingly grateful for the executive leadership of Jonathon Lyon, the HSC Foundation’s President and CEO. “Jon just perseveres; he digs and digs and doesn’t settle for anything less than excellence,” says Jones. “He gives us the energy to move forward to improve patient care. Our Board and staff are an incredible team and I appreciate them all.”
As she reflects on her appointment to the Order of Canada, Jones is most grateful for her husband Mike—“my sounding board and a smart cookie”—and their two adult children, Julia and Adam. Her family, says Jones, has lovingly encouraged and supported her entrepreneurship and community service.
Membership in the Order of Canada is not the first honour for Tina Jones. In 2020 she was named to the Order of Manitoba, Manitoba’s highest honour; and in 2021 she was named as one of the Nellie McClung Manitoba 150 Women Trailblazer award recipients. She has also been recognized by the Manitoba Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year (2017); she is the recipient of the University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumni Award (2018); and, also in 2018, she earned a Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada Award, recognized in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category.
“Serving the Foundation has been one of the great joys of my life, and a remarkable learning experience,” says Jones. “I am passionate about our city, our province, and our country. As the Foundation Chair, I have been able to work with and connect with inspiring people who share that passion. I truly feel that the Order of Canada recognition belongs to all of us.”
“Tina often says that she likes that the Foundation can draw a straight line from a dollar raised to a life changed,” says Jonathon Lyon. “Similarly, we can draw a straight line from Tina’s involvement to the Foundation’s success. She is a leader like no other and her impact on health care in Manitoba will be felt for generations. Tina is a worthy Member of the Order of Canada. Simply put, she makes a difference and it is a privilege to work with her.”
Learn more about this announcement via the links below:
To make a donation to the HSC Foundation in Tina Jones’s honour, please click here or call the Foundation at 204-515-5612 or 1-800-679-8493 (toll-free).
-by Stu Slayen