Meet the woman whose hobby is secretly nominating people for the Order of Nova Scotia

As far as cheerleaders go, Christina Brown might be best classified as the strong, silent (and persistent) type.

Since the establishment of the Order of Nova Scotia in 2002, Brown has submitted 53 nominations on behalf of notable Nova Scotians — almost none of whom she's ever met. In fact, the people she nominates don't even know she has recommended them unless she is successful.

And Brown, 89, has a pretty good track record — 15 of the people she has nominated have received the province's highest honour.

Success on her first attempt

Sitting in the living room of her Bridgewater, N.S, home while her cat Juniper mills about, she recalls seeing notices about the order when it was first announced.

"I thought it was a great thing and my older daughter said I should nominate someone," the former nurse said.

For her first nomination — which turned into her first success — Brown settled on Lorne Clarke, a former chief justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Brown's only connection to Clarke was that his mother and her mother-in-law were childhood friends. Brown's daughter helped her with the research, "because I had no idea where to start."

Armed with a mountain of information from the internet, Brown worked on the application and solicited letters of support from people who knew Clarke, but didn't know her.

Brown has always asked the letter writers she approaches not to say anything to the nominees.

"I try to point out that the advisory council asks that the nominees not be contacted, in case it's not successful and then there's disappointment."

This year she is nominating seven people and she's already identified two people for next year. Brown said she looks at people's professional and personal accomplishments, their community service and other contributions to the province in determining whom to choose.

"I think about it year-round and I'm always on the lookout," she said.

Her successful nominations read like a who's who of Nova Scotia.

Along with Clarke there's been Raylene Rankin, Muriel Duckworth, Budge Wilson, William Stanish, Wayne Adams, Richard Goldbloom, Arthur McDonald and Sidney Crosby (Brown was one of two people to nominate Crosby).

'Mind-boggling' what some have done

Brown said she usually has a pretty good idea of who the people she identifies are, although she admits her knowledge can be limited before the research really begins.

"Once you start digging, it's just absolutely mind-boggling what some of these people have done."

Louis Deveau, the founder of Acadian Seaplants, said he only learned about Brown on the day of the investiture ceremony in 2015.

He said what Brown does is remarkable.

"We don't do what we do to get recognized," Deveau said. "So when somebody that you don't know has seen that you're doing something of relevance and they nominate you for an honour, it's very impressive."

Alexander MacLeod, the son of the late writer Alistair MacLeod, said Nova Scotia is lucky to have people such as Brown who "care about the province's great victories."

Alistair MacLeod was inducted into the Order of Nova Scotia posthumously in 2015.

"It's easy to stand up for someone you know, it's easy to stand up for your family, it's easy to stand up for your local heroes," Alexander MacLeod said.

"It's a different thing to stand up for someone that just matters sort of objectively for you."

Brown's effort would have carried great weight with his father, Alexander MacLeod said.

"I think it would mean more to him than people know," he said.

Christina Brown on some of the people she's successfully nominated for the Order of Nova Scotia:

Flora MacDonald

"She always seemed to be successful. She seemed to be very loved by the people... and even though she represented another area, she never forgot Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. That was always high on her list."

Ruth Goldbloom

"Why not? She did so much in so many areas. She had a list of awards a mile long and she treasured the ONS the most."

Alex Colville

"He was just a wonderful artist and he had done war work as well. I had been to an exhibition of his in Wolfville and seeing it in person really brought it home."

Louis Deveau

"A man can take seaweed and make a business out of it, a worldwide business? He deserves the ONS... To develop the way they have is incredible, just incredible. And that, of course, created jobs for Nova Scotia."

Silver Donald Cameron

"A very kind, gentle man, but so well-versed. He just took the time to stand and talk."

Alistair MacLeod

"I never met him. The only reason I knew about him so well was because he had given me a letter of support — I think it was for Budge Wilson. And because of that I went on to [research] more about him. Leave no stone unturned."