Eira Friesen (1 April 1917 – 11 December 2008) was a Welsh-born Canadian community activist, inducted into the Order of Canada in 2003 for services to women in Manitoba.
[1] Her brother John Hamilton Charles was killed in action during World War II, in 1942, as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
[2] Eira "Babs" Friesen started the Y-Neighbours, an early at-home mothers' support and social program in Winnipeg, based in YWCA locations.
[3] Eira "Babs" Friesen received the Governor General's Award in 2003,[4] and was inducted into the Order of Canada in that same year.
[5] Her Order of Canada citation stated, "She has helped countless women to take a stand, improve their lives, and thrive in a community of peers.