Portrait of John Mlacak by Gerald Smith
There will be an unveiling of the plaque for John Mlacak at the John Mlacak Center on Tuesday Nov. 14 from 4 to 6 pm. The plaque will be next to the large Portrait of John Mlacak done by Gerald Smith. The portrait was donated to the City of Ottawa by Kirsten Mlacak and Yvan Delisle in 2014.
The plaque reads as follows:
John George Mlacak, P. Eng.
John George Mlacak, ingénieur
1936-2014
Reeve of March Township
(1968-1976)
An accomplished humanist, engineer, politician, mentor, leader and artist, John G. Mlacak loved the beauty of his country and was dedicated to his community.
Regional Councillor, Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton Commissioner, National Capital Commission, Telecommunications Innovator, Professional Artist (Society of Canadian Artists, Ontario Society of Artists, Lucille Broadbent Award for Artistic Achievement)
The John G. Mlacak Centre is named in honour of John’s pioneering work in the original development of Kanata. During his time as Councillor and Reeve of March Township, the communities of Beaverbrook and Katimavik were developed along with the first municipal business park, combined fire hall and library, child care centre, senior citizens housing, and the Pinhey property. Curbside waste, newspaper and glass collection was initiated under his leadership.
Préfet du Canton de March
(1968-1976)
Humaniste accompli, ingénieur, homme politique, mentor, chef de file et artiste, John G. Mlacak aimait la beauté de son pays et s’est dévoué pour sa collectivité.
Conseiller régional, Municipalité régionale d’Ottawa-Carleton Commissaire, Commission de la capitale nationale, Innovateur du secteur des télécommunications, Artiste professionnel (Société des artistes canadiens, Ontario Society of Artists, prix Lucille Broadbent pour la réalisation artistique)
Le Centre John G. Mlacak est nommé en l’honneur du travail de pionnier qu’a réalisé M. Mlacak dans le développement initial de Kanata. Durant ses mandats de conseiller et de préfet du Canton de March, les communautés de Beaverbrook et de Katimavik ont été le théâtre de divers projets d’aménagement, dont la première zone de parc d’affaires municipale, un immeuble destiné à accueillir à la fois la caserne de pompiers et une succursale de bibliothèque ainsi qu’une garderie, une résidence pour personnes âgées et la propriété Pinhey. Une collecte sélective en bordure de rue du verre et du papier journal a également été lancée sous sa direction.
Nancy Mackerghan and Beth Mlacak
Arrière-cour, Montréal, an oil painting by John Mlacak was presented to Nancy McKeraghan of Newmarket, Ontario, winner of the draw, by Beth Mlacak on October 15, 2016. Nancy is the newly elected Vice-President of Canadian Parents for French (CPF).
Karen Lynch of Edmonton, Alberta, the new President of CPF, won a Mlacak oil painting in 2014. CPF’s 40th anniversary conference was celebrated in Ottawa on October 14 to 16. The conference brought together the members who founded CPF in 1977 at a special event in their honour. Among the founding members are John and Beth Mlacak and it became a tradition for them to donate a painting of John’s as a fundraiser during the organization’s national conferences. Beth continued the tradition after John’s death in 2014.
CPF is a nationwide, research informed, volunteer organization that champions the opportunity to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home. There are 23,000 members and 10 branches. CPF knows that it is widely acknowledged that the benefits of learning French extend beyond enhanced first language skills and increased employment opportunities. These include significant cognitive and academic benefits, and the development of interpersonal and intercultural skills. French second language in Canada benefits millions of children and youth today.
Mlacak paintings on easels at Koyman Galleries
Koyman Galleries, on St. Laurent Boulevard in Ottawa, now represents John Mlacak fine Art. This is the culmination of a friendly collaboration over many years. The Gallery had a successful retrospective of John Mlacak’s art in the fall of 2015.
Koyman Galleries is Canada’s largest commercial art gallery with over 13,000 square feet of space on two levels. Professional art specialists can assist both collectors and new buyers with selecting artwork for the home and office. Koyman Galleries also offers high quality framing services.
“Iris Melody”, shown below, is just one of John’s oil paintings available at the Gallery.
The 24×30 oil painting Splendeur d’automne has been donated to the Friends of Huntley Highlands to assist in their fundraising. This organization is working to conserve and protect the Carp Hills area, which is where John did a lot of his painting.
You can learn more about the Huntley Highlands here.
CREDIT: Siobhan Mlacak
John Mlacak died peacefully at home on Friday, September 19. He will be greatly missed by the art community. The Ottawa Citizen published this obituary on Saturday.