National Order of Quebec

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"OQ" redirects here. For other uses, see OQ (disambiguation).
National Order of Quebec ribbon
National Order of Quebec ribbon

The National Order of Quebec (French: Ordre national du Québec) is an order of merit bestowed by the Government of Quebec. It was instituted on June 20, 1984, by Lieutenant Governor Jean-Pierre Côté on the advice of the Cabinet of Premier René Lévesque, and is one of the most prestigious honours in Quebec and French America.

Contents

[edit] Description

The order is awarded in three classes:

  • Grand officer (grand officier) (GOQ)
  • Officer (officier) (OQ)
  • Knight (chevalier) (CQ)

Unlike other provincial honours, the Lieutenant Governor is not an explicit part of the order, though it was created by the vice-regal granting of Royal Assent, and the order is not presented in the name of the Crown in Right of Quebec, but rather by the government, which consists of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

The order is conferred upon men and women born or living in Quebec (but non-Quebecers can be inducted as well) for their outstanding achievements. The law states that nominations may also be made posthumously. The law also grants the Premier of Quebec the exclusive privilege of nominating non-Quebecers. Non-Quebecers inducted into the order are often honoured for a loyal friendship to Quebec, helping to increase its international profile, or for defending the French language.

The insignia are delivered during ceremonies at the Salon Rouge in the parliament building, the former home of the Legislative Council of Quebec. Exceptions are made when inductees cannot be present (notably for some non-Quebec nominations).

[edit] Council

The Council of the National Order of Quebec (Conseil de l'Ordre national du Québec), elected by and amongst the members of the order, is mandated to short-list candidates based on the results of calls for nomination published in daily and weekly newspapers in Quebec. The Council's suggestions are given to the Premier, who submits them to Cabinet for final approval by the viceroy.

[edit] Recipients

Many people have been inducted into the National Order of Quebec since its inception. The following are some of the best-known recipients.

[edit] Quebec inductees

[edit] Grand officer


[edit] Officer

[edit] Knight

[edit] Non-Quebec inductees

[edit] Grand officer

[edit] Officer

[edit] Knight

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Provincial and territorial orders of Canada
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Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Canada in order of precedence
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