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[edit] Eligibility

Main article: Appointment to the Order of Canada

All living Canadians are eligible for any of the three awards, except federal and provincial politicians and judges while they are holding office. Multiple people who have committed the same honourable act or deed are eligible for induction. For example, all three members of the Canadian band Rush (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart) have been appointed Officers of the Order, the first time the Order of Canada was given to a group rather than an individual. All three members of the children's group Sharon, Lois & Bram (Sharon Trostin Hampson, Lois Lilienstein and Bramwell Morrison) have also been made members of the Order—although, since Lilienstein is an American citizen, she was made an honorary member (see below). Citizens of other countries are eligible for honorary appointments at all three levels. No more than five honorary appointments may be made in any year. A new member whose appointment is approved during their lifetime, but who dies prior to the announcement of that appointment or their investiture, may be invested posthumously. The 2005 appointment of journalist Peter Jennings was announced under these circumstances;^[1] his daughter Elizabeth Jennings accepted the insignia on her father's behalf in October 2006.^[2] The oldest person ever to be invested into the Order was Dr. Cornelius Wiebe, who was 106 years old when he was invested in 1999.^[3]

Although sitting federal and provincial politicians cannot be appointed to the Order while in office, it is accepted that influential leaders such as former prime ministers will be appointed after they leave office. In fact, of all the prime ministers alive after the creation of the order (with the exception of recent and current Prime Ministers Kim Campbell, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper), the only prime minister who was not appointed to the Order was John Diefenbaker. After losing the office of the Prime Minister to Lester B. Pearson in 1963 Diefenbaker remained a sitting Member of Parliament and died while still in office in 1979, never becoming eligible. Some prominent politicians — such as former NDP leader Ed Broadbent and former Prime Minister Joe Clark — were appointed after exiting politics, only to later return to elected office. Senators cannot be appointed while they hold office; however, there have been several senators who were appointed to the Order prior to taking office. Currently there are 12 senators who hold the Order: Tommy Banks, Michel Biron, Roméo Dallaire, Trevor Eyton, Serge Joyal, Wilbert Keon, Jean Lapointe, Sandra Lovelace Nicholas, Frank Mahovlich, Donald Oliver, Nancy Ruth, and Hugh Segal. In the same vein as Prime Ministers being appointed after leaving office, every Chief Justice of Canada from Robert Taschereau onward has been made a Companion, with the exception of Beverley McLachlin, who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Although sitting politicians cannot be appointed to the order while in office, individuals who hold a ceremonial political office (for example a Sergeant-at-arms) are considered public servants and therefore can be invested while serving in that office.

Awards are announced twice annually, once around New Year's Day (January 1) and again around Canada Day (July 1). Appointees who have died before their investiture are still considered part of the Order.

[edit] Investiture

Governor General Roland Michener invests a woman into the Order of Canada at an investiture ceremony in the early years of the order.

Induction ceremonies are generally conducted by the Governor General at Rideau Hall in Ottawa or, on rare occasions when she is in the country, by the Queen herself; the Queen performed her first Order of Canada investiture at Rideau Hall in August 1973.^[4] The most common reason for the insignia not being presented at Rideau Hall is the recipient's inability to come to Ottawa. An early example of this occurred in 1980 when activist athlete Terry Fox was dying of terminal cancer. A more recent example occurred in 2003 with singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. In 2002, shortly before a concert, Lightfoot suffered a serious abdominal hemorrhage that resulted in his being in a coma for a time and months in hospital recovering. On the news of his near-death condition, Lightfoot was promoted to the rank of Companion. Since his condition left him unable to travel, Adrienne Clarkson flew to Toronto and presented him with the insignia in a private ceremony performed in his hospital room.^[5][6] Another example is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother: in 2000, at the age of 100, Her Majesty was invested as an Honorary Companion at Clarence House in London. Rather than place the insignia on the Queen Mother, who was recovering from a hip replacement, Clarkson handed Her Majesty her badge. Her Majesty made a point of wearing it around her neck at a special lunch following the private ceremony.^[7] Although inductions are usually performed by the Governor General, the task can be delegated to another individual, such as the Lieutenant-Governor of a Canadian province. This was the case when Mervyn Wilkinson was inducted into the order by Iona Campagnolo, the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, in 2002.^[8]

Prior to Clarkson becoming Governor General of Canada, Order of Canada inductions were rarely performed outside of Rideau Hall or the Governor General's secondary residence La Citadelle. Under her tenure Clarkson held entire investment ceremonies in cities like St. John's, Newfoundland and Vancouver, British Columbia. She was also noted for delegating the duty to other individuals on certain occasions when it would have been difficult for her or the recipient to travel.

[edit] Removal

Main article: Removal from the Order of Canada

Members can be removed from the Order if the Advisory Council feels their actions have brought it into disrepute. In order for a person to be stripped of their honour, the Advisory Council must agree to the removal, then send a letter to the person telling them of their decision. In this same letter, the Council also gives the person a time to respond to the decision.

As of 2006, only two people have their Order of Canada stripped from them: Alan Eagleson and David Ahenakew. Eagleson was removed from the order after being jailed for fraud in 1998.^[9] Ahenakew began facing calls for his removal due to anti-Semitic comments he made in 2002.^[10] After being convicted on charges of wilfully promoting hatred, the Governor General and the Advisory Council told the CBC that Ahenakew would be stripped of his honour, and gave him the option to surrender his badge. On 11 July 2005, the Governor General signed an order, called a revocation ordinance, stripping Ahenakew of his membership in the Order of Canada. (In 2006 the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan, sitting on appeal of the Provincial Court decision, ordered a retrial of Ahenakew's hate crime conviction on the grounds that criminal intent had not been properly considered by the trial judge, and the Crown has chosen to take the appeal to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan. The Governor General's office declared that this did not change the finding that he had brought the Order of Canada into disrepute and should be expelled.)^[11][12][13] In the case of Ahenakew, a registered letter was sent to him asking for a response to their idea of taking his honour away. Ahenakew, who had until 9 July 2005 to respond, refused to do so. That led the Governor General to sign the above order on 11 July to take away his honour. Ahenakew is now required to surrender his medal and his civilian lapel pin. While there are no formal rules the Council has to retrieve the insignia, Ahenakew's lawyer Doug Christie said that "I think that once you are given a gift, and it is a gift, I don't think anyone can ask for it back," implying that Ahenakew has the right to keep his items. However, the author of the book The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History and Development, Christopher McCreery, said that since the government owns the medal and the scrolls, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police can be sent and get the items by force. McCreery stated that he does not think the RCMP would be used in Ahenakew's situation.^[14]

[edit] Advisory Council

Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, C.C.

The task of the Advisory Council is to evaluate the nominations of people to the Order and see if the nominated people are worthy enough to be accepted into the Order. The Governor General of Canada makes the appointments to the Order based on recommendations from the Advisory Council. The Secretary General to the Advisory Council announces the decision of the Advisory Council to the Canada Gazette and to the public about any appointments and dismissals from the Order.

The Advisory Council, which is chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada, includes the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Chairperson of the Canada Council for the Arts, the President of the Royal Society of Canada, and the Chairperson of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. As well, five members of the Order are part of the Council for a maximum three-year term. If the nomination involves a non-Canadian, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will be invited by the Advisory Council to evaluate the nomination.

The current members of the Advisory Council are:

1. The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada (Chair)
2. Dr. Patricia Baird, O.C., O.B.C.
3. Dr. Patricia A. Demers, President, the Royal Society of Canada
4. Mr. Tom Jackson, O.C.
5. Ms. Karen Kain, C.C., Artistic Director, the National Ballet of Canada
6. Ms. Judith A. LaRocque, C.V.O., FRHSC (hon) Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage
7. Dr. Daurene E. Lewis, C.M.
8. Mr. Kevin G. Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
9. M. L. Jacques Ménard, O.C.
10. Mr. J.E. (Ted) Newall, O.C.
11. Ms. Bonnie M. Patterson, Chairman of the Board, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

[edit] Appointments

Members can be found in Category:Members of the Order of Canada and citation can be found on the Order of Canada database at gg.ca.

[edit] Non-Canadian/Honorary appointments

As of 2006, there have been only ten honorary appointments to non-Canadian citizens, and one appointee surrendered his Canadian citizenship. They are as follows:

[edit] Companion

• Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa (actually an honorary Canadian citizen) (1998)
• HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, former Queen Consort of Canada (2000)^[15][16] (deceased) ¹
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations (originally from Egypt) (2004)
• Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic (2004)
• His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims (2005)

1. The Queen Mother, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family was a Canadian subject but not a Canadian citizen.

[edit] Officer

• Professor John Kenneth Galbraith, influential American economist; born in Ontario, but renounced his status as a British subject in August 1937 (Canadian citizenship did not exist until 1947) in order to become a U.S. citizen (1997) (deceased)
• James Hillier, inventor of the electron microscope (1997); became a U.S. citizen (deceased);
• Charles Dutoit conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (appointed 1997, invested 2002)
• Tanya Moiseiwitsch, British theatre designer for the Stratford Festival (2003) (deceased)

[edit] Member

• Lois Lilienstein, member of Sharon, Lois & Bram — U.S. citizen (2003)
• Salome Bey, musician — U.S. citizen (2006)

[edit] Other

Media baron Conrad Black became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990,^[17] but surrendered his Canadian citizenship to become a British life peer in 2001. Nevertheless, he remains in both the Order of Canada and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Due to his conviction for mail fraud in 2007, a council will meet to decide if Black will remain in the Order. ^[18]

[edit] Provincial and territorial orders

Main article: Canadian provincial and territorial orders

Ernest Alvia ("Smokey") Smith, the last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross in his official portrait from the Order of British Columbia in 2002. He is seen here wearing the badge of the Order of British Columbia (around his neck), the Victoria Cross, and the badge of the Order of Canada (miniature, on his jacket). Smith died in 2005.

Various Canadian provinces and territories have also created orders to award their citizens on great deeds:

• Alberta Order of Excellence
• Order of British Columbia
• Order of Manitoba
• Order of New Brunswick
• Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Order of Nova Scotia
• Order of Ontario
• Order of Prince Edward Island
• National Order of Quebec
• Saskatchewan Order of Merit
• Yukon Territory Order of Polaris

Each province sets up its own rules on how membership in its order is awarded, though there is no rule that Order of Canada members cannot be inducted to provincial and territorial orders. Limitations on the number of provincial order inductions every year by certain provinces has led to this being more common for people from some provinces than from others. An example would be Gordon Lightfoot being a Companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario (O. Ont.).^[19] The Order of Ontario places no limit on the annual number of inductions (although it is usually around 25). The Alberta Order of Excellence is limited to 10 inductees each year. One of the few Albertans to be part of the provincial and Canadian orders is former Prime Minister Joe Clark. It is also possible to be appointed to multiple provincial orders. The late Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson, who was born in Montreal but resided in Ontario during his later years, was simultaneously a Companion of the Order of Canada, Knight of the National Order of Quebec, and a member of the Order of Ontario.

[edit] Additional decorations

At certain periods, holders of the order were presented with other decorations. These are usually commemorative medals. Thus far, four commemorative medals have been given automatically to every living member of the Order of Canada, or the Canadian Bravery Decorations:

• Canadian Centennial Medal (1967)
• Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
• 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
• Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)

Other provincial commemorative medals such as the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan require independent nomination.

[edit] Sale

In 2007 it was revealed that one of the first ever issued insignia of the Order of Canada, a Medal of Service awarded originally to Quebec poet Gustave Lanctot, was put up for sale via email. Originally, the auctioneer, who had purchased the insignia for $45 at an estate sale in Montreal, and who remained anonymous, attempted to sell the insignia on eBay; however, after the bidding reached $15,000, eBay removed the item, citing its policy against the sale of government property, including "any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty." Rideau Hall stated that selling medals was "highly discouraged," however the owner continued efforts to sell the insignia via the internet.^[20]

[edit] Further reading

• McCreery, Christopher (2005). The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History and Development. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3940-5

[edit] See also

• List of Canadian awards
• List of Canadian provincial and territorial orders

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

Find more about Order of Canada on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Dictionary definitions
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• search the membership list
• Governor General announces new appointments to the Order of Canada, February 3, 2006, retrieved February 6, 2006.
• Canadian Forces Honors and Awards Chart. Retrieved on June 16, 2005.
• Canadian Forces Administrative Order 18-13 Retrieved on 14 July 2005.
• Constitution of the Order of Canada. Retrieved on July 14, 2005.
• Governor General's Order of Canada site Retrieved on 14 June 2005.
• Modern Honors of Canada - Veteran Affairs Canada. Retrieved on June 14, 2005.
• ODM of Canada - Order of Canada. Retrieved on June 16, 2005.
• St. John Ambulance Cadets of Ontario. Retrieved on June 16, 2005.