Canadians Granted Permission to Wear Foreign Honours

Summary#

On July 2, 2022, the Chancellery of Honours at Government House announced that THE QUEEN has given unrestricted permission for a list of Canadians to accept and wear honours from other countries and international organizations. The Canada Gazette published the list of recipients and the foreign awards they may accept.

What it does#

• Confirms that named Canadians may accept and wear honours awarded by other countries or organizations.
• Publishes the specific awards and the governments or organizations that granted them. The list includes honours from countries such as the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Government of Jamaica, the Government of the French Republic, the Government of the United States of America, the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Government of the Republic of Colombia, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), among others.
• Covers a wide range of awards, including civilian honours, military medals, and orders of merit.

Who's affected#

• The individual Canadians named in the Gazette notice. Many are military members (by rank), public figures, artists, and other private citizens.
• Families and employers of those recipients may also notice the change if recipients wear the awards in official or ceremonial settings.
• It is not a general policy change; it applies only to the people listed in the notice.

Why it matters#

• It officially lets the listed Canadians accept and wear foreign decorations without breaking Canadian rules on foreign honours.
• For recipients, this allows public recognition (for example on uniforms or at formal events). For the public, the list shows which Canadians received international recognition for service, arts, or other achievements.
• This is a routine, formal announcement rather than a change in broader government policy.