Foreign honours awarded to Canadians

Summary#

On April 24, 2021, the Chancellery of Honours published a list in the Canada Gazette announcing foreign honours given to Canadians on behalf of THE QUEEN. The list records state orders, medals and military decorations awarded to a range of Canadians from artists and academics to municipal leaders and members of the armed forces.

What it does#

• Announces awards that foreign governments have given to Canadians.
• Lists awards by the foreign government that made them and names the Canadian recipients. Examples in this notice include:
  • From the Government of the United Kingdom: the Operational Service Medal for Iraq and Syria with clasp to Captain Jordan Gregory Rychlo.
  • From the Government of the Republic of Croatia: the Order of the Croatian Interlace to Ms. Hazel McCallion, C.M.
  • From the Government of the French Republic: the Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour to Ms. Céline Dion, C.C., O.Q., and the Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour to Mr. Yoshua Bengio, O.C., among others.
  • From the Government of Hungary: the Gold Cross of Merit of Hungary to Mr. Laszlo Szabo.
  • From the Government of the Republic of Poland: the Siberian Exile Cross to a number of named individuals (some awards are posthumous).
  • From the Government of the United States of America: various decorations including the Legion of Merit (to senior Canadian military officers such as Lieutenant‑General Wayne Donald Eyre, C.M.M., M.S.C., C.D.) and several Meritorious Service Medals and Air Medals to other Canadian service members.
• The Gazette entry gives the full list of named recipients for the public record.

Who's affected#

• The Canadians named in the notice and their families.
• Communities and sectors connected to those people: arts (for example, Céline Dion), academic and research communities (for example, Yoshua Bengio), municipal leadership (for example, Hazel McCallion) and the Canadian Armed Forces (multiple service members named).
• The general public, because this is part of the official federal record of honours.

Why it matters#

• It publicly documents international recognition of Canadians’ service and achievement.
• These honours highlight Canadians’ contributions abroad and at home in areas like culture, science, public service and military operations.
• The entry provides an official, searchable record for families, historians, and anyone tracking honours and awards.