Foreign Honours Approved for Canadians

Summary#

The Chancellery of Honours announced on December 26, 2020 that the Government of Canada approved a list of foreign honours awarded to Canadians. The awards come from several countries, including Austria, Finland, France, Korea, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

What it does#

Lists specific foreign honours given to Canadians. Each bullet names the foreign government, the award, and the Canadian recipient(s):

• Government of the Republic of Austria

  • Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria — Mr. Kurt Yakov Tutter

• Government of the Republic of Finland

  • Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland — The Honourable Eugene P. Rossiter

• Government of the French Republic

  • Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour — Dr. Mona Nemer, C.M., C.Q.
  • Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters — Mr. Normand Charbonneau

• Government of the Republic of Korea

  • Order of Civil Merit of the Republic of Korea — Mr. Guy Black

• Government of the Republic of Poland

  • Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland — Mr. Juliusz Kirejczyk
  • Cross of Freedom and Solidarity (posthumous) — Mr. Zbigniew Labedzki
  • Gold Cross of Merit — Ms. Anna Barycka
  • Silver Cross of Merit — Ms. Anna Czyzo
  • Long Marital Life Medal — Mrs. Zdzislawa Kazimiera Dziewierz; Mr. Zdzislaw Piotr Dziewierz; Mrs. Barbara Genowefa Kusilo; Mr. Andrzej Grzegorz Kusilo; Mrs. Irena Urbanowicz; Mr. Jan Jozef Urbanowicz

• Government of the United Kingdom

  • Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire — Ms. Emer Timmons, O.B.E.
  • British Empire Medal — Ms. Nancy Southern, B.E.M.; Ms. Linda Southern‑Heathcott, B.E.M.

Who's affected#

• The people named above and their families and communities.
• People who follow Canadian recipients of foreign honours, such as cultural, scientific, or community groups connected to those individuals.
• The Chancellery of Honours and the Government of Canada, which record and announce these approvals.

Why it matters#

• These announcements record and confirm formal recognition of Canadians by foreign states.
• They highlight contributions that led other countries to honour these Canadians (for example in diplomacy, culture, science, or community service).
• The information is useful for the recipients’ communities and for anyone tracking international recognition of Canadians.