Police Order of Merit Appointments

Summary#

On behalf of the King, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon named people to the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. The appointments are recorded as of May 23, 2023 and were published in the Canada Gazette on October 14, 2023.

What it does#

• Names several people to the Order in three ranks: Commanders, Officers, and Members.
• Appointments include senior police leaders and front‑line officers. Examples listed as Commanders are Commissioner Thomas Carrique, Deputy Director Jacques Duchesneau, and Commissioner Michael Robert Duheme.
• The Gazette notes that some entries are promotions within the Order (it flags certain appointees as promoted).

Who's affected#

• The named individuals — a mix of commissioners, chiefs, deputy commissioners, inspectors, sergeants, constables and other police personnel across Canada. One example from the Members list is Chief Danny Smyth.
• The Order itself and the recipients’ home police services, in the sense that those organizations gain public recognition of members’ service.
• If it is unclear who a specific person represents (federal, provincial, municipal or Indigenous service), the Gazette list itself does not always say; the notice only gives names and ranks.

Why it matters#

• This is an honours list. It recognizes distinguished service or merit in policing.
• For recipients, the award brings formal recognition and public acknowledgement of their work.
• For the public, these announcements show who the government and policing community have singled out for notable service, but they do not by themselves change policing policy or operations.