Appointments to the Order of Canada

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice (Part I, Vol. 153, No. 52) publishes appointments and related honours under THE ORDER OF CANADA. It lists people made Companions, Officers, and Members, and it records a set of foreign awards to Canadians. The Gazette was published on December 28, 2019 and the Order entries are sealed as of November 22, 2019.

What it does#

• Announces appointments to THE ORDER OF CANADA at three levels: Companions, Officers, and Members.
• Names several well-known people as Companions, including James Francis Cameron, Stephen Joseph Harper, and Donna Theo Strickland.
• Lists many new Officers and Members (the Gazette gives long lists of individual names).
• Notes that some entries are promotions within the Order (indicated in the Gazette).
• Records approval of foreign honours for Canadians through the Chancellery of Honours, including examples such as:
  • Brigadier‑General Stephen Lacroix receiving a Colombian military order.
  • Eija Peltokangas and Reijo Viitala receiving Finnish honours.
  • Foreign awards from France, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and the United States to a number of Canadian military and civilian individuals.

Who's affected#

• The people named in the lists — recipients of the Order of Canada and the various foreign awards — and their families.
• Organizations and communities connected to those recipients (universities, cultural groups, research labs, businesses, and military units).
• The Canadian Armed Forces, which appears among the recipients of foreign military medals.
• The general public who follow national honours or who may recognize these individuals in news or public life.

Why it matters#

• These entries are formal public recognition of achievement and service in fields such as arts, public life, science, business, and the military.
• Honours raise the profile of recipients and can draw attention to their work or causes.
• Recording foreign awards shows how Canada handles and announces acceptance of honours given to Canadians by other countries.
• For most people the change is ceremonial: it does not create new laws or rights but updates the public record of national and international honours.