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The Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Order's Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means "(those) desiring a better country." Created in 1967, the Order was established to recognize the lifetime contributions made by Canadians who made a major difference to Canada. The Order also recognizes efforts made by non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions. Musicians, politicians, artists, television and film stars, benefactors, and many more have been accepted into the Order. The Queen of Canada, Queen Elizabeth II, is Sovereign of the Order and the serving Governor General of Canada is its Chancellor and Principal Companion. Since 1967, 5053 people have been appointed to the Order of Canada. Creation The Order of Canada was instituted on April 17, 1967, by Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of Prime Minister Lester Pearson. The Order was created to recognize exemplary achievement and service to Canada, by Canadians. The awards were officially launched on July 1, 1967, during the 100th anniversary celebrations of the formation of the Dominion of Canada. Governor General Roland Michener was the first inductee to the order, with 90 more people appointed on 7 July 1967. The creation of the Order was the beginning of the establishment of the Canadian honours system, a system of awards and decorations to be bestowed onto Canadians and foreigners. Upon the creation of the system, it broke off the dependence of the honours system used by the United Kingdom and by some of its former Crown colonies and dominions. Before the Order of Canada was created, the main order presented to Canadians for the above criteria was the Order of the British Empire. Grades There are three grades (levels) of the Canadian Order: Companion (highest), Officer, and Member, each with respective post-nominal letters that its members are entitled to use. Promotions in grade are possible; typically, this is not done until at least five years after the initial appointment. For example, film director Denys Arcand was promoted from Officer to Companion. Originally, the Order had only two ranks, Companion and the Medal of Courage (now the Cross of Valour). On July 1, 1972, the levels of Officer and Member were introduced and all existing members were made Officers. Companion Companions of the Order of Canada (post-nominal: C.C.) have demonstrated the highest degree of merit to Canada and humanity, on the national or international scene. Up to 15 Companions are appointed each year, with a limit of 165 living Companions at any given time, with the exception of honorary Companions. As of September 29, 2005, there were 166 living Companions, including four honorary Companions. However, the appointment of Michaëlle Jean to the position of Governor General made her the 164th living Companion. The Constitution of the Order of Canada also allows for the spouse of the Governor General to be appointed a Companion, so Jean-Daniel Lafond is the 165th living Companion. On February 3, 2006, Rideau Hall announced that Bernard Ostry and David Suzuki would be made companions. Officer Officers of the Order of Canada (O.C.) have demonstrated an outstanding level of talent and service to Canadians. Up to 64 Officers are appointed each year. As of September 29 2005, there were 1006 living Officers, although there is no limit to how many may be living at one time. Member Members of the Order of Canada (C.M.) have made an exceptional contribution to Canada or Canadians at a local or regional level, group, field or activity. As many as 136 Members may be appointed annually and there is no limit on how many Members may be living. As of September 29 2005, there were 1,964 living members. Insignia The badge of the Order is a white enamelled snowflake design, in gilt for Companions and Officers, and in silver for Members. The central disc bears a maple leaf, in red enamel for Companions, in gold for Officers, and in silver for Members, all on a white enamel background, surrounded by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the motto of the Order, and topped by a crown. The reverse is plain except for the word "Canada". The ribbon consists of white, with red edges. On top of the motto, the crown of St. Edward is present. The ribbon has alternate red and white stripes, similar to the Canadian flag. The insignia can be passed down as a family heirloom but cannot be sold. When a member of the order is upgraded to a higher rank that individual must return their original emblem to the Chancellery. The medal (as well as the majority of the ensuing emblems in the Canadian honour system) was designed by Bruce W. Beatty, who as of 2004 has been in attendance at every investiture ceremony since 1967. Beatty was himself made a member of the Order in 1990. When wearing medals and decorations, the Order of Canada is worn before all national orders and nearly all other Canadian decorations: only the Victoria Cross and the Cross of Valour are worn before the Order of Canada. The grades of Companion and Officer have their medals worn by a neck ribbon, while the Member grade is displayed on a chest ribbon on the left side of the jacket. Until recently, women appointees had to wear a ribbon bow in order to display the Order, which was positioned to the left. Other than on special occasions laid out by the Governor General, women wear their Order by the same means as the men, although current governor general Michaëlle Jean has taken to displaying the order with the female bow. The chest ribbon is the same for each grade, save for a metallic maple leaf in the centre, the colour of which depends on the grade that one was appointed to: red for a Companion, gold for an Officer, silver stands for a Member. Each appointee is also granted the right to ask for coat of arms from the Canadian Heraldic Authority if one does not exist for them. Companions can ask the Authority for the use of supporters on their personal coat of arms. The Order motto (in gold lettering on a red background) is circled around the shield, while the Order medal is suspended from the base of the shield. Because the Queen is sovereign of the Order, the current Coat of Arms of Canada, in use since 1994, uses the red ribbon with the Order motto in gold. For civilian wear, a lapel pin is worn on the jacket, which is designed as a miniature of the medal design. An example of one being used is shown in this photo of Roméo Dallaire, O.C. The Governor General also wears a special chain during certain ceremonies. The chain consisted of the Companion medal, suspended from the shield of Canada, submitted by the crown. On each side, the necklace is composed of two repeating elements: a white stylized snowflake and the central disc that appears on the Companion medals. At the Governor General's installation ceremony he or she is presented with the Chain of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit. Eligibility
Removal Members can be removed from the Order if the Advisory Council feels their actions have brought it into disrepute. As of 2006, only two people have their Order of Canada stripped from them: Alan Eagleson and David Ahenakew. Eagleson was removed from the order after being jailed for fraud in 1998. Ahenakew began facing calls for his removal due to anti-Semitic comments he made in 2002. After being convicted on charges of wilfully promoting hatred, the Governor General and the Advisory Council told the CBC that Ahenakew will be stripped of his honour and gave him the option to surrender his badge. On 11 July 2005, the Governor General signed an order, called a revocation ordinance, stripping Ahenakew of his membership in the Order of Canada. (In 2006 the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan, sitting on appeal of the Provincial Court decision, ordered a retrial of Ahenakew's hate crime conviction on the grounds that criminal intent had not been properly considered by the trial judge, and the Crown has chosen to take the appeal to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan. The Governor General's office declared that this did not change the finding that he had brought the Order of Canada into disrepute and should be expelled.) In order for a person to be stripped of their honour, the Advisory Council must agree to the removal, the sending a letter to the person telling them of their decision. In this same letter, the Council also gives the person a time to respond to the decision. In the case of Ahenakew, a registered letter was sent to him asking for a response to their idea of taking his honour away. Ahenakew, who had until 9 July 2005 to respond, refused to do so. That led the Governor General to sign the above order on 11 July to take away his honour. Ahenakew is now required to surrender his medal and his civilian lapel pin. While there are no formal rules the Council has to retrieve the insignia, Ahenakew's lawyer Doug Christie said that "I think that once you are given a gift, and it is a gift, I don't think anyone can ask for it back," implying that Ahenakew has the right to keep his items. However, the author of the book , Christopher McCreery, said that since the government owns the medal and the scrolls, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police can be sent and get the items by force. McCreery stated that he does not think the RCMP would be used in Ahenakew's situation. Advisory Council The task of the Advisory Council is to evaluate the nominations of people to the Order and see if the nominated people are worthy enough to be accepted into the Order. The Governor General of Canada makes the appointments to the Order based on recommendations from the Advisory Council. The Secretary General to the Advisory Council announces the decision of the Advisory Council to the Canada Gazette and to the public about any appointments and dismissals from the Order. The Advisory Council, which is chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada, includes the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Chairperson of the Canada Council for the Arts, the President of the Royal Society of Canada, and the Chairperson of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. As well, five members of the Order are part of the Council for a maximum three-year term. If the nomination involves a non-Canadian, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will be invited by the Advisory Council to evaluate the nomination. The current members of the Advisory Council are: Appointments Members can be found in and citation can be found on the Order of Canada database at gg.ca. Non-Canadian/Honorary appointments As of 2006, there have been only twelve honorary appointments to non-Canadians, and one appointee has surrendered his Canadian citizenship. They are as follows: Companion Officer Member Other Media baron Conrad Black became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990, but surrendered his Canadian citizenship to become a British life peer in 2001. Nevertheless, he remains in both the Order of Canada and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Provincial and territorial orders
Additional decorations At certain periods, holders of the order were presented with other decorations. These are usually commemorative medals. Thus far, four commemorative medals have been given automatically to every living member of the Order of Canada, or the Canadian Bravery Decorations: Other provincial commemorative medals such as the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan require independent nomination. Further reading Nomination forms Nomination forms may be obtained by writing to The Chancellery, Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario CANADA, K1A 0A1.. Postage is free when mailed within Canada. Alternatively, nomination forms may be obtained in PDF format from the Governor General's Official Website. Photocopies of nomination forms are also accepted by the Chancellery Office. See also Notes | |||||||||||
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