Human rights defenders, philanthropists, and public health scientists are among the 61 individuals whose innovations and contributions to Canadian society are recognized with the appointment to the Order of Canada.
The Order of Canada, since its creation in 1967, has accrued 7,000 awarded members whose achievements are recognized at three-levels: Companion, Officer, and Member. The latest announcement includes 1 Companion, 13 Officers, and 47 Members.
Robert Steadward is a retired sports scientist and pioneering leader in disability sports. He is recognized for his dedication and creation of the modern Paralympic Games. Steadward is now promoted as a Companion, the highest level of the order, after being appointed an Officer in 1998.
“When I got this little email that I’m supposed to call someone in the [Governor General’s] office, gosh, I felt like I was at school again being called to the principal’s office,” Steadward told CBC.
Human Rights Defenders
Robert Krell is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. As a child survivor of the Holocaust, Krell was devoted to treating other survivors and their families, and contributed to our understanding to mass ethnopolitical violence.Douglas R. Stollery is awarded as a Member for his “wide-ranging contributions to Canada’s legal landscape, for his defence of human rights, and for his broad community involvement.”
Philanthropy in Time of Crisis
“Canada was hunkering down and bracing ourselves with what was before us and institutions like our family foundation had to be there,” said Andrew Molson, the head of the Molson Foundation, according to the Canadian Press.
“We were flexible and open-minded about what the institutions that we support were going to do during these really tough times.”
Andrew’s brother, Geoff Molson, who is the CEO of the Montreal Canadiens, is also appointed to the Order of Canada for his community work.
“We have a big responsibility to maintain an important name in the country and that could be through business, community, or society in general,” Geoff Molson said. “As long as we continue to do that, the name will remain important in our country.”