TV Host George Stroumboulopoulos and Paralympian Among 78 Appointments to Order of Canada

Mary Simon speaks at an announcement at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on July 6, 2021. Ms. Simon appointed 78 people to the Order of Canada on Dec. 28, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Seventy-eight Canadians will be receiving one of the nation’s highest honours: the Order of Canada.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Dec. 28 announced the new appointments, a list that includes doctors, lawyers, indigenous leaders, activists, artists, journalists and other Canadians who have “made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation.”

Three of the new appointments are “companions,” the highest level of the Order of Canada, while 15 are as “officers,” including one honorary officer. The remaining 59 appointments are “members.” The appointments were recommended by the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.

“I greatly value the opportunity to celebrate individuals whose perseverance, ingenuity and community spirit have benefited Canadians throughout the country,” Ms. Simon said in a statement. “As governor general, I have seen first-hand that our communities are rich in both excellence and diversity, which we need to do our utmost to recognize.”

The appointees will be invited to an investiture ceremony at a yet-to-be announced date to receive their insignia.

Media Personality, Athlete

One of the most famous appointees this year is media personality George Stroumboulopoulos, who is best known for his days as a host on the music video channel MuchMusic in the early 2000s.

“It was this golden era of television that I don’t think could ever be created again,” the 51-year-old told The Canadian Press in an interview.

Mr. Stroumboulopoulos went on to host his own show on CBC for a decade, followed by a stint on Hockey Night in Canada from 2014 to 2016. He also hosted reality TV talent show “The One: Making a Music Star” in 2006. He has interviewed a wide range of celebrities and political figures including Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton, but he says his successful career hasn’t changed him.

“With very rare exceptions, I have been 100 percent myself the whole way,” he said.

Also receiving the honour is Francine Lemire, a doctor who represented Canada in the Paralympics in the 1980s.

An above-the-knee amputee, Ms. Lemire came in fourth in cross-country skiing in the 1984 games, the worst placing you can receive, she said, because “you just missed out” on a medal. She went on to win two gold medals at the 1988 Paralypmic Winter Games in Austria.

Lemire practised as a family doctor in Corner Brook, N.L., for nearly 25 years and served as the president and CEO of the College of Family Physicians of Canada for a decade.

Being named as a member of the Order of Canada is “a validation for me of a lifetime commitment to family medicine both as a clinician, as well as organizationally,” she said.

The Companions

The designation of companion “recognizes outstanding achievement and merit of the highest degree, especially in service to Canada or to humanity at large,” according to the Governor General’s website. Three individuals were appointed companions this year:

Serge Joyal

A lawyer, Serge Joyal is being recognized for “his contributions as a senator, lawyer and author, and for his wide-ranging impact as a patron of the arts, heritage and culture sectors.” Born in Montreal, the 78-year-old served as a Liberal MP from 1974 to 1984 and as a senator from 1997 to 2020. He is also an officer of the National Order of Quebec and a knight in France’s National Order of the Legion of Honour. He has a passion for art and is known as an expert art collector and appraiser.

J. Wilton Littlechild

Known as Willie, Wilton Littlechild is a residential school survivor and athlete best known for his work on advocating indigenous rights in Canada and worldwide and “for his inspirational leadership promoting indigenous athletes in international sports events.” A former MP, Cree chief, and lawyer, Mr. Littlechild, now 79, served as Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and as an MP for Wetaskiwin, Alta. He is also a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence.

Ronald Daniel Stewart

Dr. Ronald Stewart, 81, is a Cape Breton, N.S., community activist and pioneer in emergency medicine who is being honoured for his “continued, groundbreaking contributions to the field of emergency medicine and for his sustained leadership in the public health sector.” A Liberal, he represented Cape Breton North in the N.S. legislature from 1993 to 1997. He is also a member of the Order of Nova Scotia.

All three appointments as companions were promotions within the order, meaning they had previously been named as either a member or an officer. A promotion is given for “continued exceptional or extraordinary service to Canada,” the Governor General’s website says.

The Officers

The officer in the Order of Canada is someone being recognized for “achievement and merit of a high degree, especially service to Canada or to humanity at large.” Fifteen individuals were appointed officers this year:

Willie Adams

Joséphine Bacon

Ian Burton

Richard Burzynski

William Arthur Stewart Buxton

Chang Keun (C.K.) Choi

Wenona Giles

Réjean Hébert

Richard Wayne Hill Sr.

Louise Imbeault

Firdaus Kharas

Linda Jane Manzer

Albert D. Marshall

Paul Myles O'Byrne

Peter Robb Pearson

Steven Lewis Point

The Members

This honour recognizes “distinguished service in or to a particular community, group or field of activity.” There are 59 appointees this year:

Jodi Leanne Abbott

Yisa Folasele Akinbolaji

Sara Joy Angel

Antonio Ariganello

Nurjehan Aziz Vassanji

Glen Baker

Morris L. Barer

Anne Bassett

Ardyth Brott

Alfredo Caxaj

Susanne Craig

Patrick Gordon Crean

Michael de Adder

Raquel Zegarra del Carpio-O’Donovan

Debbie A. Douglas

Bronwyn D. A. Drainie

Deantha Rae Edmunds

Jeffrey Mark Farber

Deanne M. Fitzpatrick

Louis Hugo Francescutti

Patricia Sybil Pritchard Fraser

Tennys J. M. Hanson

Raymond Roland Henault

Lorne Henry Hepworth

Victor Peter Hetmanczuk

John Pearson Hirdes

Lillie Johnson

Timothy Robert Jones

Richard Kroeker

Gary Alan Kulesha

Carol Anne Lee

Francine Lemire

André Leon Lewis

Kim Thúy Ly Thanh

George Edward MacDonald

Susan Margaret Macpherson

Medhat Sabet Mahdy

Lois McDonall

Noella Maria Milne

Deborah McColl Money

Osama El-Sayed Moselhi

Nikita James Nanos

John Andrew Olthuis

Linda M. Perry

André Pierre Picard

Bruce Godfrey Pollock

Bryan Earl Prince

Shannon Beth Prince

Joel Andrew Quarrington

Arun Ravindran

James M. Richards

Martine Monique Roy

Lino A. Saputo

Joseph (Jim) Spatz

George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos

Maia-Mari Sutnik

David Kin-Kay

Zainub Verjee

Flavio Volpe

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.