Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 2, 2013
• Invested on: February 13, 2015

For his influential research on historical changes to inland waters, contributing to increased protection of lake ecosystems.

John Smol is one of the world’s foremost experts on historical changes to lakes and rivers. A Canada Research Chair and professor of biology and environmental studies at Queen’s University, he has been at the vanguard of scientific discovery related to lake ecosystems for over 30 years. He is credited with demonstrating how paleolimnology, the study of ancient lake deposits, enables us to trace humanity’s impact on our environment over time. His research has led to increased protection of our inland waters and has provided evidence of human-made contributions to climate change in the last century.