Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 8, 2003
• Invested on: December 12, 2003

In the recording studio, on stage or in the classroom, Ron Collier has consistently striven for excellence and inspired others to do the same. A trombonist, composer and arranger, in the 1950s he helped to introduce to Canada the third-stream movement, successfully overlapping styles to create a fusion of classical music with improvisational jazz. A founder of the Music Program at Humber College, where he shared his gift for composition and orchestration with students, he also led several stage bands to victory at national competitions.