The Very Reverend the Honourable Lois M. Wilson

  • Deceased
  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Order of Canada

  • Officer of the Order of Canada

    • Awarded on: June 25, 1984
    • Invested on: October 03, 1984

    A United Church minister, she had formulated Christian responses to global poverty, oppression and prejudice even before she became, in succession, first woman President of the Canadian Council of Churches, first woman Moderator of the United Church of Canada and the first woman President of the World Council of Churches. She has tackled other world problems such as energy, amnesty and women's rights.

  • Companion of the Order of Canada

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

    Lois Wilson is a passionate promoter and defender of human rights and religious understanding. She has been president of the World Council of Churches, vice-president of the World Federalist Movement and chair of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development. As an independent senator known for her skills as a mediator and for her diplomacy, she served as Canada's special envoy to the Sudan peace process, as well as leader of delegations to China and North Korea. Now retired from the Senate, she remains an outspoken voice for the acceptance of such universal values as peace, love and respect for one another. This is a promotion within the Order.