Order of Canada Investiture

On September 6, 2018, the Governor General invested 8 Officers and 31 Members into the Order of Canada.

The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. Its Companions, Officers and Members take to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”).

Sylvia Sweeney’s commitment as an athlete and her creative leadership in the arts have been nothing short of remarkable. Voted most valuable player at the world championships, this two-time Olympian led Canada’s national basketball team to its highest levels of achievement. She continued to inspire others by producing numerous television programs that have given voice to the voiceless. She then took that mission to the international stage by founding the much-anticipated ArtsGames, an independent global competition that will bring the world together through dance, music, literature, visual and media arts.

Gordon Stobbe’s passion for fiddle music has enriched our cultural heritage. A performer, composer, teacher and publisher, he has toured with several bands, including his own trio, for more than 40 years. In the 1980s, he hosted a popular variety show that featured local talent and helped launch the careers of many successful artists. Devoted to the preservation of fiddle music, he has tirelessly built a nationwide network of workshops and camps to introduce the joys of this rich tradition to others.

Andrew Qappik is a master printmaker, painter and sculptor whose work has been exhibited across Canada and worldwide. With a career spanning 40 years, he is acclaimed for his naturalistic depictions of traditional culture, wildlife and themes from Inuit storytelling. He has helped define Nunavut’s visual culture by contributing logos and designs for institutions throughout the territory. A Methodist pastor in his community, he has also sponsored the creation of a shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence.

Curt Harnett is an inspired presence in Canada’s sporting community. A dominant cyclist of the ‘80s and ‘90s, he won more than 30 national titles and represented Canada at four Olympic Games, where he won three medals. In his retirement, he has been a committed advocate for athletes, taking on leadership positions with multiple national sporting organizations. As chef de mission for both the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, he led his fellow athletes with integrity, passion and vitality.

Minnie Grey’s dedicated leadership has helped protect and promote the Inuit way of life for 30 years. Former vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council and chief negotiator for the creation of a Nunavik regional government, she spearheaded and bolstered initiatives that improved education, food security, cultural rights and economic development. As executive director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, she established and furthered health policies, notably those addressing youth mental health and suicide.

Martin Gleave has made key advances in the treatment of prostate cancer. A professor at the University of British Columbia and head of the Vancouver Prostate Centre, he has conducted groundbreaking research into the cellular, genetic and chemical mechanisms involved in the propagation of cancer cells. His studies have led to the development of medicines that increase the vulnerability of cancer cells and limit their ability to multiply. Committed to eradicating the disease, he leads a collaborative network dedicated to translating laboratory research into clinical practice.

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell has dedicated decades of her life to raising the status of Indigenous women in Canada. After losing her legal status following her marriage to a non-Indigenous man, she brought forward a court challenge to the Indian Act. Her touchstone case served as a catalyst for activism on the issue of gender discrimination against Indigenous women. She has helped build strong support systems for women as a founding member and president of many organizations, including the Ontario Native Women’s Association and the Native Women’s Association of Canada.

With stirring, raw passion, Dionne Brand’s art sensitizes Canada to the need for social justice. An acclaimed and award-winning writer, poet and documentarist, she has explored, with beauty, the difficult themes of gender, race and sexuality, while shining a light on the experience of living in a post-colonial world. A professor of literature at the University of Guelph, she is recognized as one of our most engaged and deeply thoughtful writers.

Abel Bosum’s story is one of exceptional achievement. From residential school survivor to devoted leader, this gifted negotiator has concluded historic agreements and addressed collective development, economic, health and governance issues for the Cree Nation. When natural resource exploitation forced his community of Oujé-Bougoumou to relocate, he guided the re-establishment of a new settlement now renowned for its innovations and environmental sustainability. Through his enduring leadership and efforts, he has set a positive example for Indigenous communities across Canada.

Alberto Manguel is a passionate bibliophile. An internationally renowned anthologist, editor and translator, he has provided a universal perspective on how we understand, consume and curate literature through his non-fiction writing on the act of reading and the nature of books and libraries. His erudite observations are testimonies to the power of the written word and the impact of the experience of reading. A proud Canadian, he has ardently promoted Canadian literature abroad. He currently serves as the director of the National Library of Argentina, the country of his birth.

Sajeev John is leading a paradigm shift in the field of optical sciences. A professor of physics and Canada Research Chair at the University of Toronto, he has gained international renown by co-inventing a class of materials known as photonic crystals, which allows light to be slowed down, contained and microscopically controlled. This breakthrough has already proven to have real-world applications in such areas as optical communications, health care, renewable energy and computing, and holds tremendous promise for launching an entirely new era of technology.

Keith Hipel is a pre-eminent leader in the field of systems design engineering. A professor at the University of Waterloo, he has developed innovative decision models that have been used to design environmental strategies and address pollution conflicts worldwide. His interdisciplinary systems approach has been applied to such wide-ranging challenges as the management of water levels in the Great Lakes and sustainable energy development. His leadership of numerous academic and professional institutions is equally renowned, notably in his role as the former president of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada.

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Close to 7,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order. Those who bear the Order’s iconic snowflake insignia represent the ever-evolving definition of this country and continue to push back the limits of the impossible.