The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History, and Development

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Christopher McCreery does a praiseworthy job of making this detailed,
lengthy examination of a specialized subject quite readable. An eye for
the interesting snippets to be found in a sea of bureaucratic trivia and
a well-paced, uncluttered style save the day.

The work reviews the history of honours in Canada since Confederation,
drawing comparisons to the recognition systems in place in other
countries, especially Britain. From this background, McCreery walks us
through the labyrinth leading to the introduction of the Order of Canada
in 1967. While the Order, like more traditional honours, is awarded to
those who warrant national recognition for merit or distinguished public
service, it broke new ground in that it is a means of recognizing
Canadians “not by what they possessed but by their character,” thus
stepping away from the class system and peerage.

The Order of Canada can be awarded in 25 disciplines (arts, law,
sports, science, etc.), making it broader than the traditional honours
systems based mainly on military achievement. McCreery includes detailed
information on the award’s rules of operation, nomination process,
administration, and investiture ceremony. There’s some information on
recipients and on those who have refused the award or had it withdrawn.
More than 100 photos help to convey the flavour, pomp, and importance of
the Order. This study is an important addition to the literature on
Canada’s identity.