When was the Order of Canada established?

The Order of Canada is Canada's most prestigious civilian honour, established by Royal Proclamation on July 1, 1967 as the centrepiece of the Canadian Honours System. The Order was established as part of Canada's centennial-year celebrations under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and Governor General Roland Michener. The Order recognises outstanding Canadians for their service to Canada or humanity at large. About 7,500 Canadians have been appointed to the Order since its founding. The Order consists of three levels (Companion, Officer, and Member) with a motto of 'Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam' (Latin for 'They desire a better country', from Hebrews 11:16).

The Order was created to fill a gap in Canadian honours. Canada had no national civilian honour of its own from Confederation in 1867 until the 1940s; Canadians who received honours were typically appointed to British orders such as the Order of the British Empire. Canadian Cabinet had restricted Canadian acceptance of British honours from 1919 (the Nickle Resolution) to 1933 and again from 1935 to 1972. The need for a Canadian honour became increasingly evident, particularly during the centennial planning of the 1960s. Roland Michener, who became Governor General on April 17, 1967 (specifically chosen to launch the Order), worked with the Cabinet to design the Order.

The Order's three levels reflect a tradition similar to British and European orders: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) is the highest level, with a maximum of 165 living Companions at any time and only about 15 new appointments per year; Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) is the middle level, with up to 64 new appointments per year; Member of the Order of Canada (CM) is the third level, with up to 136 new appointments per year. New appointments are typically announced twice yearly (Canada Day on July 1 and another appointment announcement in autumn). Canadians cannot apply for the Order; appointments are made by the Governor General on the advice of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada (chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada).

Notable Order of Canada recipients include almost every major Canadian of the late 20th and 21st centuries: Vincent Massey (the first Companion, 1967), Pierre Trudeau (Companion, 1985), Margaret Atwood (Companion, 1981), Wayne Gretzky (Companion, 1984), Tommy Douglas (Companion, 1981), Jean Chrétien (Companion, 2009), Rick Hansen (Companion, 1987), Roméo Dallaire (Companion, 2008), Joni Mitchell (Companion, 2002), Buffy Sainte-Marie (Officer, 1997, but resigned in 2023 over Indigenous-identity controversy), Romeo Saganash, Mary Simon (Companion, 2002, before becoming Governor General), and many others. Indigenous Canadians have received particular recognition since the 2010s, with appointments addressing previous under-recognition of Indigenous contributions. The Order of Canada Snowflake design (by Bruce Beatty) is one of Canada's most recognisable visual symbols. Investiture ceremonies are held by the Governor General at Rideau Hall in Ottawa or other locations across Canada throughout the year. The Order is administered by the Chancellery of Honours within the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.