In 1966, a project to create a national honour for Canadians was begun. The first recipients of the Order of Canada were announced a year later, and in the nearly forty years since, the Order has become a symbol familiar to, and respected by, people from across the country.
The spirit that motivates the Order of Canada – celebration, inclusion, and democracy – was born of the memories of Canada's earlier experience with honours. From initial distrust and misunderstanding to the awakening of a national identity, the development of the Order reflects the relationship Canadians have with their country, their government, their culture, and their heroes. The Order itself is a product of national identity, politics, and history, reflected by the significance of its recipients' accomplishments. Indeed, the Order's history is as fascinating as the more than 4000 Canadians who have received it.
This first book-length history of the Order of Canada – and first major work on Canadian honours – by Christopher McCreery is a celebration of the Order and a close examination of its unique design and various early incarnations. McCreery provides both a history of the Order's beginnings and a more general overview of trends in Canadian honours. Extensively illustrated with never-before-published photographs, The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History, and Developments pays tribute to the individuals who felt the need for a system of recognition for Canadians.
Table of Contents:
Message from the Queen
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
CHAPTER ONE
False Starts and Honours in Canada, 1867-1917: The Creation of aCanadian Policy
CHAPTER TWO
Controversy and Discontent, 1917-1935: The Decline and Brief Revivalof British Honours in Canada
CHAPTER THREE
The Honours Quagmire, 1935-1948: The Ubiquitous Canada Medal
CHAPTER FOUR
More False Starts: Massey Presses Forward
CHAPTER FIVE
First Successful Steps: Founding the Order of Canada
CHAPTER SIX
Selection and Reaction: The First Honours List
CHAPTER SEVEN
Transition to a Complete Honours System
CHAPTER EIGHT
Enlargement and Acceptance
CHAPTER NINE
The Logistics of a National Order
CHAPTER TEN
Unity and Diversity: The Composition of the Order of Canada
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Honorary Membership: The Extended Project
CHAPTER TWELVE
Centrepiece of a Modern Honours System: Recognition from Sea to Sea
Appendix 1: Members of the Interdepartmental Committee and Awards Co-ordination Committee, 1942
Appendix 2: Royal Warrant Creating the Canada Medal, 1943
Appendix 3: Proposed Royal Warrant Creating the Canadian Award of Honour and Canadian Decoration of Honour, 1943
Appendix 4: Letters Patent Founding the Order of Canada, 1967
Appendix 5: Constitution of the Order of Canada, 1967
Appendix 6: Nomination Form from Vincent Massey
Appendix 7: Distribution of First Awards of the Order of Canada, July 1967
Appendix 8: Recipients of the Order of Canada, July 1967
Appendix 9: Constitution of the Order of Canada, 1972
Appendix 10: Order of Canada Insignia Manufacture, 1967-2004
Appendix 11: Chancellors of the Order of Canada
Appendix 12: Officials of the Order of Canada
Appendix 13: Members of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada
Appendix 14: Honorary Recipients of the Order of Canada
Appendix 15: Constitution of the Order of Canada, 2001
Appendix 16: Amendments to the Constitution of the Order of Canada
Notes
Bibliography
Illustration Credits
Index
About the Author :
Christopher McCreery is the private secretary to the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia and executive director of Government House Halifax.
