Nine members of the Queen’s community — including the former dean of Queen’s Health Sciences, a cancer researcher, and an acclaimed writer — have been appointed to the Order of Canada.
lax̌lax̌tkʷ Jeannette Christine Armstrong, LLD’09, Alan Bernstein, DSC’13, Will Kymlicka, Artsci’84, Robert J. Foster, Arts’65, MA’73, Charles William Gordon, Arts’63, Paul McNally, PhD’75, Joseph Pater, Richard Reznick, and Sally Elizabeth Thorne, DSC’13 were among the 85 recipients announced by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, LLD’94, on June 30.
Companions
Alan Bernstein: Dr. Bernstein is a visionary health researcher and leader who made historic contributions to the study of stem cells, blood cell formation, and cancer. In 2000, Bernstein was named the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was appointed executive director of Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a research and funding alliance pursuing an HIV vaccine in 2010.
Officers
lax̌lax̌tkʷ Jeannette Christine Armstrong: Armstrong is an associate professor at UBC and the Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous knowledge. Honoured for her work as a novelist and poet and for her leadership revitalizing Silyx Okanagan Indigenous language, Armstrong published the influential work Slash, considered to be the first novel written by a First Nations woman in Canada, in 1985.
Will Kymlicka: Dr. Kymlicka is a Queen’s researcher and Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy. The internationally recognized political philosopher helped establish the normative foundations of minority group rights within liberal democracies and the place of animals within political theory.
Joseph Pater: Sometimes called the “father” of cancer clinical trials research in Canada, Dr. Pater was the director of CCTG (formerly NCIC Clinical Trials Group) from 1980 to 2007 whose work created new standards. The Queen’s professor emeritus’ dedication to clinical research has improved the lives of Canadians with cancer.
Richard Reznick: Dr. Reznick has made immense contributions to the medical field as both an educator and a physician. He is the former chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto and served as the dean of the Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences from 2010-2021. He also served two years as president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is the founding director of the Wilson Centre, a health professions education research institute.
Members
Robert J. Foster: Founder, president, and chief executive officer of Capital Canada Limited, an independent investment banking firm, Foster joins the Order of Canada for his successes as an entrepreneur and the transformational role he has played in the Toronto arts scene. Foster was the co-chair of the committee that published Creative Capital Report, which continues to serve as a guiding document for Toronto’s cultural growth and funding. Foster serves on numerous boards including as chair of TO Live, chair of Toronto Artscape, and co-chair of The Mayor’s Task Force – Arts & Theatre.
Charles William Gordon: Gordon, a longtime columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, is recognized for his work as a columnist and author. A three-time nominee for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, he is the author of six books, including At the Cottage, Still at the Cottage, and The Grim Pig.
Paul McNally: Together with wife Holly, McNally joins the Order of Canada for establishing Canada’s largest independent bookstore in Winnipeg and making significant contributions to Canadian literature by prioritizing community-based programming in support of local, regional, and national independent writers and publishers.
Sally Elizabeth Thorne: Researcher, author, and professor, Dr. Thorne joined the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing in 1983, established a research program and methodological development in health service delivery for patients with cancer and chronic disease. As editor-in-chief of Nursing Inquiry, Dr. Thorne promotes and supports nursing scholarship.
“Queen’s professors and researchers are making a difference and are dedicated to building a better future for people and the planet. It brings me great joy to celebrate members of the Queen’s alumni community who are doing the same,” says Queen’s Vice-Principal (Advancement) Karen Bertrand, Artsci'94. “These Order of Canada recipients are examples of the powerful impact the Queen’s community is having on the country and around the world in the areas of health, humanities, business, and Indigenous knowledge. I would like to congratulate them all and thank them for their incredible service.”
Recipients will be honoured at a ceremony at Rideau Hall later this year.
The Order of Canada was established in 1967. Queen’s alumnus and Member of Parliament, John Matheson, Arts’40, LLD’80, was a driving force in its development. He said the Tricolour Society at Queen’s served as a model for the Order of Canada.
