The Honourable Murray Sinclair, C.C. M.S.C. (LLD’19), 15th Chancellor of Queen's University, received a pair of honours on Thursday, May 26 during a ceremony hosted by Governor General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Chancellor Sinclair received the Order of Canada (Companion), originally announced on Dec. 29, 2021, for dedicating “his life to truth, justice and reconciliation.”

Chancellor Sinclair also received the Meritorious Service Cross for his work as Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He was initially awarded the recognition in 2017 along with Wilton Littlechild and Marie Wilson.

RECOGNITION:

Order of Canada (Companion) 

Justice Murray Sinclair has dedicated his life to truth, justice and reconciliation. Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge, he has long championed Indigenous peoples’ rights and freedoms, and has headed several significant public inquiries including the province’s Aboriginal Justice Inquiry. With his trademark intellect, compassion and courage, he chaired the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he heard and documented the experiences of thousands of residential school survivors, and started the country on a journey of healing. A retired senator and esteemed mentor, he continues his lifelong commitment to building bridges between Canadians.

Meritorious Service Cross

Justice Murray Sinclair, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Marie Wilson shouldered the responsibility for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada with fortitude, compassion and perseverance. Over six years, they led the examination of the Indian Residential School system, combing through myriad documents and witnessing the courage of survivors who shared their stories. Their final report invites all Canadians to confront the inequities of the past, and calls on governments and individuals alike to move forward, with greater understanding, towards reconciliation.