Updated: 5 May, 2008

Canada

In a hurry, try the following excellent websites on Canadian medals:

• Canadian Military Medals and Decorations  Department of Veteran's Affairs

• Department of National Defence Website   National Defence - Directorate of Honours and Recognition

• Canadian Honour System  Governor General Website

• The Wearing of Orders, Decorations and Medals   This brochure serves as a guide to wearing insignia of Canadian Honours on different occasions and with various modes of dress. Wearing of Orders, Decorations and Medals (1.18MB - PDF) Date published online: 2005-09-27

	British Commonwealth Decorations Ribbon Rackbuilder Our good friend Lucas Gaszewski has created the first Rackbuildder for the ribbons of Commonwealth countries on the Internet, including the Orders and Medals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

• Canadian Orders

  • Order of Canada

  • Order of Military Merit

  • Order of Merit of the Police Forces

  • Royal Victorian Order

  • Order of St. John of Jerusalem

  • Companion of Honour

• Provincial Awards

  • Alberta

  • British Columbia

  • Manitoba

  • New Brunswick

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Nova Scotia

  • Ontario

  • Prince Edward Island

  • Quebec

  • Saskatchewan

• Canadian Medals for Military Valour

  • Victoria Cross (Canadian)

  • Conspicuous Gallantry Medal

  • George Cross/Medal

  • Star of Military Valour

  • Medal of Military Valour

• Canadian Bravery Decorations

  • Cross of Valour

  • Star of Courage

  • Medal of Bravery

• Meritorious Service Decorations

  • Meritorious Service Decorations

• Current Canadian Medals

  • Gulf and Kuwait Medal

  • Canadian Somalia Medal

  • Southwest Asia Service Medal

  • Special Service Medal

  • Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal

• United Nations Medals

  • United Nations Medals

• Peacekeeping Medals (Other than United Nations)

  • Multinational Force and Observers (MFO)

  • European Community Monitoring Medal

  • NATO Medals

  • INTERFET Medal

  • ISAF - Afghanistan

  • General Campaign Star and General Service Medal

  • Operational Service Medal (Britain)

  • European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal 

  Canadian Commemorative Medals

  • Canadian Commemorative Medals

    • Golden Jubilee Medal

• Canadian Long Service and Exemplary Service Medals

  • Canadian Forces Decoration

  • RCMP Long Service Medal

  • Exemplary Service Medals

  • Corps of Commissionaire Long Service Medal

  • Canadian Efficiency Decoration

  • Royal Canadian Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medals

• Canadian Medal for Champion Shots

  • Canadian Medal for Champion Shots

• Insignias

  • Mention-in-Dispatches

    • Canadian Somalia Medal

  • Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation

• Regulations

  • Order of Precedence for wearing Canadian Medals and post-nominal letters (1998)

  • Use of post-nominal letters

  • Regulations - Honours - Queen's Regulations and Orders

  • Wearing of Foreign Orders, Decorations and Medals

  • Wear of Medals on Service Dress on all-weather coat

  • Canadian Volunteer Service Medal Regulations (1994)

  • Gallantry Award Orders (1990)

  • 1943 Canadian Army Dress Regulations

  • Order Governing the Grant of the Memorial Cross to Mothers and Widows

• Cadet Medals

  • The Air Cadet Excellence Medal (Air Force Association of Canada)

  • Orders, Decorations and Medals - Canadian Cadet Medals

  • St. John Ambulance - Cadets - Medals

• Miscellaneous Medals

  • Police Gallantry - King's Police Medal

  • Canadian Military Volksmarch Medals

  • Lifesaving Medal - Purina Animal Hall of Fame

  • The Aboriginal Veterans Commemorative Millenium Medallion

  • The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards

  • Memorial Cross

  • Order Governing the Grant of the Memorial Cross to Mothers and Widows

  • Dutch Flying Cross (Awards to Canadians)

  • Royal Red Cross Medal

• Royal Canadian Legion

  • Order of Remembrance

• Canadian Banks' Law Enforcement Medal

• Research Corner

  • Research Corner

  • Boer War

  • WWI

  • WWII

  • Korea

  • Canadian Military Units

  • Canadian Air Force

  • Obituaries

  • Canadian History/Genealogy

Order of Canada

Order of Canada   The Constitution of the Order of Canada Eligibility and Nominations Search: Order of Canada Membership List Governor General of Canada

• Alan Eagleson stripped of the Order of Canada - Governor-General Romeo LeBlanc has officially stripped Alan Eagleson of his Order of Canada. Eagleson, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada on April 20, 1989. The advisory council which administers Canada's highest honour, rejected a plea from Eagleson to be allowed to keep the Order, and has asked for Eagleson to return the insignia of the Order. This marks the first time in its 31 year history that a recipient has been removed from the Order. Eagleson, a former executive director of the National Hockey League's Player's Association, is serving an 18-month sentence after admitting to defrauding the hockey players he represented. In the United States, he was fined $1 million for mail fraud. He has also been disbarred by the Law Society of Upper Canada and voted out of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

• Hazel McCallion receives Canada's highest honour Mayor Hazel McCallion received the nation's highest honour, the Order of Canada. In May, McCallion was invested as a Dame in the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta. mississauganews.com 18 Nov 05

• Disgraced Ahenakew to lose Order of Canada honour The council that admits people into the Order of Canada has begun the process of revoking the membership of former aboriginal leader David Ahenakew, who awaits a judge's ruling on a hate crime charge. If Ahenakew, 71, does not resign from the order voluntarily by Saturday, he will be removed, said Lucie Brosseau, who speaks for the Governor General's office. Two and a half years ago, Ahenakew told former Saskatoon StarPhoenix reporter James Parker that the Holocaust was a good thing and praised Adolf Hitler for having "fried" six million Jews during the Second World War.He later apologized, but was charged with inciting hatred. A judge is due to hand down a verdict in the case. sask.cbc.ca 7 Jul 05

  • Canada strips native leader's honor Canada has stripped one of its highest honors from an aboriginal Indian leader after he was found guilty of promoting hatred. He received his medal in 1978 for his work as a member of a U.N. committee as well as the World Indigenous Peoples Council. Ahenakew has vowed he will not return his Order of Canada medal. sciencedaily.com 12 Jul 05

• Order of Canada mulls stripping Black of honour The Order of Canada advisory council will consider whether to strip Canada's highest civilian honour from Lord Black after receiving letters requesting the revocation, said Marie-Paule Thorn, a spokeswoman for Rideau Hall. Lord Black's membership in the Order "undermines its integrity and greatness," said Charlie Angus, the NDP critic for Canadian heritage, who yesterday sent a letter of his own. "The Order of Canada is a very special and unique honour. It represents the best of the best, who we are proud of. Someone who has been convicted of an offence certainly does not meet that standard and Lord Black is no longer a Canadian citizen," he said. "With the seriousness of the conviction and the fact that it has been seen internationally, Canada needs to act." Lord Black's lawyer, Edward Greenspan, said yesterday that a review of his client's membership in the Order of Canada, should be postponed until the criminal matter is completed. "Since we have announced that there will be an appeal, the only appropriate thing to do is to await the result of the appeal before any motion about his Order of Canada should be brought," he said. Policy states that termination of a person's appointment to the Order of Canada should be considered if the recipient "has been convicted of a criminal offence" or if his conduct has brought dishonour to the order. Only two other high-profile Canadians have had the award taken from them -- former hockey union czar Alan Eagleson and Saskatchewan native leader David Ahenakew -- after criminal convictions, respectively, for fraud and promoting hatred. Others have been subject to controversy because of their membership, most notably steroid-using Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson and runner Steve Fonyo, who completed a cross-country journer for cancer research but in later years, ran into trouble with the law with charges of assault, fraud, theft, weapons offences, and impaired driving. Both remain members of the Order. "People don't lose the Order of Canada just like that," Ms. Thorn said. "It's not something that is taken lightly. It has to be very carefully reviewed." Gilles Paquet, who formerly served on the advisory council when Mr. Ahenakew was stripped of his honour in 2005, said a review generally only takes place after someone is convicted and all avenues of appeal have been exhausted. "In the case of Black, we have the first decision by the court but this can go to appeal. We don't know yet," Mr. Paquet, the former president of the Royal Society of Canada, said. "The person is innocent until proven guilty." Lord Black, who famously gave up his Canadian citizenship in 2001 to accept the title as Lord Black of Crossharbour, was invested as an officer of the Order of Canada in 1990. His citation describes the "distinguished Toronto entrepreneur and publisher" as "a man of diverse achievements within the realms of Canadian commerce, education, literature and the arts." canada.com 17 Jul 07
• Sikh lawyer may be stripped of Canadian honour A veteran Sikh lawyer and activist may be stripped of his Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour, as early as next month after being disbarred for professional misconduct.The Governor General's office said that the advisory council of the Order of Canada, the body that reviews all nominations and appointments, will reconsider the 2002 investiture of T Sher Singh when it meets this fall. "The advisory council will review the matter at its earliest opportunity," Marie-Paule Thorn, a spokesperson for Governor General Michaklle Jean, said. "They are scheduled to meet in the fall and they will review that at the same time as they review all the nominations planned for that time.Singh's 2002 citation from the Governor General's office said the honour was in recognition of his "vast record of public service.Singh, who lives and practiced in Guelph, was disbarred over allegations he failed to serve his clients, mishandled trust funds, improperly took USD 2,000 from a client and practiced law after he had already been suspended by the law society in November 2005. Singh has been a prominent advocate of race relations, and was appointed to a provincial task force on the matter in 1989. He is also a former member of the Ontario Police Commission. timesofindia.indiatimes.com 16 Sep 07

• Order of Canada for Mandela - During a state visit to Canada on the 24th of September 1998, South African President Nelson Mandela has become the first foreign leader appointed to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada, the country's highest honour, was created in 1967 on the 100th anniversary of Confederation and is normally open only to Canadian Citizens. Mandela was invested into the order by Governor-General Romeo LeBlanc, who presented the South African leader the order's badge, a stylized snowflake with six points. Mandela was invested as an honourary companion of the order, the highest level. Only three times in the past has the order been bestowed upon expatriates or non-Canadians. Those three recipients - all at the level of honourary officer - were Canadian-born economist John Kenneth Galbraith, Swiss-born conductor Charles Dutoit (a longtime resident of Montreal, where he is artistic director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra) and Canadian-born inventor James Hillier. (Ref: The Toronto Star September 25, 1998)

• Chrétien mum on Liberal leadership at award ceremony After being invested with the country's highest civilian honour, former prime minister Jean Chrétien said he does not want to step on the toes of the current Liberal party leadership. Following the awards, Mr. Chrétien told media he is enjoying his time away from federal politics and is not in a position to direct his old party. "I've become Professor Chrétien," he said. He was appointed a Companion, the order's highest level of membership, for leading the Liberal party through three consecutive majority governments "that stressed balanced budgets, national unity and Canada's place in the world," said Sheila-Marie Cook, secretary to the Governor General. canada.com 23 Feb 08

• Canada honours Shields Carol Shields the Pulitzer Prize winner and Booker Prize nominee  was named a companion in the Order of Canada, the order's highest honour. (Nov 02)

• Governor General to invest 38 recipients into the Order of Canada December 11, 2006 - Honours News Release

• Governor General to invest His Highness the Aga Khan as Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada 3 Jun 05

• WWII ace named to Order of Canada - Edwards - Photo - More anada.com/victoria/timescolonist 30 Jul 04

• Boutros Boutros-Ghali to be invested into the Order of Canada 5 May 04

• Honour for Boutros-Ghali sparks debate The federal government announced that it is giving a rare honour to former United Nations secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, sparking renewed controversy over his flawed leadership during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Mr. Boutros-Ghali will become only the ninth foreign citizen to be made an honorary companion of the Order of Canada, joining the likes of Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel. theglobeandmail.com 6 May 04

• Fergie Jenkins gets his medal It took baseball legend Fergie Jenkins so long to pick up his Order of Canada medal, the actual decade in which he received the award remains a little foggy. The Hall of Fame pitcher and native of Chatham, Ont., was living too far away to make it to the awards ceremony when he was told he'd received Canada's highest civilian honour. Jenkins says he got that call from Rideau Hall in 1984, when he was an employee in the Chicago Cubs organization. But records from the governor general's residence show that it was Dec. 17, 1979, when Jenkins was pitching for the Texas Rangers in the latter stages of his stellar career. hamiltonspectator.com 5 May 07

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  Ms. Barbara J. Clark of Ottawa receives the Order of Canada from the Governor General for her contributions as Artistic Director of UNISONG, a popular musical event held on Canada Day. (4 Dec 01)

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  Mr. William Thomas Tutte, from Waterloo, Ontario, is decorated with the Order of Canada by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clark. (12 Oct 01)

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  At a private ceremony in Vancouver, Donald Lewes Hings, C.M. of Burnaby, B.C. received the Order of Canada from Governor General Clarkson.

• Governor General announces appointment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to the Order of Canada (Aug, 2000)
• Governor General presents the insignia of the Order of Canada to The Queen Mother, in London, England (27 Oct, 2000)
• Queen Mother thanks 'Dear Canada' for giving her highest Canadian Honour (Oct, 2000)  
• Insignia Worn by the Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson (Nov,2000)

• Governor General to present Mrs. Florence Richler with the insignia of Companion of the Order of Canada for her late husband, Mordecai Richler, C.C. (17 Dec 01)  

• Canada - Order of Canada Medal of eBay Going, going, not quite gone: Cancelled eBay medal auction The anonymous owner of one of the first Order of Canada medals ever awarded is auctioning off the rare insignia via e-mail after Internet auctioneer eBay refused to let it be sold on their site. In an e-mail Friday to The Canadian Press, the seller - identified only by the eBay username "dalida44" - said hundreds of people have expressed interest in the medal, awarded nearly 40 years ago to noted Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot. The correspondence has also included a number of "insulting letters," the seller said. "I had even one person writing: 'Can't believe you would sell this, this piece belongs to a museum. What else could we expect from a Quebecer, though. Disgraceful."' However, the seller doesn't see the difference between the symbol of Canada's highest civilian honour and military medals, which are often posted on the site for auction. "From my point of view, the medal of an unknown soldier who fought in World War II or an unknown fireman deserve as much respect (as) Gustave Lanctot's medal." When eBay pulled the medal five days early on Jan. 1, the bidding had reached C$15,100 and more than 8,500 people had visited the auction, the seller said. The owner said one medal collector was ready to send a bank transfer of US $22,000 for the sterling silver, snowflake-shaped medal. The current owner paid C$45 for the medal at an estate sale in Montreal six years ago, but was unaware of its value until it was listed on eBay. A southern Ontario muscle car auto-parts dealer wants Rideau Hall to seize Lanctot's medal outright, and has contacted the RCMP to look into the matter of its sale. Bids are being accepted for the medal until Jan. 12 at delorisivy(at)videotron.ca. canada.com 6 Jan 07 No Order of Canada medal sale, eBay says Internet auction site EBay has dropped the gavel on bidders who were hoping to get their hands on a hard-to-find symbol of Canada's highest civilian honour: one of the first Order of Canada medals ever awarded. The medal of service, issued nearly 40 years ago to noted Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot, was pulled from the site five days early on Jan. 1 because it violated eBay's policy banning the sale of government property, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The policy prohibits the sale of government IDs and licences, including birth certificates, passports and “any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty.” “We have the trust and safety and policy team that review the site 24/7 looking for items that may potentially infringe on any of our prohibited items policies, and that's how this one was brought to our attention,” said eBay public relations manager Erin Sufrin. “As part of that, it was determined that the Order of Canada medal fell under that policy and was, therefore, not appropriate to be for sale on eBay.” Some 20 bidders pushed the price to a staggering $12,000 (U.S.) (NOTE: The last bid I saw was $15,100 Cdn) before the auction was pulled, but Mr. McCreery said he doubts anyone was really willing to pay so much for a medal that's probably only worth between $5,000 (Canadian) and $6,000. theglobeandmail.com 4 Jan 07 Order of Canada Medal on eBay A click of the mouse and deep pockets are all that's separating online bidders from a chance to own a rare piece of Canadian history that ranks among the country's most prestigious honours: one of the earliest Order of Canada Medal. The medal, awarded to noted Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot nearly 40 years ago, surfaced on eBay. Lanctot died in 1975. Born in 1883 in St-Constant, Que., Lanctot was a well-known historian whose historical works spanned some 40 years. After studying at the Universite de Montreal, Oxford in England and the Sorbonne in Paris, he went to work in 1912 for the Public Archives of Canada, today known as the National Archives of Canada. He retired in 1948. Lanctot later served as a historical adviser on five Canadian short films in the 1960s, including Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Selkirk of Red River.  Lanctot was awarded the Order of Canada's Medal of Service just five days after the order was established on July 1, 1967. The medal of service was only handed out between 1967 and 1972. "It's quite scarce," said Christopher McCreery, author of The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History and Development. "There are only 389 awarded, of which there are only about 125 that are still in existence because the remainder were exchanged for the officer insignia and melted by the Royal Canadian Mint." Rideau Hall spokeswoman Marilyne Guevremont said families or successors of late order recipients can choose to return the award, keep it as an heirloom or donate it to a museum, but it remains in theory a property of the Crown. "It's also hoped that such insignias, medals or decorations are treated with the appropriate dignity and respect, and disposal by selling and buying them is highly discouraged," Guevremont said. thestar.com 29 Dec 06

Order of Military Merit

Order of Military Merit Eligibility and Nominations Governor General of Canada What is the submission, selection and announcement process for the Order of Military Merit? DND Who is eligible to receive the Order of Military Merit? DND

• 1999 Recipients of the Order of Military Merit - This presentation brought together a very interesting group of military personnel with outstanding medal groups.

• Investiture of the Order of Military Merit - 2000 (26 May, 2000)

• Governor General announces 89 new Appointments to the Order of Military Merit - 2001 (27 Jun 01)

• GG announces 88 new Appointments to the OMM (Jun 02)  

• Governor General presents Halifax sailor with Order of Military Merit (Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Danial J. Atton) (Jul 00)

• Ex-Cadets Appointed to the Order of Military Merit (Royal Military College) (Mar 02)

• Governor General to invest 42 individuals into the Order of Military Merit [June 16, 2003]

• Governor General to invest 47 individuals into the Order of Military Merit 25 Nov 03
• Governor General to invest 46 individuals into the Order of Military Merit 8 Jun 04
• Governor General to invest 41 individuals into the Order of Military Merit 8 Nov 04
• General Richard B. Myers of the United States Air Force presented with insignia of Honorary Commander of the Order of Military Merit 
  1 Feb 05

• Governor General to invest 50 individuals into the Order of Military Merit 3 Jun 05

• Governor General to invest 43 individuals into the Order of Military Merit  8 Nov 05

• Navy captain receives honour in ceremony at Rideau Hall Capt. (N) David Kyle has a good track record when it comes to his career in the navy. So good, in fact, that the chief of staff for Maritime Forces Pacific was presented with the Order of Military Merit by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 27. The award was given to Kyle because of his consistent record of personal dedication and excellence throughout his career in the navy that began in 1971. saanichnews.com 8 Nov 06

Order of Merit of the Police Forces

Order of Merit of the Police Forces Governor General of Canada Eligibility and Nominations  Order of Merit of the Police Forces -  Letters Patent do issue establishing a society of honour in Canada to be known as the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. Prime Ministers Office Order in Council:  2000-1390/00  Approved on 2000/08/24 Governor General invests the first 23 members into Order of Merit of the Police Forces May 10, 2002 Governor General invests 33 members into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces March 31, 2003 Governor General to invest 40 recipients into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces 4 May 2004 Governor General to invest 45 recipients into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces 24 Jun 05

Royal Victorian Order