Members of UM community appointed to Order of Canada
On Dec. 28, 2023, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced 78 new appointments to the Order of Canada, including three Companions, 15 Officers, one Honorary Officer and 59 Members. Three appointments are promotions within the Order. Among those announced were four members of the University of Manitoba community.
“I greatly value the opportunity to celebrate individuals whose perseverance, ingenuity and community spirit have benefited Canadians throughout the country,” said Simon. “As governor general, I have seen first-hand that our communities are rich in both excellence and diversity, which we need to do our utmost to recognize. I encourage each of us to become catalysts for the change we want to see in the Canadian Honours System by nominating individuals whose exceptional accomplishments may have gone unrecognized through the years.”
Here are the members of the UM community who were announced:
Announced in December 2023
New Companion of the Order of Canada:
J. Wilton Littlechild [LLD/16] for his contributions as a senator, lawyer and author and for his wide-ranging impact as a patron of the arts, heritage and culture sectors.
New Members of the Order of Canada:
General Raymond Roland Henault [LLD/04, BA/92] for his long-time commitment—both in and out of uniform—to Canada’s defence and peacekeeping operations and policies.
Victor Peter Hetmanczuk, friend of UM, for his enduring dedication and leadership in the Ukrainian Canadian community and beyond.
Richard Kroeker [BArch/76] for his innovative leadership as one of Canada’s leading architects who uses multiple perspectives of Indigenous and Western artistic and environmental models in his work.
Invested in February 2024
In 2020 and 2021, four members of the University of Manitoba community, two officers and two members, were appointed to the Order of Canada. Due to restrictions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony to officially invest them was postponed.
On Feb. 22, 2024, a special ceremony was held to officially invest those appointed in 2020 and 2021 into the Order of Canada.
Officers
Dr. Philip B. Berger [MD/74], for his influential contributions as an educator, administrator and physician, and his tireless advocacy for improving health care access for vulnerable minorities.
Roger Léveillé [BA/66, MA/68, D.LITT/13], for his cultural contributions as a Franco-Manitoban multidisciplinary writer, radio presenter and producer.
Members
Dr. Brian Postl, OM [MD/76], former Dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and the Max Rady College of Medicine, for his contributions as a pediatrician, his leadership, and his advocacy for equitable, diverse and inclusive health care.
Harvey Secter, OM [BComm/67, LLB/92,LLD/22], former UM Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Law, for his leadership in business, law and academia, and his generous contributions to the community.
About the Order of Canada
Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Since its creation, the Order of Canada has honoured more than 7,600 people whose service has shaped our society, whose innovations have ignited our imaginations, and whose compassion has united our communities.