Canada's "highest honor for lifetime achievement." However, these lofty words are somewhat offset by the fact that over 100 of these are awarded annually, and 4000 people currently are "members" of the Order.
| Name | Occupation | Birth | Death | Known for |
|---|
| Bryan Adams |
Musician |
5-Nov-1959 |
|
Canadian Rocker |
| Denys Arcand |
Film Director |
25-Jun-1941 |
|
The Barbarian Invasions |
| Izzy Asper |
Business |
11-Aug-1932 |
7-Oct-2003 |
Founder, CanWest Global |
| Margaret Atwood |
Author |
18-Nov-1939 |
|
The Handmaid's Tale |
| Alex Barris |
TV Personality |
16-Sep-1922 |
15-Jan-2004 |
Canadian TV star from the '50s and '60s |
| Jean Béliveau |
Hockey |
31-Aug-1931 |
|
Montreal Canadiens, 1950-71 |
| Francesco Bellini |
Business |
1947 |
|
CEO of Neurochem, Inc. |
| André Bérard |
Business |
1940 |
|
National Bank of Canada |
| Conrad Black |
Business |
25-Aug-1944 |
|
Rapacious newspaper mogul |
| Toe Blake |
Hockey |
21-Aug-1912 |
17-May-1995 |
Montreal Canadiens, Hall of Famer |
| Allan Blakeney |
Politician |
7-Sep-1925 |
16-Apr-2011 |
Premier of Saskatchewan, 1971-82 |
| Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |
Royalty |
4-Aug-1900 |
30-Mar-2002 |
The Queen Mother |
| Ed Broadbent |
Politician |
21-Mar-1936 |
|
Leader of Canada's NDP, 1975-89 |
| Bertram N. Brockhouse |
Physicist |
15-Jul-1918 |
13-Oct-2003 |
Triple-axis crystal spectrometry |
| Ernest Buckler |
Novelist |
19-Jul-1908 |
4-Mar-1984 |
The Mountain and the Valley |
| Donald J. Carty |
Business |
23-Jun-1946 |
|
CEO of American Airlines, 1998-2003 |
| Brock Chisholm |
Doctor |
18-May-1896 |
4-Feb-1971 |
First Director-General of World Health Organization |
| Joe Clark |
Head of State |
5-Jun-1939 |
|
Prime Minister of Canada, 1979-80 |
| Bobby Clarke |
Hockey |
13-Aug-1949 |
|
Philadelphia Flyers, 1969-84 |
| John E. Cleghorn |
Business |
7-Jul-1941 |
|
CEO of Royal Bank of Canada, 1995-2001 |
| Tom Cochrane |
Musician |
14-May-1953 |
|
Life Is a Highway |
| Bruce Cockburn |
Singer/Songwriter |
27-May-1945 |
|
Rocket Launcher |
| Leonard Cohen |
Singer/Songwriter |
21-Sep-1934 |
|
Everybody Knows |
| Marshall A. Cohen |
Business |
c. 1935 |
|
CEO of Molson, 1988-96 |
| Purdy Crawford |
Business |
7-Nov-1931 |
|
CEO of Imasco Limited, 1985-95 |
| Richard Currie |
Business |
1937 |
|
Loblaws, George Weston Ltd. |
| Dominic D'Alessandro |
Business |
18-Jan-1947 |
|
CEO of Manulife Financial |
| Roy Daniells |
Poet |
6-Apr-1902 |
13-Apr-1979 |
The Chequered Shade |
| Victor Davis |
Swimmer |
10-Feb-1964 |
13-Nov-1989 |
Olympic Gold medalist, killed in hit-and-run |
| William G. Davis |
Politician |
30-Jul-1929 |
|
Premier of Ontario, 1971-85 |
| André Desmarais |
Business |
26-Oct-1956 |
|
Co-CEO, Power Corporation of Canada |
| Paul G. Desmarais, Jr. |
Business |
3-Jul-1954 |
|
Co-CEO of Power Corporation of Canada |
| Paul G. Desmarais |
Business |
4-Jan-1927 |
|
CEO, Power Corporation of Canada, 1968-96 |
| Celine Dion |
Singer |
30-Mar-1968 |
|
Canadian diva |
| Shirley Douglas |
Actor |
2-Apr-1934 |
|
May Bailey on Wind at My Back |
| Anthony S. Fell |
Business |
c. 1941 |
|
Chairman, RBC Capital Markets |
| Maynard Ferguson |
Jazz Musician |
4-May-1928 |
23-Aug-2006 |
Jazz bandleader and trumpeter |
| Maureen Forrester |
Singer |
25-Jul-1930 |
16-Jun-2010 |
Contralto, interpreter of Mahler |
| David Foster |
Songwriter |
1-Nov-1949 |
|
Songwriter, has won 14 Grammys |
| Northrop Frye |
Author |
14-Jul-1912 |
23-Jan-1991 |
Fearful Symmetry |
| Mavis Gallant |
Author |
11-Aug-1922 |
|
Prolific Canadian short story author |
| Frank Gehry |
Architect |
28-Feb-1929 |
|
Postmodern architect |
| Chief Dan George |
Actor |
24-Jul-1899 |
23-Sep-1981 |
Little Big Man |
| Peter C. Godsoe |
Business |
1938 |
|
CEO of Bank of Nova Scotia, 1993-2003 |
| George Grant |
Philosopher |
13-Nov-1918 |
27-Sep-1988 |
Propagator of Red Toryism |
| Wayne Gretzky |
Hockey |
26-Jan-1961 |
|
The Great One |
| Ian Hacking |
Philosopher |
18-Feb-1936 |
|
The Taming of Chance |
| Monty Hall |
Game Show Host |
25-Aug-1921 |
|
Let's Make a Deal |
| John Hamm |
Politician |
8-Apr-1938 |
|
Premier of Nova Scotia, 1999-2006 |
| Vaclav Havel |
Head of State |
5-Oct-1936 |
18-Dec-2011 |
Playwright President of Czechia |
| Gerhard Herzberg |
Physicist |
25-Dec-1904 |
3-Mar-1999 |
Molecular spectroscopy |
| James Hillier |
Physicist |
22-Aug-1915 |
15-Jan-2007 |
Electron microscope |
| Jane Jacobs |
Author |
4-May-1916 |
25-Apr-2006 |
The Death and Life of Great American Cities |
| Ferguson Jenkins |
Baseball |
13-Dec-1942 |
|
Winner, 1971 Cy Young Award |
| Norman Jewison |
Film Director |
21-Jul-1926 |
|
Moonstruck |
| Sue Johanson |
Talk Show Host |
29-Jul-1930 |
|
Talk Sex With Sue Johanson |
| David L. Johnston |
Educator |
c. 1942 |
|
President, University of Waterloo |
| Lynn Johnston |
Cartoonist |
28-May-1947 |
|
For Better or For Worse |
| Oliver Jones |
Jazz Musician |
11-Sep-1934 |
|
Lights of Burgundy |
| Yousuf Karsh |
Photographer |
23-Dec-1908 |
13-Jul-2002 |
Portrait photographer |
| Diana Krall |
Jazz Musician |
16-Nov-1964 |
|
Sultry jazz sensation |
| Guy Lafleur |
Hockey |
20-Sep-1951 |
|
Hall of Famer, 17 seasons in NHL |
| Antonio Lamer |
Judge |
8-Jul-1933 |
24-Nov-2007 |
Chief Justice of Canada, 1990-2000 |
| kd lang |
Singer |
2-Nov-1961 |
|
Majuscule-deficient lesbian singer |
| Mike Lazaridis |
Business |
14-Mar-1961 |
|
Founder of Research in Motion |
| Geddy Lee |
Bassist |
29-Jul-1953 |
|
Bassist for Rush |
| Robert Lepage |
Film Director |
12-Dec-1957 |
|
Seven Streams of the River Ota |
| David Lewis |
Politician |
23-Jun-1909 |
23-May-1981 |
Leader of Canada's NDP, 1971-75 |
| Alex Lifeson |
Guitarist |
27-Aug-1953 |
|
Guitarist for Rush |
| Gordon Lightfoot |
Musician |
17-Nov-1938 |
|
Canadian balladeer |
| Donald C. MacDonald |
Politician |
7-Dec-1913 |
8-Mar-2008 |
Leader of Ontario CCF and NDP, 1953-70 |
| Harold H. MacKay |
Attorney |
c. 1940 |
|
MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP |
| Hugh MacLennan |
Novelist |
20-Mar-1907 |
7-Nov-1990 |
Barometer Rising |
| John A. MacNaughton |
Business |
c. 1945 |
|
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board |
| C. B. Macpherson |
Scholar |
18-Nov-1911 |
22-Jul-1987 |
Political Theory of Possessive Individualism |
| Frank Mahovlich |
Hockey |
10-Jan-1938 |
|
NHL Hall of Famer, Canadian Senator |
| Antonine Maillet |
Novelist |
10-May-1929 |
|
Pélagie-la-Charette |
| Nelson Mandela |
Head of State |
18-Jul-1918 |
|
Former President of South Africa |
| Lorna R. Marsden |
Educator |
6-Mar-1942 |
|
President of York University, 1997-2007 |
| Vincent Massey |
Government |
20-Feb-1887 |
30-Dec-1967 |
Governor-General of Canada, 1952-59 |
| Judith Maxwell |
Business |
c. 1942 |
|
Canadian Policy Research Networks |
| Donald F. Mazankowski |
Politician |
27-Jul-1935 |
|
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, 1986-93 |
| Harrison McCain |
Business |
3-Nov-1927 |
18-Mar-2004 |
Frozen french fry billionaire |
| Frank J. McKenna |
Politician |
19-Jan-1948 |
|
Canadian Ambassador to the US, 2005-06 |
| Audrey McLaughlin |
Politician |
7-Nov-1936 |
|
Leader of Canada's NDP, 1989-95 |
| L. Jacques Ménard |
Business |
29-Jan-1946 |
|
Chairman, BMO Nesbitt Burns |
| Joni Mitchell |
Singer/Songwriter |
7-Nov-1943 |
|
Big Yellow Taxi |
| Eric H. Molson |
Business |
c. 1937 |
|
Chairman of Molson Coors Brewing |
| Farley Mowat |
Author |
12-May-1921 |
|
Never Cry Wolf |
| Brian Mulroney |
Head of State |
20-Mar-1939 |
|
Canadian Prime Minister, 1984-93 |
| Robert A. Mundell |
Economist |
24-Oct-1932 |
|
Floating exchange rates |
| Anne Murray |
Singer |
20-Jun-1945 |
|
Mellow Canadian singer |
| David Naylor |
Educator |
26-Oct-1954 |
|
President, University of Toronto |
| John Neville |
Actor |
2-May-1925 |
19-Nov-2011 |
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen |
| Peter C. Newman |
Journalist |
10-May-1929 |
|
The Canadian Establishment |
| Michael Ondaatje |
Novelist |
12-Sep-1943 |
|
The English Patient |
| Toni Onley |
Painter |
20-Nov-1928 |
29-Feb-2004 |
British Columbia's flying artist |
| Bobby Orr |
Hockey |
20-Mar-1948 |
|
Hockey hall-of-famer |
| Jim Pattison |
Business |
1-Oct-1928 |
|
Billionaire, Jim Pattison Group |
| Lester Bowles Pearson |
Head of State |
23-Apr-1897 |
27-Dec-1972 |
Prime Minister of Canada, 1963-68 |
| Neil Peart |
Drummer |
12-Sep-1952 |
|
Drummer for Rush |
| Oscar Peterson |
Jazz Musician |
15-Aug-1925 |
24-Dec-2007 |
Maharajah of the keyboard |
| Michael E. J. Phelps |
Business |
c. 1947 |
|
Westcoast Energy |
| Gordon Pinsent |
Actor |
12-Jul-1930 |
|
Fraser, Sr. on Due South |
| Christopher Plummer |
Actor |
13-Dec-1929 |
|
A Beautiful Mind |
| John C. Polanyi |
Chemist |
23-Jan-1929 |
|
Infrared chemiluminescence |
| Sam Pollock |
Hockey |
25-Dec-1925 |
15-Aug-2007 |
GM of Montreal Canadiens, 1964-78 |
| Dick Pound |
Attorney |
22-Mar-1942 |
|
Canadian Olympic official |
| Bob Rae |
Politician |
2-Aug-1948 |
|
Premier of Ontario, 1990-95 |
| Kate Reid |
Actor |
4-Nov-1930 |
27-Mar-1993 |
The Andromeda Strain |
| Mordecai Richler |
Novelist |
27-Jan-1931 |
3-Jul-2001 |
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz |
| H. Sanford Riley |
Business |
c. 1950 |
|
Richardson Financial Group |
| Roy Romanow |
Politician |
12-Aug-1939 |
|
Premier of Saskatchewan, 1991-2001 |
| Gabrielle Roy |
Author |
22-Mar-1909 |
13-Jul-1983 |
Bonheur d'occasion |
| Buffy Sainte-Marie |
Singer/Songwriter |
20-Feb-1941 |
|
Universal Soldier |
| Paul Shaffer |
Musician |
28-Nov-1949 |
|
David Letterman's bandleader |
| Isadore Sharp |
Business |
8-Oct-1931 |
|
Founder, Four Seasons Hotels |
| Martin Short |
Comic |
26-Mar-1950 |
|
SNL and Primetime Glick |
| Morton Shulman |
Politician |
25-Apr-1925 |
18-Aug-2000 |
Ontario MPP, iconoclast |
| Michael Smith |
Chemist |
26-Apr-1932 |
4-Oct-2000 |
Oligonucleotide-based mutagenesis |
| Louis St. Laurent |
Head of State |
1-Feb-1882 |
25-Jul-1973 |
Prime Minister of Canada, 1948-57 |
| James M. Stanford |
Business |
c. 1936 |
|
CEO of Petro-Canada, 1993-2000 |
| Maurice Strong |
Activist |
29-Apr-1929 |
|
Power executive, environmentalist |
| David Suzuki |
Naturalist |
24-Mar-1936 |
|
Television nature host |
| Charles Taylor |
Philosopher |
5-Nov-1931 |
|
Sources of the Self |
| Richard E. Taylor |
Physicist |
2-Nov-1929 |
|
Verified existence of quarks |
| Paul Tellier |
Business |
1939 |
|
CEO of Canadian National Railway, 1992-2002 |
| Pierre Trudeau |
Head of State |
18-Oct-1919 |
28-Sep-2000 |
Twice Prime Minister of Canada |
| John Turner |
Head of State |
7-Jun-1929 |
|
Prime Minister of Canada, 1984 |
| Shania Twain |
Country Musician |
28-Aug-1965 |
|
You're Still the One |
| Al Waxman |
Actor |
2-Mar-1935 |
18-Jan-2001 |
Lt. Samuels on Cagney and Lacey |
| Mike Weir |
Golf |
12-May-1970 |
|
Winner of 2003 Masters |
| Kenneth Welsh |
Actor |
30-Mar-1942 |
|
Windom Earle on Twin Peaks |
| Anne Wheeler |
Film Director |
22-Nov-1946 |
|
Better Than Chocolate |
| Austin Willis |
Actor |
1917 |
4-Apr-2004 |
Adm. Fox on Seaway |
| Michael H. Wilson |
Politician |
4-Nov-1937 |
|
Canadian Ambassador to the US |
| Dennis Wood |
Business |
c. 1939 |
|
C-MAC Industries |
| Douglas T. Wright |
Educator |
4-Oct-1927 |
|
President, University of Waterloo, 1981-93 |
| Victor L. Young |
Business |
c. 1946 |
|
Fishery Products International |
