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Created July 1, 1967, the Order of Canada is the centrepiece of our national honours system, which includes orders, decorations, medals and heraldic devices. The Order is a fraternity of merit that recognizes significant achievement in important fields of human endeavour. There are three levels of membership:
Companion level recognizes international service or achievement, or national pre-eminence;
Officer level recognizes national service or achievement;
Member level recognizes outstanding contributions at the local or regional level or in a specialized field of activity. Each level of the Order has the corresponding post-nominal letters: C.C., O.C. and C.M., respectively.
The Queen of Canada is the Sovereign of the Order. The Governor General is the Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada and presides over its affairs, in accordance with the terms of its Constitution. An Advisory Council, chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada, recommends to the Chancellor the names of those considered to be the most worthy of appointment.
Appointments to the Order are restricted to Canadian citizens; federal and provincial politicians and judges are not eligible while holding office. There are no posthumous appointments to the Order and the number of persons who can be appointed is limited by its Constitution. Officers and Members may be elevated within the Order in recognition of further achievement.
Anyone may propose the name of a deserving Canadian as a candidate for appointment by addressing nominations to the Chancellery, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, K1A 0A1. The Chancellery is a branch of the Office of the Governor General responsible for the administration of honours. Each nomination should be accompanied by biographical notes detailing the career and achievements of the nominee. A convenient nomination form is available for the purpose of summarizing relevant information, and copies are supplied by the Chancellery on request. The Advisory Council of the Order of Canada meets twice a year.
The badge of the Order is a stylized snowflake bearing the crown, a maple leaf and a Latin motto. Descriptions for wearing the insignia, which vary for each level, can be obtained from the Chancellery.
The Latin motto, desiderantes meliorem patriam proclaims the aspirations of members of the Order of Canada who, in their lives and work, have demonstrated that "they desire a better country".
(October 1995)
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