Six Western alumni, including a former Dean of Engineering, are among 120 newly named appointments to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honours.
The appointments, extended to those who make an outstanding contribution to this country, were announced in late December by Governor-General Julie Payette. Recipients include leaders of philanthropy, business, scholarship and research, public service, sport and community-building.
Honourees with Western connections who have been named to the Order of Canada:
- John Collins, MD’60, of Hamilton, for transformative research in reproductive endocrinology and for promoting evidence-based medicine in women’s health care;
- Mohan Mathur, DSc’11, former Dean of Western Engineering, for leadership in the field of electrical engineering in academia and industry, as well as for efforts to enhance and expand the profession in Canada;
- Mary Lee Myers, MD’77, of London, for leadership and volunteerism as a board member of the Stratford Festival and the London Community Foundation;
- Larry Rosen, LLB’82, MBA’82, of Toronto, for leading and expanding the family’s high-end fashion company, which became one of Canada’s most valuable retail brands; and
- Josef Svoboda, BSc (Hons), ’70, of Toronto and Baker Lake, for pioneering research on tundra ecosystems and lifelong mentorship of scientists studying the Arctic;
- Gordon W. Walker, BA’64, LLB’67, of Toronto, for his civil service as a provincial parliamentarian and for his commitment to protecting transboundary waters between Canada and the United States through the International Joint Commission.
The full list includes five Companions, 38 Officers, and 77 Members of the Order of Canada. Svoboda has been named an Officer of the Order and the other Western-connected honourees have been named Members. Recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held later this year.
Nearly 7,500 Canadians, epitomizing the motto ‘They Desire a Better Country,’ have been invested into the Order of Canada since its inception in 1967.