Five Western alumni and a recipient of an honorary degree from the university are among the 85 new appointments to the Order of Canada.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced the recipients, Friday, June 30, acknowledging their service and achievements.
“Today, we recognize individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to our society,” she said. “A group of individuals who, through dedication and ajuinnata—perseverance—make our communities and our country better every day. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that work remains to ensure that Canadian honours better reflect the full diversity of our country.”
The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours, recognizing people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation.
Since its creation in 1967, more than 7,800 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.
The most recent Order of Canada appointees who graduated from Western include:
- John Beaucage, BA’74, for his exemplary leadership and commitment to advancing the well-being and prosperity of Indigenous communities in Canada.
- Kerry Courneya, BA’87, MA’89, for his groundbreaking research in exercise oncology, which has transformed health guidelines in the treatment of a range of cancers.
- Keith Dobson, PhD’80, for his contributions as a world-leading expert in depression and anxiety, and as an advocate of mental health and wellness in Canada and abroad.
- Don McDougall, MBA’61, LLD’16, for his visionary leadership as the founding director of the Toronto Blue Jays club, and for his entrepreneurship and philanthropy. McDougall was chair of Western’s Board of Governors from 2004 to 2005 and served as an Ivey Advisory Board member from 2004 to 2013.
- Robert James Sharpe, BA’66, for his distinguished contributions to the advancement of law in Canada as both a judge and academic.
Honorary degree recipient Alan Bernstein, DSc’19, was also appointed for his enduring impact on Canadian health research and science policy as a leader and steadfast supporter of future generations of researchers.
