The
Order of British Columbia is a
civilianA civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces. The term is also often used colloquially to refer to people who are not members of a particular profession or occupation, especially by law enforcement agencies, which often use...
honourAn award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
for merit in the
Canadian provinceThe provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country. The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces are jurisdictions that receive their power and authority directly from the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories...
of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
. Instituted in 1989 by
Lieutenant GovernorThe Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of, as she operates in the provincial jurisdiction, the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
David LamDavid See-Chai Lam, OC, CVO, OBC was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1988 to 1995.- Early life :Born in Hong Kong, Lam and his family immigrated to British Columbia following the World War II...
, on the
adviceAdvice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Heads of state particularly often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
of the
CabinetThe Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
under
PremierThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
Bill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
,
the order is administered by the
Governor-in-CouncilThe Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
,
and is intended to honour current or former British Columbia residents for conspicuous achievements in any field,
being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the
British Columbia CrownBy the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in British Columbia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy;
and is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the province's...
.
The Order of British Columbia, which evolved out of and replaced the earlier
Order of the DogwoodThe Order of the Dogwood was the province of British Columbia 's highest award for civilian achievement. The award began as the Dogwood Medallion as a project of the BC provincial centennial in 1957. The medallion award was renamed to Order of the Dogwood in 1966 and continued as the highest...
, is intended to honour any current or former long time resident of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, demonstrating the "greatest distinction and excell[ence] in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere."
Only those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office.
There are no limits on how many can belong to the order or be inducted at one time.
The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Order of British Columbia's advisory council, which consists of the Chief Justice of British Columbia, who serves as the Chair; the
Speaker of the Legislative AssemblyThe Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the presiding officer of the British Columbia legislature.-The office of Speaker in British Columbia:...
; a president, in turn, of one of British Columbia's public universities, for a two-year term; the President of the Union of
British Columbia Municipalities; the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Relations; and two Members of the order.
This committee then meets once yearly to make its selected recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor.
The
Order of British Columbia is a
civilianA civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces. The term is also often used colloquially to refer to people who are not members of a particular profession or occupation, especially by law enforcement agencies, which often use...
honourAn award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
for merit in the
Canadian provinceThe provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country. The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces are jurisdictions that receive their power and authority directly from the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories...
of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
. Instituted in 1989 by
Lieutenant GovernorThe Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of, as she operates in the provincial jurisdiction, the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
David LamDavid See-Chai Lam, OC, CVO, OBC was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1988 to 1995.- Early life :Born in Hong Kong, Lam and his family immigrated to British Columbia following the World War II...
, on the
adviceAdvice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Heads of state particularly often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
of the
CabinetThe Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
under
PremierThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
Bill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
,
the order is administered by the
Governor-in-CouncilThe Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
,
and is intended to honour current or former British Columbia residents for conspicuous achievements in any field,
being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the
British Columbia CrownBy the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in British Columbia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy;
and is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the province's...
.
Structure and appointment
The Order of British Columbia, which evolved out of and replaced the earlier
Order of the DogwoodThe Order of the Dogwood was the province of British Columbia 's highest award for civilian achievement. The award began as the Dogwood Medallion as a project of the BC provincial centennial in 1957. The medallion award was renamed to Order of the Dogwood in 1966 and continued as the highest...
, is intended to honour any current or former long time resident of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, demonstrating the "greatest distinction and excell[ence] in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere."
Only those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office.
There are no limits on how many can belong to the order or be inducted at one time.
The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Order of British Columbia's advisory council, which consists of the Chief Justice of British Columbia, who serves as the Chair; the
Speaker of the Legislative AssemblyThe Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the presiding officer of the British Columbia legislature.-The office of Speaker in British Columbia:...
; a president, in turn, of one of British Columbia's public universities, for a two-year term; the President of the Union of
British Columbia Municipalities; the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Relations; and two Members of the order.
This committee then meets once yearly to make its selected recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor. Posthumous nominations are not accepted, though an individual who dies after his or her name was submitted to the advisory council can still be retroactively made a Member of the Order of British Columbia.
The Lieutenant Governor,
ex officio a Member and the Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia,
then makes all appointments into the fellowship's single grade of membership by an
Order-in-CouncilAn Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, typically those in the Commonwealth of Nations. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the Queen by the Privy Council , but in other countries the terminology may vary.-Assent:Although the Orders are...
that bears the
viceroyal sign-manualThe royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive act for example, an...
and the
Great Seal- Countries :* Great Seal of Canada* Great Seal of France* Official Seal of the President of Ireland* Great Seal of the Realm ** Great Seal of Northern Ireland** Great Seal of Scotland* Great Seal of the United States- Historic seals :* Confederate Seal...
of the province; thereafter, the new Members are entitled to use the
post-nominal lettersPost-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials or post-nominal titles, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of post-nominal letters...
OBC.
Insignia
Upon admission into the Order of British Columbia, in a ceremony held at
Government HouseBritish Columbia's Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. It is located in Victoria, British Columbia.-History:...
in
VictoriaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy. Victoria is a cruise ship port where...
, new Members are presented with the order's insignia. The main badge consists of a
goldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. It has been a highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since the beginning of recorded history. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold is...
medallion in the form of a stylized flower of the
Pacific DogwoodThe Pacific Dogwood, Cornus nuttallii , is a species of dogwood native to western North America from lowlands of southern British Columbia to mountains of southern California. An inland population occurs in central Idaho. Cultivated examples are found as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands...
the official provincial flower with the obverse in white
enamelIn a discussion of material science, enamel is the colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic...
with gold edging, and bearing at its centre the escutcheon of the
arms of British ColumbiaThe original Coat of Arms of British Columbia was granted to British Columbia by a Royal Warrant of King Edward VII on March 31 1906. A banner of the arms comprises the provincial flag.-History:...
, all surmounted by a
St. Edward's CrownSt. Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
symbolizing the Canadian monarch's role as the
fount of honourThe fount of honour refers to a nation's head of state, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry to other persons.- Origin :...
.
The ribbon is patterned with vertical stripes in green, white, blue, and gold, reflecting the colours within the provincial coat of arms; men wear the medallion suspended from this ribbon at the collar, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow at the left chest. Members will also receive for wear on casual clothing a lapel pin, appearing as a smaller enamel Dogwood flower capped by a crown.
Inductees
Past appointments include:
- Bryan Guy Adams
Bryan Adams, OC, OBC is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter and photographer. Adams was first nominated at the 28th Grammy Awards for Reckless and "It's Only Love" and won the Grammy and in 1992 won the award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media"...
, Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
winning musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
and photographerA photographer is a person who takes photographs using a camera. A professional photographer uses photography to make a living whilst an amateur photographer does not earn a living and typically takes photographs for pleasure and to record an event, place or person for future enjoyment.A...
, appointed 1990
- Michael Conway Baker
Michael Conway Baker is a Canadian composer resident in North Vancouver, British Columbia....
, composer, appointed 1997
- Dr. Geoffrey Ballard
Geoffrey Ballard, CM, OBC was a Canadian geophysicist and businessman. A long time advocate of replacing the internal combustion engine, in 1979 Ballard founded what would become Ballard Power Systems to develop commercial applications of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell...
, geophysicistGeophysics, a major discipline of the Earth sciences and a subdiscipline of physics, is the study of the whole Earth by the quantitative observation of its physical properties. Geophysical data are used in academics to observe tectonic plate motions, study the internal structure of the Earth,...
and businessman, appointed 2003
- Brigadier Henry Pybus Bell-Irving
Henry Pybus "Budge" Bell-Irving, OC, DSO, OBE, OBC, ED, CD was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1978 to 1983....
, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, appointed 1990
- Robert Italo Lenarduzzi
Robert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian International, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Soccer Operations for Whitecaps F.C. in Vancouver...
, coach of Canadian Olympic and national soccer teams, appointed 2005
- Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder, OC, OBC was a Nisga'a politician in Canada, the first Status Indian to be elected to any legislature in Canada....
, first aboriginal CanadianAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors Indian and Eskimo are falling into disuse. Old Crow Flats and Bluefish Caves are the earliest archaeological sites of human habitation in Canada. The Paleo-Indian Clovis, Plano cultures and Pre-Dorset...
elected to any Canadian legislature, appointed 2004
- Raffi Cavoukian
Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian children's singer. Raffi began his career as a children's entertainer in 1974...
, children's entertainer, appointed 2001
- Lori Fung Methorst
Lori Fung Methorst, CM, OBC is a Canadian gymnastics coach and retired rhythmic gymnast.Fun was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the 1984 Summer Olympics, she was the first gold medal winner awarded for the sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics. She has been a coach for the Canadian National Team,...
, Olympic gymnast, appointed 1990
- Garde Basil Gardom
Garde Basil Gardom, QC, OBC is a former Canadian politician, lawyer, and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.Born in Banff, Alberta, he obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the University of British Columbia. During his undergraduate years, he was an active member of the BC Alpha Chapter of...
, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, appointed 2002
- Gordon Gibson
Gordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC....
, politician, columnist, and author, appointed 2008
- Nancy Catherine Greene
Nancy Catherine Greene
OC OBC OD LLD is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia and a champion alpine skier voted as Canada's Female Athlete of the 20th Century...
, Senator and Olympic alpine skier, appointed 2004
- Richard M. Hansen
Richard M. Hansen, CC, OBC is a Canadian paraplegic athlete and activist for people with spinal cord injuries. Following a car crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down...
, paraplegic athlete and activist, appointed 1990
- Edward John Hughes
Edward John Hughes, CM, OBC was a Canadian artist.Hughes was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and spent a significant part of his childood in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Raised during the Depression he studied at the Vancouver School of Applied Art and Design where he graduated in 1933...
, artist, appointed 2005
- Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung, CM, OBC, CD was the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
, first Chinese CanadianChinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent and constitute the largest visible minority group in Canada, standing at 1,216,570 which comprises 3.9% of the population in 2006. Out of those 1,216,570 people, 211,145 people were of Chinese and one other ethnic origin.-History:The first record...
federal Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
, appointed 1997
- Joy Kogawa
Joy Nozomi Kogawa, CM, OBC is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent. Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent to internment camps in the Slocan and Coaldale, Alberta during World War II. Although the majority of her writing is poetry, her best-known work is...
, author and poet, appointed 2006
- Diana Jean Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. She is known for her contralto vocals.- Early life :...
, jazz musician, appointed 2000
- Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden, OBC is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
, professional hockey player, appointed 2003
- Sarah Ann McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter.She is known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range. As of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and eight...
, musician, singer, and songwriter, appointed 2001
- James Mavor Moore
James Mavor Moore, CC, OBC was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator....
, writer, producer, critic, and educator, appointed 1999
- Stephen John Nash
Stephen John Nash, OC, OBC , is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash, who was born in South Africa but grew up in Canada, enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a...
, National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
player, appointed 2006
- Derek Porter-Nesbitt
Derek Porter-Nesbitt is a gold medal-winning olympic rower from Canada. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and his father Hugh rowed for the United Kingdom at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze medal in the eight-oared race.Porter won his gold medal in the...
, Olympic rower, appointed 1996
- Ernest Alvia Smith
Ernest Alvia Smith, VC, CM, OBC, CD was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross...
, last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
, appointed 2002
- Kenneth McVay , internet activist, appointed 1995
- David Takayoshi Suzuki
Dr. David Takayoshi Suzuki, CC, OBC, Ph.D , is a Japanese Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. Since the mid-1970s, Suzuki has been known for his TV and radio series and books about nature and the environment...
, environmentalistAn environmentalist supports any goal of the environmental movement, an information-based perspective on appropriate use of technology to prevent adverse effects on the environment...
and science broadcaster, appointed 1995
- Peter Wing
Peter Wing, CM, OBC was a Canadian politician and was the first mayor of Chinese descent in North America. He was born in Kamloops, British Columbia in 1914 and had lived most of his life there...
, first mayor of Chinese descent in North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
, appointed 1990
See also
- Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
The following is the Canadian order of precedence for decorations and medals. Where applicable, post-nominal letters are indicated.-Awards of valour:* Victoria Cross * Cross of Valour -National orders:* Member of the Order of Merit...
- Symbols of British Columbia
British Columbia is one of Canada's provinces, and has established several provincial symbols.-Official symbols:-Other symbols:fishsalmon pacific...
- State decoration
State decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a state. International decorations are similar, but are not granted by a specific nation but rather an international organization....
External links