Sunday Times 2
Ondaatje gets promotion in Canada’s Companion order
View(s):Canada’s latest honorees reflect the breadth of accomplishment contained within the country’s borders. Playwrights, business executives, opera singers and scientific researchers are all on the list of 100 appointments announced Friday by Governor-General David Johnston.
The Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail reported that three Canadians were named Companions, the highest level within the Order. They are former Supreme Court justice Morris Fish of Montreal, for his service as a jurist; McGill University astrophysicist Victoria Kaspi, also of Montreal, who has gained world renown for shedding light on neutron stars; and celebrated author Michael Ondaatje of Toronto, for whom it was a promotion within the Order.
In all, two-thirds of the 100 appointees are men. Half are from Ontario.Governor General Johnston called 2017 a milestone year for the Order, which was established by the Queen in 1967 and marks its 50th anniversary. Next year is also Canada’s 150th birthday.
“So let’s be inspired by the examples set by these remarkable Canadians and use this occasion to build a smarter and more caring country in which every individual can succeed to the greatest extent possible,” Mr. Johnston said. Since its creation, nearly 7,000 people have been invested into the Order, whose Latin motto is Desiderantes meliorem patriam – “They desire a better country.”