Order of Canada

Eligibility

The Order of Canada recognizes people in all sectors of society. You can nominate:

• Any living Canadian for admission into the Order. However, elected officials and judges are not eligible to be appointed while in office.
• The Order of Canada is awarded to individuals only, not to groups or couples. Please submit a separate nomination for each member of a group you wish to nominate and in the reasons for nomination please explain in what way the contributions of your candidates are related.
• Living non-Canadians are also eligible if their contributions have brought benefit or honour to Canadians or to Canada.
• An existing member of the Order to be promoted to a higher level within the Order. Promotions are only considered five years after the initial appointment.
• A candidate who has been previously considered but not appointed to the Order of Canada. Usually, a new nomination can be submitted five years after the last one was made. Contact us if you think this applies to your candidate.
• There are no posthumous appointments. 

The Chancellery of Honours, part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, administers the program and receives all nominations. Each one is carefully researched and then reviewed by an advisory council, which makes recommendations to the Governor General. The selection process, which may take up to two years, is non-partisan and merit-based.

There is no deadline for submissions. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Summary

The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System. Presented by the governor general of Canada, it recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. Since the creation of the Order in 1967—Canada’s centennial year—more than 6 000 deserving people have been appointed: artists, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, community volunteers, athletes, health care professionals, innovators and business leaders. Their contributions are varied but they have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”).

Appointments are made for sustained achievement at three levels:

Companion Recognizes outstanding achievement and merit of the highest degree, especially in service to Canada or humanity at large.

Officer Recognizes achievement and merit of a high degree, especially in service to a province or our country.

Member Recognizes outstanding contributions to a particular community, region or field of activity.

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

Anyone can submit a nomination and there is no deadline for submissions.

What You Need for Your Nomination When you complete the nomination form, you will be asked for the following information:

• Your contact information, so that we can stay in touch with you about your nomination;

• Your candidate’s contact information and citizenship;

• The reasons why your candidate should be considered;

• A short resumé listing important aspects of the candidates’ career, as well as their relationships to professional, community or not-for-profit groups; and

• Contact information for three (or more) people who are familiar with the candidate’s contributions and who will act as references.

Please also note that the information you provide online is secure and will not be shared with third parties.

Nominate Someone

Still have questions? Please take a look at our nomination guide.