Radio and television broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos, New York Times investigative journalist Susanne Craig, and pioneering filmmaker Peter Pearson, are among the new appointees to the Order of Canada.
Governor General Mary Simon announced 78 new appointments to the Order on Thursday, including three Companions, 15 Officers, one Honorary Officer and 59 Members.
Pearson is among the Officers appointed to the Order for the Montreal-based filmmaker’s tireless advocacy of Canadian film and television. Pearson was an early advocate for Canadian film, serving as the president of the Director’s Guild of Canada from 1972-75, in addition to being a founding member and chair of the Council of Canadian Filmmakers, which lobbied for a greater presence of Canadian films on Canadian screens. His credits include 1968’s award-winning The Best Damn Fiddler from Kaladar to Calabogie, which launched the career of Margot Kidder, and directing series including The Beachcombers, Side Streets, Littlest Hobo, Rainbow Country, and Home Game, a six-hour mini-series based on Ken Dryden’s book, narrated by the author.
In addition to Stroumboulopoulos and Craig, new Members of the Order include former CBC Radio host and Literary Review of Canada editor Bronwyn Drainie, Globe and Mail health reporter and columnist André Picard, Canadian arts educator and journalist Sara Angel, editorial cartoonist Michael de Adder, and public opinion pollster Nik Nanos. Find the full list of inductees here.
Appointments are made by the governor general on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.
“I greatly value the opportunity to celebrate individuals whose perseverance, ingenuity and community spirit have benefited Canadians throughout the country. As governor general, I have seen first-hand that our communities are rich in both excellence and diversity, which we need to do our utmost to recognize,” Simon said in a release. “I encourage each of us to become catalysts for the change we want to see in the Canadian Honours System by nominating individuals whose exceptional accomplishments may have gone unrecognized through the years.”
Appointees will be invited to an investiture ceremony at a later date to receive their insignia.
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