NATIONAL ORDER OF QUEBEC

The 'National Order of Quebec' (French: ''Ordre national du Québec'') is an order of merit bestowed by the Government of Quebec. It was instituted by the government of Premier René Lévesque, and is one of the most prestigious honours in Quebec and French America. It is awarded in three classes:

★ 'Knight' (''chevalier'') (CQ)

★ 'Officer' (''officier'') (OQ)

★ 'Grand officer' (''grand officier'') (GOQ)

Contents

Description

Council

Recipients

Quebec inductees

Grand officer

Officer

Knight

Non-Quebec inductees

Grand officer

Officer

Knight

See also

External link

Description

The Order was created by law on June 20, 1984, by the National Assembly of Quebec. It is conferred upon men and women born or living in Quebec (but non-Quebecers can be inducted as well) for their outstanding achievements. The law states that nominations may also be made posthumously. The law also grants the Premier of Quebec the exclusive privilege of nominating non-Quebecers. Non-Quebecers inducted into the order are often honoured for a loyal friendship to Quebec, helping to increase its international profile, or for defending the French language.
The insignia are delivered during ceremonies at the Salon Rouge in the Parliament Building, the former home of the Legislative Council of Quebec. Exceptions are made when inductees cannot be present (notably for some non-Quebec nominations).

Council

The Council of the National Order of Quebec (''Conseil de l'Ordre national du Québec''), elected by and amongst the members of the Order, is mandated to short-list candidates based on the results of calls for nomination published in daily and weekly newspapers in Quebec. The Council’s suggestions are given to the premier, who submits them to Cabinet for final approval.

Recipients

Many people have been inducted into the National Order of Quebec since its inception in 1984. The following are some of the best-known recipients.

Quebec inductees

Grand officer

★ Jean Victor Allard (1985), Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces

★ Jean Drapeau (1987), mayor of Montreal

★ Marcelle Ferron (1992), painter and stained glass artist

★ Armand Frappier (1985), researcher

★ Gérard Filion (1989), newspaper director

★ Paul Gérin-Lajoie (Officer in 1987, promoted to Grand officer in 1998)

★ Phyllis Lambert, architect

★ Félix Leclerc (1985), singer-songwriter

★ Jean-Paul Lemieux (1997, posthumously)

★ Brian Mulroney (2002), prime minister of Canada

★ Gérard Parizeau (1991), insurer, historian

★ Jean-Paul Riopelle (Officer in 1988, promoted to Grand officer in 1994), painter

★ Jean Vanier philanthropist, theologian, founder of L'Arche

★ Gilles Vigneault (Knight in 1985, promoted to Grand officer in 2000), singer-songwriter

Officer

★ Pierre Péladeau (1989) businessman

★ Laurent Beaudoin (1990), businessman

★ Michel Brault (2003), film-maker

★ Solange Chaput-Roland (1985)

★ Jean Coutu (1993), businessman

★ Bernard Derome (2006), news anchor

★ Céline Dion (1998), singer

★ Léon Dion (1990), author, teacher, intellectual

★ Fernand Dumont (1992), author, intellectual

★ Phil Gold (1989), scientist, physician

★ Denise Filiatrault (2000), playwright, actor

★ Anne Hébert (1985), writer

★ Louis Laberge (1988), union leader

★ Robert Lepage (1999), playwright, film-maker

★ Jean-Louis Lévesque (1991), entrepreneur, philanthropist

★ Antonine Maillet (1990), writer, playwright

★ Gaston Miron (1996), poet

★ Ted Moses (2002), aboriginal chief

★ Lise Payette (2001), politician, writer

★ Jean-Pierre Perreault (2004), choreographer

★ Pierre Perreault (1998), film-maker

★ Hubert Reeves (1994), astrophysicist

★ Maurice Richard (1985), hockey player

Knight

★ Denys Arcand (1990), film-maker

★ Frédéric Back (1989), animator

★ Denise Bombardier (2000), journalist

★ Gaétan Boucher (1985), speed skater

★ Pierre Bourque (1993), mayor of Montreal

★ Françoise David (1999), social and feminist activist

★ Yvon Deschamps (2001), comedian

★ Jean Duceppe (1985), actor

★ Diane Dufresne (2002), singer, painter

★ Marc Favreau (1995), actor

★ Jean-Pierre Ferland, singer-songwriter

★ Madeleine Ferron (1992), writer

★ Jacques Godbout (1998), writer, film-maker

★ Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist

★ Pauline Julien (1997), singer-songwriter

★ Marie-Claire Kirkland Casgrain (1985)

★ Jacques Lacoursière (2002), historian

★ Guy Lafleur (2005), hockey player

★ Guy Laliberté (1997)

★ Claude Léveillé (1998), singer-songwriter

★ Raymond Lévesque (1997), singer-songwriter

★ Édouard Lock (2001), dancer

★ Louis Lortie (1998), pianist

★ Norman McLaren (1985), animator, film-maker

★ Pierre Nadeau (1992), journalist

★ Julie Payette (2000), astronaut

★ Oscar Peterson (1991), jazz musician

★ Luc Plamondon (1990), songwriter

★ Ghislain Picard (2003), aboriginal activist

★ Léa Roback (2000), feminist and socialist activist

★ Jean-Louis Roux (1989), actor

★ Michel Tremblay (1991), playwright, author

Non-Quebec inductees

Grand officer

★ Charles Dutoit (1995), conductor

Officer

★ Raymond Barre (1986), prime minister of France

★ Jacques Chirac (1987), former president of France (mayor of Paris at time of nomination)

★ Laurent Fabius (1986), prime minister of France

★ Alain Juppé (1996), prime minister of France

★ Jordi Pujol (1996), president of Catalonia

★ Lionel Jospin (1998), prime minister of France

★ Alain Peyrefitte (1998), French politician

★ Philippe Séguin (2000), president of the French National Assembly

★ Jean-Pierre Raffarin (2003), prime minister of France

★ Michel Rocard (2000), prime minister of France

★ Edmund Stoiber (2003), minister-president of Bavaria

Knight

★ Gérard Depardieu (2002), actor

★ Michel Drucker (2001), television host

★ Bernard Pivot (2001), television host

See also

★ List of Canadian awards

★ List of Canadian provincial and territorial orders

★ List of prizes, medals, and awards

★ List of Quebecers

★ State decoration

External link

★ National Order of Quebec website