National Order of Quebec
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Order of Quebec (French: Ordre national du Québec) is an order of merit bestowed by the Government of Quebec. It was instituted on June 20, 1984, by Lieutenant Governor Jean-Pierre Côté on the advice of the Cabinet of Premier René Lévesque, and is one of the most prestigious honours in Quebec and French America.
[edit] Description
The order is awarded in three classes:
- Grand officer (grand officier) (GOQ)
- Officer (officier) (OQ)
- Knight (chevalier) (CQ)
Unlike other provincial honours, the Lieutenant Governor is not an explicit part of the order, though it was created by the vice-regal granting of Royal Assent, and the order is not presented in the name of the Crown in Right of Quebec, but rather by the government, which consists of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
The order 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).
In June 2008 Jean Charest named all Premiers (excluding himself) who have served since the creation of the Order to the rank of Grand Officer. In the case of Levesque and Bourassa this title was received posthumously.
[edit] 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 by the viceroy.
[edit] Recipients
Many people have been inducted into the National Order of Quebec since its inception. The following are some of the best-known recipients.
[edit] Quebec inductees
[edit] 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
- Romeo Dallaire (2005), Retired Lieutenant-General Canadian Forces
- Leonard Cohen (2008), singer-songwriter
Jacques Parizeau
[edit] Officer
- Pierre Péladeau (1989) businessman
- Laurent Beaudoin (1990), businessman
- Michel Brault (2003), film-maker
- Solange Chaput-Rolland (1985)
- Jean Coutu (1993), businessman
- Bernard Derome (2006), news anchor
- Céline Dion (1998), singer
- Léon Dion (1990), author, teacher, intellectual
- Fernand Dumont (1992), author, intellectualJa
- 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
- 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
- Jacques Villeneuve (1998), racing driver
- Francesco Bellini (2004), research scientist, administrator, entrepreneur and business man
[edit] 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
- Eloïse Gallien-Fortin (2007), nursing student
[edit] Non-Quebec inductees
[edit] Grand officer
[edit] 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
- Antonine Maillet (1990), Acadian writer and playwright from New Brunswick
- 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), former minister-president of Bavaria
- Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (2006), former president of Latvia
[edit] Knight
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
Lieutenant Govenror of Quebec in Council
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