THOMSON: Where's the late Rex Murphy's Order of Canada?

Canada is home to some of the bravest and most selfless people on the planet. Yet, more often than not their accomplishments go unrecognized in this country. It does not help that Canada’s Honours and Awards system is overseen by a floundering office, that of Governor General Mary Simon.Individuals who regularly submit nominations to Rideau Hall have expressed exasperation to me with the time it takes to process files, share information and actually deliver the honours once approved.These frustrations were in keeping with my own experience with Rideau Hall and the Chancellery of Honours, following my nomination of the late Rex Murphy for the Order of Canada. I submitted my recommendation package to Rideau Hall in February 2023 and received this automated email in response from the Chancellery of Honours Team:Dear Mr./Ms.,This email is to acknowledge receipt of your recent nomination of Rex Murphy for a Canadian honour.When a nomination is received by the Chancellery of Honours, a file is opened, and the candidate’s achievements are reviewed against program eligibility criteria. If it is determined that a candidate is better suited for a different honour, the file will be transferred internally, and the nominator will be notified. The nomination then enters the research phase, where program analysts conduct thorough, independent research and a consultation process. Each nomination is then considered by an advisory committee or council.Please note that it can take up to 36 months for a file to be reviewed by the Order of Canada Advisory Council, up to 24 months for the Bravery and the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers advisory committees, and up to 12 months for the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) Advisory Committee. The Chancellery of Honours will be in touch with you again should we require additional information. We thank you for your interest in Canadian honours.The Chancellery of Honours TeamOffice of the Secretary to the Governor GeneralIt’s important to note that the timelines presented in the email are only when a file might be expected to be reviewed. The review process itself can take equally long as the Honours team looks to corroborate evidence and reach out references.But while it’s understandable that there needs to be a high degree of diligence carried out by Rideau Hall in the screening of nominations for the Order of Canada, the timeline it takes to get to that review is absurd. In many cases, people who have been nominated for recognition of their achievements or heroics may have died before there file is even considered.This is especially tragic for the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (SMV.) Initially created in 1995 by Governor General Roméo LeBlanc as the Caring Canadian Award, it was converted to its current iteration in 2015. According to the Governor General’s website, “any living person who is a Canadian citizen and who has made significant, sustained and unpaid contributions to their community in Canada or abroad is eligible.”But according to the Governor General’s webpage, there have been no SMV’s presented since 2020.Astute readers will no doubt find this incongruous with the timeline outlined in the email from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. It’s unlikely that people just stopped submitting nominations for this honour, especially when it was incredibly popular.In 2020 there were 178 medals presented, in 2019 there were 369, and in 2018 a whopping 724 were presented. So why have none of these medals been presented in the last four years?Nor is the SMV the only medal or award that seems to have been sidelined or impacted by lackluster administration by Rideau Hall.For example, according to Rideau Hall there have been no medal of bravery decorations awarded since 2022. The last Star of Courage was presented posthumously to Hally Dubois of Lacombe Alberta in 2021, for an incident dating from 2015. And the last Cross of Valour was awarded in 2006 to First Officer Leslie Arthur Palmer for his actions aboard Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Point Henry near Prince Rupert, BC in December 2004.It's hard to believe that there has been a sudden and dramatic decline in the level and frequency of volunteerism or bravery in Canada since 2022. On the other hand it is entirely believable that the Canadian honours system is yet another victim of a of bloated bureaucracy within the Ottawa bubble.Yet while it’s very in vogue to blame Prime Minister Trudeau and his Liberal Government for the failings of… well pretty much anything these days, that’s not the case in this matter. Rather, it is the incumbent Governor General, The Right Honourable Mary Simon, who needs to be held to account for her institutions failings in the handling of this matter.Her Excellency was sworn in as the Governor General of Canada on 26 July 2021. That’s plenty of time to get familiar with the ins and outs of her role and that of the vice-regal institution. It’s certainly long enough to identify and address the short comings of the Canadian honours system.But it’s possible that the distractions of being found at the centre of a staggering number of controversies such as billing taxpayers for her extravagantly lavish tastes, embarking on expensive or unnecessary travel, and wading into politics beyond the purview of her office have made it difficult to find the time. A pox on those pesky proletariat and their demands.Unfortunately the topic of Canada’s honours and awards is a somewhat obscure matter. Those who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces or who’ve utilized the Governor General of Canada honours nomination processes will know of it to varying degrees, but most Canadians have no idea about it. This ambiguity should be considered a national tragedy.While presenting a medal or award has value for recognizing deserving Canadians in a tangible way, it’s true worth lies in its ability to inspire others.It takes people like your neighbour, a friend of a friend, or even that coworker you thought was a little weird and weaves them into the fabric of Canada. When you read about them and see them recognized for making Canada better, it builds pride, fosters cohesion, and helps shape our unique Canadian identity. We need that now more than ever.Maybe the next government can appoint a Governor General who will make that a priority.

THOMSON: Where's the late Rex Murphy's Order of Canada?

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