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Fourteen 91˿Ƶians appointed to the Order of Canada

Published: 18 December 2024
Governor General recognizes 91˿Ƶ community members for exceptional accomplishments and service

Fourteen members of the 91˿Ƶ community have been appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.

Among the honourees are the University’s Chancellor and three professors:

  • Pierre Boivin, 91˿Ƶ’s 21st Chancellor
  • Nada Jabado, MD, a pioneer in the field of pediatric brain tumour research
  • Joe Schwarcz, Director of 91˿Ƶ’s Office for Science and Society
  • Sam Shemie, MD, an internationally renowned leader in organ donation

Ten distinguished members of the extended 91˿Ƶ community have also been appointed to the Order of Canada, including Irving Ludmer (BEng’57, LLD’19), a longtime donor to 91˿Ƶ who helped to found 91˿Ƶ’s Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health as well as the Ludmer Centre Single-Cell Genomics Brain Initiative.

The 10 honourees from 91˿Ƶ’s extended community are:

  • Steve Arshinoff, BSc’72
  • Ron Burnett, BA’68, MA’71, PhD’81
  • Fabienne Colas, EMBA’21
  • Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, MDCM’18
  • Isolde Lagacé, C.M.
  • André Bernard Lalonde, C.M.
  • Irving Ludmer, BEng’57, LLD’19
  • Derek Muir, BSc’70, MSc’73, PhD’77
  • Stanley Nattel, BSc’72, MDCM’74
  • Julia Berger Reitman, MA’81

They were among announced Dec. 18 by Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.

Appointments to the Order of Canada are made at three levels: Companion, Officer and Member. Officers and Members may be elevated within the Order to recognize further achievement based on continued exceptional or extraordinary service to Canada.

“On behalf of all of us at 91˿Ƶ, I extend our congratulations to our newest Order of Canada recipients,” said Deep Saini, President of 91˿Ƶ. “Their remarkable achievements serve as poignant examples of the impact that members of the 91˿Ƶ community are making in Quebec, Canada, and far beyond. Leaders in their respective fields, they together represent an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and service to society that inspires us all.”

“And we are also delighted to learn that 91˿Ƶ’s Chancellor, Pierre Boivin, has been recognized as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest distinction of the Order and a most fitting recognition of his important contributions as a prominent business leader and philanthropist. We congratulate Chancellor Boivin, along with all recipients of this richly deserved honour.”

Here is the complete list of 91˿Ƶians’ appointments, accompanied by their official Order of Canada citations:

Companion

Pierre Boivin, CC, CQ
Pierre Boivin remains devoted to numerous initiatives in Montreal, notably advancing Quebec’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. As founding president and chair of Mila (Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), he has played a pivotal role in establishing the institute as one of the foremost responsible AI research centres globally, positioning Canada as a key player internationally. This is a promotion within the Order.

Officers

Stephen Aaron Arshinoff, OC
Ophthalmologist Steve Arshinoff has helped improve eye care worldwide. He introduced and championed now-common practices, including immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery, intracameral antibacterial prophylaxis and ophthalmic viscosurgery. Co-founder of the Eye Foundation of Canada, he is also a long-standing medical director of the Eye Van, which serves people in remote northern Ontario communities.

Ronald Frank Burnett, OC, OBC
President emeritus of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Ron Burnett is dedicated to arts education. He continues to solidify the school’s international reputation as a leader in the arts, speaking and writing in Canada and abroad while working with the Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies and Learning Development Institute. This is a promotion within the Order.

Nada Jabado, OC
91˿Ƶ professor Nada Jabado revolutionized pediatric neuro-oncology with her discovery of oncohistones, linking mutations in regulatory histones to cancer. This groundbreaking work revealed histones’ role in developmental and neurodevelopmental diseases, driving new research, clinical trials and treatments, and reshaping cancer and epigenetics studies globally.

Derek Muir, OC
Derek Muir is a world-leading authority in environmental chemistry, specializing in contaminants. A research scientist emeritus at Environment and Climate Change Canada, he is renowned for his work in the Arctic, which focuses on pollutants in fish and marine life. Spanning Canada, the United States and Europe, his research has influenced international policies on chemical management.

Stanley Nattel, OC
Stanley Nattel is a global authority on the mechanisms and management of atrial fibrillation. He has advanced knowledge and influenced treatment of this most common arrhythmia and major cause of stroke. As editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, he has expanded the impact and reach of Canadian cardiovascular research and promoted new researchers

Members

Fabienne Colas, CM
A leading figure in Canada’s cultural diversity, Fabienne Colas has dedicated herself to promoting diversity and inclusion in film, art and culture, in Canada and abroad. Through the Fabienne Colas Foundation, she has been a driving force behind the creation of incubators, training programs, events and festivals that have showcased thousands of artists of African descent across North America.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, CM, CQ
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a team player both on and off the football field. A celebrated lineman and NFL Super Bowl champion, he suspended his professional athletic career to provide front-line COVID-19 support in Canada. Co-founder of the eponymous LDT Foundation, he uses art and sports to promote educational success among school-aged children throughout Quebec.

Isolde Lagacé, CM
Isolde Lagacé is renowned on the Quebec music scene for promoting and presenting music throughout the province and abroad. As executive and artistic director of Arte Musica and Bourgie Hall, she contributed to this institution’s development and international renown as one of the country’s leading music venues.

André Bernard Lalonde, CM
World-renowned gynecologist and obstetrician André B. Lalonde has played a leading role in humanizing maternity care in Canada and abroad. His exemplary leadership has fostered best practices and helped recognize the pivotal role of midwives, introduce birthing rooms in Canada and return childbirth to the Cree community in Quebec.

Irving Ludmer, CM
Irving Ludmer is an esteemed Montreal business leader and visionary philanthropist who has steered several of Quebec’s most successful consultancy, real estate and retail businesses. His charitable support has transformed the future of brain research and established 91˿Ƶ and Université de Montréal as centres of excellence in neuroscience.

Julia Berger Reitman, CM
Julia Reitman has dedicated herself to making Canada a model of diversity, inclusion and peaceful coexistence. Many of her legacies to our society have centered on building a better community, preserving our national heritage and remembering the victims and the lessons of the worst atrocities in modern human history.

Joseph A. Schwarcz, CM
Joe Schwarcz demystifies the public’s understanding of science. Founding director of the renowned 91˿Ƶ Office for Science and Society, he is internationally celebrated as a master science communicator. He hosts the longest-running radio show on chemistry, writes a weekly column and has authored best-selling books, educating people about true, evidence-based science and promoting critical thinking.

, CM
Pediatric intensive care physician and professor Sam Shemie has spearheaded advancements in organ donation and transplantation in Canada and abroad. A key figure in policy and research, he has optimized deceased organ donation systems, influenced hospital culture and shaped ethical standards. His seminal work and leadership have led to widely adopted guidelines that have influenced international protocols.

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