Three UCalgary family members appointed to Order of Canada

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, governor general of Canada, announced 103 new appointments to the Order of Canada, including three community members and alumni.

Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is one of this country’s highest civilian honours, recognizing outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.

Chancellor emerita and alumna  Joanne Cuthbertson, BEd’73, also earned an honorary Doctor of Laws from UCalgary in 2011. She is the former Chair of Education Matters and a recipient of the Calgary Award of Education. During her term as chancellor, Cuthbertson was instrumental in creating and inspiring a robust community of support for top students at the university.

Alumnus Charlie Fischer, BSc’71, MBA’82, also earned an honorary Doctor of Laws from UCalgary in 2004. He is the former president and CEO of Nexen. He is a highly engaged, longtime community volunteer and recently served as vice-chair of the University of Calgary’s Board of Governors, as well as serving as chair of the Hull Child and Family Foundation, chair of the Honorary Patrons’ Council for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, and vice-chair of the Canada West Foundation.

Both Cuthbertson and Fisher received an Order of Canada for their generosity and their commitment to improving the quality of life for people in their community. Together they helped develop UCalgary’s Scholars Academy to support and extend the potential of students with exceptional leadership capabilities through mentorship, community-building and career planning. They also made a major philanthropic gift to the university’s Energize campaign to create the Chancellor Cuthbertson Centre for Student Success housed in the Taylor Family Digital Library.

Alumna Heather Stuart, PhD’93, received an Order of Canada for her commitment to advancing the mental health conversation in Canada.  Stuart is a professor at Queen’s University, and in 2012 was appointed the inaugural Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Chair. Dr. Stuart’s research program focuses on mental health services research with a specific focus on the stigmatization of mental illnesses. She has contributed to peer-reviewed scientific literature in the areas of mental health needs assessments; suicide and suicide prevention; stigma and stigma reduction; and workplace mental health and is the co-author of several books.

Recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date. The complete list of Order of Canada recipients announced on Dec. 27 can be found on the Governor General of Canada website.