---
title: "Order of Canada | History of Canada"
description: "The Order of Canada is a top civilian honor created in 1967 to recognize exceptional service, achievement, and identity in modern Canadian history."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/history-canada-after-1867/key-terms/order-of-canada"
type: "key-term"
subject: "History of Canada – 1867 to Present"
unit: "Unit 5"
---

# Order of Canada | History of Canada

## Definition

The Order of Canada is one of Canada’s highest civilian honors, created in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service. In History of Canada since 1867, it shows how Canada celebrates national identity and public contribution.

## What It Is

The Order of Canada is a Canadian civilian honor created in 1967 to recognize people who have made outstanding contributions to the country. In History of Canada since 1867, it shows how Canada chose to celebrate achievement not through rank or military power alone, but through service, talent, and public impact.

It was established during Canada’s centennial year, which matters because centennial celebrations were about more than parties and flags. They were also about defining what kind of country Canada had become after Confederation, industrial growth, two world wars, and major social change. The Order of Canada became one of the clearest symbols of that modern national identity.

The honor has three levels: Companion, Officer, and Member. That structure lets Canada recognize different scales of contribution, from major national influence to strong service in a community, profession, or cultural field. People in arts, science, education, public service, medicine, social justice, and business can all be recognized, which shows how broad the idea of “national contribution” can be.

Recipients are chosen through a review process that includes an advisory council, and the announcements are made twice a year. That process gives the award a formal, national character rather than making it a simple political prize. It is meant to recognize achievement that reflects Canadian values, not just fame.

The insignia, with its snowflake design, also matters as a symbol. It links the award to Canada’s northern identity and to the idea that the country is made up of many distinct contributions that come together in one national story. In a course on Canada after 1867, the Order of Canada is a useful example of how the country built symbols of belonging in the twentieth century.

## Why It Matters

The Order of Canada matters because it helps you see how modern Canada defines excellence and citizenship. It is not just a medal, it is a statement about what kinds of work the country values. When a society creates a national honor like this, it is also making a choice about whose achievements count as part of the national story.

That makes the term useful for topics like nation-building, Canadian identity, and post-Confederation state symbols. The Order of Canada comes after the era of Confederation, expansion, and war, when Canada was increasingly confident enough to define itself on its own terms. It fits with other signs of maturity in the country’s public life, especially in the decades after the centennial.

It also helps you connect political history to cultural and social history. A recipient might be a scientist, author, activist, or community leader, so the award shows that Canadian history is not only about prime ministers and battles. It also includes the people who shape public life outside Parliament.

In essays or short answers, the term can support an argument about how Canada built national identity through institutions, symbols, and recognition. If you can explain why the Order of Canada was created and what kinds of people receive it, you can say something concrete about the values Canada chose to celebrate.

## Connections

### [Governor General](/history-canada-after-1867/key-terms/governor-general)

The Governor General is tied to the formal side of the Order of Canada because the honor belongs to the Crown in Canada’s constitutional system. If you are tracing how national awards work, the Governor General helps explain the official, ceremonial authority behind the recognition.

### Companions

Companions are the highest level within the Order of Canada, so this term helps you see the internal hierarchy of the award. When a source mentions someone being made a Companion, it usually signals especially high national achievement, not just general membership in the order.

### [Battle of Vimy Ridge](/history-canada-after-1867/key-terms/battle-of-vimy-ridge)

Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Order of Canada sit in very different parts of the course, but both connect to Canadian identity. Vimy Ridge is about military reputation and national sacrifice, while the Order of Canada is about peacetime recognition. Together they show how Canada builds memory through both war and civic honor.

### [General Arthur Currie](/history-canada-after-1867/key-terms/general-arthur-currie)

General Arthur Currie represents military leadership and wartime achievement, which is a different kind of national recognition from the Order of Canada. Comparing the two helps you separate battlefield glory from civilian contribution, a useful distinction when you write about how Canada honors different forms of service.

## On the AP Exam

A short-answer question might ask you to identify the Order of Canada from a description of a national honor, then explain what it reveals about Canadian values after 1867. In an essay, you could use it as evidence that Canada increasingly celebrated public service, cultural achievement, and social contribution as part of nation-building.

If you see a source about a recipient, the move is to ask what field they came from and why that field matters to Canadian identity. For example, an artist or scientist receiving the order shows that the country recognizes more than military or political leadership. On a timeline, the 1967 creation date helps you connect the honor to the centennial moment and the rise of modern national symbolism.

## Order of Canada vs Medal of Honor

The Order of Canada is a civilian national honor, while the Medal of Honor is a military award in another country. They both recognize distinction, but they are not the same kind of recognition and belong to different national systems. If a question is about Canadian identity after 1867, the Order of Canada is the correct term.

## Key Takeaways

- The Order of Canada is one of Canada’s highest civilian honors, created in 1967.
- It recognizes outstanding achievement, service to the community, and contributions to Canadian society.
- The three levels, Companion, Officer, and Member, show different degrees of recognition.
- The award is part of how modern Canada defines national values and public excellence.
- In this course, it works best as evidence for post-Confederation identity and state symbolism.

## FAQs

### What is the Order of Canada in History of Canada?

The Order of Canada is a civilian honor created in 1967 to recognize people who have made major contributions to Canadian society. In this course, it shows how Canada celebrated excellence, service, and national identity in the modern era.

### What are the three levels of the Order of Canada?

The three levels are Companion, Officer, and Member. They reflect different levels of contribution, with Companion as the highest rank. That structure helps Canada recognize both major national influence and important community-level service.

### Why was the Order of Canada created in 1967?

It was created during Canada’s centennial year, when the country was marking 100 years since Confederation. The award fit a moment when Canada was thinking more carefully about its own symbols, achievements, and identity.

### Is the Order of Canada the same as a military medal?

No. The Order of Canada is a civilian honor, not a combat award. It can recognize people in many fields, including arts, science, public service, and social justice, which makes it broader than a military decoration.

## Related Study Guides

- [5.3 Key Battles and Canadian Military Achievements](/history-canada-after-1867/unit-5/key-battles-canadian-military-achievements/study-guide/gJJT8zxiQOr6hunf)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

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