McMaster community members given country’s highest honour
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/reitman.jpg” caption=”McMaster alumnus Ivan Reitman, seen here at a Faculty of Social Sciences convocation, has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada. File photo.”]
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Three McMaster alumni and a former faculty member were recently awarded Orders of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour.
Governor General Michaelle Jean announced the appointments, which also included hockey greats Mario Lemieux and Emile Bouchard and music legends Neil Young and Burton Cummings, late last month.
Filmmaker Ivan Reitman, best known for his work producing National Lampoon's Animal House and directing Ghostbusters, was named an Officer of the Order. Reitman, who studied music at McMaster, was honoured for his promotion of the Canadian film and television industries.
James Orbinski, founding member of Medecins Sans Frontieres and founder of the McMaster University Health Reach Program, which investigates and promotes the health of children in war zones, was also made an Officer of the Order. Orbinsky earned his MD from McMaster in 1990.
Retired CBC Radio executive Margaret Lyons, who graduated from McMaster with her BA in honours political economy in 1949, was named a Member of the Order. The former Silhouette editor was recognized for her contributions as a pioneer for women in Canadian broadcasting, as well as her volunteer work. Lyons helped create the popular programs Morningside and As It Happens.
Former faculty member Jonathan Lomas, who co-founded the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis at McMaster, was made an Officer of the Order for his role in advancing research in Canada's health sector.
Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is the centrepiece of Canada's honours system and recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society who embody its motto: Desiderantes meliorem patriam (They desire a better country).
