Five Manitobans named to the Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is one of Canada’s highest civilian honours (Courtesy: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau, Rideau Hall).

An iconic figure in Francophone music, an innovator in kidney research and a leading philanthropist are among the newest Manitobans appointed to the Order of Canada.

The May 2024 appointees were announced Tuesday, with an official induction ceremony slated for Thursday in Ottawa.

Among the 65 new officers and members are five Winnipeggers; broadcaster and politician Dorothy Dobbie; Francophone composer Gérard Jean; clinician-scientist David Nicholas Rush; public servant Jan Sanderson; and former University of Winnipeg chancellor Robert Silver.

All five have been named members of the Order of Canada by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.

Dobbie is a publisher, broadcaster and former member of Parliament for Winnipeg South. She is also a former president and chair of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and advocated for arts and culture through her work with Culture Days Manitoba.

“As president of the International Peace Garden and former chair of Tree Canada, she is sowing the seeds for a better tomorrow,” says the Governor General of Canada’s website.

Gérard Jean is touted as a leading figure in Francophone music in Manitoba. He is the composer of “Histoire d’antan,” considered by many as the Franco-Manitoban anthem.

His dedication to Manitoba’s Francophone choirs also allowed him to showcase local talent on a national stage, officials say.

David Rush is credited with transforming the practice of kidney transplantation. He is a teacher and clinician-scientist at the Winnipeg Health Science Centre and a former medical director of Transplant Manitoba’s Adult Kidney Program.

He is internationally renowned for his research on graft rejection.

“By demonstrating how surveillance biopsies can lower the diagnostic threshold for rejection, his work has changed clinical practice worldwide, significantly improving survival rates and patient outcomes,” officials say.

Meantime, new member Jan Sanderson is credited with “a total commitment to the health and well-being of the children of her province,” through decades at the helm of government agencies, like Healthy Child Manitoba.

Under Sanderson’s leadership, networks and strategies specifically tailored to youth and their families were developed and implemented.

Business leader and philanthropist Robert Silver rounds out the Manitoban representation. The former University of Winnipeg chancellor also created the Opportunity Fund, which offers financial support to underrepresented and non-traditional students. He is also co-owner of retail stores, like Warehouse One, and chaired several boards, including the Millennium Library Community Campaign for the expansion of the Winnipeg Public Library.

More details on the newest crop of officers and members can be found on the Governor General’s website.