Order of British Columbia explained

Order of British Columbia
Awarded By:the lieutenant governor of British Columbia
Type:Provincial order
Eligibility:All living persons except politicians while in office
For:Service with the greatest distinction in any field benefiting the people of British Columbia or elsewhere
Status:Currently constituted
Grades:Member
Post-Nominals:OBC
Established:21 April 1989
Founder:David Lam
Higher:Order of Ontario
Lower:Alberta Order of Excellence
Head Title:Chancellor
Head:Janet Austin

The Order of British Columbia (French: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm,[1] the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour current or former British Columbia residents for conspicuous achievements in any field,[2] [3] being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the British Columbia Crown.

Structure and appointment

The Order of British Columbia, which evolved out of and replaced the earlier Order of the Dogwood, is intended to honour any current or former longtime resident of British Columbia who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, demonstrating the "greatest distinction and excell[ence] in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Province or elsewhere." Only those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office. There are no limits on how many can belong to the order or be inducted at one time.

The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Order of British Columbia's advisory council, which consists of the Chief Justice of British Columbia, who serves as the Chair; the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly; a president, in turn, of one of British Columbia's public universities, for a two-year term; the President of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities; the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Relations; and two Members of the order. This committee then meets once yearly to make its selected recommendations to the lieutenant governor. Posthumous nominations are not accepted, though an individual who dies after his or her name was submitted to the advisory council can still be retroactively made a Member of the Order of British Columbia. The lieutenant governor, ex officio a Member and the Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia, then makes all appointments into the fellowship's single grade of membership by an Order in Council that bears the viceroyal sign-manual and the Great Seal of the province; thereafter, the new Members are entitled to use the post-nominal letters OBC.

Insignia

Upon admission into the Order of British Columbia, in a ceremony held at Government House in Victoria, new Members are presented with the order's insignia. The main badge consists of a gold medallion in the form of a stylized flower of the Pacific Dogwood—the official provincial flower—with the obverse in white enamel with gold edging, and bearing at its centre the escutcheon of the arms of British Columbia, all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown symbolizing the Canadian monarch's role as the fount of honour.[4] The ribbon is patterned with vertical stripes in green, white, blue, and gold, reflecting the colours within the provincial coat of arms; men wear the medallion suspended from this ribbon at the collar, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow at the left chest. Members will also receive for wear on casual clothing a lapel pin, appearing as a smaller enamel Dogwood flower capped by a crown.

Inductees

Past appointments include:

Rescinded

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Bingham, Russell. Culture > Awards > Order of British Columbia. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Marsh. James H.. Toronto. Historica Foundation of Canada. 21 August 2009.
  2. Book: Elizabeth II. Elizabeth II. 1989. Provincial Symbols and Honours Act. http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/symbols/symbols_and_honours_act.htm#part2. Protocol and Events Branch, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat. Provincial Symbols. Victoria. Queen's Printer for British Columbia. 17.1. 21 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090806003531/http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/default.htm. 6 August 2009. dead.
  3. Web site: Order of British Columbia. Protocol and Events Branch, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat. Queen's Printer for British Columbia. 21 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090828111030/http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/obc.htm. 28 August 2009. dead.
  4. Web site: Honours and Recognition Programs > Canadian National Honours. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Queen's Printer for Canada. 20 May 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090323114038/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/nat-honour-honneur/index-eng.htm. 23 March 2009. dmy-all.
  5. Web site: 1992 Shushma Datt – Burnaby : Order of BC . 2022-04-26 . en.
  6. News: P. Ball . David . Canada's first South Asian physician, Dr. Gurdev Singh Gill, dies at 92 . .
  7. Web site: Order of British Columbia > Recipients > 1996–2001 > 1997 Recipients > Walter Hardwick – Vancouver . Government of British Columbia, Protocol and Events Branch . Queen's Printer for British Columbia . 17 May 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091208081255/http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/1997/1997_WHardwick.htm . 8 December 2009 .
  8. Web site: Robert (Bob) George Hindmarch. 2010. Order of BC. Government of British Columbia. September 23, 2020.
  9. Web site: 2017 Neil J. Sterritt – 150 Mile House : Order of BC . 6 November 2023.

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