Yann Martel, Murray Sinclair top list of those named to Order of Canada for extraordinary contributions

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6297798

This year's list also includes Canada's 1st woman national airline pilot and a compassionate restaurateur

Christian Paas-Lang - CBC News

Novelist Yann Martel, left, and former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Murray Sinclair, right, are among the new appointees and promotions in the Order of Canada, announced by the Governor General today. (Submitted by Yann Martel and Murray Sinclair)

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Former senator Murray Sinclair and novelist Yann Martel are among the 135 appointees to the Order of Canada, announced Wednesday by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.

This year's list also includes the first Canadian woman hired as a national airline pilot, public health and equity advocates, a CBC investigative journalist and a business owner who donated thousands of meals to frontline workers during the pandemic, even as his own restaurants lost income.

Considered one of Canada's highest civilian honours, the Order of Canada is meant to recognize people who make "extraordinary contributions to the nation," according to the Governor General of Canada website.

Martel and Sinclair were both named as companions, the highest of the honour's three levels, which also include the level of officer and member. There can be no more than 165 living companions at any time.

Martel, best known for his 2001 novel Life of Pi, said he loved getting awards for his books, but felt "embarrassed" by having the award attached to him personally. His citation noted his contributions to literature as well as philanthropy.

'So many other people who I can think of'

"My first thought was, there were so many other people who I can think of — lesser-known groups, volunteers, [and people] who have had incredibly difficult lives," he said. "Surely they deserve it, too."

He said he'd like to see others rewarded, rather than "another overprivileged white male," but that he plans to use the attention to highlight causes he supports in Saskatoon.

Martel attributed his success as a novelist to a great deal of good luck, along with hard work.

"It all comes down to luck, so I don't think luck should necessarily be rewarded," he said. "But for my books, I'm happy."

Sinclair recognized for reconciliation efforts

Sinclair, who is also the former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is recognized for his "commitment to the representation of Indigenous legal issues and his dedication to reconciliation" between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, according to Wednesday's statement.

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Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is Canada's national museum of immigration. The museum occupies part of Pier 21, the former ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971. Pier 21 is Canada's last remaining ocean immigration shed. The facility is often compared to Ellis Island (1892–1954), in terms of its importance to mid-20th-century immigration to Canada^[1] an association it shares with 19th century immigration history at Grosse Isle, Quebec (1832–1932) and Partridge Island in Saint John, New Brunswick (1785–1941).^[2] The Museum began as an independent institution run by the Pier 21 Society in 1999. It became a national museum run by the Canadian federal government in 2011.

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Entrance to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in 2010.
Wikimedia \| © OpenStreetMap
Established	1999
Location	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Type	Immigration Museum
Owner	Pier 21 Society (1999–2011) Government of Canada (2011–present)
Website	www.pier21.ca/