The Saskatchewan Order of Merit (french: Ordre du Mérite de la Saskatchewan) is a

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...

honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of socia ...

for merit in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. Instituted in 1985 by

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Frederick Johnson, on the

advice Advice (noun) or advise (verb) may refer to: * Advice (opinion), an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct * Advice (constitutional law) a frequently binding instruction issued to a constitutional office-holder * Advice (p ...

of the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

under

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

Grant Devine Donald Grant Devine, SOM (born July 5, 1944) was the 11th premier of Saskatchewan from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991. Early life Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he received a BSc in Agriculture degree specializing in Agricultural Economics in ...

, the order is administered by the

Governor-in-Council The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of ap ...

and is intended to honour current or former Saskatchewan residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described in law as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the Saskatchewan Crown.

Structure and appointment

The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is intended to honour any Canadian citizen currently or formerly resident in Saskatchewan who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, improving the "social, cultural and economic well-being of the province and its residents"; the process of finding such individuals begins with call for nominations put out each spring by the Saskatchewan Honours Advisory Council. There are no limitations on population, but only ten new members may be created each year. The process of finding qualified individuals begins with call for nominations put out each spring by the Saskatchewan Honours Advisory Council, which then makes its selected recommendations to the lieutenant governor. Posthumous nominations are accepted within one year of the date of death and in 2001 the Provincial Emblems and Honours Act was amended to allow for honorary membership in the order, granted to those who are neither current nor former residents of Saskatchewan;

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, was the first honorary member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, having been appointed on 24 April 2001. The lieutenant governor, who is ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' a member and the Chancellor of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and remains a member following his or her departure from viceregal office, then makes all appointments into the fellowship's single grade of membership by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

bearing the viceroyal sign-manual and the Great Seal of the province; thereafter, the new Members are entitled to use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

''SOM'' and have their portrait added to the Athabasca Gallery at the

Saskatchewan Legislative Building The Saskatchewan Legislative Building is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and houses the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. History The Saskatchewan Legislative Building was built between 1908 and 1912 in the Beaux Arts style to a de ...

Insignia

Upon admission into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, members are presented with the order's insignia at a ceremony held either at

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

in Regina or at a venue in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

. According to The Provincial Emblems and Honours Act, which stipulates the design of the order's badges and ribbon and how they are worn, the main emblem of the order is a

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

medallion in the form of a six pointed star—an abstract rendition of a western red lilly, the province's official flower. The obverse is coated in white enamel and bears the

escutcheon Escutcheon may refer to: * Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms * Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door * (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...

of Her Majesty's Arms in right of Saskatchewan within a circular ribbon that displays the provincial motto—''Multis E Gentibus Vires'' (From many peoples strength)—all topped by a

St. Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cent ...

symbolizing the

Canadian monarch The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the found ...

's role as the

fount of honour The fount of honour ( la, fons honorum) is a person, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry on other persons. Origin During the High Middle Ages, ...

. This medallion is hung from a ribbon with a green-gold-green, vertical striped pattern, at the collar for men, and on a bow pinned at the left chest for women. Members will also receive for wear on casual clothing a lapel pin in the form of a stylized western red lily bearing at St. Edward's Crown.

Inductees

The following are some notable appointees of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit: *

Freda Ahenakew Freda Ahenakew (February 11, 1932 – April 8, 2011) was a Canadian author and academic of Cree descent. Ahenakew was considered a leader in Indigenous language preservation and literary heritage preservation in Canada. She was a sister-in-la ...

, author and academic, appointed 2005 *

John Hall Archer John Hall Archer, (July 11, 1914 – April 5, 2004) was a Canadian librarian, historian, and civil servant, and the first President of the University of Regina. Born just south of Broadview, Saskatchewan, he was a rural school teacher from 1 ...

, librarian and historian, appointed 1987 *

Don Atchison Donald James Atchison (born March 1, 1952) is a Canadian politician who was Mayor of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan, from 2003 to 2016. Atchison was elected mayor four times, tied for the most after ...

SOM, Mayor of

, appointed 2019 * Lorne Allan Babiuk , immunologist, molecular virologist, and vaccinologist, appointed 2003 * Marcel Alter Baltzan ,

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

nephrologist Nephrology (from Greek'' nephros'' "kidney", combined with the suffix ''-logy'', "the study of") is a specialty of adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function (ren ...

, appointed 1999 * Lloyd Ingram Barber , Chancellor of the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchew ...

, appointed 1995 * Byrna Barclay , author, appointed 2004 * Edward Dmytro Bayda , Chief Justice of Saskatchewan, appointed 2008 *

Allan Emrys Blakeney Allan Emrys Blakeney (September 7, 1925April 16, 2011) was the tenth premier of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982, and leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP). Early life and career Born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Blakeney took his ...

, Premier of Saskatchewan, appointed 2000 * Elizabeth Winifred Brewster , poet and academic, appointed 2008 *

Sharon Butala Sharon Butala (born Sharon Annette LeBlanc, 1940 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian writer and novelist. Life Butala was born in an outpost hospital in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. She was the second of five daughters born to Amy Graham and Achill ...

, writer and conservationist, appointed 2009 * Angus Daniel Campbell , founder of the

Northern Ontario Hockey Association The Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) is an ice hockey governing body for minor, junior and senior ice hockey. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northern ...

, appointed 1996 *

Maria Campbell Maria Campbell (born April 26, 1940 near Park Valley, Saskatchewan) is a Métis author, playwright, broadcaster, filmmaker, and Elder. Campbell is a fluent speaker of four languages: Cree, Michif, Western Ojibwa, and English. Four of her publish ...

, author, playwright, broadcaster, filmmaker, appointed 2005 * Roger Colenso Carter , Dean,

University of Saskatchewan College of Law The College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan is the university's law school. Located in Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the College of Law was established in 1912 and is the oldest law school in Western Canada, a disti ...

, appointed 1998 *

Edward Milton Culliton Edward Milton Culliton, (April 9, 1906 – March 14, 1991) was a member of Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan and Chief Justice of Saskatchewan. Born in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, he grew up in Elbow, Saskatchewan, and earned an arts d ...

, Chief Justice of Saskatchewan, appointed 1988 * Donald Grant Devine, Premier of Saskatchewan, appointed 2009 * Thomas Clement Douglas , Premier of Saskatchewan, appointed 1985 * Joseph Fafard , sculpture artist, appointed 2002 * Walter Henry Farquharson ,

Moderator of the United Church of Canada The Moderator of the United Church of Canada is the most senior elected official within the United Church of Canada. He or she may be a lay person or a member of the Order of Ministry and is elected to a three-year term by commissioners attend ...

, appointed 2007 * David Leon Kaplan , professor, performer, and conductor, appointed 2006 *

Dorothy Knowles Dorothy Elsie Knowles, (born April 6, 1927) is a Canadian artist, most notable for her landscape paintings. She is the widow of William Perehudoff, a fellow artist who is closely associated with the Color Field movement. Career Knowles studie ...

, landscape artist, appointed 1987. * John Victor Hicks , poet, appointed 1992 * Frederick W. Hill , appointed 1999, businessman * Gordon MacMurchy , politician, appointed 1999 * Peggy McKercher , Chancellor of the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, appointed 2001 * Kenneth Alexander Mitchell , actor, appointed 2001 * Robert Joseph Ogle , Roman Catholic priest, broadcaster, and politician, appointed 1995 * Thelma Pepper , artist, appointed 2018 *

William Perehudoff William Perehudoff (April 21, 1918 – February 26, 2013) was a Canadian artist closely associated with colour field painting. He was married to the landscape painter Dorothy Knowles. Life and career Perehudoff was born in St. Paul's Hospita ...

, artist, appointed 1994 *

Elizabeth Raum Elizabeth Raum (born 13 January 1945) is a Canadian oboist and composer. Biography Elizabeth Raum was born in Berlin, New Hampshire in 1945, but became a Canadian citizen in 1985. She studied oboe performance with Robert Sprenkle at the Eastma ...

, oboist and composer, appointed 2010 *

Edward Rawlinson Edward A. Rawlinson, Saskatchewan Order of Merit, SOM (1912–1992) was a Canadian businessman. Born in Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Rawlinson became the youngest chartered accountant in Canada in 1934. During the Second World War he was manager of B ...

, broadcaster, appointed 1989 * Garnet "Sam" Richardson , Curler, appointed 2005 * Roy John Romanow ,

Premier of Saskatchewan The premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The current premier of Saskatchewan is Scott Moe, who was sworn in as premier on February 2, 2018, after winning the 2018 Saskatch ...

, appointed 2003 *

Allen Sapp Allen Sapp (January 2, 1928 – December 29, 2015) was a Canadian Cree painter, who resided in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. His art and his story have become known throughout Canada. His paintings tell a personal story, and many feature imag ...

, artist, appointed 1985 * Sandra Marie Schmirler , Olympic athlete, posthumously appointed 2000 * Morris Cyril Shumiatcher , civil rights lawyer, appointed 1996 * John William Tranter Spinks , appointed 1996 *

Savella Stechishin Savella Stechishin, , née Wawryniuk (August 19, 1903 – April 22, 2002), was a Ukrainian-Canadian home economist and writer, recipient of the Order of Canada. She has been described as "an ethnocultural social maternal feminist" (Ostryzniuk, 19 ...

, home economist and writer, appointed 1998 *

Anne Szumigalski Anne Szumigalski, SOM (b. 3 January 1922 in London, England, d. 22 April 1999) was a Canadian poet. Life She was born Anne Howard Davis in London, England, and grew up mostly in a Hampshire village. She served with the Red Cross as a medical ...

, poet, appointed 1989 * Guy Clarence Vanderhaeghe , author, appointed 2003 *

, heir apparent to the

Canadian throne The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...

, appointed 2001 * Ernest Walker , archaeologist and academic, appointed 2001 *

Pamela Wallin Pamela Wallin (born April 10, 1953) is a Canadian senator, former television journalist, and diplomat. She was appointed to the senate on January 2, 2009, where she initially sat as a Conservative. Early life and career Wallin was born in W ...

, television journalist and diplomat, appointed 1999 *

James Vernon Weisgerber Vernon James Weisgerber (born May 1, 1938) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the retired sixth Archbishop of Winnipeg, serving from August 2000 until October 2013. Early life and education Weisgerber was born in Vibank, ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, appointed 2005 *

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...

, member of the

Canadian Royal Family The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the foundat ...

, appointed 2005 *

Stephen Worobetz Stephen Worobetz (December 26, 1914 – February 2, 2006) was a Canadians, Canadian physician and the List of lieutenant governors of Saskatchewan, 13th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. Born in Krydor, Saskatchewan, of Ukrainian Canadi ...

, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, appointed 1999 * Clifford Emerson Wright , Mayor of

, appointed 1999

References

External links

Saskatchewan Order of Merit webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saskatchewan Order of Merit

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

Provincial and territorial orders of Canada 1985 establishments in Saskatchewan Orders of merit

Structure and appointment

Insignia

Inductees

See also

References

External links