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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doctors, writers and a UFC champion among 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has announced 83 appointments to the Order of Canada — a list that includes doctors, diplomats, athletes and authors. Simon's office announced two new companions — the highest level of the Order of Canada — 19 officers and 62 members, the introductory honour level in the order. One appointment is a promotion within the Order of Canada and another is an honorary appointment. "We proudly recognize each of these individuals whose dedication and passion for service not only enrich our communities but also help shape the fabric of our nation," the Governor General said in a media statement. "Together, they inspire us to strive for greatness and to foster a future filled with hope and possibility." Among the appointments is Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's former chief public health officer. She has been made an officer of the order for her role in leading the country's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tam, who ended her term as the top doctor on June 20, had been in the role for over eight years. Michael MacDonald, former chief justice of Nova Scotia and chair of the Mass Casualty Commission, has been made a member of the order. MacDonald told CBC News his work on the commission — which led the public inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia — was "one of the most challenging things" he has ever done. Receiving an appointment for that work and the attempts he's made to improve the justice system in his home province is "the greatest honour" of his life, he said. These appointments come the day before the Governor General will invest a number of Canadians into the Order of Canada during the Canada Day Festivities in Ottawa. That ceremony will include actor Ryan Reynolds and singer, songwriter Heather Rankin — both becoming officers of the order. Their appointments were announced in December 2024. This year's list of appointments also features a number of musicians including harmonica player Mike Stevens, Canadian blues music legend Donnie Walsh and Grammy-winning record producer Greg Wells. Stevens told CBC News that he was in the process of moving houses when he got the call telling him he was being appointed an officer of the order. He said he was standing in his basement with "boxes stacked to his neck" when his phone rang. "I would like to tell you I was cool, but I completely lost it," Stevens said. "Never in a million years did I think I would be recognized for my music. It's a magic trick to be able to even do that for a living." Stevens said the honour is "beyond humbling." Elizabeth Epperly has been made a member of the order for her contributions to elevating the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. "After my initial surprise, I have felt only joy at the honour of being included in the Order of Canada family," Epperly told CBC News in a statement. Epperly has deep ties to the University of Prince Edward Island. She attended, taught at and was the first female president of the school. "I love anything that reflects well on my alma mater," she said. "More than that, I embrace this honour as a celebration of L.M. Montgomery as an internationally beloved great writer who inspires people across cultures to feel there is a beauty-loving, peace-loving, planet-sustaining community to which they belong." Prime Minister Mark Carney's soon-to-be chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard has also been appointed. He is set to begin that job in July. The Governor General's office said Blanchard has been made a member of the order for the role he's played in Canada's economic development, both at home and abroad. Blanchard served as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations from 2016 to 2020. He was most recently the executive vice-president of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages public pension plans and insurance programs in the province. For his role in representing Canada on the world stage, Donald Campbell has been named a member of the order. Campbell served as deputy minister of both foreign affairs and international trade, G8 summit sherpa and senior negotiator with the United States. Campbell told CBC News that he is "pleased to be recognized." He said much of his career has been focused on issues that are "front and centre" today, including the Canada-U.S. relationship. Campbell oversaw negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. "I think public service is something that Canadians care about in a way that many other countries, including the country to our south, don't seem to in this moment," he said. "Being Canadian and working for Canada is even more important now than it ever has been." Two former senators have also been made members of the order for their contributions to the country. Robert Runciman represented Ontario in the Red Chamber from 2010 to 2017 after a long career in provincial politics and Claudette Tardif was a senator for Alberta from 2005 to 2018. Former regular on CBC's At Issue panel Bruce Anderson has been named a member for his commentary on public opinion and political affairs. He is now the chief strategy officer at Spark Advocacy. Writer Miriam Toews has been made an officer of the order for her contributions to Canadian literature. Her works include A Complicated Kindness, All My Puny Sorrows and Women Talking. Louise Halfe, also known by her Cree name Sky Dancer, has been made a member. She is a poet from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta. Through her work in both Cree and English, Halfe advocates for language learning and preservation and articulates the history and experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Michel Rabagliati, a cartoonist from Montreal, has been appointed a member of the order. Rabagliati told CBC News the appointment was "a complete surprise and good news — it's not every day that one receives a call from the Governor General's office." "This means that my work, over the years, has managed to touch people outside the silence of my workshop," he said. "When you work in solitude over the long term as is my case, receiving such a distinction encourages you to continue. As a writer, I feel read, appreciated and proud." Georges St-Pierre, a former world champion mixed martial artist, has been made a member of the order for his commitment to helping young Canadians stand up to bullying and promoting physical activity. Also from the world of sports, joining the order as an officer is former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan. He played three seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He also coached the New York Islanders. The Governor General's office said Nolan has been appointed officer for his continued support of Indigenous youth as a mentor, speaker and anti-racism advocate. He co-created the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School with his sons Brandon and Jordan, and established the Ted Nolan Foundation, which provides scholarships to First Nations women. Nolan told CBC News he felt "shock and excitement all wrapped up into one" when he was told the news of his appointment. Once he got over that shock, he said the first people he thought about were his parents. "They taught me the importance of giving back, of being proud of who I am as a First Nations man," he said.
CBC
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Doctors, writers and a UFC champion among 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has announced 83 appointments to the Order of Canada — a list that includes doctors, diplomats, athletes and authors. Simon's office announced two new companions — the highest level of the Order of Canada — 19 officers and 62 members, the introductory honour level in the order. One appointment is a promotion within the Order of Canada and another is an honorary appointment. "We proudly recognize each of these individuals whose dedication and passion for service not only enrich our communities but also help shape the fabric of our nation," the Governor General said in a media statement. "Together, they inspire us to strive for greatness and to foster a future filled with hope and possibility." Among the appointments is Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's former chief public health officer. She has been made an officer of the order for her role in leading the country's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tam, who ended her term as the top doctor on June 20, had been in the role for over eight years. Michael MacDonald, former chief justice of Nova Scotia and chair of the Mass Casualty Commission, has been made a member of the order. MacDonald told CBC News his work on the commission — which led the public inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia — was "one of the most challenging things" he has ever done. Receiving an appointment for that work and the attempts he's made to improve the justice system in his home province is "the greatest honour" of his life, he said. These appointments come the day before the Governor General will invest a number of Canadians into the Order of Canada during the Canada Day Festivities in Ottawa. That ceremony will include actor Ryan Reynolds and singer, songwriter Heather Rankin — both becoming officers of the order. Their appointments were announced in December 2024. This year's list of appointments also features a number of musicians including harmonica player Mike Stevens, Canadian blues music legend Donnie Walsh and Grammy-winning record producer Greg Wells. Stevens told CBC News that he was in the process of moving houses when he got the call telling him he was being appointed an officer of the order. He said he was standing in his basement with "boxes stacked to his neck" when his phone rang. "I would like to tell you I was cool, but I completely lost it," Stevens said. "Never in a million years did I think I would be recognized for my music. It's a magic trick to be able to even do that for a living." Stevens said the honour is "beyond humbling." Elizabeth Epperly has been made a member of the order for her contributions to elevating the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. "After my initial surprise, I have felt only joy at the honour of being included in the Order of Canada family," Epperly told CBC News in a statement. Epperly has deep ties to the University of Prince Edward Island. She attended, taught at and was the first female president of the school. "I love anything that reflects well on my alma mater," she said. "More than that, I embrace this honour as a celebration of L.M. Montgomery as an internationally beloved great writer who inspires people across cultures to feel there is a beauty-loving, peace-loving, planet-sustaining community to which they belong." Prime Minister Mark Carney's soon-to-be chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard has also been appointed. He is set to begin that job in July. The Governor General's office said Blanchard has been made a member of the order for the role he's played in Canada's economic development, both at home and abroad. Blanchard served as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations from 2016 to 2020. He was most recently the executive vice-president of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages public pension plans and insurance programs in the province. For his role in representing Canada on the world stage, Donald Campbell has been named a member of the order. Campbell served as deputy minister of both foreign affairs and international trade, G8 summit sherpa and senior negotiator with the United States. Campbell told CBC News that he is "pleased to be recognized." He said much of his career has been focused on issues that are "front and centre" today, including the Canada-U.S. relationship. Campbell oversaw negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. "I think public service is something that Canadians care about in a way that many other countries, including the country to our south, don't seem to in this moment," he said. "Being Canadian and working for Canada is even more important now than it ever has been." Two former senators have also been made members of the order for their contributions to the country. Robert Runciman represented Ontario in the Red Chamber from 2010 to 2017 after a long career in provincial politics and Claudette Tardif was a senator for Alberta from 2005 to 2018. Former regular on CBC's At Issue panel Bruce Anderson has been named a member for his commentary on public opinion and political affairs. He is now the chief strategy officer at Spark Advocacy. Writer Miriam Toews has been made an officer of the order for her contributions to Canadian literature. Her works include A Complicated Kindness, All My Puny Sorrows and Women Talking. Louise Halfe, also known by her Cree name Sky Dancer, has been made a member. She is a poet from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta. Through her work in both Cree and English, Halfe advocates for language learning and preservation and articulates the history and experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Michel Rabagliati, a cartoonist from Montreal, has been appointed a member of the order. Rabagliati told CBC News the appointment was "a complete surprise and good news — it's not every day that one receives a call from the Governor General's office." "This means that my work, over the years, has managed to touch people outside the silence of my workshop," he said. "When you work in solitude over the long term as is my case, receiving such a distinction encourages you to continue. As a writer, I feel read, appreciated and proud." Georges St-Pierre, a former world champion mixed martial artist, has been made a member of the order for his commitment to helping young Canadians stand up to bullying and promoting physical activity. Also from the world of sports, joining the order as an officer is former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan. He played three seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He also coached the New York Islanders. The Governor General's office said Nolan has been appointed officer for his continued support of Indigenous youth as a mentor, speaker and anti-racism advocate. He co-created the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School with his sons Brandon and Jordan, and established the Ted Nolan Foundation, which provides scholarships to First Nations women. Nolan told CBC News he felt "shock and excitement all wrapped up into one" when he was told the news of his appointment. Once he got over that shock, he said the first people he thought about were his parents. "They taught me the importance of giving back, of being proud of who I am as a First Nations man," he said.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Pilot who crashed into sea snaps smiling selfies and tells ‘crappy dad jokes' while waiting to be rescued
A pilot recalled the harrowing moment his plane engine 'just went silent' over the ocean, sending him and a passenger crashing into the rough seas below — where he snapped smiling selfies and told 'crappy dad jokes' while waiting hours to be rescued. Canadian pilot Michael McDonald and his marine biologist passenger were about three hours into a daily flight over the open waters of Mexico's Gulf of California on April 18 when something suddenly went wrong. The Cessna 182's engine 'just went silent' at about 1,500 feet over the ocean — causing the four-seater to drop at about 500 feet per minute while at least seven miles from land, he said. Advertisement 'Three minutes is all we had left to play with,' he told CBC News of the time he estimated he had before crashing. 3 A Canadian pilot and his passenger survived a small plane off Mexico filming footage of their ordeal as they awaited rescue on April 18. Michael MacDonald via Storyful 3 The pilot and marine biologist had been flying over the Gulf of California daily for over a month. Michael MacDonald / Facebook Advertisement After failing to troubleshoot the issue, the pilot passed a pillow to his passenger, who was not otherwise identified, to cover her face, telling her to brace for impact. The small plane finally smashed into the water while going around 70 mph, McDonald said — likening it to getting punched in the face. 'We went head first and flipped over, immediately blew out the windshield, and water came rushing in,' the veteran commercial pilot said. 'It was a bit of a punch to the face. It was kind of a surreal feeling. It was so sudden,' he added. Advertisement Amazingly, neither McDonald nor his passenger were seriously injured, and both managed to free themselves from their harnesses and activate their inflatable life vests. 3 McDonald has been flying planes since 2012. Michael MacDonald via Storyful McDonald's iPhone also survived in its protective case — and he almost immediately got a call from his company's office after they got an alert that something was wrong. The pilot then used his phone to snap selfies and film videos as he and his passenger waited at least two hours before they were finally found and pulled to safety. Advertisement 'Waiting to get rescued,' he says in one selfie video as he floats in a yellow life vest. 'Might be a while.' MacDonald told CTV he tried to lighten the mood by talking and telling 'crappy dad jokes,' which he claims his passenger — who looked terrified in most of the snaps — enjoyed. 'I felt like I had a bit of an out-of-body experience, watching someone else do it. So, I was OK,' he says. McDonald since said the marine biologist is like his 'little sister now' since going through the ordeal together.
CBC
10-05-2025
- CBC
'The engine just went silent': Then, this B.C. pilot had 3 minutes to react
For more than a month, Canadian pilot Michael MacDonald had taken a marine biologist on daily flights over Mexico's Gulf of California, surveying the sea for wildlife. Thirty-three of those flights went smoothly. About three hours into the 34th, things went south. MacDonald, who is now safe at home in Burnaby, B.C., is recounting the seconds, minutes and hours after he realized the engine in his small aircraft had quit, and how far he and his passenger were from land. The pair were soaring at about 457 metres above the ocean, just low enough so they could see all kinds of whales, orcas, dolphins and turtles, on April 18. Three hours into the four-hour flight, "the engine just went silent," MacDonald recalled. "I just immediately turned left 90 degrees, because that was the closest to the land," he told Gloria Macarenko, the host of CBC's On The Coast. WATCH | Michael MacDonald details the moment he realized his plane was crashing: B.C. pilot shares survival story after small plane crash in Mexican waters 4 days ago Duration 11:13 They were about 11 kilometres away from the shore, and falling about 150 metres per minute, MacDonald said. "Three minutes is all we had left to play with." He spent about 90 seconds trying to figure out what had gone wrong in the four-seater Cessna 182. When nothing worked, he knew they were going to hit the water. MacDonald, 47, has been flying since 2012, and the procedure around what to do in the event of a crash landing has been drilled into him. "We talk about it a lot, about the possibility of ditching," he said. "Every day we go over a briefing and remember how to do this procedure, that procedure and make sure that we know what we're doing." MacDonald, 47, passed a pillow to his passenger so she could cover her face to protect herself from debris. They tightened their harnesses and prepared for impact. MacDonald remembers trying to navigate the big swells in the ocean. "When I still thought I was a few feet off the water, it felt like something reached up and grabbed us and just pulled us into the water," he said. "We went head first and flipped over, immediately blew out the windshield, and water came rushing in." Having already opened his door, MacDonald unbuckled his harness and rolled out the side of the aircraft, swallowing sea water as he moved. "It was a bit of a punch to the face. It was kind of a surreal feeling. It was so sudden." He turned to see his passenger struggling to get out of the harness, and water was up to her chin. He reminded her to unbuckle, and as he swam toward her, she was able to free herself. Fortunately, they were wearing self-inflating vests. MacDonald pointed out how crucial it was that they wait until they were in the water and out of the plane to pull the cord. "You could be floating inside the airplane as it's sinking, and you can't swim down to the door to get out." MacDonald helped the passenger get her vest inflated with relative ease. But when he pulled the cord to inflate his own, nothing happened. In a moment of physical and emotional strain, where maintaining a steady breath is already a lot to ask, MacDonald had to blow his vest up himself. "I blew into the little red tube that filled it up. I've been playing bagpipes for years, so it all came into practice." Shortly after, he felt a vibration on his thigh. His phone, an iPhone 15 with an OtterBox case, was ringing underwater. He carefully pulled it out, dried it, and spoke to someone from his administrative office who had received an alert that something might be wrong. "I couldn't hear anything initially, so I just started talking into the phone." He gave his location: seven miles east of Punta and 10 miles southeast of Isla Cerralvo. "Then I went silent and I could hear, clear as a bell: 'I'm already talking to rescue.'" And then he immediately lost reception. The phone itself still worked, so he was able to take some photos and video of his harrowing experience while he and the passenger waited for more than two hours. While he was confident a rescue team would come, he said his marine biologist passenger wasn't so sure. He made it his mission to convince her they were going to be OK. Both MacDonald and the passenger were rescued without incident. Since then, MacDonald said he and the passenger have bonded over the shared experience. "She's my little sister now." The only time he's been on a plane since the ordeal was on the flight home to B.C. several days later. He said he paid a little closer attention to the safety demonstration from the flight attendants. "I thought, OK, I know where my exits are," he said.
CBC
07-05-2025
- General
- CBC
#TheMoment a B.C. pilot survived crashing his plane in Mexican waters
Burnaby, B.C., pilot Michael MacDonald recounts the moment his plane's engine died over the Sea of Cortez, and how he managed to survive after crashing into the water.
