Latest news with #TheresaTam
National Post
07-07-2025
- Health
- National Post
Amy Hamm: The Order of Canada has been exposed as a sham
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Handing out awards to Theresa Tam and Bonnie Henry shows how politically motivated it is A woman walks past murals of Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Bonnie Henry on the side of a building in Vancouver in 2020. Photo by Richard Lam/PNG The Order of Canada no longer means anything, if it ever meant anything at all. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors On June 30, the supposedly prestigious Canadian honour was awarded to physicians Theresa Tam and Bonnie Henry, the former chief public health officer of Canada and the current provincial health officer of British Columbia, respectively. With these two appointments, the Order of Canada should no longer be considered an honour; instead, it should be seen as a symbol of conformity, obedience and antipathy towards those of us who care about our collective rights and freedoms. Both doctors became famous — in relative Canadian terms — for their public-health decrees issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor General's website explains that, 'Bonnie Henry has been using her expertise in public health and preventive medicine to safeguard the health of people in Canada and globally for decades. Notably, as provincial health officer, she led British Columbia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also an author, scholar and University of British Columbia clinical associate professor.' This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays) By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again For her part, Tam was given the award because, 'For decades, Theresa Tam has striven to advance global and national public health as a pediatric infectious disease specialist and public servant. Her tenure as Canada's chief public health officer has been characterized by her commitment to health equity and highlighted by her leadership role in the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.' These explanations are blatant whitewashing. Any Canadian who lived through the pandemic will be familiar with the repeat controversies and scandals that plagued both public-health officers. They will be remembered, not for safeguarding life, but for cracking down on Canadians with harmful and coercive public-health policies, many of which were not supported by scientific evidence. Henry clung to her illiberal and unnecessary vaccine mandate for health-care workers long after it was obvious that the vaccine was not stopping the spread of the virus. Many lost their jobs and the health-care system has yet to recover from the loss. Henry only rescinded the mandate in the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election, in what appeared to be a politically motivated decision intended to thwart the rise of B.C.'s Conservative party. It was despicable. Henry, who's part owner of a B.C. winery, also curiously issued 2021 orders to prohibit indoor dining for bars and restaurants — but not for wineries offering wine tasting sessions. Hmm. Then there's Tam. Her policies left such a sour note in Canadians' mouths that police pre-emptively placed security around her home in the lead-up to the Freedom Convoy protests. She has been widely condemned for her support of harmful lockdown policies, for which Canadians are still suffering to this day. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Henry and Tam's inductions into this Canadian hall of fame is more than enough proof of how politicized the Order of Canada has become. The Governor General is merely patting politically connected cronies on the back. But Canadians know the truth. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a legal advocacy organization, expressed anger over the appointments on X: 'Honouring Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Theresa Tam the Order of Canada for their destructive and unscientific policies amounts to politicizing this Award. Given the questions about vaccine mandates, and other violations of Charter rights and freedoms, this is completely irresponsible.' The Order of Canada has been around since 1967. In its 58 years, more than 8,500 people have been given the 'honour,' an average of around 147 people a year. To be considered eligible for an Order of Canada, one must be alive and not currently an elected official or sitting judge. That's it. You don't even have to be Canadian. The Governor General's website explains that, 'Living non-Canadians are also eligible if their contributions have brought benefit or honour to Canadians or to Canada.' Henry and Tam have done neither. Many argue that they've done the opposite. An Order of Canada can also be taken away. There is something dubious about an award that can be given and then taken, the honour of its bestowing vanished from the annals of a country's history. A Nobel Prize, for instance, cannot be revoked. This is further evidence that the Order of Canada is not a serious award. Not to mention that Don Cherry does not have one — what a farce. The Governor General is handing out Orders of Canada like Costco hands out samples to its members. If you're in the club, you can get one — just get in line and wait your turn.
CBC
30-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
B.C.'s top doctor among British Columbians appointed to Order of Canada
B.C.'s provincial health officer is one of 10 new Order of Canada appointees, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announced Monday. The latest list of honourees includes 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 honourary appointment. Dr. Bonnie Henry, made an officer of the Order of Canada, became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing on television screens with daily updates and recommendations to keep residents safe. It was her moment to shine; as an epidemiologist, she'd spent many years researching viruses, including Ebola, H1N1 and SARS. "Having my name amongst this group of incredible Canadians is truly humbling," Henry said in a statement. "I have been privileged to have the opportunity to live and work in many parts of this great country and the world. To be recognized by my country for my life's work in health and public health is a tremendous honour and I am very grateful." She wasn't the only physician turned public figure to receive the appointment: Dr. Theresa Tam, former chief public health officer for Canada, was made an officer for the order for her role in leading the country's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But this year's list is varied, including athletes, artists, public servants and more. Ruth Williams of the Tsilhqot'in Nation — a founding member of the All Nations Trust Company, which empowers and supports Indigenous entrepreneurs — is included in the Order of Canada appointees, as well as Lorraine Greaves, an expert in sex and gender-based research into women's experiences with addiction and violence. Thomas Irving, a long-time potter, Emily Carr University of Art and Design professor emeritus and founder of the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, is also included. "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." Here is the list of British Columbians appointed to the Order of Canada on June 30, 2025:
Globe and Mail
30-06-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Theresa Tam, Bonnie Henry among Order of Canada recipients
Doctors Theresa Tam and Bonnie Henry, leaders at the national and provincial level in Canada's efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, have both been appointed to the Order of Canada. Dr. Tam completed her tenure as Canada's chief public health officer this month, and Dr. Henry is still the British Columbia Provincial Health Officer. They have been appointed as officers of the Order, one of the country's highest honours. Eighty-three individuals were appointed to the Order on Monday, including Marc-André Blanchard, the former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations who is set to become Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff next month. Mr. Blanchard, also a former executive vice president for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec investment fund, was appointed as a member of the Order. According to the citation, he is being honoured for his 'outstanding contributions' to Canada and its economic development: 'He has worked tirelessly to ensure that major Canadian organizations take their rightful place on the global stage.' In a statement, Mr. Blanchard said he was humbled and honoured by the appointment. 'I feel incredibly fortunate not only to receive this recognition alongside so many inspiring Canadians, but also to have a career filled with purpose, opportunity, and the privilege of serving my country,' he said. The Order consists of a hierarchy of companions, officers and members. Officers and members can rise based on further achievements. Governor General Mary Simon made the appointments on April. 17, acting on the recommendations of an advisory council for the order. For Dr. Tam, the order citation notes that her tenure between 2017 and 2025 was 'characterized by her commitment to health equity and highlighted by her leadership role in the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.' Theresa Tam bids farewell as Canada's top public health officer Dr. Henry is noted for using her expertise in public health and preventive medicine to safeguard the health of people in Canada and globally for decades. 'Notably, as provincial health officer, she led British Columbia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic,' the citation says. Dr. Henry is a former medical officer for the Royal Canadian Navy and associate medical health officer in Toronto, who worked in senior public-health positions B.C. before being named Provincial Health Officer for B.C. in 2018. 'Having my name amongst this group of incredible Canadians is truly humbling,' Dr. Henry said in a statement. 'I have been privileged to have the opportunity to live and work in many parts of this great country and the world. To be recognized by my country for my life's work in health and public health is a tremendous honour and I am very grateful.' David Jones, who led the establishment of Canada's public health agency as its first chief public health officer, was also named to the Order, honoured for spending his career 'supporting and safeguarding Canadians' health.' More than 8,200 people have been appointed to the Order since it was created in 1967 to coincide with Canada's centennial. Among the others appointed this year are former federal cabinet minister John Manley promoted to being a companion of the Order, and praised for bridging the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, promoting diversity and inclusiveness in leadership while engaging on public policy. Officers include lawyer and author Maureen McTeer for her work on gender issues and health guidelines, as well as novelist Miriam Toews, whose 2018 book, Women Talking was adapted into a 2022 Oscar-winning film by Canadian writer-director Sarah Polley. Miriam Toews's Oscars moment exposes a complicated relationship with her Mennonite hometown Saroj Saigal of Hamilton was named for her work in neonatology, as was virtuoso harmonica player, composer and author Mike Edwards of the Ontario village of Point Edward, noted for a 40-year career as an entertainer that has included performances at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville. Canadian actress Tonya Williams is being honoured for her advocacy for greater access and inclusion of racialized people in film and media. Bruce Anderson of Ottawa is being cited for his career in opinion research and work co-founding scholarships and the Jaimie Anderson Parliamentary Internship. Diplomats Alexandra Bugailiskis, a former ambassador to Syria, Cuba, Poland and Italy, currently chair of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, is being honoured alongside Donald Campbell, of Vancouver, a former ambassador to Korea and Japan who served as a deputy minister of foreign affairs and international trade among other posts. Other honorees include Louise Halfe, also known by the Cree name Sky Dancer, a poet from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, for articulating the history and experiences of Indigenous peoples in both Cree and English; and J. Michael MacDonald, the former chief justice of Nova Scotia. Here is the full list of people named to the Order of Canada: Companions of the Order of Canada: W. Ford Doolittle - Halifax, Nova Scotia John Paul Manley - Ottawa and Rideau Lakes, Ont. Officers of the Order of Canada Fabrice Pierre Brunet - Montréal Tom Tak Kin Chau - Toronto Alan Charles Evans - Montreal Cheryl Forchuk - Brantford, Ont. F. Stuart Foster - Toronto Donald William Hayley - Peachland, B.C. Bonnie J. Fraser Henry - Victoria David Alexander Jones - Ottawa Maureen Anne McTeer - Ottawa John Theodore Nolan - Garden River, Ont. Peter Leon Rosenbaum - Hamilton, Ont. Saroj Saigal - Hamilton, Ont. Adel S. Sedra - Waterloo, Ont. Mike Stevens, Point Edward, Ont. Theresa Tam - Ottawa Miriam Toews - Toronto David Norman Weisstub - Montréal Tonya Williams - Toronto and Los Angeles Karim Zaghib - Longueuil, Que. Members of the Order of Canada Bruce Alexander Anderson - Ottawa Ronald Bisson - Ottawa Marc-André Blanchard - Montréal Earl Raphael Bogoch - Toronto Jacques Bouchard - La Malbaie, Que. Ronald Joseph Bourgeois - Halifax Jackson Maurice Brodsky - Saskatoon Brian Bronfman - Montréal Freda Lang Browns - Montréal Alexandra Bugailiskis - Oakville, Ont. Roy Keith Byram - Marsh Lake, Yukon Donald Wilfred Campbell - Vancouver Michel Cardin - Riverview, N.B. Brian Anthony Crane - Ottawa Col. Michel William Drapeau - Orléans, Ont. Marianne Dubuc - Montréal Allison Audrey Eddy - Ottawa Elizabeth Rollins Epperly - Kentville, N.S. Kent Farndale - Port Perry, Ont. Robert Thomas Foster - Edmonton Albert David Friesen - Winnipeg Élise Gravel - Montréal Lorraine Greaves - Vancouver Sky Dancer Louise Bernice Halfe - Saskatoon Kenneth Wayne Hindmarsh - Toronto Paul Hindo - Manotick, Ont. Thomas Peter Caven Irving - West Vancouver, B.C. Milton Israel - Toronto Donald Albert James, Ruth Louise James - North Saanich, B.C. Robert R. Janes - Canmore, Alta. Milos J. Krajny, - Toronto Nathan Leon Leipciger - Toronto Barry Frederick Lorenzetti - Montréal Stephen B. Lucas - North Vancouver, B.C. J. Michael MacDonald - Halifax Sylvain Martel - L'Île-Bizard, Que. Claudette McGowan - Aurora, Ont. Michael Kevin McMahon - Montreal Ashleigh Bernard Molloy - Toronto Kathy Mulder - Winnipeg Glenn Kevin Murphy - Toronto Jacques Parisien - Montréal David F. Pelly - Ottawa Susan Peterson d'Aquino - Ottawa Vincenzo Pietropaolo - Toronto Michel Rabagliati - Montreal George Elliot Rodger - Halifax Regional Municipality Sharon Diane Brown Ross - Halifax Ebonnie Rowe - Toronto Robert William Runciman - Brockville, Ont. Roderick Raymond Senft - Vancouver Mahesh Chandra Sharma - Montréal Georges St-Pierre - Saint-Isidore, Que. Chris G. Tambakis - Toronto Claudette Tardif - Edmonton Homer Chin-nan Tien - Toronto Gilbert Donald Walsh - Peterborough, Ont. Greg Wells - Winterton, N.L. and Los Angeles Timothy Joseph Whelan - Hamilton, Ont. Stephen Adrian White - Moncton, N.B. Ruth Doreen Williams - Kamloops, B.C.
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Political, health leaders among more than 80 new appointees to the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada medals are displayed during an investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — The prime minister's incoming chief of staff and two doctors who led Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic are among 83 appointments to the Order of Canada, being announced today by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. The list includes Marc-André Blanchard, who takes over in July as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff. Blanchard previously worked as a lawyer and as Canada's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. Dr. Theresa Tam, who retired in June as Canada's chief public health officer, will be inducted as an officer of the Order of Canada. Tam became a household name as she led the country's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Bonnie Henry, who led British Columbia's pandemic response as the provincial health officer and is heading its public health response to the drug overdose crisis, joins Tam among the new appointees at the officer level. More than 8,200 people have been appointed to the Order of Canada since its creation in 1967. Many are national household names including politicians, musicians, actors and writers. Many others are awarded for their contributions at a more local level to multiple fields, including science, medicine, education and the arts. The latest list includes several politicians, including former finance minister John Manley, who is being promoted to the companion level after initially being inducted as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2009. Companion is the highest level within the order, followed by the officer level, which are both generally awarded for contributions to Canada as a whole, or 'humanity at large.' A member of the Order of Canada recognizes distinguished service to a specific community or within a specific field. Maureen McTeer, a lawyer and author who has worked on gender issues and health guidelines, will be appointed as an officer. McTeer, who is married to former prime minister Joe Clark, is currently a visiting professor in the faculty of common law at the University of Ottawa. Canadian writer Miriam Toews and opinion researcher Bruce Anderson were also named to the Order of Canada. '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,' Simon said in a statement released with the list. 'Together, they inspire us to strive for greatness and to foster a future filled with hope and possibility.' Others appointed to the Order of Canada include biologist Ford Doolittle, musician Gilbert Donald Walsh, former senator Claudette Tardif and poet Louise Bernice Halfe, whose Cree name is Sky Dancer. Genealogist Stephen White received an honorary appointment. The governor general is expected to take part in Canada Day celebrations at Lebreton Flats Park on Tuesday, where she will preside over an Order of Canada ceremony, investing five people whose appointments were announced before today. The inductees being announced today will be invested in ceremonies to be scheduled at a later date. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
CBC
21-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
National vaccine registry needed amid measles resurgence, Canada's outgoing top doctor says
As Dr. Theresa Tam retires as Canada's top doctor, she's calling for a national vaccine registry. Tam says the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020 and killed at least 60,000 Canadians, showed how badly one is needed to track vaccines and protect vulnerable communities. A national vaccine registry, she says, could help prevent and manage crises like the resurgence of measles that the country now faces. Tam says she's in favour of a "nationally interoperable network of vaccine registries" that connects all of the provincial and territorial health systems and helps identify pockets of the population where there is poor vaccine coverage. While the majority of measles cases so far have occurred in communities that are historically under-vaccinated, she told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's White Coat, Black Art, "we don't actually know exactly where the situation with vaccine coverage lies." Tam spoke to Goldman from Ottawa for a feature interview reflecting back on her career as the country's chief public health officer. The pandemic proved that the technology for a registry is there, she says, given that almost all provinces and territories made COVID-19 vaccine records available electronically during that time. Although it was the pandemic that made her both a household name — and a target for hate — Tam came to the role of top doctor three years earlier, in June 2017, after occupying a series of other leadership positions within the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), including deputy chief. She has also served as an expert on a number of World Health Organization committees. WATCH | Dr. Theresa Tam on facing personal attacks during the pandemic: Leading Canada's public health response to COVID-19 was as much a personal challenge as it was a professional one, given Tam was also on the receiving end of racist and sexist vitriol during that time. "What I try to do, certainly at the time and even now, is just to focus on the job that I'm trying to deliver," she said. Those attacks were even harder on her staff — those monitoring the channels where the messages would come in, and who tried, as much as possible, to shield her from the worst of it, Tam says. "And one member of my staff used to also read me the incredibly lovely cards and messages that the public sent to encourage me to carry on. It was like the antidote to the other messages as well. So that really helped." One of Tam's provincial counterparts, Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health in Nova Scotia, says he has "huge respect for Dr. Tam." "Certainly working with her during COVID, we were all kind of in this kind of team together. Having her leading us as chief medical officers was a real pleasure and a privilege." Getting cross-Canada support for registry The challenge with getting a network of vaccine registries operating to help with measles and other infectious disease crises in future, Tam says, lies in getting all of the jurisdictions to sign on and co-operate to make their systems speak to one another. "There's in fact quite a lot of work on the way right now to develop those agreements with the provinces, as well as the more technical aspects of this," she said. A national registry, she says, will make things "so much easier" for public health departments, doctors, patients and parents. "That's the most important thing, that you will know whether your kids got the vaccine and that your health provider can have that information as well." Strang says there's agreement on the principle, but "the devil is always in the details." There are a number of groups, including PHAC, working to get the federation to do a better job of sharing health data, he says. "There's certainly support and agreement amongst the chief medical officers and public health leaders of this being a priority," Strang said. But Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a Toronto family physician and researcher, says she suspects political considerations are behind some of the provinces "literally hoarding their medical data." "When politics stands in the way of science moving forward or health being prioritized, it becomes a serious, potentially life-threatening problem," said Gorfinkel, who is also the founder of PrimeHealth Clinical Research. Some provincial governments may be afraid voters will dislike sharing their health data, she says. But that shouldn't be a factor, given how easy it is to remove identifying details from the information so no one apart from an individual and their health-care provider knows their vaccine status, Gorfinkel says. We're already paying a heavy price — in lives and dollars — for not having a national registry, she says. "First, there's a tremendous waste of vaccines," Gorfinkel said. We saw that during COVID-19, she says, when Canada over-bought vaccines and struggled to administer them before they expired, eventually drawing international criticism for doing so while other parts of the world went without. In the case of the measles outbreaks, she says, "if we don't know where those are happening and we can't ship vaccines to where they're most needed, then what that means is we're not going to make the best use of the vaccines we have." And, of course, people and health systems pay when hospitals fill with people who have become ill from vaccine-preventable illnesses, Gorfinkel says. Looking abroad Other countries have made this work, among them Sweden, France, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. In Norway, for example, a national registry that began in 1995 and at first tracked only routine childhood vaccinations, was expanded in 2011 to require mandatory reporting for all vaccines and age groups. Gorfinkel says some of these countries better embrace the sentiment that "what happens to my neighbour does affect me." Public health expert Amir Attaran, a vocal critic of Tam and PHAC during the pandemic, says far more could have been done at the federal level to get a national registry in place in this country, too. WATCH | Tam on why Canada needs better real-time health data: A professor in the faculties of law and school of epidemiology and public health at the University of Ottawa, Attaran says infectious disease experts like Tam have known since the SARS outbreak in 2003 that the country was woefully unprepared to properly track and respond to an outbreak due to poor data sharing. "And because of the experience of SARS in Canada, we should have been very switched on about this," said Attaran, who holds both a law degree and a PhD in biology. He says Canada's Statistics Act empowers the federal government to "require the provinces to cough up statistics," and that's exactly what public health data is. Canada's public health culture is self-defeating, Attaran says, because it recognizes the necessity of accurate and timely data but proceeds "under this false assumption that you can't get those data unless everybody agrees and everybody's happy with it. And then you fail to put in the political energy to bring about that consensus by agreement or coercion." Masking controversy While the pandemic highlighted the need for a national vaccine registry to manage outbreaks better, it also exposed challenges in public health communication. One of the most debated issues was masking. Attaran was among those who said Tam bungled the advice around masking in the earlier stages of the pandemic, for example. "Early in the pandemic, she told people, 'No, you don't need to mask,'" he said. Yet by then the virus had been identified as SARS-CoV-2, and we'd already learned from the 2003 SARS crisis that it required masking, he says. But in Nova Scotia, Strang says, the information scientists were working with early on suggested the virus behaved like an influenza, which spread through droplets, not aerosols. "We don't recommend widespread masking, necessarily, for everybody for influenza." Tam says public health leaders "need to do a better job in explaining to people how the scientific information are coming through, how we analyze it and how we turn them into guidance."
