Montreal, May 5 2017 - The Montréal Executive Committee as its weekly meeting approved on the recommendation of the Mayor of Montréal, Denis Coderre, the nomination of the 17 Montréal personalities who will receive the Ordre de Montréal medal on May 17, 2017.

“It is with great emotion and pride that I am announcing today the names of the first 17 recipients of the Ordre de Montréal, who will be celebrated next May 17, date of the founding of Montréal. These distinguished personalities are part of the prestigious line of Great Montrealers who have been welcomed into the Ordre last December and who have made Montréal a dynamic city that is open to the world and enjoys the most sought-after talents in a variety of fields,” said Mayor Coderre.

As an important legacy of Montréal’s 375th anniversary, the Ordre de Montréal is the city’s highest distinction. It recognizes exceptional men and women who contribute in a remarkable way to the development and reputation of Montréal. Starting this year, this distinction will be given each year to 17 Montrealers on May 17, following a call for candidates carried out the previous fall.

The recipients will receive a medal and a title in one of the following categories: commandeur-commandeure (commander) (3), officier-officière (officer) (6) and chevalier-chevalière (knight) (8).

The recipients are:

Three women will receive the title of commandeure, the highest distinction of the Ordre de Montréal. They are: Alanis Obomsawin, Jacqueline Desmarais and Sheila Kussner. The title of officier-officière will be given to Dany Laferrière, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Françoise Sullivan, Dinu Bumbaru, A. Karel Velan and Jean Davignon. The title of chevalier-chevalière will be given to Manon Barbeau, Michel de la Chenelière, Michelle Dawson, Ashok Vijh, Joanne Burgess, Yvan Allaire, France Labelle and Pierre Côté.

A prestigious council

Some 100 application files were examined with the utmost rigour by the members of the Ordre de Montréal council on the basis of scope, originality and impact of the achievements of the nominees on society. Co-presided by Louise Arbour and Bernard Voyer, this prestigious council is made up of personalities involved in various fields, including: Sophie Brochu, Bernard Descôteaux, Cadleen Désir, Odile Joannette, Laurent McCutcheon, Jan- Fryderyk Pleszczynski and Cathy Wong.

About the Ordre de Montréal

The Ordre de Montréal was created on May 17, 2016, as a legacy to the city’s 375th anniversary. The Ordre de Montréal takes over from the Académie des Grands Montréalais, which was created in 1988 by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, which itself had taken over an initiative by the Canadian National introduced ten years earlier. From 1978 to 2014, approximately 100 Montrealers were recognized for their involvement in the city’s cultural, economic and social environments. Out of respect for this outstanding legacy, these personalities were admitted officially as members of the Ordre de Montréal in December 2016 at a special ceremony to mark the launching of Montréal’s 375th anniversary.

The Ordre de Montréal medal is part of the city’s official symbols, in the same way as the city flag and coat of arms. It is presented as an elegant family of insignias, whose material and size vary according to rank. The medal was designed by Jacques Desbiens, industrial designer and winner of the first prize following the call for creation of the Ordre de Montréal medal, which was launched in 2015 by the city’s Bureau de design.

The Ordre de Montréal medal ceremony will take place on May 17, 2017, at     2 p.m., and will be broadcast live on the Web. To learn more about the Ordre de Montréal, please visit: ville.montreal.qc.ca/ordre/en.