About the Ordre de Montréal

Montreal values at heart

The Ordre de Montréal, which is marked with nobility and prestige, recognizes 17 prominent personalities each year, following a public call for nominations. Recipients of the honour have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following ways, regardless of their area of activity:

• Decisive contribution to the development of Montréal
• Notable contribution to the national or international reputation of Montréal
• Exemplary commitment to the community
• Exceptional professional achievements

Eligibility criteria

The honours are intended for both native Montrealers and those who have chosen Montréal as their adoptive city. Nominees must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be born on the territory of the Montréal urban agglomeration
• Reside or have resided within this same territory for at least 5 years
• Carry out or have carried out professional activities within this same territory for at least 5 years

To learn more

Three ranks

As is customary, the Ordre de Montréal includes different ranks. Persons invested in the Ordre receive a medal and title from among three possible ranks and they are entitled to place after their names the initials corresponding to their title. The three ranks are, in descending order:

Assigning of ranks: The council of the Ordre de Montréal is tasked with reviewing the nominations and recommending annual admissions to the appropriate rank, based on the scope of the nominees’ achievements.

Number of ranks awarded per year: Except where justified, the yearly number of titles awarded to both newly admitted members and members named to a higher rank is as follows:

• Three commanders
• Six officers
• Eight knights

Nomination to a higher rank: A member of the Ordre may be nominated to a higher rank. A minimum of five years must have passed since the awarding of the most recent medal.

Presentation ceremony and its diffusion

Recipients are presented with their insignia at an official ceremony at city hall. The event is held each year on May 17, the date of the founding of Montréal.

The presentation of the insignia is accompanied by a certificate bearing the seal of the Ordre. Recipients' names are then written in calligraphy in the Ordre’s Golden Book.

Each recipient is entitled to one page on the website, detailing his or her contributions and achievements.

Large-format photos of each recipient are also displayed at city hall along the route taken by guided tours.

From Great Montrealer to Member of the Ordre

The Ordre de Montréal was launched on May 17, 2016 by the Mayor of Montréal, Denis Coderre, in the presence of elected officials representing the city council and urban agglomeration council, as well as Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

The Ordre took over from the Academy of Great Montrealers, which was created in 1988 by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, which itself had taken over an initiative by Canadian National (CN) introduced in 1978.

From 1978 to 2014, approximately 100 Montrealers have been recognized for their involvement in the city’s cultural, scientific, economic and social life.

Out of respect for this outstanding legacy, these individuals have been admitted officially as members of the Ordre de Montréal in December 2016 at a special ceremony to mark the launch of Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations.

Timeline

With the exception of 2016, the major activities of the Ordre follow the same sequence: announcement of the 17 recipients for the current year; annual presentation ceremony; display of photos of the recipients; call for nominations for the coming year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no new members have been received in The Ordre de Montréal in 2021.