Order of Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia
The Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian
honour
for merit in the Canadian province
of Prince Edward Island
. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor
Gilbert Clements
, on the advice
of the Cabinet
under Premier
Catherine Callbeck
, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council
and is intended to honour current or former Prince Edward Island residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the Prince Edward Island Crown
.
who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, having made "remarkable contributions to the social, economic and cultural life of [Prince Edward Island] and its people." Although Canadian citizenship is not a requirement, those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office, and only three people per year may be inducted into the order.
The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Advisory Council of the Order of Prince Edward Island, which consists of the Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island, the President of the University of Prince Edward Island
, the Clerk of the Executive Council, and two Members of the order from each of the province's three counties. This committee then makes its selected recommendations to the Cabinet, which vets the list and passes it on to the lieutenant governor. Posthumous nominations are not accepted, though an individual who dies after his or her name was submitted to the Honours and Advisory Council can still be retroactively made a Member of the Prince Edward Island. The lieutenant governor, ex officio a Member and the Chancellor of the Order of Prince Edward Island, then makes all appointments into the fellowship's single grade of membership by an Order in Council that bears the viceroyal sign-manual
and the Great Seal of the province; thereafter, the new Members are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
OPEI.
in Charlottetown
, new Members are presented with the order's insignia. The main badge, called the Medal of Merit, consists of a gold
roundel medallion, the obverse in enamel
bearing at its centre the escutcheon of the arms of Prince Edward Island
, all surrounded by a blue collar with the words MERIT • PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The ribbon is patterned with vertical stripes in green, white, and rust, reflecting the colours of the province's foliage and oxidized
soil; men wear the medallion suspended from this ribbon at the collar, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow at the left chest. Members will also receive for wear on casual clothing a lapel pin, appearing as a smaller version of the Medal of Merit.
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
honour
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
for merit in the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
Gilbert Clements
Gilbert Clements
Gilbert Ralph Clements, is a Canadian retired politician and the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island.Born in Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in 1970 representing 4th Kings. He was re-elected in 1974, 1979,...
, on the advice
Advice (constitutional)
Advice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Especially in parliamentary systems of government, Heads of state often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
of the Cabinet
Executive Council of Prince Edward Island
The Executive Council of Prince Edward Island is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
under Premier
Premier of Prince Edward Island
The Premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive.The current Premier of Prince Edward Island is Robert Ghiz.-See also:...
Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Sophia Callbeck is a Canadian politician and a current member of the Senate of Canada.She was the 28th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996, the second female provincial premier in Canadian history, and the first to win a general election Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July...
, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
and is intended to honour current or former Prince Edward Island residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the Prince Edward Island Crown
Monarchy in Prince Edward Island
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Prince Edward Island as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy...
.
Structure and appointment
The Order of Prince Edward Island is intended to honour any current or former long time resident of Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, having made "remarkable contributions to the social, economic and cultural life of [Prince Edward Island] and its people." Although Canadian citizenship is not a requirement, those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office, and only three people per year may be inducted into the order.
The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Advisory Council of the Order of Prince Edward Island, which consists of the Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island, the President of the University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...
, the Clerk of the Executive Council, and two Members of the order from each of the province's three counties. This committee then makes its selected recommendations to the Cabinet, which vets the list and passes it on to the lieutenant governor. Posthumous nominations are not accepted, though an individual who dies after his or her name was submitted to the Honours and Advisory Council can still be retroactively made a Member of the Prince Edward Island. The lieutenant governor, ex officio a Member and the Chancellor of the Order of Prince Edward Island, then makes all appointments into the fellowship's single grade of membership by an Order in Council that bears the viceroyal sign-manual
Royal sign-manual
The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...
and the Great Seal of the province; thereafter, the new Members are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
OPEI.
Insignia
Upon admission into the Order of Prince Edward Island, in a ceremony held at Government HouseGovernment House (Prince Edward Island)
Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, as well as that in Charlottetown of the Canadian monarch...
in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, new Members are presented with the order's insignia. The main badge, called the Medal of Merit, consists of a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
roundel medallion, the obverse in enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
bearing at its centre the escutcheon of the arms of Prince Edward Island
Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island
The coat of arms of Prince Edward Island was begun when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted in 1905 by royal warrant of the King Edward VII.-History:In the chief of the shield is the lion passant of England...
, all surrounded by a blue collar with the words MERIT • PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The ribbon is patterned with vertical stripes in green, white, and rust, reflecting the colours of the province's foliage and oxidized
Redox
Redox reactions describe all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed....
soil; men wear the medallion suspended from this ribbon at the collar, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow at the left chest. Members will also receive for wear on casual clothing a lapel pin, appearing as a smaller version of the Medal of Merit.
Inductees
Appointees into the Order of Prince Edward Island include:- Angèle ArsenaultAngèle ArsenaultAngèle Arsenault, is an acclaimed Canadian-Acadian singer, songwriter and media host.- Early life :Arsenault was born to Acadian parents in Abrams Village, Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1943. She was the eighth child out of fourteen children. She grew up surrounded by music because this medium...
, appointed 2005 - Reverend Éloi Arsenault , appointed 2004
- Georges Arsenault , appointed 2003
- Leone BagnallLeone BagnallFlora Minnie Leone Bagnall, is a farmer, teacher and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island.She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 1979 provincial election, representing the 1st Queens district. She was re-elected in 1982, 1986...
, appointed 2005 - Chief Darlene Bernard , appointed 2008
- J. Léonce BernardJ. Léonce BernardJoseph Gérard Léonce Bernard, is an Acadian-Canadian politician, who was the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, the third Island Acadian to hold this position....
, appointed 2001 - Reverend Dr. F.W.P. Bolger , appointed 2004
- Marlene Bryenton , appointed 1998
- Garnet Rankin Buell , appointed 2008
- Marie Burge , appointed 1998
- Dr. Sheldon Cameron , appointed 2006
- Reverend Charles Cheverie , appointed 1996
- Gilbert R. ClementsGilbert ClementsGilbert Ralph Clements, is a Canadian retired politician and the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island.Born in Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in 1970 representing 4th Kings. He was re-elected in 1974, 1979,...
, appointed 1996 - Donald M. DeaconDonald DeaconDonald MacKay Deacon, OC, O.PEI, MC was a Canadian politician, businessman and volunteer.Deacon was born and raised in a family of ten children in Toronto, Ontario. In 1942, he volunteered to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, rising to the rank of Captain...
, appointed 2003 - Sister Mary Deighan , appointed 1997
- Dr. George DewarGeorge DewarLloyd George Dewar, CM, O.PEI was a Canadian physician and politician.Born in New Perth, Prince Edward Island, the son of John A. Dewar and Laura MacPhee, he studied at Prince of Wales College and graduated with an M.D. from Dalhousie University in 1943. During World War II, he was a member of the...
, appointed 1996 - Anna Duffy , appointed 2002
- Edith Eldershaw , appointed 1999
- Dr. Kent Ellis , appointed 1996
- J. Henri Gaudet , appointed 2000
- Allan Graham , appointed 2002
- Barbara Oliver HagermanBarbara Oliver HagermanBarbara Oliver Hagerman, OPEI is a distinguished Canadian music teacher and performer and was the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island...
, appointed 2006 - Nancy Ann Hamill , appointed 2008
- James Hogan , appointed 1996
- Arthur Hudson , appointed 2000
- Derek Key , appointed 2005
- Frank Ledwell , appointed 2006
- Dorothy Lewis , appointed 2006
- H. Frank Lewis , appointed 2011
- Charles Linkletter , appointed 1997
- William MacLean , appointed 2007
- Dr. John H. Maloney , appointed 2001
- Maylea Manning , appointed 2001
- Shirley McGinn , appointed 2000
- Barbara McNeill , appointed 2004
- Ray Murphy , appointed 2007
- Dr. Hubert O'Hanley , appointed 1999
- Marion Loretta ReidMarion Loretta ReidMarion Loretta Reid, CM, O.PEI is a former Canadian politician, the first female Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, and the 24th as well as first female, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island...
, appointed 1996 - Antoine Richard , appointed 1998
- Helen Robbins , appointed 2007
- Paul H. Schurman , appointed 1999
- Helen Stewart MacRae , appointed 1997
- Ulric Poirier , appointed 1996
- Kay Wall , appointed 2001
- Elmer Williams , appointed 2002
- Noel Wilson , appointed 2003
See also
- Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)Canadian order of precedence (Decorations and Medals)The following is the Canadian order of precedence for decorations and medals. Where applicable, post-nominal letters are indicated.-Awards of valour:-National orders:-Provincial orders:-National decorations:-National medals:...
- Symbols of Prince Edward IslandSymbols of Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is one of Canada's provinces, and has established several provincial symbols.-Symbols:...
- State decorationState decorationState decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a state. International decorations are similar, but are not granted by a specific nation but rather an international organization....