This article is about the list of precedence for medals, honours, and post-nominals. For the order of precedence for Canadian dignitaries, see
Canadian order of precedence.
The order of wear for decorations and medals of Canada is published by the Governor General of Canada.[1]
Awards of valour
National orders
| Ribbon |
Honour |
Post-nominal letters
|
|
Member of the Order of Merit
|
OM
|
|
Companion of the Order of Canada
|
CC
|
|
Officer of the Order of Canada
|
OC
|
|
Member of the Order of Canada
|
CM
|
|
Commander of the Order of Military Merit
|
CMM
|
|
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces
|
COM
|
|
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
|
CVO
|
|
Officer of the Order of Military Merit
|
OMM
|
|
Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces
|
OOM
|
|
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order
|
LVO
|
|
Member of the Order of Military Merit
|
MMM
|
|
Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces
|
MOM
|
|
Member of the Royal Victorian Order
|
MVO
|
|
Bailiff/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. John
|
GCStJ[n 1]
|
|
Knight/Dame of the Order of St. John
|
KStJ/DStJ[n 1]
|
|
Commander of the Order of St. John
|
CStJ[n 1]
|
|
Officer of the Order of St. John
|
OStJ[n 1]
|
|
Member of the Order of St. John
|
MStJ[n 1]
|
- ^ a b c d e Postnominal letters for this order are only used within the order itself.
Provincial orders
Territorial orders
| Ribbon |
Honour |
Post-nominal letters
|
|
Member of the Order of Nunavut
|
ONu
|
|
Member of the Order of the Northwest Territories
|
ONWT
|
|
Member of the Order of Yukon
|
OY
|
National decorations
| Ribbon |
Honour |
Post-nominal letters
|
|
Recipient of the Star of Military Valour
|
SMV
|
|
Recipient of the Star of Courage
|
SC
|
|
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross (military division)
|
MSC
|
|
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross (civilian division)
|
MSC
|
|
Recipient of the Medal of Military Valour
|
MMV
|
|
Recipient of the Medal of Bravery
|
MB
|
|
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal (military division)
|
MSM
|
|
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
|
MSM
|
|
Recipient of the Royal Victorian Medal
|
RVM
|
National decorations not included in order of precedence
The Royal Victorian Chain a personal award of the monarch that is of high status, but does not confer on the recipient any title or post-nominal letters, nor is it included in the order-in-council setting out the order of precedence for the wear of honours, decorations, and medals.
National medals
National medals not included in order of precedence
Certain national medals are recognized as a part of the Canadian honours system but are not included in the Order in Council that sets out the precedence of honours, decorations, and medals in Canada.
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Memorial Cross
|
War and operational service medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Korea Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea
|
|
Recipient of the Gulf and Kuwait Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Somalia Medal
|
|
Recipient of the South-West Asia Service Medal
|
|
|
Recipient of the General Campaign Star
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recipient of the General Service Medal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recipient of the Operational Service Medal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special service medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Special Service Medal with Bars[n 1]
- Pakistan 1989-90
- Alert
- Peace/Paix
- NATO/OTAN
- Humanitas
- Ranger
- Expedition
- Distantia
|
|
Recipient of the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
|
- ^ Bars worn with first earned nearest the medal; when ribbon is worn, a silver, gold or red maple leaf is worn to show a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or subsequent bar.
|
United Nations medals
United Nations medals not included in order of precedence
Certain United Nations medals are recognized as a part of the Canadian honours system but are not included in the Order in Council that sets out the precedence of honours, decorations, and medals in Canada.
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the UN Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan & Pakistan
|
North Atlantic Treaty Organization medals
International mission medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the International Commission for Supervision and Control Medal; Indo-China, 1954–1973
|
|
Recipient of the International Commission of Control and Supervision Medal; Vietnam, 1973
|
|
Recipient of the Multinational Force and Observers Medal; Sinai, 1982-
|
|
Recipient of the European Community Monitor Mission Medal; Yugoslavia, 1991-
|
|
Recipient of the International Force East Timor Medal; 1999-2000
|
|
Recipient of the European Security and Defence Policy Service Medals
|
Polar and Volunteer medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Polar Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers
|
Commemorative medals
Long service and good conduct medals
| Ribbon |
Honour |
Post-nominal letters
|
|
Recipient of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal
|
|
|
Recipient of the Canadian Forces' Decoration
|
CD
|
Exemplary service medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Police Exemplary Service Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Corrections Exemplary Service Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal
|
|
Recipient of the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal
|
Special medals
| Ribbon |
Honour
|
|
Recipient of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot
|
Other decorations and medals
| Ribbon |
Honour |
Post-nominal letters
|
|
Recipient of the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
|
OMC
|
|
Recipient of the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery
|
|
|
Recipient of the Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery
|
|
|
Recipient of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal
|
SVM
|
|
Recipient of the Ontario Provincial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
|
|
|
Recipient of the Service Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
|
|
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Recipient of the Commissionaires Long Service Medal
|
|
|
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Recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Bravery Award
|
|
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Recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer Service Medal
|
|
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Recipient of the British Columbia Fire Services Bravery Medal
|
|
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Recipient of the British Columbia Fire Services Long Service Medal
|
|
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Recipient of the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
|
|
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Recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal
|
|
|
Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal[a]
|
|
- Commonwealth orders (approved by the King-in-Council)
- Commonwealth decorations (approved by the King-in-Council)
- Commonwealth medals (approved by the King-in-Council)
- Foreign orders (approved by the King-in-Council)
- Foreign decorations (approved by King-in-Council)
- Foreign medals (approved by the King-in-Council)
There are a number of honours and medals administered by provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, which are not on the list, such as the Order of Polaris, membership in which is awarded by the government of Yukon's Transportation Hall of Fame. This means that they are not part of the Canadian honours system and their insignia must be worn on the right side of the chest, similar to organizational medals granted by the Royal Canadian Legion or the Canadian Cadet Organizations.
British awards granted prior to 1 June 1972
Any person who, prior to June 1, 1972, was a member of a British order or the recipient of a British decoration or medal may wear the insignia of the decoration or medal together with the insignia of any Canadian order, decoration or medal that the person is entitled to wear, the proper sequence being the following:
Orders and decorations
War and operational service medals
Special service medals
Order of Precedence as set out above in current precedence
United nations medals
Order of Precedence as set out above in current precedence
International Commission and Organizational medals
Order of Precedence as set out above in current precedence
Polar medals
The order of precedence is the date on which they are awarded.
Commemorative medals
Long service and good conduct medals
Exemplary service medals
Order of Precedence as set out above in current precedence
Special medal
- Recipient of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot
Other decorations and medals
Order of Precedence as set out above in current precedence
Note—Canadians can still be awarded British Medals as well as Medals from other countries but they must first be approved by the Government of Canada. (See Nickle Resolution) These items are worn at the end of the current order of precedence, and one receiving a British Order, Decoration or Medal after 1 June 1972 will abide by the normal order of precedence, not the one catered to pre-1972 awardings.
See also
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial orders
- List of Canadian awards
- Commonwealth realms orders and decorations
- Canadian Forces order of precedence
- 1946 New Year Honours (Canada)
- 2017 Canada Day Honours
- 2018 New Year Honours (Canada)
- 2018 Canada Day Honours
- 2019 New Year Honours (Canada)
- 2019 Canada Day Honours
- 2020 New Year Honours (Canada)
Notes
- ^ The lieutenant governors-in-council of six provinces created commemorative medals for the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. These medals were added to the order of precedence on November 3, 2022 by an Order-in-Council, ranking below the Alberta Centennial Medal.[2]
Citations
References
- Elizabeth II (29 June 1988), Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals Directive, 1998, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original on 22 January 2010, retrieved 2 December 2009
- Department of National Defence, Sequence for Wearing Orders, Decorations and Medals (PDF), Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 14 November 2014
- Office of the Governor General of Canada, Wearing of Orders, Decorations and Medals (PDF), Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-02, retrieved 3 December 2009
- P.C. 2002-1192 dates 3 Nov 2022
External links
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| Awards of valour | |
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| National orders | |
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| Dynastic orders | |
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| Provincial orders | |
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| Territorial orders |
- Order of the Northwest Territories
- Order of Nunavut
- Order of Yukon
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Other decorations and medals | |
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| Canadian honours lists |
- 1946
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
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- 2025
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