National Order of Quebec

The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is an order of merit in Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Governor Jean-Pierre Côté granted royal assent to the Loi sur l'Ordre national du Québec (National Order of Quebec Act), the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour current or former Quebec residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described as the highest honour in Quebec. In 1986, the order was expanded to include honorary membership for people outside Quebec.

Structure and appointment
Although the National Order of Quebec was established with the granting of royal assent by Quebec's lieutenant governor and the Canadian sovereign is the fount of honour, the viceroy does not, as in other provinces, form an explicit part of the organization. Instead, the monarch's representative is related to the order only by virtue of his or her place in council, collectively termed the government of Quebec, to which the constitution of the Order of Quebec makes specific reference.

The order contains three grades, each with accordant post-nominal letters and place in the Canadian order of precedence for honours, decorations, and medals. They are, in descending hierarchical order:


 * Grand Officer (grand officier/grande officière; GOQ)
 * Officer (officier/officière; OQ)
 * Knight (chevalier/chevalière; CQ)

Nominations to the National Order of Quebec are sought in Quebec's daily and weekly media publications and are directed to the Council of the National Order of Quebec, elected by and amongst the members of the order for a period of three years and headed by a president elected by the council for two years. This body is mandated to short-list candidates and forward their suggestions to the Governor-in-Council. Any person born, living, or who has lived in Quebec, save for anyone serving as a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, is eligible to be nominated and names may be submitted posthumously. The Cabinet may also, without the input of the Council of the National Order of Quebec, put forward the names of non-Quebecers for appointment as honorary members. Promotion through the grades is possible for both substantive and honorary members. Admission recognizes conspicuous meritorious actions that improve or support Quebec and/or its language and culture.

Insignia
Upon admission into the Order of Quebec, members are presented with various insignia of the organization—a medallion, miniature, and button. All are administered by the Regulations for the Insignia of the National Order of Quebec and were designed by Madeleine Dansereau, who was inspired by the heraldic elements of the provincial flag, notably the colours of blue and white used on the order's ribbon and the fleur-de-lis. The badge of a Grand Officer consists of two 18kt gold plates, in the shape of a cross formed by two 60 mm by 40 mm arms, symmetrically superimposed atop one another 4 mm apart, the obverse face a high-polish, rusticated surface; at the lower left corner is a white enamel fleur-de-lis. On the reverse of the badge is inscribed the order's motto—Honneur au peuple du Québec (homage to the people of Quebec)—and a serial number at the base of the vertical bar. The badge for Officers is of a nearly identical design, but made of arms 50 mm long by 25 mm wide, the obverse plate in 18k gold with an applied gold fleur-de-lis, and the rear in sterling silver. Knights have a medal with a 40 mm diameter, brushed silver medallion with a symmetrically placed, etched cross with arms 30 mm long by 20 mm wide and filled with a highly polished, rusticated surface; a gold fleur-de-lis is mounted at the lower, left side of the cross. Each member will also receive miniature versions of their insignia, identical in appearance save for size: those for all grades being 18 mm wide in each direction or in circumference. A lapel pin is also used for wear on casual civilian clothing. Male members wear their emblems suspended from a 38 mm wide ribbon, at the collar for Grand Officers and Officers, and on a vertical ribbon on a medal bar on the left chest for Knights; women Grand Officers and Officers wear their insignia on a ribbon bow pinned at the left shoulder, and female Knights carry their medals in the same fashion as the men. The ribbon for miniatures is 18 mm wide.

The regulations of the National Order of Quebec stipulate that the premier presents new inductees with their insignia, either on the National Holiday of Quebec or another day during the National Week. The ceremony takes place in the Salon Rouge of the parliament building in Quebec City, though exceptions are sometimes made when inductees cannot be present (notably for some non-Quebecer appointments). The insignia remain property of the Crown in Right of Quebec and must be returned upon a holder's cessation of membership in the society, whether by death or dismissal.

Inductees
The following are some notable appointees into the National Order of Quebec:

Grand Officer

 * Jean Victor Allard, Chief of the Defence Staff, appointed 1985
 * Marcel Bélanger, economist, appointed 1974
 * Jean Béliveau, hockey player, appointed 2010
 * Lucien Bouchard, 27th Premier of Quebec, appointed 2008
 * Robert Bourassa, 22nd Premier of Quebec, appointed posthumously 2008
 * Jean Campeau, politician and businessman, appointed Grand Officer in 1990
 * Leonard Norman Cohen, singer-songwriter, appointed 2008
 * Maurice Couture, Archbishop of Quebec 1990–2002, appointed 2003
 * Robert Després, businessman, appointed 2003
 * Jean Drapeau, mayor of Montreal, appointed 1987
 * Marcelle Ferron, painter and stained glass artist, appointed 1992
 * Gérard Filion, newspaper director, appointed 1989
 * Armand Frappier, researcher, appointed 1985
 * Paul Gérin-Lajoie, appointed Officer in 1987 and Grand Officer in 1998
 * Phil Gold, scientist, physician, appointed Officer in 1989 and Grand Officer in 2019
 * Emmett Johns, Canadian priest and humanitarian, appointed 2003
 * Daniel Johnson Jr., 25th Premier of Quebec, appointed 2008
 * Pierre-Marc Johnson, 24th Premier of Quebec, appointed 2008
 * Phyllis Barbara Lambert, architect and philanthropist
 * Bernard Landry, 28th Premier of Quebec, appointed 2008
 * Charles Philippe Leblond, scientist, professor, appointed Grand Officer in 2001
 * Félix Leclerc, singer-songwriter, appointed 1985
 * Jean Paul Lemieux, painter, appointed posthumously 1997
 * René Lévesque, 23rd Premier of Quebec, appointed posthumously 2008
 * Martin Brian Mulroney, 18th Prime Minister of Canada, appointed 2002
 * Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker, First Nations activist, appointed 2016
 * Jacques Parizeau, 26th Premier of Quebec, appointed 2008
 * Jean-Paul Riopelle, painter, appointed Officer in 1988 and Grand Officer in 1994
 * Ethel Stark, violinist and conductor, appointed 2003
 * Charles Taylor, philosopher, appointed 2003
 * Jean Vanier, philanthropist, theologian, founder of L'Arche, appointed 1992
 * Gilles Vigneault, singer-songwriter, appointed Knight in 1985 and Grand Officer in 2000

Officer

 * Yves Beauchemin, novelist, appointed 2003
 * Laurent Beaudoin, businessman appointed 1990
 * Francesco Bellini, research scientist and entrepreneur, appointed 2004
 * Daniel Borsuk, plastic surgeon, appointed 2019
 * Michel Brault, filmmaker, appointed 2003
 * Boris Brott, conductor, appointed 2014
 * Solange Chaput-Rolland, appointed 1985
 * Jean Coutu, businessman, appointed 1993
 * Richard Cruess, orthopaedic surgeon and academic, appointed 2003
 * Bernard Derome, news anchor, appointed 2006
 * Céline Dion, singer, appointed 1998
 * Léon Dion, author, teacher, intellectual, appointed 1990
 * Fernand Dumont, author, intellectual, appointed 1992
 * Marie-Hélène Falcon, dance and theatre, appointed 2003
 * Denise Filiatrault, playwright, actor, appointed 2000
 * Anne Hébert, writer, appointed 1985
 * Larkin Kerwin, physicist, appointed 1988
 * Lucia Kowaluk, community activist, appointed 2014
 * Louis Laberge, union leader, appointed 1988
 * Normand Laprise, chef and author, appointed 2009
 * Robert Lepage, playwright, filmmaker, appointed 1999
 * Monique F. Leroux, businesswoman, appointed 2012
 * Jean-Louis Lévesque, entrepreneur, philanthropist, appointed 1991
 * Vincent Lemieux, professor and political scientist, appointed 2003
 * André Melançon OQ, actor, screenwriter and film director, appointed 2013
 * Gaston Miron, poet, appointed 1996
 * Ted Moses, aboriginal chief, appointed 2002
 * Louise Otis, judge, appointed 2003
 * Denise Ouellet-Grenier, director of the L'Ordre national du Québec until 2001, appointed 2003
 * Lise Payette, politician, writer, appointed 2001
 * Pierre Péladeau businessman, appointed 1989
 * Louise Penny, author, appointed 2017
 * Hubert Reeves, astrophysicist, appointed 1994
 * Maurice Richard, hockey player, appointed 1985
 * Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, appointed 1992
 * Mary Two-Axe Earley, women's rights activist, appointed 1985
 * Jacques Villeneuve, racing driver, appointed 1998

Knight

 * Jacques Amyot, long-distance swimmer, appointed 2001
 * Denys Arcand, filmmaker, appointed 1990
 * Frédéric Back, animator, appointed 1989
 * Alice Benjamin, appointed 1993
 * Sylvie Bernier, Olympic diver, appointed 1985
 * Ferdinand Biondi, radio broadcaster, appointed 1985
 * Neil Bissoondath, author, appointed 2010
 * Denise Bombardier, journalist, appointed 2000
 * Claire Bonenfant, president of the Quebec Status of Women Council, appointed 1991
 * Émile Bouchard, hockey player, appointed 2008
 * Gaétan Boucher, speed skater, appointed 1985
 * Isabelle Boulay, singer, appointed 2012
 * Pierre Bourque, mayor of Montreal, appointed 1993
 * Françoise David, social and feminist activist, appointed 1999
 * Yvon Deschamps, comedian, appointed 2001
 * Jean Duceppe, actor, appointed 1985
 * Diane Dufresne, singer and painter, appointed 2002
 * Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, NFL player, appointed 2019
 * Gad Elmaleh, comedian, appointed 2017
 * Marc Favreau, actor, appointed 1995
 * Jean-Pierre Ferland, singer-songwriter
 * Madeleine Ferron, writer, appointed 1992
 * Daniel Germain, philanthropist, appointed 1997
 * Jacques Godbout, writer and filmmaker, appointed 1998
 * Marc-André Hamelin, pianist
 * Otto Joachim, composer, musician, painter, appointed 1993
 * Roland-Benoît Jomphe, poet, appointed 1987
 * Oliver Theophilus Jones, pianist, organist, composer and arranger, appointed 1994
 * Pauline Julien, singer-songwriter, appointed 1997
 * Madeleine Juneau, museologist, teacher, nun, appointed 2017
 * Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, appointed 1985
 * Françoise Labbé, artist, appointed 1997
 * Jacques Lacombe, conductor, appointed 2012
 * Jacques Lacoursière, historian, appointed 2002
 * Guy Lafleur, hockey player, appointed 2005
 * Guy Laliberté, appointed 1997
 * Mario Lemieux, hockey player, appointed 2009
 * Michel Lemieux, performance artist and theatre director, appointed 2014
 * Édouard Lock, dancer, appointed 2001
 * Louis Lortie, pianist, appointed 1998
 * Norman McLaren, animator and filmmaker, appointed 1985
 * Julie Payette, astronaut, appointed 2000
 * Oscar Peterson, jazz musician, appointed 1991
 * Chantal Petitclerc, wheelchair athlete, Canadian senator, appointed 2005
 * Samuel Pierre, professor, appointed 2009
 * Victor Pilon, director, theatre designer, visual designer and photographer, appointed 2014
 * Luc Plamondon, songwriter, appointed 1990
 * Jean-Louis Roux, actor and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, appointed 1989
 * Hubert Sacy, General manager of Éduc’alcool, appointed 2010
 * Pierre Théberge, Museum director
 * Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, engineer, appointed in 2005
 * Michel Tremblay, playwright and author, appointed 1991
 * Alain Trudel, conductor and trombonist, appointed 2019
 * Jesús Carles de Vilallonga, painter, appointed 2011
 * Denis Villeneuve, director and screenwriter, appointed in 2019
 * Paul Zumthor, medievalist and literary historian, appointed 1992

Honorary Grand Officer

 * Charles Dutoit, conductor, appointed 1995
 * François Hollande, President of France, appointed 2014

Honorary Officer

 * Raymond Barre, Prime Minister of France, appointed 1986
 * Jacques Chirac, President of France, appointed 1987
 * Jim Douglas, Governor of Vermont, appointed 2010
 * Michel Drucker, television host, appointed Knight 2001, Officer 2010
 * Laurent Fabius, Prime Minister of France, appointed 1986
 * Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister of France, appointed 1998
 * Alain Juppé, Prime Minister of France, appointed 1996
 * Antonine Maillet, Acadian writer and playwright, appointed 1990
 * Nana Mouskouri, Greek singer, appointed 2013
 * Alain Peyrefitte, French politician, appointed 1998
 * Jordi Pujol, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, appointed 1996
 * Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime Minister of France, appointed 2003
 * Michel Rocard AC,, Prime Minister of France, appointed 2000
 * Philippe Séguin, President of the French National Assembly, appointed 2000
 * Edmund Stoiber, Minister-President of Bavaria, appointed 2003
 * Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga GCB,, President of Latvia, appointed 2006

Honorary Knight

 * David Azrieli, architect, appointed 1999
 * Gérard Depardieu, actor, appointed 2002, removed from order 2023
 * Bernard Pivot, television host, appointed 2001