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Order of Nova Scotia

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Order of Nova Scotia
Badge of the order on a bow
Awarded by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia
TypeOrder of merit (provincial)
Founded2 August 2001
EligibilityAny Canadian citizen presently or formerly resident in Nova Scotia, save for politicians and judges while in office.
Awarded forOutstanding contributions or achievements that bring honour and prestige to themselves and to Nova Scotia.
StatusCurrently constituted
FounderMyra Freeman
ChancellorMichael Savage
GradesMember
Post-nominalsONS
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of New Brunswick
Next (lower)Order of Newfoundland and Labrador

Ribbon bar of the order

The Order of Nova Scotia[a] is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The order was implemented through the Order of Nova Scotia Act, which was granted royal assent by Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman on June 1, 2001.[1][2] The order is administered by the Governor-in-Council, and is intended to honour current or former Nova Scotia residents who have demonstrated excellence in any field. The order is thus described as the highest honour amongst all those conferred by the Nova Scotia Crown.[3] The first appointments to the order began in 2002.[4]

Structure and appointment

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The Order of Nova Scotia is intended to honour any current or former longtime resident of Nova Scotia who has demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, having "distinguished themselves in many fields of endeavour and hav[ing] brought honour and prestige to themselves and to Nova Scotia." There are no limits on how many can belong to the order, though inductions are limited to five per year; Canadian citizenship is a requirement, and those who are elected or appointed members of a governmental body are ineligible as long as they hold office.[4]

The process of finding qualified individuals begins with submissions from the public to the Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council, which consists of a person who serves as the chair, appointed by the premier; the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia; the clerk of the executive council and an individual appointed by the clerk; the president of a university in the province; and one person appointed by each of the leaders of the parties in the House of Assembly, all of whom must be reside in Nova Scotia.[5] This committee then meets at least once annually to make its selected recommendations to the executive council and works with that body in narrowing down the potential appointees to a list that will be submitted to the lieutenant governor;[6] posthumous nominations are accepted up to one year following the nominee's death.[7] The lieutenant governor, ex officio a member and the Chancellor of the Order of Nova Scotia, 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;[8] thereafter, the new members are entitled to use the post-nominal letters ONS.[9]

Insignia

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Chancellor's Chain of the Order of Nova Scotia, as worn by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Upon admission into the Order of Nova Scotia, the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia presents in the name of the Crown the order's insignia to the recipient, in a formal ceremony. The main badge consists of a gold medallion in the form of a stylized epigaea repens (or mayflower)—the official provincial flower—with the obverse in white enamel with gold edging, and bearing at its centre the escutcheon of the arms of Nova Scotia, all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown symbolizing the Canadian monarch's role as the fount of honour. The ribbon is patterned with vertical stripes in red, blue, gold, and white; men wear the medallion suspended from this ribbon at the collar, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow at the left chest. Members also receive a lapel pin that can be worn during less formal occasions.[4]

List of recipients

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This is a partial list of notable members of the Order of Nova Scotia:[10]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ French: Ordre de la Nouvelle-Écosse

References

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  1. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2001).
  2. ^ Government of Canada: Biography, The Honourable Myra Ava Freeman.
  3. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 20.
  4. ^ a b c Government of Nova Scotia: Order of Nova Scotia.
  5. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 8.
  6. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 11.
  7. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 14.3.
  8. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 18.
  9. ^ Order of Nova Scotia Act (2007), p. 21.b.
  10. ^ Government of Nova Scotia: Order of Nova Scotia Award Recipients.
  11. ^ CBC News (October 2008).
  12. ^ CBC News (April 2008).
  13. ^ The Chronicle Herald (2008).
  14. ^ Global News (2016).
  15. ^ Toronto Star (2018).
  16. ^ CBC News (2019).
  17. ^ CTV News (2020).
  18. ^ a b c CTV News (2023).
  19. ^ Global News (2023).
  20. ^ a b CBC News (2024).

Sources

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  • Elizabeth II (12 March 2007). "Order of Nova Scotia Act". 17. Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
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