Veterinarian Recipients of the Order of Canada

The CVMA proudly acknowledges veterinarians who have received the Order of Canada. This recognition highlights the vital role veterinarians play through their contributions both within and beyond the field of veterinary medicine.

The Order of Canada was created in 1967 and is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, presented by the Governor General. It recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Recipients exemplify the Order’s motto: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM, which means “They desire a better country”.

Please note: This list will be kept up-to-date, and we ask that any omissions be notified to admin@cvma-acmv.org.

Levels of Order of Canada

Companion - Recognizes outstanding achievement and merit of the highest degree, especially in service to Canada or to humanity at large.

Officer - Recognizes achievement and merit of a high degree, especially service to Canada or to humanity at large.

Member - Recognizes distinguished service in or to a particular community, group or field of activity.

Veterinarian Recipients of the Order of Canada
Name	Level	Year Awarded	Biography
Kenneth Leslie Mould	Member	2024	Kenneth Mould has enhanced Canadian veterinary health care. A small animal specialist, he founded and remains president of the Canadian Animal Blood Bank, which helps ensure a reliable source of high-quality blood products across the country. Former president of the Manitoba and Canadian veterinary medical associations, he supports local and national nature conservation efforts.
Brian Ross Evans	Member	2024	Brian Evans is Canada’s first chief food safety officer and the country’s second-longest-serving chief veterinary officer. Praised for his leadership during the 2003 bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak, he played a key role in the establishment of Canada’s Council of Chief Veterinary Officers. A long-time proponent of One Health, he also contributed to the creation of the Canadian Veterinary Reserve, Veterinarians Without Borders (Canada), and the Canadian Embryo Transfer Certification program.
Carlton Lloyd Gyles	Officer	2024	Carlton Gyles has made profound contributions to veterinary microbiology. An internationally recognized E. coli expert, he has published seminal studies that have led to new vaccines, improved infection control, and a safer food supply. Professor emeritus at the Ontario Veterinary College, he helped the school achieve its status as a top training centre worldwide.
Lorne Henry Hepworth	Member	2023	Lorne Hepworth is a champion of Canadian agriculture. At the helm of CropLife Canada, he encouraged the use of science and technology in farming, ensuring safe, sustainable food for Canadians. Through visionary stewardship programs, he elevated the organization’s global standing and promoted partnerships for industry-wide initiatives. His constant advocacy of research is reinforced by his leadership roles at Genome Canada, the Global Institute for Food Security, and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.
David Waltner-Toews	Officer	2022	A veterinarian and epidemiologist, David Waltner-Toews has studied and promoted the health and well-being of animals, humans and ecosystems. As founding president of Veterinarians without Borders–Canada and advocate for its international counterpart, and a founding member of the Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health–Canada, he was an early proponent of interdisciplinary approaches to dealing with complex environmental, social and health issues. A true renaissance man, this University of Guelph professor emeritus has also authored 13 non-fiction books and 2 novels, as well as 8 collections of poetry.
Fredrick (Ted) Leighton	Officer	2021	Ted Leighton has expanded the reach of the veterinary profession. A pathologist and a professor emeritus at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, he has uncovered wildlife health challenges linked to habitat loss, climate change, species extinction and emerging diseases. His leadership was instrumental in the development of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, an internationally renowned network dedicated to disease surveillance and research. Throughout his career, he has been a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation and its crucial role in preserving sustainable ecological stability.
Elizabeth (Betsy) McGregor	Member	2021	Elizabeth McGregor is a champion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Recognized as a powerful proponent for gender mainstreaming, she has worked with the federal government to craft public policy on science, ethics and human rights, and her groundbreaking research on civil liberties has brought her to the United Nations in Asia and Europe. Her forays into politics and her commitment as an author, mentor and facilitator continue to inspire and empower women and youth to enter leadership roles in science, politics and public service.
Ian Robert Dohoo	Member	2018	Ian Robert Dohoo is recognized as a world-leading figure in veterinary epidemiology. His research and contributions have led to improved health protection for both animals and humans in Canada and abroad. Through his efforts, the Atlantic Veterinary College of the University of Prince Edward Island has become a globally renowned institution; as professor emeritus, he is highly regarded as an influential mentor to the next generation of specialists in the field.
Niels Ole Nielson	Member	2016	Ole Nielsen is a pioneer of veterinary education in Canada. As the former dean of both the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Ontario Veterinary College, he shaped the field’s curriculum and focus of research like no other. His early championing of the now commonly accepted “One Health” model placed our institutions at the vanguard of disease prevention by studying animal and human health together. He recently played a key role in establishing the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary.
Norman Willis	Member	2014	For his leadership in veterinary science and for his contributions to the development of national research centres that study disease vectors between animals and humans. Norman Willis’ contributions to veterinary science have led to improved health protection for both animals and humans in Canada. He held senior positions at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, where he helped shape national policy on animal health and led international trade negotiations. He led the conception and design of a groundbreaking maximum biocontainment laboratory for animal and human health in Winnipeg, now a world leader in research on avian influenza. He has also served as the president of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Otto M. Radostits	Member	2003	Otto Radostits has had a profound influence on the veterinary profession. During a career spanning over four decades, he edited and authored a number of definitive textbooks on large animal medicine and served as a mentor to generations of students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Dedicated to food safety and animal welfare, he has been a prominent advocate of biosecurity practices among livestock owners to prevent the spread of disease. In addition, his wise counsel on the issues facing veterinary medicine has been sought after nationally and internationally.