Distinguished Service Award

History

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The men and women who have served in our Parliaments as "unsung heroes", so to speak, are sometimes soon forgotten.

The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians was founded in 1987. In 1999, the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians decided to initiate an annual Distinguished Service Award to recognize one of these former Parliamentarians.

The Distinguished Service Award was initiated under section 7. (e) of Bill C-275 An Act establishing the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians assented to May 29, 1996. Section 7. (e) reads:

The Association has the capacity of a natural person and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the Association may, in furtherance of its objects,

...

(e) give recognition, by such means as it deems appropriate, for outstanding contributions to the promotion and understanding of Canada's parliamentary system of government;

The process and criteria for the Award were developed in consultation with the Honourable John Fraser, the Honourable Bob Rae, and the Honourable Mitchell Sharp. A Selection Committee, headed by the Chairman of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, decides on the recipient based on his or her contribution to public life while in office, and on their continued interest and activity in the promotion of human welfare and parliamentary democracy in Canada and abroad.

The first Award was presented in the Senate by the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament on June 10, 1999. The 2009 recipient was announced during a ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 1, 2009. The next recipient will be announced at the Association’s 2010 Annual General Meeting. Members will be asked to make nominations in advance of the meeting.

Previous Distinguished Service Award recipients are:

1999 - The Honourable John Ross Matheson
2000 - Mr. Stan Darling
2001 - Mr. Douglas M. Fisher
2002 - The Honourable John M. Reid
2003 - Ms. Aideen Nicholson
2004 - Dr. Bruce Halliday
2005 - Mr. J. Roland Comtois
2006 - Mr. Wilton (Willie) Littlechild, I.P.C., C.M., F.P., Q.C.
2007 - The Honourable Jacques Hébert, O.C.
2008 - The Honourable Sheila Finestone, P.C.
2009 - The Honourable Douglas Roche, O.C.
2010 – Keith Penner