Hockey legend Yvan Cournoyer has been appointed to the Order of Canada, while soccer star Christine Sinclair has been promoted to a companion rank, alongside actor and Parkinson’s advocate Michael J. Fox and dozens of other newly honoured Canadians.
For Canadian sport and beyond, the week began with a familiar kind of recognition: a national honour delivered with weight, not hype.
Rideau Hall announced Friday that Yvan Cournoyer, one of the Montreal Canadiens’ defining figures, is being appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada. The 82-year-old won 10 Stanley Cups across 16 seasons with the Habs, finishing his career in 1979.
Cournoyer skated in 968 games for Montreal, earned the nickname “Roadrunner” for his legendary speed, and built a record of 428 goals and 435 assists. His hockey legacy was later cemented with Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1982.
In soccer, Christine Sinclair’s name moved to a higher rung of the same honour. The star is being promoted to a companion of the Order of Canada, with Rideau Hall describing her as “one of the most influential athletes in Canadian history.”
Her citation from governor general Mary Simon says Sinclair “is a powerful advocate for the advancement of women’s sport and has inspired generations of athletes globally.”
Michael J. Fox is also being promoted within the Order of Canada. The actor and Parkinson’s advocate has worn the white pin for 16 years. since he was first named an officer of the Order of Canada. and will soon be able to upgrade to the red version of the snowflake-shaped insignia as he moves to companion status—an order rank whose living membership is capped at 180.
On a video call from New York, Fox spoke about the pin and what it represents to him. “My intrinsic Canadianism is a bigger part of me than my relationship with the States,” he said. He added that he wears the pin on talk shows. to meet friends—naming fellow Canadian New Yorkers Martin Short and Lorne Michaels as people who make sure he has it—and even when he accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Fox, now 65, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at age 29. Parkinson’s is classified as a movement disorder. tied to brain cells that stop working or die when producing dopamine; the disease can cause tremor. stiffness and slowness. or problems walking and moving. and it is also linked to depression. memory problems and other symptoms not directly related to movement.
After his diagnosis, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which funds research and spreads awareness about the varying experiences of people living with Parkinson’s. The foundation has raised $2.5 billion for the cause so far.
He described the early days of advocacy as feeling like he was waiting for rescue: “There was a feeling when I first got involved of being kind of on an island, waiting for the boat to come save us. They said: don’t look for a boat, build a boat and take it where we want it to go.”
Fox said he decided he would only take parts that integrate his Parkinson’s symptoms into the roles. In 2023, he released “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” a documentary chronicling his life in Hollywood and his experience with Parkinson’s disease. Earlier this year. he also had an arc on “Shrinking. ” the Apple TV Plus show. with a storyline about a therapist played by Harrison Ford who is diagnosed with Parkinson’s. In that series, Fox’s character talks about having the disease and what Ford’s character can expect. “In both cases, Fox says, he pushed his advocacy to another level. In the last year, it was … the advocate and the actor coming together,” the remarks captured.
Rideau Hall said Fox’s promotion is for his “powerful global advocacy and unflinching honesty about Parkinson’s.”
The broader list of recognitions is also wide. Among 61 people newly appointed to or promoted within the Order of Canada are journalist Stephanie Nolen and infectious disease specialist Caroline Quach-Thanh. It’s the last tranche of members chosen by Mary Simon. who was succeeded in the role earlier this month by Louise Arbour.
Other names announced include Niv Fichman, a film producer and founder of Rhombus Media, whose credits include “The Red Violin” and “BlackBerry.” Children’s TV producer Roger Damon Price is also a newly minted member of the Order of Canada.
Charlie Watt. a former senator and influential Inuk leader. is among those honoured. and he said receiving the award is something he can be proud of for the rest of his life. Watt founded both the Northern Quebec Inuit Association and the Makivvik Corp. and he played an important role in negotiating the landmark James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement—Canada’s first modern land claim agreement.
Through hockey speed, women’s football influence, and advocacy shaped by a diagnosis, the honours landed with the same message: Canadian achievement can take many forms, but it carries the same national gravity.
Order of Canada Yvan Cournoyer Christine Sinclair Michael J. Fox Parkinson's Rideau Hall Mary Simon Louise Arbour Canadian sports