Newswire | Order of Canada Appointees in the Arts – June 26, 2026

Niv Fichman, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario

A veteran producer and founder of Rhombus Media, Niv Fichman has shaped Canadian cinema for nearly five decades. His acclaimed films, including The Red Violin, Enemy and BlackBerry, have earned global recognition and major awards. A visionary and mentor, he continues to champion excellence in film and television.

Alison Mary Keith, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario

Alison Keith has transformed the study of Latin epic through her groundbreaking work on gender and genre. University of Toronto classics professor and director of the Jackman Humanities Institute, she is also an acclaimed author, mentor and leader who advances classical scholarship globally through innovative research, teaching and service to major academic societies.

Loreena McKennitt, O.C., O.M., C.D.
Stratford, Ontario

Loreena McKennitt has enriched and represented Canadian culture at home and abroad through her music. She has championed artists, supported military families as an honorary colonel, and fostered community through the Falstaff Family Centre and Wise Communities Stratford. Her leadership in public dialogue, reconciliation efforts and civic engagement have strengthened Canada.

This is a promotion within the Order.

Stephanie Nolen, O.C.
Halifax, Nova Scotia

A distinguished journalist and author, Stephanie Nolen has reported from more than 80 countries, exposing inequities in health, conflict and social justice. Renowned for her groundbreaking HIV-AIDS coverage in Africa, she has earned major national and international awards, and has written acclaimed books on AIDS, art history, and women’s roles in the space race.

Duke Redbird, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario

Duke Redbird, an Elder and member of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, has been a defining voice in Indigenous arts and thought for more than 60 years. Through poetry, visual art and spoken word, he highlights the enduring bond between people and the land, and has influenced creators, educators and communities across Canada and beyond.

Grover Timothy Whiten, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario

Tim Whiten, a major figure in contemporary Canadian art, has spent five decades exploring spirituality, transformation and the human condition through sculpture, drawing, performance and multimedia installation. Widely exhibited and held in major collections, his work continues to inspire profound reflection. He also shaped generations as a long-time York University professor.

Members

Vicki Adams Willis, C.M.
Calgary, Alberta

Vicki Adams Willis is a leader in jazz dance. She has pushed the art form forward while simultaneously rediscovering and promoting the authentic roots of the genre. Co-founder and long-time artistic director of Calgary’s Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, she has advanced the arts sector in Canada and beyond with her profound and groundbreaking contributions.

Philip David Boothe Akin, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario

Philip Akin, a trailblazing actor, director and cultural force, has shaped stage and screen for more than 50 years. At a time when there were few Black performers on Canadian television, he inspired many. Notably, he co‑founded Obsidian Theatre, through which he championed Black artists and reshaped Canada’s theatrical landscape for future generations.

Chris Cran, C.M.
Calgary, Alberta

A transformative force in the Calgary visual arts community, Chris Cran has shaped generations of artists through his innovative explorations of painting. Blending traditional genres with pop-cultural sources, he playfully disrupts perception. A celebrated exhibitor, mentor, teacher and advocate, he has profoundly enriched Canada’s artistic landscape.

Christopher Gaze, C.M., O.B.C., M.S.M.
Vancouver, British Columbia

Christopher Gaze is a visionary arts leader whose career spans five decades of performance, education and advocacy. As founding artistic director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, he built it into a major cultural force, championed youth outreach, and strengthened British Columbia’s arts community through mentorship, public engagement and dedication.

Duane Michael Gibson, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario

Duane D. O. Gibson is a globally recognized Guinness World Record-setting hip-hop artist, author and educator whose empowering music, books and youth programs have reached over 4 000 schools. Founder of Stay Driven, he motivates students nationwide through messages of resilience, leadership, literacy and positive decision‑making, blending artistry with meaningful social impact.

Brenda Kamino, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario

Brenda Kamino is a distinguished actor whose career spans 50 years and more than 100 stage, television and screen productions. A champion of equitable representation who advocates non-traditional casting, she expanded opportunities for marginalized artists and transformed diversity in Canada’s performing arts. A beloved mentor, she is the co-producer of the Renaissance Canadian Theatre Company.

Clarence LeBreton, C.M.
Caraquet, New Brunswick

Acadian historian and public servant Clarence LeBreton has advanced cultural preservation and regional development in New Brunswick through his leadership at the Village Historique Acadien, Aquarium of New Brunswick and within various departments. Engaged author and community builder, he has strengthened French‑language media, organized major commemorations and served on several boards for years in service to the public.

Ryan Bresser Moran, C.M., M.S.C.
Victoria, British Columbia

Ry Moran is a Red River Métis citizen who has amplified Indigenous voices through his leadership in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. As Canada’s first associate university librarian, Reconciliation, at the University of Victoria, he is strengthening ethical stewardship and access to Indigenous historical records.

Nancy Nicol, C.M.
Kingston, Ontario

Nancy Nicol has profoundly advanced human rights through activism and through her groundbreaking documentary filmmaking, research and writing. Her extensive works chronicling decades of 2SLGBTQI+ advocacy in Canada, as well as her leadership of an international participatory research project, have preserved vital queer histories and strengthened global movements for equality, justice and social change.

Roger Damon Price, C.M.
Ottawa, Ontario

Roger Price is a groundbreaking creator of youth television whose influential series reshaped children’s programming. His imaginative storytelling and irreverent humour empowered young audiences and advanced both science fiction and sketch comedy. His legacy endures through continued work with You Can’t Do That Productions in Ottawa and remains widely celebrated.

Jean-François Rivest, C.M.
Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec

Professor Emeritus at Université de Montréal, Jean-François Rivest is well known in Quebec’s musical landscape. This virtuoso violinist and conductor has performed in hundreds of concerts worldwide with some of Canada’s most prestigious ensembles, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. A true mentor, he has launched several youth-centred educational initiatives, including the Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal and École LUMI.

Mary-Deanne Shears, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario

Mary Deanne Shears is a trailblazing journalist whose decisive leadership transformed the Toronto Star. Rising from early reporting roles to become the first woman to serve as managing editor, she shaped groundbreaking journalism, led with authority and integrity, and expanded opportunities for women across Canada’s newsroom landscape.

Verna Caroline Williams, C.M.
Aiyansh, British Columbia

Elder, matriarch and language educator Verna Williams helped revitalize the Nisga’a language and traditional knowledge. Her legacy to the Nisga’a Nation includes contributions to the Nisga’a Language Student Vocabulary Guide and the FirstVoices archive. She is a revered teacher and cultural leader who is ensuring access to the Nisga’a language for future generations.