Ice dancers Virtue, Moir among 114 Order of Canada inductees
The Canadian Press | Posted: November 27, 2020 3:19 PM | Last Updated: November 28, 2020
Olympic medallist Mark Tewksbury also honoured
Figure skating stars Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Olympic champion swimmer Mark Tewksbury were among 114 athletes, artists, scholars and community leaders named to the Order of Canada.
Gov. Gen. Julie Payette's office announced the new honourees Friday morning.
Moir and Virtue catapulted to national stardom with their gold-medal performances at the Winter Olympics in 2018.
They're being honoured for their athletic excellence and for inspiring a new generation of figure skaters.
Tewksbury, who is being named to the top companion rank, won gold in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The 52-year-old Calgary native came out publicly as gay in 1998 and has been an advocate of LGBTQ rights as well as a prominent member of Canada's Olympic movement, serving as chef de mission of the 2012 London Olympic team.
WATCH | A look back at the final Olympic Games for Virtue, Moir:
He is being honoured for athletic excellence and sport leadership, and for championing human rights.
"I had no idea when I won the Olympics so many years ago that it was just the beginning of my journey, not the end," said Tewksbury in a news release from the Canadian Olympic Committee.
"I have never shied away from standing up for what I believe in or for using my voice to speak for those who might not have been able. It is an incredible honour to be appointed Companion of the Order of Canada not just for my sport accomplishments but for my fight for equity, inclusion and human rights for all."
Other inductees include Dr. Sandra Kirby, a rower at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, who is being honoured for her research on athlete harassment and her advocacy for equity, inclusion and safety in sport.
Brian McFarlane of Stouffville, Ont., will be honoured for his contributions to the sport of hockey as a sportscaster, writer and historian, according to the Governor General of Canada website.
Wheelchair basketball coach Tim Frick is also among the inductees. He coached Canada's women's wheelchair basketball team to three straight Paralympic gold medals from 1992-2000 and four straight world championship gold medals from 1994-2006.
He is being honoured for his expertise in coaching and for his contributions to the advancement of parasports in Canada.
The Order of Canada is one of the country's highest civilian honours.