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National Order of Quebec

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The National Order of Quebec (French: Ordre national du Québec) is an order of merit bestowed by the government of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was instituted by the government of Premier René Lévesque, and is one of the most prestigious honours in Quebec and French America. It is awarded in three classes:

  • Grand officer (grand officier) (GOQ)
  • Officer (officier) (OQ)
  • Knight (chevalier) (CQ)

The Order is partly inspired by the French Legion of Honour.

Description

The Order was created by law on June 20, 1984, by the National Assembly of Quebec. It is conferred upon men and women born or living in Quebec (but non-Quebecers can be inducted as well) for their outstanding achievements. The law states that nominations may also be made posthumously. The law also grants the Premier of Quebec the exclusive privilege of nominating non-Quebecers. Non-Quebecers inducted into the order are often honoured for a loyal friendship to Quebec, helping to increase its international profile, or for defending the French language.

The insignia are delivered during ceremonies at the Salon Rouge in the Parliament Building, the former home of the Legislative Council of Quebec. Exceptions are made when inductees cannot be present (notably for some non-Quebec nominations).

Council

The Council of the National Order of Quebec (Conseil de l'Ordre national du Québec), elected by and amongst the members of the Order, is mandated to short-list candidates based on the results of calls for nomination published in daily and weekly newspapers in Quebec. The Council’s suggestions are given to the premier, who submits them to Cabinet for final approval.

File:ONQ Bouchard Vigneault.jpg
Lucien Bouchard gives the insignia to Gilles Vigneault.

Recipients

Many people have been inducted into the National Order of Quebec since its inception in 1984. The following are some of the best-known recipients.

Quebec inductees

Grand officer

File:ONQ Landry Deschamps.jpg
Bernard Landry gives the insignia to Yvon Deschamps.

Officer

Knight

Non-Quebec inductees

File:ONQ Landry Depardieu.jpg
Bernard Landry gives the insignia to Gérard Depardieu.

Grand officer

Officer

Knight

See also