Drs. Bonnie Henry and Theresa Tam have been appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of their role in the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.British Columbia's chief health officer and her former national counterpart were among the 83 people on this year's list.Tam, who left her position as Canada's chief public health officer on June 20 after eight years of service, was lauded for her "commitment to health equity," and "leadership," with the Governor General's office adding that over her decades-long career, she has "striven to advance global and national public health as a pediatric infectious disease specialist and public servant."Henry, who has held her position since 2014, was given similar praise, with the Governor General's office noting that she "has been using her expertise in public health and preventive medicine to safeguard the health of people in Canada and globally for decades."Her roles as author, scholar, and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia were also mentioned.While many have expressed gratitude for Tam and Henry's handling of the pandemic, the pair have also faced their fair share of criticism, namely for their role in enforcing the restrictions on movement and activity in their respective jurisdictions..There are three tiers to membership in the Order of Canada. Companion is the highest level of recognition, followed by Officer, and then Member. Both Tam and Henry were named as Officers. Only two people — evolutionary and molecular biologist Ford Doolittle, and former MP John Paul Manley — were given the highest honours, though for the latter, it was a promotion within the Order.The Order of Canada was created in 1967 to pay gratitude for "outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation." It as recognized nearly 8,000 people "in all sectors of society" from coast to coast to coast.
