individual is worthy of the distinction. Nominations are received by the Chancellery of Honours, which will then open a file and conduct thorough research into each nomination. For this process, peers, colleagues and Members of the Order are consulted and the results are sent to the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada. 3 The Council is a diverse and independent body that is chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada. The Council will review and vote on the nominations. If a consensus by the Council supports the individual’s appointment, the Council Chair will recommend this individual to the Governor General. The Chancellery of Honours will then contact the recipient to confirm his/her agreement to the appointment. As final confirmation, the Governor General signs the Instrument of Appointment. 4 Twice a year, those being appointed at each level are invited to an investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall – the official residence of the Governor General – in Ottawa, or at La Citadelle du Quebec. At this ceremony, they receive an insignia, typically from the Gov-ernor General. The insignia is snowflake-shaped, with a maple leaf in its centre, and is mounted on a red and white ribbon. It is in-scribed with the Order’s motto, “Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam” meaning “They desire a better country.” (This motto is Biblical in origin – it is taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, Chapter 11, verse 16.) 5 On the insignia, over the maple leaf and inscription, is St. Edward’s Crown – originally constructed in 1661 and slightly modified over time, the crown is the headpiece currently worn by the reigning monarch. 6 To date, more than 5000 people have been invested into the Order. 7 this honour a year, of which 150 or less are appointed – there were 70, in June. It’s awarded to individuals for outstanding efforts in their field and it is this man’s effort that is worth recognition. He clearly thinks very strategically about how to make the great -est influence possible within our social structure. By researching a tangible path for which scientific arguments for the chiropractic profession could be made more visible to the Canadian public, Dr. Gotlib has been able to reach out and improve health for all of Canada by making chiropractic more accessible, acknowledged and apparent.” Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF) director and chair of funding allocation Dr. Don Nixdorf also comments: “Dr. Gotlib’s appointment speaks to at least two matters. The first is the recognition of his outstanding personal character and many achievements. The second is the value of the outcome of his dedi-cation that has facilitated partnerships for necessary health-care research that flourish through the inclusion of chiropractic doctors at universities across Canada. This research capacity benefits all Canadians and the chiropractic profession.” WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THIS HONOUR? The process of choosing those to appoint to the Order of Canada requires consideration and scrutiny by delegates from a num-ber of levels, and from various sectors, within Canadian society and government. As well, a list of appointees, with reasons for appointment, is posted on the website of the Governor General and investiture ceremonies are publicized across the country on television, radio and the Internet. On top of this, much is writ-ten about appointments in regional and national newspapers and magazines. Therefore, when an individual achieves appointment, their work and their dedication to Canadian society in general, become widely known and upheld as model initiatives. It is no surprise, then, that Canadians consider it an honour to be appointed to the Order. Furthermore, those groups with which appointees are affiliated are pleased about their member’s achieve-ment, both for the credit it brings to the individual and, by exten-sion, for the recognition it confers on the group at large. A CHIROPRACTOR AMONG THEM The most recent list of individuals to be appointed to the Order of Canada was announced on June 29, 2012 and includes a doctor of chiropractic. This DC is Dr. Allan Gotlib. Dr. Gotlib was ap-pointed a Member in recognition of his contributions to advanc-ing research in the chiropractic profession and its interprofessional integration. Understandably, he is quite pleased about being ap-pointed. And, behind him, there is a profession that is not only proud of him, but excited about the significance of a DC’s rise to this honour. As Dr. John Triano, dean of graduate education and research at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in To-ronto, notes: “There are roughly 600-800 total nominations for www.canadianchiropractor.ca WHO IS DR. ALLAN GOTLIB? First of all, Dr. Allan Gotlib is a chiropractor. A graduate of the CMCC chiropractic program, he practiced in Toronto until 1995. As suggested above, his renown within the profession has to do with his dedication to research, and specifically, to bringing DCs into high-quality interprofessional environments where they have the opportunity to conduct world-class research. Due to his unre-lenting commitment to this goal, his work has resulted in the es-tablishment of research chairs and professorships for chiropractic researchers in prominent university settings in almost every prov-ince in the country. This has the potential to put chiropractors on the cutting edge of health science while making chiropractic more accessible to the Canadian public. Dr. Drew Potter, president of the CCRF notes, “Allan’s vision of creating chiropractic research chairs and professorships in Ca-nadian Universities, and his commitment to that goal, is a testa-ment to his tenacity in enhancing the credibility of the chiroprac-tic profession. The announcement by the Governor General of Canada of the appointment of Dr. Allan Gotlib to the Order of Canada heralds a monumental milestone in Allan’s career and in the recognition of the importance of Chiropractic Research and in-terprofessional integration in the scientific world. I am convinced that receiving this prestigious award will encourage Dr. Gotlib to continue to strive to increase our research capacity. Our profession is extremely fortunate in having a person of such stature at the forefront of our research initiative.” CMCC president, Dr. Jean Moss, notes, “CMCC is tremendously proud to see a graduate being recognized for such a prestigious honour as the Order of Canada. “Dr. Gotlib has created a heightened interest in research which plays a vital role in the development of the chiropractic profession. This is an inspiration to our students and assists us in fostering an interest in scientific inquiry among them. In fact, Dr. Gotlib’s work in facilitating chiropractic chairs and professorships in universities across Canada stimulated CMCC to create its own Research Chair, the McMorland Family Research Chair in Mechanobiology.” Dr. Gotlib has held a number of research-related roles within the profession. He has been the editor of the Journal of the Cana -dian Chiropractic Association (JCCA), a peer-reviewed scholarly Canadian ChiropraCtor | SEPTEMBER 2012 • 9
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