Selection process

What are the differences in the three ranks of the Ordre?
Before a person can be promoted, that is, move to a higher rank in the Ordre, must a certain number of years go by?
Québec appointments – How (and by whom) are candidates selected for induction into the Ordre?
Foreign appointments – How (and by whom) are candidates selected for induction into the Ordre?

What are the differences in the three ranks of the Ordre?

The difference in the three ranks reflects primarily the level and scope of the individual’s achievements and the elements that help build a collective mindset, universal thought processes and sustainable humanism.

Knight	Officer	Grand Officer
Work in progress	Work nearing completion	Work accomplished or completed
Exceptional discovery or approach	Discovery or approach with major repercussions	Series of lasting discoveries or approaches that will stand the test of time
Exemplary activity in a specific field	Activity of international scope in one or more fields	Activity significantly exceeding what is considered the norm, from all viewpoints

Before a person can be promoted, that is, rise to a higher rank in the Ordre, must a certain number of years go by?

No. But a promotion may recognize only new merits, dating from after the previous rank was awarded.

Unlike some foreign orders, members are not promoted by seniority in the Ordre.

Québec appointments – How and by whom are candidates selected for induction into the Ordre?

Candidates are nominated by the general public, following an annual public call for nominations. Then, the Board of the Ordre, composed of nine members, selects the most exceptional nominees and informs the Premier of Québec of its choices. There is no set number of individuals to be chosen (either overall or for each of the three ranks of the Ordre). The number of people chosen annually is slightly over 30.

Every year, usually in September, a public call for nominations is published through Québec’s online news services. To nominate someone, simply download the nomination form.

Note. – The selection of candidates is based on various aspects, and in particular:

a social, charitable, or religious engagement;
entrepreneurial activities that sustainably contribute to growth and job creation;
leading technological and scientific achievements injecting new impetus or resulting in promising innovations or discoveries;
an engagement to bring cultures, communities, generations, or individuals closer together;
the promotion of Québec’s image abroad;
a constancy of engagement and strong moral character.

Foreign appointments – How and by whom are candidates selected for induction into the Ordre?

In virtually all cases, these nominations come from different government departments and agencies. They are then forwarded to the Office of the Premier of Québec, which rules on their relevance.

Note. – It may be justifiable to submit the candidature of a specific individual for one of the following reasons:

this person has played a significant role in Québec’s visibility and position in the world;
he or she has contributed to Québec’s vitality and wealth, especially through the quality and frequency of the relationships he or she has created and fostered from a political, socioeconomic, cultural, or scientific perspective;
he or she has demonstrated considerably more responsibility or greater skill than what society would have expected from him or her;
he or she has carried out activities that have been a great benefit to society;
he or she has produced remarkable performances or activities of particular value to society;
he or she has the distinction of having successfully completed a long-term endeavour that reflects an exemplary accomplishment of his or her duties.

Last update: March 7, 2016
Online as of: September 27, 2011

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