Indigenous author and activist, Raptors president, prolific songwriter joining Order of Canada

Advocates, artists and entertainers number among the 85 new appointees to the Order of Canada this year.

Considered one of Canada's highest civilian honours, the Order of Canada is meant to recognize people who make "extraordinary contributions to the nation," according to the Governor General of Canada's website.

The order is divided into three levels — companions, officers and members. Companion is the highest level; there can be no more than 165 living companions at any time.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announced the new appointees in a press release on Friday.

One of the new companions is former Supreme Court justice Clément Gascon, who served on Canada's top court for five years.

While his appointment acknowledges his contributions to Canadian law, it also takes note of his work to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Gascon went missing one evening in May 2019, causing local police to issue an alert asking for help in finding him. He was later found unharmed. Gascon later attributed his disappearance to depression and anxiety.

"For over 20 years, I have been dealing with a sometimes insidious illness: depression and anxiety disorders," Gascon said in a media statement at the time. He was praised for his open and frank comments about mental illness.

He retired from the court in September 2019 and received a Canadian Bar Association award in 2022, in part for his advocacy on mental health issues.

Jeannette Armstrong is one of the officer appointees for this year.

Armstrong is an associate professor at UBC, the Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous knowledge and the author of what is considered to be the first novel written by a First Nations woman in Canada — Slash.

Published 35 years ago, the story follows a