OTTAWA — A significant change has occurred concerning appointments to the Order of Canada, the nation’s most prestigious civilian honor. Recently, two individuals have been stripped of their memberships due to serious criminal convictions. The first is Peter Dalglish, a former humanitarian worker from London, Ontario, who gained recognition for founding the charity Street Kids International in 1995. In 2016, he was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
Dalglish’s reputation was tarnished when he was convicted in 2019 for the sexual abuse of two boys, aged 11 and 14, in Nepal. His arrest occurred in 2018 at a mountain home he had constructed in a village located east of Kathmandu. As a result of the conviction, he received a sentence of nine years and seven years for each count, which are to be served concurrently. Despite his conviction, Dalglish maintained his innocence, claiming that the police investigation and subsequent trial were unjust, with his legal team referring to the proceedings as a “travesty of justice.”
The second individual to lose his position within the Order of Canada is Jacques Lamarre, who held the titles of president and CEO at the engineering firm formerly known as SNC-Lavalin, now recognized as the AtkinsRéalis Group. Lamarre was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005. However, in January 2026, Quebec’s engineering order revoked his engineering license and imposed a fine of $75,000 after determining that he had committed acts of corruption.
His corrupt activities were primarily associated with his leadership tenure at the Montreal-based engineering firm from 2001 to 2009. The infractions included the unlawful distribution of financial benefits in exchange for contracts in Libya, amounting to approximately $2 million directed to the family of the infamous dictator, Moammar Gadhafi. Following the ruling from the regulatory body’s disciplinary council, Lamarre expressed his dissatisfaction, labeling the decision as both unfair and unreasonable. He had already retired from his engineering career and publicly resigned from the Order of Canada in August 2025.
A formal notice regarding the termination of their appointments was published on Friday in the Canada Gazette, which serves as the federal government’s official newspaper. The action was officially sanctioned by Governor General Mary Simon, with the terminations taking effect on April 15, 2026. This decision highlights the rigorous standards maintained for receiving the Order of Canada, emphasizing that serious criminal offenses will not be tolerated among its members.
The implications of these removals from the Order of Canada stress the significance of accountability and ethical conduct, particularly for individuals who hold prominent public and professional roles. As the nation navigates the complexities surrounding honorific titles and public expectations, the actions taken against Dalglish and Lamarre resonate as a strong message regarding upholding integrity within society.
