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Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)

The following is a list of the order of precedence for Canadian awards and postnominal letters.

Awards of Valour

Canada's two highest awards for Valour go before all others. They are :

Victoria Cross, or Victoria Cross (Canada) (V.C.)
Cross of Valour (C.V.)

Privy Council

Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada use the postnominal letters P.C. before all others as this is an order directly from the Crown.

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honour.

Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.)
Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.)
Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.)

Other National Orders

Commander of the Order of Military Merit (C.M.M.)
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (C.O.M.)
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.)
Officer of the Order of Military Merit (O.M.M.)
Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (O.O.M.)
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (L.V.O.)
Member of the Order of Military Merit (M.M.M.)
Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (M.O.M.)
Member of the Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.)

The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (all grades)

postnominal letters for this order are only used within the order itself

Provincial Orders

National Order of Quebec (Ordre national du Québec)

Grand Officer (G.O.Q)
Officer (O.Q.)
Knight (C.Q.)

Saskatchewan Order of Merit (S.O.M.)
Order of Ontario (O.Ont.)
Order of British Columbia (O.B.C.)
Alberta Order of Excellence (A.O.E.)
Order of Prince Edward Island (O.P.E.I.)
Order of Manitoba (O.M.)
Order of New Brunswick (O.N.B.)
Order of Nova Scotia (O.N.S.)
Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (O.N.L.)

Decorations

War and Operational Service Medals

Korea Medal
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea
Gulf and Kuwait Medal
Somalia Medal
South-West Asia Service Medal
General Campaign Star with Bars

ALLIED FORCE
ISAF+FIAS

General Service Medal with Bars

ALLIED FORCE
ISAF+FIAS

Special Service Medals

Special Service Medal with Bars (see section 2)

Pakistan 1989-90
Alert
Humanitas
NATO/OTAN
Peace/Paix
Ranger

Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal

United Nations Medals

United Nations Medals are displayed in chronological order:

Service (Korea) (1950-54)
Emergency Force (Egypt/Sinai) (1956-67)
Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine (1948- ) and Observer Group in Lebanon (1958)
Military Observation Group in India and Pakistan (1948- )
Operation in Congo (1960-64)
Temporary Executive Authority in West New Guinea (1962-63)
Yemen Observation Mission (1963-64)
Force in Cyprus (1964- )
India/Pakistan Observation Mission (1965-66)
Emergency Force Middle East (1973-79)
Disengagement Observation Force Golan Heights (1974- )
Interim Force in Lebanon (1978- )
Military Observation Group in Iran/Iraq (1988-91)
Transition Assistance Group (Namibia) (1989-90)
Observer Group in Central America ((1989-92)
Iraq/Kuwait Observer Mission (1991- )
Angola Verification Mission (1988-97)
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (1991- )
Observer Mission in El Salvador (1991-95)
Protection Force (Yugoslavia) (1992-95)
Advance Mission in Cambodia (1991-92)
Transitional Authority in Cambodia (1992-93)
Operation in Somalia (1992-93)
Operation in Mozambique (1992-94)
Observation Mission in Uganda/Rwanda (1993-94)
Assistance Mission in Rwanda (1993-96)
Mission in Haiti (1993- )
Verification of Human Rights and Compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (1997-98)
*Mission in the Central African Republic (1998-2000)
*Preventive Deployment Force (Macedonia) (1995-99)
*Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995- )
*Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (Croatia) (1996- )
*Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (1999- )
*Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (1999- )
*Mission in East Timor and Transitional Administration in East Timor (1999- )
*Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1999- )
*Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000- )
Special Service (1995- )
Headquarters

NATO Medals

NATO Medals are displayed in chronological order

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal for the Former Yugoslavia (1992-2002)
NATO Medal for Kosovo (1999- )
NATO Medal for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2001-02)
Article 5 NATO Medal for Operation “Eagle Assist” (2001-02)
Article 5 NATO Medal for Operation “Active Endeavour” (2001- )
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for operations in the Balkans (2003- )

International Mission Medals

International Commission for Supervision and Control Medal, (Indo-China) (1954-74)
International Commission for Control and Supervision Medal, (Vietnam) (1973)
Multinational Force and Observers Medal, (Sinai) (1982- )
European Community Monitor Mission (ECMM) Medal, (Yugoslavia) (1991- )
International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) Medal, (1999- )
European Security and Defence Policy Service (ESDP) Medals

Commemorative Medals

Canadian Centennial Medal (1967)
Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)

Long Service and Good Conduct Medals

R.C.M.P. Long Service Medal
Canadian Forces Decoration (C.D.)

Exemplary Service Medals

Police Exemplary Service Medal
Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service - recognizes service rendered to or in conjunction with the CF by an individual who is not an active member of the CF and that exceeds the expectations of the person's responsibilities.
Corrections Exemplary Service Medal
Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal
Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal
Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal
Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal

Special Medal

Queen's Medal for Champion Shot

Other Decorations and Medals

Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship (O.M.C.)
Ontario Medal for Police Bravery
Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery
Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers
Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal (S.V.M.)
Ontario Provincial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Service Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
Commissionaire Long Service Medal
Newfoundland and Labrador Bravery Award
Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer Service Medal
British Columbia Fire Services Long Service and Bravery Medals
Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
Alberta Centennial Medal

Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) are only awarded in certain provinces in Canada.

Members of the House of Commons

Member of Parliament (M.P.)

Members of Provincial and Territorial Legislatures

Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.)
Member of the Provincial Parliament (Ontario only) (M.P.P.)
Member of the National Assembly (Québec only) (M.N.A)
Member of the House of Assembly (Newfoundland only) (M.H.A.)

British Orders

Any person who, prior to June 1, 1972, was a member of a British order or the recipient of a British decoration or medal may wear the insignia of the decoration or medal together with the insignia of any Canadian order, decoration or medal that the person is entitled to wear, the proper sequence being the following:

Victoria Cross (V.C.)
George Cross (G.C.)
Cross of Valour (C.V.)
Order of Merit (O.M.)
Order of the Companions of Honour (C.H.)
Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.)
Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.)
Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.)
Commander of the Order of Military Merit (C.M.M.)
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (C.O.M.)
Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.)
Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.)
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.)
Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.)
Officer of the Order of Military Merit (O.M.M.)
Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (O.O.M.)
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (L.V.O.)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.)
Imperial Service Order (I.S.O.)
Member of the Order of Military Merit (M.M.M.)
Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (M.O.M.)
Member of the Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.)
Member of the Royal Red Cross (R.R.C.)
Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.)
Military Cross (M.C.)
Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.)
Air Force Cross (A.F.C.)
Star of Military Valour (S.M.V.)
Star of Courage (S.C.)
Meritorious Service Cross (M.S.C.)
Medal of Military Valour (M.M.V.)
Medal of Bravery (M.B.)
Meritorious Service Medal (M.S.M.)
Associate of the Royal Red Cross (A.R.R.C.)
The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem (all grades)

(post-nominal letters only for internal use by the Order of St. John)

Provincial Orders (order of precedence as set out in section 1)
Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.)
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (C.G.M.)
George Medal (G.M.)
Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.)
Military Medal (M.M.)
Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.)
Air Force Medal (A.F.M.)
Queen's Gallantry Medal (Q.G.M.)
Royal Victorian Medal (R.V.M.)
British Empire Medal (B.E.M.)

Note -- Canadians can still be awarded British Medals as well as Medals from other countries but they must first be approved by the Government of Canada. (See Nickle Resolution)