The iconic snowflake insignia is awarded to Order of Canada recipients. In the mid-year announcement by Governor General Mary Simon, Dr. Gary Levy and Naomi Azrieli were appointed. (Photo: Government of Canada)
A co-founder of University Health Network’s Ajmera Transplant Centre and a generous donor to numerous UHN initiatives are among the latest recipients of one of Canada’s highest civilian honours.
Dr. Gary Levy and Naomi Azrieli are among 85 new appointees to the Order of Canada made by Governor General Mary Simon.
“The Order of Canada celebrates the lives, endeavours and successes of people from coast to coast to coast and from all walks of life,” the Governor General said in a news release accompanying the announcement. “Those being appointed come from a variety of sectors, have achieved national and international success, and have shown ingenuity, innovation and generosity.
“What’s more, they have made a difference in their communities and for Canada with their outstanding dedication and commitment.”
Dr. Levy helped create what has become one of the world’s leading multi-organ transplant programs. He was recognized “for his leadership and pioneering innovations as the former Medical Director of the Ajmera Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital.”
As Chair of the Azrieli Foundation, Naomi Azrieli has been a generous supporter of UHN’s COVID-19 relief efforts and most recently the Al & Malka Green Artist’s Centre at UHN. She was recognized “for her leadership in business and for contributing to health care, science, education and the community through her family’s foundation.”
The Order of Canada was created in the country’s centennial year, 1967, by Queen Elizabeth II to recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. More than 7,600 people from all sectors have been invested into the Order.
At a later date in Ottawa, recipients will be presented with a silver insignia shaped like a six-pointed snowflake with a red annulus in the middle and a royal crown above. It also features a stylized Maple Leaf with the Order’s motto: Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam, which is Latin for, “They desire a better country.”