Disinformation mercenaries, artists and businessmen among Albertans named to Order of Canada

Six Albertans have been added to the list of people who receive a nod from the Governor General of Canada.

Governor General Mary Simon announced Thursday the list of those appointed to the Order of Canada.

Among them is Dr. Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta. He was made a member of the Order « for his contributions to health law, policy and ethics and for his efforts to counter misinformation. »

“Look, those were really tough years. I’m not going to lie. There have been dark days. It’s a tough fight, fighting misinformation,” Caulfield said.

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Fighting health misinformation on social media

He heard the news a few weeks ago, sitting in a rundown cafe in Los Angeles.

« I was a bit at my wit’s end, I had one of those days. So the call came at a really good time, » he said.

Caulfield has published over 350 scholarly articles and two nationally bestselling books. He has spent the past few years exposing misinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Engage or ignore? Tim Caulfield on dealing with spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation

« I’ve never seen anything like what we’re seeing right now. This is truly one of the defining issues of our time.

“Misinformation kills people. This harms our democracies.

Caulfield said while the battle continues, he believes progress is being made.

« We’re getting more and more research on how we can respond to misinformation, more and more governments around the world are joining the fight…I know we can make a real difference, » he said. he declared.

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Ask the Expert with Health Law and Science Policy Expert Tim Caulfield

Other Alberta appointees include artists, doctors and business people.

The title of Officer of the Order of Canada will go to Edmonton artist Walter Jule, internationally recognized for his engravings.

St. Albert classical pianist Michael Massey was nominated for working with youth orchestras and mentoring young musicians.

From Calgary, Dr. Michael Hill has been recognized for advancing the care and treatment of acute stroke. Two businessmen, William Sembo and Mac Van Wielengen, are honored for their philanthropic and leadership work.

Other names on the list include hockey superstar Sidney Crosby and actor Eugene Levy, who is promoted to Companion of the Order, the highest rank.

The Order of Canada recognizes Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation.

–With files from Kevin Robertson of Global News

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