Latest Order of Canada inductees honoured

[csesuvra]

Rock legend Robbie Robertson and actor Michael J. Fox were among 43 people invested with the Order of Canada in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday.

Robertson began his rise to stardom as a member of The Band, later embarking on a successful solo career that broadened to include film scores, acting, producing and musical collaborations.

Fox is known for starring in two television series, Family Ties and Spin City, as well as the Back to the Future movie trilogy. The Order of Canada website calls him a "respected and accomplished screen actor" and "an outspoken advocate" for people living with Parkinson's disease. The actor went public with news he had Parkinson's in 1998.

Former Toronto Maple Leaf and Hockey Night in Canada commentator Howie Meeker also received the country's highest civilian honour. From 1973 to 1977, the CBC's Howie Meeker Hockey School — with its 15-minute episodes — showed off Meeker's knowledge and enthusiasm to Canadian kids as they learned the ins and outs of the game.

"It's really an honour to join a lot of very important and talented people who have won the same award," said Meeker, who was born in Kitchener, Ont., but lived for 30 years in New Hamburg, Ont., where he said he dreamed "one day, when he was on the pond," of playing for the Leafs.

When asked about receiving the honour, Meeker called Canada the "greatest country in the world," adding, "It's full of neat people"