Three Indo-Canadians bestowed with civilian honours; know more about them

On December 29, the Canadian government announced prestigious awards for three Indian-origin Canadians. All three have been bestowed with the Order of Canada which is one of the country’s highest civilian honours. According to the statement published by the Canadian government, these three have been awarded for their remarkable achievement, commitment to the community, assisting in building a better nation and promoting bilateral ties between India and Canada.

Those three who have been bestowed with the Order of Canada are, renowned scientist and innovator Dr Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan, famous paediatrician Dr Pradeep Merchant and Bob Singh Dhillon, also known as Navjeet Singh Dhillon for his contribution in the field of real estate.

The Governor-General of Canada Mary Simon announced 135 appointments to the Order of Canada on Wednesday.
“Today, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor-General of Canada, announced 135 appointments to the Order of Canada,” the announcement said, sharing the list of the recipients. “Delighted to see the contributions of the dynamic Indian heritage community in Canada being recognized with Order of Canada. Congratulations to Dr Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan, @BobDhillon_MEQ and @PradeepMerchant,” the High Commission of India in Ottawa tweeted on Wednesday.

About the three Indo-Canadians

Lakshmanan, hailing from Mississauga that neighbours Toronto, was honoured for his philanthropy work in the field of hydrometallurgy and business. The citation said his work greatly benefited his profession, community and Canada-India relations. While 56-year-old businessman from Calgary, Navjeet Singh Dhillon, founded Mainstreet Equity Corp in 1997. His company whose company is more popular as Bob Dhillon is the first Sikh-owned company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Calgary Herald newspaper reported. "He is recognised for his achievements in business, and for his unwavering commitment to philanthropy and higher education," read the citation.

Dr Pradeep Merchant has played a key role in shaping a vital professional and business organisation in Ottawa. According to the citation provided by the government, he was instrumental in establishing and is currently the Chair of the Governing Council of Canada-India Centre for Excellence at Carleton University. "Merchant from Greely, Ontario, has been honoured "for his long-standing contributions to his community, including his philanthropy and his leadership in the promotion of bilateral ties between Canada and India."

With inputs from PTI

Image: Twitter/@HCI_Ottawa