3 Nova Scotians appointed to the Order of Canada

Three Nova Scotians have been appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest civilian honours.

They are among the 114 appointees announced Friday.

The list includes eight companions, 21 officers, one honorary member and 84 members. The full list can be found here.

"Created in 1967, the Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation," said a statement on the office of the Governor General's website.

Appointments are made by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada. More than 7,000 Canadians have received the honour since its inception.

Jeff Dahn of Halifax, who has led groundbreaking research on lithium-ion batteries, was appointed as an officer.

In 2017, he won the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering for his work in making batteries increasingly efficient. He also won a Governor General's Award for Innovation in 2016.

Dahn works out of a lab at Dalhousie University. He also began a five-year research partnership with Tesla In 2016.

In the statement, the Governor General's office also commended him for "his mentorship and adroit bridging of academia and industry."

Dahn could not be reached for comment Sunday.

'It's humbling'

Meanwhile, Dr. Ken Wilson and John Eyking were appointed as members.

Wilson, a plastic surgeon in the Halifax area, was appointed "for his nationally recognized expertise in reconstructive and plastic surgery, and for his volunteer work on international medical missions."

"It's humbling, but a very nice addition to a great career," Wilson said of the honour.

In the mid-80s, Wilson became the first person east of Montreal to dedicate himself to doing plastic surgery for children.

"It was a very satisfying thing for me to be able to look after a lot of the children who have either had to travel, or that hadn't had, sometimes, the attention they would've had otherwise," he said.

In the mid-90s, Wilson began working with Operation Smile, an organization that provides surgeries and dental care to children with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. He travelled a couple times a year to do surgery in underdeveloped countries, and he estimates he went on about 46 missions.

In the late 1990s, Wilson became the chief of surgery at the IWK children's hospital in Halifax, a position he held for more than a decade.

He stopped practising five years ago, but Wilson now works as a medical consultant for Doctors Nova Scotia and is chair of the board for Operation Smile Canada.

"It was a wonderful career," said Wilson. "I gotta say, I've been very lucky over the years to have the opportunity to do what I did."

While there is no ceremony this year due to COVID-19, Wilson was mailed his snowflake insignia, as well as a "lovely book" detailing the history of the Order of Canada and the many recipients over the years.

'All in a day's work'

Eyking, a farmer and entrepreneur who founded Eyking Farms, was recognized for his "personal and professional dedication to the Cape Breton community, particularly within the agriculture industry."

Eyking, of Millville, N.S., immigrated to Canada in 1963 from the Netherlands. He started a farm, which later grew into a family operation run by him, his wife and their 10 children.

He is also an inductee of the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Reached by phone Sunday, Eyking, 89, was modest about his appointment. He credited his farm's accomplishments to the work of his large family.

"For me, it was all in a day's work and I enjoyed it," he said.

He, too, received a parcel from the Order of Canada, and said he enjoyed the book.

"There's quite a few Cape Bretoners in there," he said.

The recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

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