Member of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2015-11-19
Invested on: 2016-11-17
Barbara Hall, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada
For her human rights leadership and for her commitment to public service.
Throughout four decades of public service, Barbara Hall’s passion for social justice has been unwavering. An activist and former alderwoman, she was known for her commitment to the marginalized and for the immense rapport she enjoyed with
her constituents. As Toronto’s last pre-amalgamation mayor, she led efforts to restore vibrancy to the city’s downtown and was a vocal supporter of gay rights. Later, she steered the Ontario Human Rights Commission through a transformative
period in its history and conducted several high-profile investigations dealing with racial profiling and systemic discrimination.