Member of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2010-11-16
Invested on: 2011-05-27
As one of the leading sociologists of his time, Bernard Blishen was instrumental in advancing sociology as an academic discipline in Canada. Professor emeritus at York University, he taught at several universities and was responsible for the development of a socio-economic index, now widely known as the "Blishen Scale." Among his many achievements, he was research director for the Royal Commission on Health Services that, in 1964, provided a plan for the national medicare program. He later played a key role in the development of the sociology of medicine.