Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 19, 2015
• Invested on: September 23, 2016

For her efforts to bring attention to human rights issues as an author and activist.

Erna Paris is one of Canada’s leading human rights commentators and activists. An award-winning journalist and author, she has never hesitated to address sensitive issues in order to explore the roots of intolerance. In Long Shadows: Truth, Lies and History, she examined the difficulty nations have in confronting shameful historical episodes, inspiring efforts at reconciliation with residential school survivors in this country and with the descendants of slaves in the United States. She has also mentored many young writers and has consistently taken leadership roles in the literary and human rights communities.