Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: December 19, 1983
• Invested on: April 11, 1984

Professor of music at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, John O'Donnell is best known as Director of the "Men of the Deeps", an internationally-known choral group made up of Cape Breton coal miners. He is also active as co-founder and member of the board of "L'Arche Antigonish", a group home for the mentally disabled.