Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 26, 2011
• Invested on: September 16, 2011

For over 50 years, Ruth Kajander has worked tirelessly to care for people with psychiatric illnesses in Northern Ontario. She is the founding director of the former Port Arthur Mental Health Clinic, and has since worked in both private practice and hospital settings. Early in her career, she was one of the first psychiatrists to recognize the value of antipsychotic medication in the treatment of schizophrenia. She was also the first woman to serve as president of the Ontario Psychiatric Association and the Thunder Bay Medical Association.