Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 9, 2022
• Invested on: June 21, 2023

The Honourable Harry S. LaForme, O.C.
Ancaster, Ontario

Harry LaForme is a champion for civil and human rights. A retired judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, he was the first Indigenous person to sit on an appellate court in Canada. Notably, he was a key author of the landmark decision on same-sex marriage, which paved the way for its legalization at the provincial and national levels. A senior counsel at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LL.P., he advocates Indigenous interests on education, land claims and self-governance.