Michael Villeneuve, an adjunct professor at the Ingram School of Nursing, is one of 13 members of the McGill community who were admitted to or promoted within the Order of Canada by Governor General Mary Simon on Dec. 31. In all, 80 people were honoured.
Villeneuve has spent more than four decades in Canada’s health-care system, with a career spanning bedside nursing, policy and national leadership. Educated at the University of Toronto, he began at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in neuro intensive care before moving into roles with Health Canada and the Canadian Nurses Association, where he became CEO in 2017 and led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, he has focused on advancing equity in nursing, helping to address racism and discrimination while also playing a key role in creating the Canadian Academy of Nursing to recognize leaders and researchers in the profession.
Villeneuve joined McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing in 2018, as one of the co-investigators a groundbreaking research project titled Transforming Nurses’ Work Environments Through a Strengths-Based Leadership and Management Training Program. Led by Laurie Gottlieb, the project addressed the well-being of nurses and other health-care professionals, focusing on improving workforce health and productivity for better care and better patient outcomes.
“Mike Villeneuve has made, and continues to make, substantive and highly valued contributions to our School and to nursing leadership more broadly, particularly in advancing Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership (SBNH),” said Annie Chevrier, Associate Director, Graduate Programs, Innovation and Accreditation at the Ingram School of Nursing.
“Within Laurie Gottlieb’s SSHRC research grant (which concluded in September 2025), he served as a co-lead for the knowledge-mobilization arm of this work. He continues to collaborate closely with Prof. Gottlieb and remains actively engaged as an esteemed contributor to the SBNH Advisory,” Chevrier said.
Recognizing extraordinary contributions
The Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest honours. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation.
Appointments to the Order are made at three levels: Companion, Officer and Member. Officers and Members may be elevated within the Order to recognize further achievement based on continued exceptional or extraordinary service to Canada.
“I join all McGillians in extending our heartfelt congratulations to our newest Order of Canada recipients,” said Deep Saini, President of McGill University. “We applaud their outstanding accomplishments in their respective fields, and this prestigious national honour is a fitting recognition of their contributions and record of service to Canada.”
Here is the complete list of McGillians’ appointments, accompanied by their official Order of Canada citations and their connection to the University:
Companions
The Honourable Rosalie Silberman Abella
Rosalie Silberman Abella is an icon of Canadian values. Born in a displaced persons camp to Holocaust survivors, she became the first Jewish woman on Canada’s Supreme Court. She set the bar with her landmark constitutional law rulings and shaped equality and human rights worldwide. She is now an esteemed professor at the Harvard Law School. She was a Boulton Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law of McGill from 1988 to 1992.
Officers
John Cameron Bell
John Bell has helped develop oncolytic virotherapy treatments that harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer. As an entrepreneur, principal investigator, national research network lead and professor at the University of Ottawa, he has built Canada’s foundation in the field, while driving research that shapes international progress. Bell was a professor of biochemistry at McGill from 1985 to 1988.
Judy Illes
Judy Illes is a distinguished university scholar at the University of British Columbia and director of Neuroethics Canada. An esteemed mentor and collaborator, she has made groundbreaking contributions to biomedical ethics and neuroscience, and is a proponent of Indigenous knowledge as a vital source for reframing Western medicine. Iles earned an MA in Psychology from McGill in 1983.
Anne-Marie Mes-Masson
Anne-Marie Mes-Masson is a global leader in molecular oncology. An affiliated researcher at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, she had a hand in developing biobanks and led several major scientific initiatives that have resulted in significant discoveries in ovarian and prostate cancer. By focusing on translational research, her work has improved both precision health and therapeutic approaches. Mes-Masson trained as a molecular oncologist and obtained her PhD from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill in 1984.
Members
Kim Ruth Brooks
Kim Brooks is a tax lawyer, professor and human rights advocate who has advanced equity, accessibility and freedom of gender expression in higher education. As president of Dalhousie University, she champions Nova Scotia and is a thoughtful voice for inclusive leadership, transformative education and research that builds Canada’s future. Brooks was appointed the H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation in the McGill Faculty of Law from 2007 to 2010.
Kathleen Fox
Aviator Kathleen Fox has made vital contributions to transportation safety for decades. As chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, she championed the development of policies and changes to regulations that reduced risks for all travellers. A trailblazing mentor, she has empowered women to pursue leadership roles in the field. Fox earned her MBA from McGill in 1986.
Reesa Greenberg
Reesa Greenberg is recognized for her innovative contributions to art history and museology. A trailblazer in feminist and exhibition studies, she has advanced digital documentation of Canadian art and supported key cultural institutions. Her transformative philanthropy includes restoring Canada’s Pavilion in Venice, ensuring its legacy for future generations. Greenberg earned her BA from McGill in 1967.
Eddy Isaacs
For decades, Eddy Isaacs has been driving energy research in Alberta. He notably led the Alberta Energy Research Institute and the Alberta Innovates Energy and Environmental Solutions Corporation, championing critical areas of energy and environmental research. He has also served on industry boards and with the Canadian Academy of Engineers. Isaacs earned his BSc from McGill in 1969.
Martha Langford
Martha Langford’s impact on visual culture in Canada has advanced our understanding and appreciation of the arts. An art historian and esteemed scholar in the field of photographic arts, she helped establish photography as a discipline in Canada and has developed quintessential collections of our country’s finest photographic works in museums and galleries. Langford received her PhD from McGill in 1997.
Jean Robert
Jean Robert is known for his commitment to education and advocating for English language services in Quebec. A longtime educator and community leader, he has promoted access to education and health care, championed bilingualism and played a key role in strengthening English-language institutions. He also serves as chair of the National Battlefields Commission. Robert is a Senior Advisor at the Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University.
Cindy Schwartz
Cindy Schwartz has played a key role in championing diversity across arts and media. As founder, artistic and general director of Les Muses, Canada’s first full-time professional performing arts training program for neurodivergent adults, she has fostered representation, empowered artists, and expanded opportunities for meaningful participation in cultural life. Schwartz earned her master’s degree in Education from McGill in 1989.
Ziya Tong
Ziya Tong, a broadcaster, author, science journalist and filmmaker, is dedicated to making science accessible. This respected environmental advocate highlights urgent issues like the climate crisis and wildlife conservation while promoting actionable solutions. A long-serving member of various boards and organizations, she remains committed to advancing awareness and animal rights through education and media. Tong earned an MA in communications from McGill in 1999.
Michael Jon Villeneuve
Health-care leader Michael Villeneuve advanced nursing for more than four decades. Throughout his multifaceted career, notably as CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association, he led transformative reforms that expanded the roles of nurses nationwide. A sought-after mentor, he worked tirelessly to build a skilled and inclusive Canadian nursing workforce. Villeneuve is Adjunct Professor at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing.
See the announcement and full list of recipients.