Executive Council
April 8, 2014

General Rick Hillier Receives Order of Newfoundland and Labrador

The following is being distributed at the request of His Honour the Honourable Frank Fagan, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador:

In recognition of his extensive contributions to the province, Retired General Rick Hillier was invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador today during a ceremony at Government House.

“General Hillier has dedicated his life to serving his province and his country,” said the Honourable Frank Fagan. “For this, he is truly deserving of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador – the province’s highest honour.”

The Honourable Tom Marshall, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, was also present at today’s ceremony and expressed his thanks and congratulations to General Hillier.

“There is no doubt that through his selfless dedication and commitment to the people of this province, General Hillier embodies the true spirit of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Premier Marshall. “I would like to thank General Hillier for his tremendous contributions and congratulate him on receiving this great honour.”

A biography for General Hillier can be found in the backgrounder below.

General Hillier is one of eight recipients of the 2013 Order of Newfoundland and Labrador but was unable to attend the induction ceremony on February 7, at which time the following individuals received the Order: Bridget Foster, Dr. Jane Stuart Green, Margaret Kearney, Colleen Kennedy, Gilbert Linstead, Sara Rita Sexton, and Kevin St. George. Further information on these individuals can be found at www.gov.nl.ca/onl

Members of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador are selected by an advisory council following the review of all nominations received. Nominations for the next induction closed on January 31, 2014.

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BACKGROUNDER
Biography of General Rick Hillier

General Rick Hillier O.C., O.N.L., C.M.M., M.S.C, C.D. (Retired)
Known as one of this province’s best known sons, General Rick Hillier (Retired) is a tireless military advocate who, for thousands of soldiers, is a hero and for millions of Canadians, he was the face of the military during a very eventful time in history.

Born in Campellton, Newfoundland and Labrador, Rick Hillier enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1973 through the Regular Officer Training Plan program and graduated from Memorial University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After completing his training, he joined his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars in Petawawa, Ontario, and then served, and later commanded, the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany.

In 1998, he was appointed as the first Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, US Army in Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000, he took command of NATO’s Stabilization Forces Multinational Division in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 2003, General Hillier was appointed as Commander of the Army and subsequently, in October of that same year, he was selected as the Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.

General Hillier was appointed on February 4, 2005, to the highest ranking position in the Canadian Forces – Chief of the Defence Staff – a position he held until his retirement. During that time, General Hillier helped raise the profile of the Canadian Forces while publicly campaigning to enhance Canada’s military capability. His outspokenness resulted in some real advances to the Canadian Armed Forces - soldiers were equipped with new transport planes, armoured trucks, unmanned drones and other equipment.

General Hillier has been recognized several times for his contributions to our country and the Armed Forces.  He has received the Canadian Forces Decoration, the Meritorious Service Cross and the Order of Military Merit. In 2003 he was honoured with the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award by the Memorial University Alumni Association and most recently, he received the Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award from the University of Guelph’s College of Management and Economics.

General Hillier retired from the Armed Forces in July 2008 whereupon he continued to serve the people of the province as Chancellor of Memorial University through 2012.

2014 04 08            12:20 p.m.