June 27, 2013
OTTAWA—Today, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presented the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, during a special presentation at the Canadian Space Agency, in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. With this presentation, Mr. Hadfield becomes the first Canadian to hold both the civil and military decorations of this honour.
Mr. Hadfield’s citation is as follows:
Colonel Chris Austin Hadfield, O.Ont., M.S.C., C.D. (Ret’d)
Toronto, Ontario
Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division)
In March 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield became the first Canadian to assume command of the International Space Station (ISS). During his 146 days in space, he shared his passion for the arts and science with hundreds of thousands of people around the world via social media. A true standard-bearer for education, he also gave unprecedented access to the ISS and captured the imagination of countless students across Canada by means of live video chats. Through his extraordinary achievements and the record number of experiments conducted aboard the station, Mr. Hadfield promoted the Canadian Space Agency program, bringing great honour to Canada.
The Meritorious Service Decorations include a military division and a civil division, with two levels each: a cross and a medal. The civil division recognizes individuals who have performed an exceptional deed or an activity, made over a limited period of time, which brought honour to the community or to Canada. The military division recognizes individuals for their outstanding professionalism and for bringing honour to the Canadian Forces and to Canada. Additional information on this honour is available online at www.gg.ca/msd.
A fact sheet on the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) is also attached.
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