Bard on the Beach founder Christopher Gaze joins names appointed to the Order of Canada

Michael J. Fox, Loreena McKennitt among others receiving national honours from arts and entertainment industries

AMONG GOVERNOR GENERAL Louise Arbour’s announcement today of 61 new appointments to the Order of Canada is Bard on the Beach founding artistic director Christopher Gaze.

The official appointment describes him as “a visionary arts leader whose career spans five decades of performance, education and advocacy. As founding artistic director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, he built it into a major cultural force, championed youth outreach, and strengthened British Columbia’s arts community through mentorship, public engagement and dedication.”

Gaze received the Order of B.C. in 2012 and earlier this month was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List for services to British arts and culture in Canada.

Gaze has just released a new biography tracing his creation of the festival called The Road to Bard: A Legacy of Shakespeare on Canada’s West Coast. Bard on the Beach has grown since 1990 to have a budget of $10 million and welcome more than 100,000 visitors annually. It just opened its 2026 main-stage shows, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Macbeth.

Elsewhere in appointments from Canada’s arts, culture, and entertainment is Burnaby movie star and Parkinson’s advocate Michael J. Fox, who was promoted to a companion of the Order of Canada.

“Through his foundation, he drives transformative research and hope. He has inspired millions worldwide by channelling his voice into writing, public speaking, and the acclaimed 2023 documentary Still,” the appointment reads.

Other names include Stratford-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Loreena McKennitt and B.C. elder, matriarch and language educator Verna Williams, who has helped revitalize the Nisga’a language and traditional knowledge

The full list is here.

This year's Order of Canada nominees span scientists, social-justice advocates, entrepreneurs, and others. The appointments were made by Arbour's predecessor, Mary Simon, on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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Bard on the Beach founder Christopher Gaze joins names appointed to the Order of Canada

Michael J. Fox, Loreena McKennitt among others receiving national honours from arts and entertainment industries

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