Membership is accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto, desiderantes meliorem patriam, meaning "they desire a better country", a phrase taken from Hebrews 11:16.

[6] The association was officially launched on 1 July 1967, the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, with Governor General Roland Michener being the first inductee to the order, to the level of Companion,[7] and on 7 July of the same year, 90 more people were appointed, including former Governor General Vincent Massey, former prime minister Louis St. Laurent, novelist Hugh MacLennan, religious leader David Bauer, novelist Gabrielle Roy, historian Donald Creighton, feminist politician and future senator Thérèse Casgrain, pioneering neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield, painter Arthur Lismer, public health leader Brock Chisholm, former political leader M. J. Coldwell, disability advocate Edwin Baker, painter Alex Colville, and ice hockey player Maurice Richard.

[8] During a visit to London, United Kingdom, later in 1970, Michener presented the Queen with her Sovereign's badge for the Order of Canada,[9] which she first wore during a banquet in Yellowknife in July 1970.

[13] Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan represented the order at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.

[14] The Canadian monarch, seen as the fount of honour,[15] is at the apex of the Order of Canada as its Sovereign,[n 2][17][18] followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor.

[41] The badge belonging to the Sovereign consists of a jewelled, 18-carat gold crown of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires,[39] from which is suspended a white, enamelled, hexagonal snowflake design, with six equal leaves and diamonds between each.

Protocol originally followed the British tradition, wherein female appointees wore their Order of Canada emblem on a ribbon bow positioned on the left shoulder.

[55] In 2007, it was revealed that one of the first ever issued insignia of the Order of Canada, a Medal of Service awarded originally to Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot, was put up for sale via e-mail.

Originally, the anonymous auctioneer, who had purchased the decoration for $45 at an estate sale in Montreal, attempted to sell the insignia on eBay; however, after the bidding reached $15,000, eBay removed the item, citing its policy against the sale of government property, including "any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty."

[58] Any of the three levels of the Order of Canada are open to all living Canadian citizens,[59] except all federal and provincial politicians and judges while they hold office.

Membership is thus accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto, taken from Hebrews 11:16 of the Christian Bible, desiderantes meliorem patriam, meaning "they desire a better country.

"[3] Each of the six to eight hundred nominations submitted each year,[60] by any person or organization, is received by the order's Advisory Council, which, along with the governor general, makes the final choice of new inductees, typically by consensus rather than a vote;[60] a process that, when conceived, was the first of its kind in the world.

If a nomination involves a non-Canadian citizen, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs is invited by the Advisory Council to offer evaluation.

[71][72] In 1993, the Advisory Council proposed an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Canada, making the monarch's spouse automatically a Companion, but Prince Philip again refused, stating that if he was to be appointed, it should be on his merits.

[76] On 1 June 2009, the governor general accepted the resignations of astronomer and inventor René Racine, pianist Jacqueline Richard, and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte;[77][78] on 11 January 2010, the same was done for Renato Giuseppe Bosisio, an engineering professor, and Father Lucien Larré;[79] and on 19 April 2010 for Frank Chauvin.

As of February 2025,[update] nine people have been removed from the Order of Canada:[84] Alan Eagleson, who was dismissed after being jailed for fraud in 1998;[85] David Ahenakew, who faced calls for his removal due to antisemitic comments he made in 2002;[86] T. Sher Singh, after the Law Society of Upper Canada found him guilty of professional misconduct and revoked his licence to practise law;[87] Steve Fonyo, due to "his multiple criminal convictions, for which there are no outstanding appeals";[88][89] Garth Drabinsky, who was found guilty of fraud and forgery in Ontario and has been a fugitive from American law for related crimes;[90][91] Conrad Black, who was convicted in the United States in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice;[92] Ranjit Chandra, whose scientific work was discredited by allegations of fraud;[93] Johnny Issaluk, following allegations of sexual misconduct;[94][95] and Buffy Sainte-Marie, after her claims of Indigenous ancestry were reported to be inconsistent with publicly available documents.

[96] In 2013, Norman Barwin resigned from the order as a result of the Advisory Council moving forward with his pending removal due to his being found guilty of professional misconduct.

[100] Similarly, the acceptance of birth control advocate Elizabeth Bagshaw and gay rights campaigner Brent Hawkes also incited debate.

[60][65] Opponents of Morgentaler's abortion activism organized protests outside of Rideau Hall on 9 July, while compatriots did the same in front of Government House in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, the official residence of that province's lieutenant governor.

[101] One former police detective, Frank Chauvin, along with a Catholic anti-abortion activist, filed suit against the Order of Canada Advisory Council, demanding that the minutes of the meeting relating to Morgentaler be made public.

[102] The appointment of Morgentaler prompted former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Clifford Lincoln to write that the workings of the Advisory Council were "mysterious", citing what he theorized to be inbuilt partiality and conflict of interest as reasons why Margaret Somerville, whom Lincoln had twice nominated to the Advisory Council, was turned down for appointment, yet Morgentaler was accepted.

[103] Journalist Henry Aubin in the Montreal Gazette opined that the council's rejection of Somerville, her personal opposition to same-sex marriage, and the acceptance of Brent Hawkes, Jane Rule, and Jean Chrétien, all regarded as supporting same-sex unions, as well as the appointment of a controversial figure such as Morgentaler, were all signs that the Advisory Council operated with partisan bias.

Similarly, McCreery proposed that a new division of the order could be established specifically for governors general, their spouses, and members of the royal family,[72] a version of which was adopted in 2013.