under the most hazardous circumstances..." and, like the other awards in the bravery series, made no distinction between military and civilian personnel or between heroism under combat and non- combat circumstances. The somewhat arguable view that the premier national award for gallantry should recognize differences related to the circumstances of the award - specifically whether or not the act in question involved combat - was advanced with considerable vigor. Indeed, several groups strongly advocated that Canada, like Australia, should recognize the Victoria Cross as the highest Commonwealth gallantry award taking precedence over all other Commonwealth decorations. However, equally vociferous factions supported complete divorce and adherence to a purely "made-in-Canada" system. The latter appear to have prevailed; some means for distinguishing combat and non-combat gallantry awards is said to be under consideration. To resolve these steadily increasing complexities Order-in-Council P.C. 1990-2307 (25 October 1990) cut the Gordian Knot by revoking P.C. 1972-1206, and instituting a new system of precedence. This embodies two highly significant changes. First, the new system is almost completely nationalist in nature. With one exception, British honors are now relegated to a separate category with those of other Commonwealth countries. These are accorded recognition only marginally distinct from that given awards of entirely foreign origin. The acceptanee of all such awards requires approval of the Canadian Government. The single exception involves the Royal Victorian Order. Founded in 1896 by Queen Victoria, it is a Family Order uniquely beyond political influence. Whereas British honors are normally awarded in the name of the Monarch upon recommendation of the Government, the Royal Victorian Order is the personal gift of the Sovereign or members of the Royal Family. Of the five classes of the Order, Canadians may accept those which do not confer knighthood, i.e., Commander, Lieutenant and Member. Nevertheless, the various classes of the Royal Victorian Order are secondary to corresponding classes of the Order of Canada and Order of Military Merit. Second, the new Provincial Orders have been accorded precedence ranking them by date of creation below only the Cross of Valour, the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit. Furthermore, the manner in which recognition by the Crown was achieved presumably opens the way for the Provinces of Manitoba, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to establish comparable honors if they so choose. The current Order of Precedence of Canadian orders, decorations and medals as established by P.C. 1990-2307 and amendments to date, with approved English postnominals is as follows: Cross of Valour (C.V.) Canadian Orders, Royal Victorian Order Order of Canada, Companion (C.C.) Order of Military Merit, Commander (C.M.M.) Royal Victorian Order, Commander (C.V.O.) Order of Canada, Officer (O.C.) Order of Military Merit, Officer (O.M.M.) Royal Victorian Order, Lieutenant (L.V.O.) Order of Canada, Member (C.M.) Order of Military Merit, Member (M.M.M.) Royal Victorian Order, Member (M.V.O.) The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem (all classes and grades) 13 Provincial Orders l’Ordre national du Quebec Saskatchewan Order of Merit (S.O.M.) Order of Ontario (O.Ont) Order of British Columbia (O.B.C.) Decorations Star of Courage (S.C.) Meritorious Service Cross (M.S.C.) Medal of Bravery (M.B.) Meritorious Service Medal (M.S.M.) Royal Victorian Medal (R.V.M.) War Medals Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea Gulf and Kuwait Medal Service Medals Special Service Medal United Nations Medals UN Service Medal, Korea (1950-1954) UN Emergency Force Medal (1956-1967) UN Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine (1948- ) and Observer Group in Lebanon (1958) UN Military Observation Group in India and Pakistan (1948-1979) UN Organization in the Congo (1960-1964) UN Temporary Executive Authority in West New Guinea (1962-1963) UN Yemen Observation Mission (1963-1964) UN Force in Cyprus (1965- ) UN India Pakistan Observation Mission (1965-1966) UN Emergency Force Middle East (1973-1979) UN Disengagement Observation Force Golan Heights (1974-) UN Interim Force in Lebanon (1978) UN Military Observ.ation Group in Iran/Iraq (1989) UN Observation Group in Central America UN Iraq/Kuwait Observer Mission UN Angola Verification Mission International Commission Medals International Commission for Supervision and Control, Indo-China (1954-1973) International Commission for Control and Supervision, Vietnam (1973) Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai (1987- ) Commemorative Medals Canadian Centennial Medal (1967) Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) Long Service and Good Conduct Medals R.C.M.P. Long Service Medal Canadian Forces Decoration (C.D.) Police Exemplary Service Medal Corrections Exemplary Service Medal Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal Other Medals Queen’s Medal for Champion Shots The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Service Medal Commonwealth Awards Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals, the award of which has been 14 approved by the Government of Canada. The insignia of such awards are worn after those noted above, the precedence in each category being set by date of appointment or award. Foreign Awards Foreign orders, decorations and medals, the award of which has been approved by the Government of Canada. The insignia of such awards are worn after those noted above, the precedence in each category being set by date of appointment or award. Finally, a "notwithstanding" clause in P.C.1990-2307 provides for recognition of British orders and medals awarded to Canadians prior to 1 June 1972. This allows for the usual precedence of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, non-titular grades of several orders (Companions of Honour, Order of the Bath, Order of St. Michael and St. George, Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order and Imperial Service Order), the lesser naval, military, air force and related decorations (i.e., two classes of the Royal Red Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Conspicuous Gallantry Medals, George Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Military Medal, Distinguished Flying Medal, Air Force Medal, Queen’s Gallantry Medal and British Empire Medal) and campaign and war medals issued for Commonwealth and United Nations service between 1902 and 1972. Also included in this alternate order of precedence is provision for Polar Medals, commemorative medals and long service and good conduct medals. To the extent that awards to specific recipients were made prior to, or after, the dates cited these alternative systems have proven compatible. There are, however, some instances in which awards spanning both time frames have been made. Blatherwick, for example, cites a number of these: a George Cross legitimately worn before an O.M.M., a Star of Courage worn after a D.S.O. and D.F.C., and so foah. The incidence of such anomalies will, of course decline with time, leaving the 1990 system as the sole Canadian Order of Precedence. NOTES: I. Lord Monck, the first Governor General of Canada, proposed creation of "The Order of St. Lawrence" in 1867. This proposal was, however, shelved by the British Colonial Office. 2. The extent and long-standing nature of the controversy surrounding awards of British honors to Canadian recipients is not now widely appreciated. Briefly, following refusal of Lord Monck’s initiative, the Canadian Government was permitted to recommend small numbers of individuals for British honors through the office of the Governor General. However, the British Colonial Office retained veto power over such recommendations and, upon occasion, also assumed the prerogative of reeommendationwithout prior consultation with the Canadian Government. This, and the relatively small number of awards allocated, led, in 1902, to an Order-in-Council requiring the Governor General of Canada to consult with Parliament regarding the list of individuals to be recommended for honors. This, the Colonial Office simply ignored. Exacerbated by postwar revelation of scandals involving the distribution of British honors, Parliamentary frustration ultimately led to passage of the "Nickel Resolution" (22 May 1919), which terminated Canadian involvement with titular and non-titular British honors. Although briefly reinstituted in 1934, acceptance was again discontinued in 1935. Not until 1943 were Canadians again permitted to accept British non-titular honors in recognition of services associated with World War II, the UN Police Action in Korea and like circumstances. 3. As originally established in 1967, the Order of Canada included three classes: Companion of the Order of Canada, Medal of Service and Medal of Courage. It was soon recognized that single-class medals could not encompass the spectrum of acts of bravery and distinguished service 15 .