Three Ontarians of J’can heritage appointed to the Order of Ontario

TORONTO:

The new year started with good news for three residents of Ontario of Jamaican heritage who were appointed to the Order of Ontario for 2023.

Gervan Fearon, president of George Brown College; retired internist, Dr. Herbert Ho Ping Kong; and poet and spoken word artiste Dwayne Morgan were among the 25 appointments announced on New Year’s Day by Edith Dumont, lieutenant-governor of Ontario and chancellor of the Order of Ontario.

“As chancellor of the Order of Ontario, it is my privilege to congratulate the Order’s appointees for 2023. These Ontarians have demonstrated the highest levels of merit, excellence and dedication in their respective disciplines, and they have made significant impacts here at home and around the world,” said Dumont. “Our province gratefully acknowledges their remarkable contributions, which inspire us all to be leaders and change-makers.”

Fearon, who was born in England to Jamaican parents and lived in May Pen, Jamaica for four years in his childhood before moving with his parents and siblings to Canada in 1968, is the president of George Brown College.

“It’s a humbling experience in being a part of a group of distinguished individuals that have been recognised this year. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to make a contribution to communities, to individuals, to education and to the betterment of the province of Ontario as an outstanding place to live and to grow and be a part of,” said the former dean of the Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University and former president and vice-chancellor at Brock University, and Brandon University.

Dr. Fearon said he was pleased about the values instilled within him through his parents’ Jamaican heritage and through the cultural and community context, which nurtured him at a very young age.

A veteran educator, he leads efforts to provide transformative education opportunities that benefit learners, industry and the greater community. His influential contributions to the white paper, ‘Towards a Vision for the Black Community’, pioneered ideas for positive change.

Dr. Ho Ping Kong is a pioneer in medical education. The announcement notes that his book, The Art of Medicine: Healing and the Limits of Technology, is a must-read for students around the world. He immigrated to Canada from Jamaica in 1973 and created the first division of internal medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. Twenty-one years later, he relocated to Toronto.

“He has been the go-to source of diagnostic expertise, with an uncanny ability to ferret out the underlying causes of illnesses that have mystified other experts. Known as a true “renaissance man”, he walks with great humility, a calm and quiet demeanour and genuine care for everyone. The University Health Network named an educational centre – The Ho Ping Kong Centre for Excellence in Education and Practice – to honour his lifetime contributions to medical education and exemplary legacy of diagnosing diseases,” a citation notes.

Dr. Ho Ping Kong was a senior consulting physician at the University Health Network and Professor of internal , medicine teaching at UHN and the University of Toronto.

“This is an honour which is not easy to get and I’m happy to have done something that has bettered the lives of people in Ontario. I certainly appreciate that,” he said of his appointment to the Order of Ontario.

Morgan is a two-time Canadian National Poetry Slam Champion who began his career as a spoken word artiste in 1993.

He recalled that when he discovered a love of writing in high school, the spoken word genre didn’t exist, and as a black teenager from Scarborough there were few opportunities. As a result, Morgan launched his company, Up From The Roots Entertainmen in 1994, producing opportunities for other racialised artistes. “He lobbied the League of Canadian Poets to include performance poets, produced North America’s two largest spoken-word events and has performed globally. His words – and actions – inspire,” notes the announcement of the honour.

“I think it is a great recognition of the body of work over the last 30 years and the impact that it has had not just within the community, but the general community, as well, the opportunities that have been created for other artists and for other people to actually see the arts as a pathway,” says Morgan who is Canada-born of Jamaican parents.

Morgan was a 2016 finalist for the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and in 2013, he was inducted into the Scarborough Walk of Fame.

“I am proud of the incredible breadth and depth of talent we have here in Ontario. Each one of these exceptional Ontarians are leaders and trailblazers who exemplify the best of our province,” said Michael Ford, minister of titizenship and culticulturalism. “Their achievements, dedication and leadership have contributed to building a stronger Ontario and a better world for all. On behalf of a grateful province, congratulations to all the appointees being recognised.”

The Order of Ontario – the province’s highest honour –recognises outstanding people who have made exceptional contributions to help build a stronger province, nation and world. Members of the Order come from all walks of life and represent various sectors of society including public service, business, journalism and health care.

Since its creation in 1986, more than 800 people have been recognised with the province’s highest civilian honour for their extraordinary contributions.