There are no limits on how many people can belong to the Order of Nova Scotia, although inductions are limited to six per year. It was initially limited to five inductions per year, and allowed for 10 inductions in its first year, in addition to the appointment of the four surviving previous Lieutenant Governors. In 2007, the Order of Nova Scotia Act was amended to include a youth category, in which a sixth candidate may be appointed provided they are at least 16 years old and under the age of 25.
As of 2026, there are 132 members of the Order of Nova Scotia.
Members + List of members of the Order of Nova Scotia Name Year Residence Position 2002 New Glasgow Journalist and human rights activist 2002 Petit de Grat Helped to save Isle Madame from economic collapse during the decline of the ground fishery 2002 Glace Bay/Sydney Leader of the Citizens Service League in Glace Bay for over 30 years 2002 Halifax Chief Justice of Nova Scotia 2002 Inglewood First Black graduate of the Nova Scotia Teacher's College 2002 Tantallon Chief Curator of History at the Nova Scotia Museum from 1973 to 1992 2002 Sydney Owner of a Nova Scotia construction company 2002 Springhill/Thornhill Internationally recognized musician 2002 Halifax Writer on the history of the Mi'kmaq 2002 Dartmouth Premier of Nova Scotia 2002 Halifax Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2002 Lunenburg Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2002 Lunenburg Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2002 Halifax Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2003 Springhill First doctor to go underground during the 1956 Springhill mining disasters 2003 Wolfville Painter and printmaker 2003 Wolfville Legislative librarian of Nova Scotia from 1954 to 1982 2003 Judique Cape Breton fiddler 2003 Sydney Mines Mi'kmaq educator and Elder 2004 Saulnierville Director of the La Baie en Joie Dance Group 2004 Millbrook Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq 2004 Halifax Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University 2004 Halifax Radiation oncologist 2004 Lunenburg Mayor of Lunenburg 2005 Halifax Chief Justice of Nova Scotia 2005 Big Pond/Sydney Musician from Cape Breton 2005 Upper Granville High Sheriff of Annapolis County 2005 Antigonish Directed Community Services and the Children's Aid Society in Pictou County 2005 Sydney Founding chairman of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital 2006 Toronto/Three Mile Plains Poet, playwright, and scholar 2006 Antigonish Co-founder of the St. FX Project at St. Francis Xavier University 2006 River John Director of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo 2006 Dartmouth History researcher and linguist 2006 Halifax Career in emergency medicine 2006 Halifax Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2007 Bridgewater Children's writer and educator 2007 Woodville Known for his contributions to agriculture 2007 Dartmouth Painter 2007 North Sydney Secretary of State for External Affairs 2007 Halifax Orthopedic surgeon 2008 Millbrook Mi'kmaq activist 2008 Cole Harbour Ice hockey player 2008 Halifax Directed the restoration of Pier 21 2008 Jamesville Founder of a Cape Breton forestry company 2008 Halifax Dean of Medicine at Dalhousie University 2008 Sydney Vascular surgeon in Cape Breton 2009 Lunenburg Nova Scotia MLA and cabinet minister 2009 Halifax Founder of the Community Care Network food bank in Halifax 2009 Bedford Women's rights activist 2009 Bedford Auschwitz survivor 2009 Truro Mi'kmaq activist 2010 South Maitland Music educator 2010 Dartmouth Co-founder of the Christmas Daddies Telethon 2010 Halifax Founder of the Black United Front of Nova Scotia 2010 St. Peter's First female Inspector of Schools in Nova Scotia 2010 Mount Denson Founder of the Windsor Elms Senior Home 2011 East Preston First Black Nova Scotian MLA 2011 Hantsport Chancellor of Dalhousie University 2011 Halifax Cartoonist 2011 Eskasoni Mi'kmaq rights activist 2011 Halifax Writer 2011 New Glasgow Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2012 Halifax Writer and Dean of Cape Breton University 2012 Halifax Publisher 2012 Halifax Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party and the federal New Democratic Party 2012 Sydney Historian and archivist in Cape Breton 2012 Halifax Professor, writer, and human rights activist 2013 Parrsboro Geologist who discovered the world's smallest dinosaur footprints 2013 Bedford Businessman and philanthropist 2013 Halifax Cardiovascular surgeon 2013 Halifax Founder of Peaceful Schools International 2013 Halifax and Mabou Lawyer and singer-songwriter 2014 New Glasgow Actor, poet, and playwright 2014 Halifax Pediatrician 2014 Herring Cove Psychiatrist 2014 East Preston Social worker and educator 2014 Halifax Ethnologist at the Nova Scotia Museum 2015 Halifax Physician in North End Halifax 2015 Dartmouth Founder of Acadian Seaplants Limited 2015 Chester Environmentalist 2015 Sydney Childcare director 2015 Dunvegan Novelist, short story writer and academic 2016 Halifax Bioethicist 2016 Indian Brook Mi'kmaq Elder 2016 Sydney/Kingston Astrophysicist 2016 Windsor Director of the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia 2016 Joggins Fossil collector for the Joggins Fossil Centre 2017 Dartmouth Educator 2017 Centreville President of the Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association 2017 Yarmouth President of ITG Information Management Inc. 2017 Wolfville President of Acadia University 2017 Annapolis Royal Science and technology 2017 Halifax Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2018 Dartmouth Olympic gymnast 2018 Oxford President of Oxford Frozen Foods and past Chancellor of Mount Allison University 2018 Whitney Pier First Black Canadian to graduate from the Nova Scotia Hospital School of Nursing, and the first Black president of the Registered Nurses' Association of Nova Scotia 2018 Halifax Historian recognized as an authority on the Halifax Explosion 2018 Halifax Nurse and activist 2018 Halifax Educator, coach, and advocate for preserving African Nova Scotian culture 2019 Birchtown African Nova Scotian heritage activist 2019 New Glasgow Public servant 2019 Halifax Pediatrician 2019 Ingonish Beach Social worker and therapist 2019 Halifax Founder of Brigadoon Village 2020 Wolfville Founder of FarmWorks Investment Co-operative 2020 Bridgewater Environmentalist and public speaker 2020 Halifax Businessman and philanthropist 2020 Lakefield, ON Gaelic fiddler from Cape Breton 2020 Queens County Senator and founding chairman of the Black Cultural Society 2020 Halifax Lawyer and social worker 2021 Chéticamp Musician 2021 Halifax Lawyer and social justice advocate 2021 Dartmouth Businessman 2021 Eskasoni Mi'kmaq rights advocate 2021 North Sydney Human rights advocate 2022 Bedford Historian 2022 Sydney Songwriter and performer 2022 Halifax Businessman and founding director of the Black Business Initiative 2022 Fall River Chief Medical Officer of Health of Nova Scotia, recognized for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Seaforth Founder of Hope for Wildlife 2023 Saulnierville/Moncton Film and television director 2023 Halifax Health researcher 2023 Sydney Mines Singer-songwriter 2023 Grand-Pré Filmmaker, writer, and educator 2023 Halifax Writer, journalist, and educator 2024 Halifax Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 2024 Halifax Historian 2024 Halifax Chief Justice of Nova Scotia 2024 Halifax Medical historian and biomedical engineer 2024 Stellarton Businessman and philanthropist 2024 Port Hawkesbury Businessman and philanthropist 2025 Liverpool Former Premier of Nova Scotia 2025 Halifax Businessman and philanthropist 2025 Ironville Businessman and community leader 2025 Dartmouth Artist and philanthropist 2025 East Preston Educator and human rights advocate
References