Mike Villeneuve of Mountain is seen at his home in North Dundas wearing his Order of Canada pin. It was announced on Dec. 31, 2025 he had been appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, with his investiture to be held at a later day. Courtesy Photo

MOUNTAIN – North Dundas resident Michael J. Villeneuve has been appointed to the Order of Canada by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.

Villeneuve is among 80 new appointments to the Order of Canada announced on Dec. 31, 2025, in a press release on that date, and joins more than 8,250 people who have been recognized for their contributions to this country since 1967.

“Congratulations to SDG’s very own Michael Villeneuve on being awarded the Order of Canada! Michael has dedicated his career to strengthen the nursing profession and our country’s access to high quality health care. His contributions to nursing have saved and improved lives across Eastern Ontario and all of Canada, transforming our health care systems for the better. Congratulations, Michael, on this well-deserved honour.” said SDSG MPP Nolan Quinn in an email to The Record.

The press release provided information of the contributions of those appointed to the Order of Canada. It was noted that Villeneuve has “advanced nursing for more than four decades. Throughout his multifaceted career, notably as CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association, he led transformative reforms that expanded the roles of nurses nationwide. A sought-after mentor, he worked tirelessly to build a skilled and inclusive Canadian nursing workforce.”

Recently The Record interviewed Villeneuve about his receiving one of the nation’s top honours. He mentioned being surprised when contacted by the Governor General’s office in late October and told of his appointment to the Order of Canada. He explained the ceremony of investiture into the Order will be held at a later date.

Growing up in Toronto, his parents instilled an expectation of community service in their children. After being introduced to the medical field by his grandmother, who was a Registered Nurse, he considered the different career opportunities in medicine. A job at the Montfort Hospital which provided Villeneuve the opportunity to see the work accomplished by nurses first-hand led to his decision to seek a career in the nursing field.

After studying at the University of Toronto, where he obtained a Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Masters of Science, Villeneuve worked at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, beginning a career in the health care field which spanned close to five decades.

During this time, he has worked in staff and administrative fields, published articles and books as well has having held teaching, executive and consulting roles in several organizations. Villeneuve has served on several Board of Directors, including six years on the Winchester and District Memorial Hospital Board as Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair. Between 2017 and his retiring in 2022, Villeneuve served as Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Nurses Association in 2017 and led “a transformation of the organization to prepare it to lead in the years ahead.”

In addition to being appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, Villeneuve has been inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom, as a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing.

A sincere thank you is extended to Villeneuve for a life long commitment to serving his community and his country.