Order of Canada for MacMillan

A past president of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), Viola MacMillan will be presented in April with the Order of Canada.

MacMillan, 90, is a member of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. She headed the PDAC for 21 years (1945-1966).

In 1992, she was honored with the opening of the Viola MacMillan Mineral Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. The MacMillan gallery houses the Pinch collection which contains more than 10,000 mineral specimens from around the world.

The Order of Canada, instituted in 1967, recognizes exemplary merit and achievement in all major fields of endeavor. Appointments are made by the governor-general based on recommendations of the Advisory Council of the Order. The council meets twice a year with the chief justice of Canada to consider nominations submitted by members of the public.

The announcement was made at the recent PDAC annual convention in Toronto.