Pictured above: The late the Honourable Dr. Lois E. Hole, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and Chancellor of the Alberta Order of Excellence inducting Mr. Louis A. Desrochers into the Alberta Order of Excellence on October 18, 2001 at Government House in Edmonton, Alberta.

Members are inducted into the Order at a special ceremony at Government House in Edmonton.

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Chancellor of the Order of Excellence, presents the new members with a medallion and a personalized illuminated scroll.

Insignia

The insignia of the Alberta Order of Excellence consists of a silver, gilt and enamel medallion attached to a ribbon, distinctive to the province, which is worn around the neck. Newly-invested members are also presented with a miniature of the insignia design. Members of the Order are entitled to use the post nominals A.O.E.

The official seal of the Order is used with the insignia design on ceremonial documents.

The Medallion

The four translucent arms of the medallion are enamelled in blue and are convex, with gold detail underneath the enamel representing prairie wheat.

The roses and rose leaves contained in the angles of the cross are part burnished gold and portray the floral emblem of Alberta.

The coat of arms of Alberta is highlighted in the central circle, which is surrounded by an enamel ring containing the title "The Alberta Order of Excellence." On the reverse is the maple leaf emblem of Canada, supported by a wreath of wheat.

Alberta's coat of arms is made up of the Alberta shield, resting on a base of grass and wild roses, with a crest above and supporters on either side. The shield features St. George's Cross on a background of white, along with blue sky, mountains, green hills, prairie and a wheat field. The crest consists of a Royal Crown resting on a beaver, which is sitting on top of a helmet with a red and silver wreath. A pronghorn antelope and lion support the shield on either side. The motto of Alberta's coat of arms is Fortis et Liber (Strong and Free).

Illuminated Scrolls

Illuminating The Alberta Order of Excellence, visit the University of Alberta Press for more details.

The scrolls feature Alberta's coat-of-arms and other provincial symbols including the bighorn sheep, the great horned owl, the Alberta rose and the lodgepole pine. Each scroll is personalized with coats-of-arms and other insignia chosen by the member.

About the Artist

The illuminated scrolls are handmade by Cora Healy-Tobin of Calgary. Healy-Tobin began her artistic career in Cork, Ireland, where she was born. She is a graduate of Hornsey College of Art in London, England, where she majored in heraldic illuminated arts and calligraphy. She furthered her studies at Whitelands College, the University of London, and the University of Calgary, and taught at the University of Alberta.

Healy-Tobin has been commissioned by the Government of Canada and Alberta to do official scrolls and illuminated guest book pages for royalty and visiting dignitaries. Her works hang in the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, Great Britain, Australia and Canada.

Portrait Galleries

The galleries are open to the public. Admission is free.