10k gold. 36.5mm. 28.6 grams. Plain edge. Freeman Clowery explains that 1,000 of these small-sized medals were distributed by Governor General Jules Léger in tombac to all recipients of the Order of Canada as part of the Order’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 1976. He adds that 157 were handed out in 10k gold. That small number suggests they were given to living Companions of the Order of Canada.

This example was presented to Marcel Cadieux, who was invested as a Companion on April 21, 1970. Cadieux served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1964 to 1970, heading that department as its top civil servant, and in 1970 was appointed Canada’s Ambassador to the United States under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, a position he held until 1975.

What makes that association particularly special is the close relationship, both personal and professional, between Jules Léger and Marcel Cadieux, the two leading French-Canadian diplomats at the Department of External Affairs during the 1960s, where Cadieux was Under-Secretary of State and Léger was Canada’s Ambassador to France. The two men were deeply involved in navigating the dynamics of International relations between Canada, Quebec, and the French-speaking countries of the world. According to Robin S. Gendron, writing in “Advancing The National Interest: Marcel Cadieux, Jules Léger, and Canadian Participation in the Francophone Community, 1964-1972:”

“Between 1964 and 1968, Cadieux and Léger were the central figures in the debate within the Department of External Affairs about how to respond to Quebec’s interest in the international community of French-speaking states and in international affairs more broadly. Friends as well as colleagues, they generally shared a common view about Canada and its international interests, but on this particular issue they diverged noticeably. For Cadieux there could be no question of Quebec’s being able to act on its own behalf internationally since, under both international law and the Canadian constitution, the Canadian government enjoyed exclusive jurisdiction over all aspects of international affairs … .

“While Léger agreed with Cadieux about the need to defend the Canadian government’s constitutional position aggressively, including its claim of pre-eminence in international affairs, he did not share his colleague’s absolute conviction that Quebec had to be prevented from exercising any international role whatsoever.”

Aside from its absolute rarity and its phenomenal design by the renowned Canadian artist Alex Colville, this medal represents the important relationship between Canada’s preeminent French-speaking diplomats during the mid-20th century. Both sides feature noticeable red and greenish accents over bright, finely textured, yellow-gold surfaces. A few fine hairlines occur on each side.

Ex: From the Estate of Ambassador Marcel Cadieux.