Order of Canada goes to 11 B.C. residents
A University of B.C. professor who regularly told his dentist to skip giving him anesthetic is one of 11 B.C. residents appointed to the Order of Canada.
Governor General David Johnston announced Wednesday 100 new appointments to the order. Recipients will be invited to a ceremony to receive their awards at Rideau Hall at a later date.
Kenneth Craig, an emeritus professor at UBC, has been appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada for his research into the psychology of pain. He was part of a team that discovered how to interpret facial responses in children and babies to give an accurate indication of what they are feeling.
In a 1996 interview in The Vancouver Sun, Craig said his dentist was stunned by his refusal to take anesthetic.
“Fear of pain is as important as the pain itself,” he said.
Pain doesn’t increase in intensity as most people believe, Craig said. In fact, it will peak and level off. Once someone discovers that, he or she no longer has to fear severe pain, he said. But ignoring the pain doesn’t work, he said. The pain has to be acknowledged and placed in context.
Stephen Toope was also appointed as an officer for his work in post-secondary education and international law. From 2006 to 2014, he lived in Vancouver as president and vicechancellor of UBC. He is now the director of the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto.
Another 10 residents of B.C. were named as members of the Order of Canada, according to the news release from the office of the Governor General. Among them is Beverley Boys of Surrey for her contribution to the sport of diving as an athlete, coach, official and judge.
The Order of Canada was established in 1967. It recognizes “outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation,” according to a statement from the office of the Governor General.