Governor General David Johnston announced June 29, 2011 that Senator Pat Carney has been awarded the Order of Canada. While best known to many Canadians as Canada’s tough International Minister of Trade who negotiated the Canada-U.S. free-trade agreement, she is known to many of us at ARC for the more than two decades she has devoted to the support of the arthritis cause.

Senator Carney was a founding board member of ARC. Along with Senator Nancy Greene-Raine she created ARC’s tag line “Practical research for everyday living”.

Senator Carney has fought to bring attention to aboriginal health issues. She along with Cheryl Koehn originated the aboriginal health agenda at the Canadian Arthritis Network. Senator Carney has also been instrumental in assisting with ARC Scientist Dr. Allen Lehman’s research on arthritis in Aboriginal people.

This is hugely well deserved recognition for a great Canadian.