Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has removed Johnny Issaluk, an Inuk actor and athlete, from the Order of Canada. Issaluk, originally from Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, was granted Canada’s highest civilian honor in 2019. Subsequently, in 2020, he issued an apology following allegations made by Inuk filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril on social media. These allegations suggested that he had inappropriately touched her at a party without consent, with Arnaquq-Baril mentioning hearing similar accounts from other women.
Josephine Laframboise, a representative for the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, confirmed the revocation of Issaluk’s Order of Canada distinction on Monday. According to Laframboise, only eight individuals in the history of the Order of Canada have had their honors rescinded. She stated, in French, that the Order of Canada’s advisory council, an independent body, found valid reasons for the removal.
While Laframboise did not explicitly link the removal to the allegations against Issaluk, it is noteworthy that when the accusations initially emerged in February 2020, Indspire halted an award that acknowledged Issaluk’s achievements in sports. Issaluk, in a statement to CBC at the time, expressed deep remorse for the harm caused and emphasized the importance of taking accountability for his actions to initiate the healing process.
It is important to note that none of the allegations against Issaluk in the social media posts have been authenticated by CBC.