Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is the centrepiece of Canada’s honours system and recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. In celebration of their achievements and contributions to our nation, we invite you join one of Canada’s most respected opinion leaders, Rex Murphy, as he delves into the stories of three oustanding Canadians – Ratna Omidvar, Bruce Kuwabara and Charles Pachter.
Rex Murphy was born and raised near St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he graduated from Memorial University. In l968, he went to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Afterwards, returning to Newfoundland, he soon established himself as a quick-witted and accomplished writer, broadcaster and teacher.
Rex Murphy’s primary interest is in language and English literature, but he also has a strong link with politics. He was noted throughout Newfoundland for his biting comments on the political scene, and his nightly television tussles on the supper hour show Here and Now with prominent politicians, including Premier Joey Smallwood, became required viewing for a huge audience.
Rex Murphy gained an insider’s view of the political scene when he worked as executive assistant to the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland. To get an even closer taste of politics, he ran twice for office in provincial elections — once as a Liberal, once as a Tory — and lost both times.
As well as host of Cross Country Checkup, Rex Murphy contributes weekly TV essays on diverse topics to CBC TV’s The National. At The National’s website there are videos of Rex’s TV commentaries.
Rex Murphy has won several national and provincial broadcasting awards and has been awarded honorary doctorates in letters by Memorial University, St. Thomas University, and Nipissing University, and an honorary doctorate in laws by the University of Waterloo.
