Canadian wine industry icon Donald Triggs (LLD ’04), a longtime supporter of Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), has been appointed to the Order of Canada.

Triggs, named an Officer of the Order, was among 63 new appointees announced by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon during a ceremony in Ottawa on Dec. 31. The Order of Canada recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to their communities and the nation.

Also honoured at the event were Mary Ann Edwards (BPhed ’76, BEd ’77), named a Member of the Order, and the Hon. Rosalie Silberman Abella (LLD ’05), named a Companion of the Order.

Edwards is a Brock graduate and the founder and longtime director of the Rankin Cancer Run, which raises funds for cancer-care organizations in Niagara.

Abella (LLD ’05), an honorary doctorate recipient, was the first Jewish woman on Canada’s Supreme Court and now serves as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School among prestigious academic roles.

Triggs, also an honorary doctorate recipient, is a respected philanthropist and co-founder of the renowned Jackson-Triggs wine brand. Since launching in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1993, Jackson-Triggs has received numerous awards and established a winery in the Okanagan wine region in B.C.

His lead gift started the capital campaign for CCOVI at Brock in 1996, playing a major role in the launch of the institute. Today, CCOVI provides infrastructure for Brock’s Applied Grape and Wine Science program (OEVI) and conducts innovative industry supported research and outreach initiatives.

A 2004 donation by Triggs and his wife Elaine allowed CCOVI to establish the Triggs International Premium Vinifera Lecture Series. The lecture series continues to take place every other year, bringing a leading international viticultural speaker to CCOVI to provide expertise through vineyard visits and a public lecture on key issues relating to premium vinifera grape production.

In 2011, the highly respected series went national to include the Okanagan wine region in British Columbia. It continues to this day and with the expanded format has helped create an invaluable networking opportunity for the grape and wine industry across Canada.

The website of the Governor General of Canada, where the awards were announced, recognizes Triggs for his “visionary leadership” that reshaped this country’s wine industry. “Beyond business, he is a committed philanthropist who supports education and the arts with passion and purpose, leaving a lasting impact on multiple sectors,” it says.