120-500: George Alexander Trebek OC ( / t r ə ˈ b ɛ k / ; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian-American game show host and television personality. He was best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show Jeopardy! for 37 seasons from its revival in 1984 until his death in 2020. Trebek also hosted a number of other game shows, including The Wizard of Odds , Double Dare , High Rollers , Battlestars , Classic Concentration , and To Tell
240-467: A Guinness World Record for "the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter (same program)" for having hosted 6,829 episodes of Jeopardy! , overtaking previous record holder Bob Barker . On May 4, 2015, Trebek's alma mater, the University of Ottawa, named its alumni hall in his honor, as a benefactor to the university. Order of Canada The Order of Canada (French: Ordre du Canada )
360-525: A Jeopardy! question. Trebek married broadcaster Elaine Callei in 1974. They had no children, although Trebek adopted Callei's daughter Nicky. The couple divorced in 1981. In 1990, he married Jean Currivan, a real estate project manager from New York. They had two children, Matthew and Emily. In 1996, Trebek ran the Olympic torch in Jacksonville, Florida , through a leg of its journey to Atlanta . He became
480-453: A lapel pin may be worn, which is a miniature version of the recipient's badge and thus is distinct for each grade. Wear of the insignia is according to guidelines issued by the Chancellery of Honours, which stipulate that the badges be worn before most other national orders, that is, at the end of an individual's medal bar closest to the centre of the chest or at the wearer's neck, with only
600-575: A naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998. On January 30, 2004, Trebek escaped major injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck while driving alone on a rural road in the Central Coast town of Templeton, California , returning from a family home in Lake Nacimiento . The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet over an embankment, and came to rest against
720-606: A Catholic anti-abortion activist, filed suit against the Order of Canada Advisory Council, demanding that the minutes of the meeting relating to Morgentaler be made public. The appointment of Morgentaler prompted former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Clifford Lincoln to write that the workings of the Advisory Council were "mysterious", citing what he theorized to be inbuilt partiality and conflict of interest as reasons why Margaret Somerville , whom Lincoln had twice nominated to
840-507: A Companion because he felt that, as a self-proclaimed Father of Confederation , he deserved a knighthood. Smallwood was never knighted and later accepted induction as a Companion. Resignations from the order can take place only through prescribed channels, which include the member submitting to the Secretary General of the Order of Canada a letter notifying the chancellery of his or her desire to terminate their membership, and only with
960-413: A Member stirred controversy among some of Canada's Christian organizations, as Johanson had taught teenagers methods of safe sex alongside abstinence. Similarly, the acceptance of birth control advocate Elizabeth Bagshaw and gay rights campaigner Brent Hawkes also incited debate. Abortion-rights activist Henry Morgentaler's appointment to the order on 1 July 2008 not only marked the first time
1080-461: A better country." Each of the six to eight hundred nominations submitted each year, by any person or organization, is received by the order's Advisory Council, which, along with the governor general, makes the final choice of new inductees, typically by consensus rather than a vote; a process that, when conceived, was the first of its kind in the world. Appointees are then accepted into the organization at an investiture ceremony typically conducted by
1200-527: A bilingual French - English household. He was almost expelled from boarding school. Shortly after, Trebek attended a military college in Quebec but dropped out when he was asked to cut his hair. Trebek's first job at age 13 was as a bellhop at the hotel where his father worked as a chef. Trebek attended Sudbury High School (now Sudbury Secondary School ) and then attended the University of Ottawa . He graduated from
1320-648: A book with Mike Brophy regarding his years with Hockey Night in Canada, entitled Walking With Legends . In 2009, he released another book entitled Let the Games Begin: My Life with Olympians, Hockey Heroes and Other Good Sports . Mellanby won five Emmy Awards (for his Olympics work, including coverage of the Miracle on Ice telecast in 1980), two Kennedy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sports Media Canada. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from
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#17328556223681440-469: A game show hosted, with 6,829 episodes at the time. He has also appeared in multiple television commercials. On October 1, 2018, Trebek moderated the only debate in the Pennsylvania governor's race , between Democrat Tom Wolf and Republican Scott Wagner . According to news outlets, he wanted to change the flow of the debate to be more conversational instead of the more traditional format. Trebek dominated
1560-455: A minor heart attack at his home, but returned to work as scheduled in January 2008. Early in the morning on July 26, 2011, Trebek injured his Achilles tendon while chasing a burglar who had entered his San Francisco hotel room, requiring six weeks in a cast. Trebek experienced another mild heart attack on June 23, 2012, but was able to return to work the following month. On December 15, 2017, over
1680-413: A mustache to host Hockey Night . In 1973, Trebek moved to the United States and worked for NBC as host of a new game show, The Wizard of Odds . A year later Trebek hosted the popular Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley game show High Rollers , which had two incarnations on NBC (1974–76 and 1978–80) and an accompanying syndicated season (1975–76). In between stints as host of High Rollers, Trebek hosted
1800-408: A new division of the order could be established specifically for governors general, their spouses, and members of the royal family, a version of which was adopted in 2013. Ralph Mellanby Ralph Mellanby (August 22, 1934 – January 29, 2022) was a Canadian sportscaster and television producer, who was the executive producer of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts from 1966 to 1985 and on
1920-426: A persistent stomach ache before the diagnosis but did not recognize it as a symptom of the disease. In a prepared video announcement of the diagnosis, Trebek noted that his prognosis was poor but said that he would aggressively fight the cancer in hopes of beating the odds and would continue hosting Jeopardy! for as long as he was able, joking that his contract obligated him to do so for three more years. Trebek updated
2040-567: A prop assistant, and later as a stagehand, cameraman and floor manager. In 1959, Mellanby accepted a job as a cameraman at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and the following year he moved to Chicago to become a sports producer at WGN-TV in Chicago , before returning to Canada to work at CFCF-TV (CTV) in Montreal in 1961 where he produced sports programming, including NHL game broadcasts beginning in 1963. He joined
2160-480: A result, Trebek was never paid for that series. After both series ended, he hosted a revival of Battlestars called The New Battlestars that ended after 13 weeks, then shot a series of pilots for other series for producer Merrill Heatter , for whom he had worked hosting High Rollers and Battlestars , and Merv Griffin . The Heatter pilots were Malcolm , an NBC-ordered pilot featuring Trebek with an animated character as his co-host, and Lucky Numbers, an attempt at
2280-431: A revival of High Rollers that failed to sell. For Griffin, (who was ultimately encouraged to hire Trebek by Lucille Ball ) he shot two pilots for a revival of Jeopardy! when original host Art Fleming (a friend of Trebek's) declined to return to the role owing to creative differences. This revival sold, and Trebek began hosting it in 1984 and remained the host until his death in 2020. His final episode hosting Jeopardy!
2400-535: A ribbon bow positioned on the left shoulder. These regulations were altered in 1997, and women may wear their insignia in either the traditional manner or in the same fashion as the men. With the patriation in 1988 of oversight of heraldry from the UK to Canada through the Canadian Heraldic Authority , the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended to include the entitlement of all inductees to petition
2520-424: A series of guest hosts filled in for Trebek for the remainder of season 37 of Jeopardy! (his final season). On July 27, 2022, it was announced that Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings would succeed Trebek as the permanent hosts of Jeopardy! after alternating in multi-week stints for the remainder of the show's 38th season after Mike Richards (the show's then-executive producer who briefly succeeded Trebek as host of
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#17328556223682640-747: A side effect from the chemotherapy, were interfering with his ability to speak, noting that "there will come a point when they (fans and producers) will no longer be able to say, 'It's okay.'" In a December 2019 interview with ABC News , Trebek stated that he would begin looking at experimental treatments and chemotherapies and that despite periods of severe pain and depression, he was still in good enough physical condition to handle construction projects. Trebek also stated that he had already prepared an on-air farewell statement before his cancer diagnosis. In March 2020, Trebek announced he had survived one year of cancer treatment (noting that his prognosis had given him only an 18% chance to survive that long) and that, though
2760-453: A similar design to the Sovereign's badge, though without precious stones, and slight differences for each grade. For Companions, the emblem is gilt with a red enamel maple leaf in the central disk; for Officers, it is gilt with a gold maple leaf; and for Members, both the badge itself and the maple leaf are silver. All are topped by a St. Edward's Crown , symbolizing that the order is headed by
2880-601: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (located at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard , near those for Ann-Margret and Vincent Price ). On November 4, 2010, Trebek received the Royal Canadian Geographical Society 's gold medal for his contribution to geographic education and the popular study of geography. Previous recipients of this award include the author and anthropologist Wade Davis (2009), Peter Gzowski (1997), and Mary May Simon (1998). In 2016, Trebek
3000-465: A state I dearly love," Trebek said. Trebek was interviewed by Michael Strahan for an ABC special chronicling Jeopardy! and his career (produced to promote Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time ), which aired January 2, 2020. On October 6, 2020, Trebek made a cameo appearance in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft , announcing the Ottawa Senators ' third-overall draft pick, Tim Stützle , in the style of
3120-453: A utility pole in a ditch. Trebek was not cited for the accident and returned to work taping Jeopardy! four days later. Trebek owned and managed a 700-acre (283 ha) ranch near Paso Robles in Creston, California , known as Creston Farms, where he bred and trained thoroughbred racehorses . His colt Reba's Gold is the stakes-winning son of Slew o' Gold . Trebek sold the operation in 2008 and
3240-555: A visit to London , United Kingdom, later in 1970, Michener presented the Queen with her Sovereign's badge for the Order of Canada, which she first wore during a banquet in Yellowknife in July 1970. From the Order of Canada grew a Canadian honours system , thereby reducing the use of British honours (i.e. those administered by the Queen in her UK Privy Council ). Among the civilian awards of
3360-597: A weekly skating program. Starting on April 1, 1969, Trebek also hosted Strategy , a weekday afternoon game show. From 1971 until the end of 1972, he hosted I'm Here Til 9 , the local morning drive radio show on CBC Toronto . In 1971, Trebek was one of several to have been shortlisted to succeed Ward Cornell as host of Hockey Night in Canada . Although Trebek was the preferred choice of executive producer Ralph Mellanby , based on his audition and other CBC roles, Mellanby stated in 2020 that he ultimately chose Dave Hodge instead, because his boss did not want someone with
3480-456: Is Jeopardy! The lights on the set then dimmed blue in remembrance. After each posthumous episode in season 37, the title card read, "Dedicated to Alex Trebek. Forever in our hearts. Always our inspiration." On the first anniversary of Trebek's death, which was also the day that the first episode Ken Jennings hosted in season 38 was aired, a different title card read, "Alex Trebek, July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020. You are missed every day." On
3600-556: Is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada , after the Order of Merit . To coincide with the centennial of Canadian Confederation , the three-tiered order was established in 1967 as a fellowship recognizing the outstanding merit or distinguished service of Canadians who make a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as efforts by non-Canadians who have made
3720-534: Is also installed as the Principal Companion for the duration of his or her time in the viceregal post and continues as an extraordinary Companion thereafter. Additionally, any governor general, viceregal consort, former governor general, former viceregal consort, or member of the Canadian royal family may be appointed as an extraordinary Companion, Officer, or Member. Promotions in grade are possible, though this
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3840-459: Is ordinarily not done within five years of the initial appointment, and a maximum of five honorary appointments into any of the three grades may be made by the governor general each year. As of January 2024 , there have been 28 honorary appointments . There were originally, in effect, only two ranks to the Order of Canada: Companion and the Medal of Service . There was, however, also a third award,
3960-502: Is suspended a white, enamelled, hexagonal snowflake design, with six equal leaves and diamonds between each. At the centre is a disc bearing a maple leaf in pavé-laid rubies on a white enamel background, surrounded at its edge by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the motto of the order. The Chancellor wears the badge of a Companion and is, upon installation as governor general, granted a livery collar for wear at Order of Canada investiture ceremonies. The badges for inductees are of
4080-646: The 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Alberta , Mellanby was the executive producer of the Canadian Television Network Host Broadcaster (CTV HB). He oversaw a production which featured a television lens identified by Maclean's as "the world's longest", for coverage of ski jumping , cameras mounted on rolling tracks and on athletes themselves, as well as four high speed cameras to capture slow motion footage. An extensive setup of microphones throughout outdoor event courses and indoor venues
4200-546: The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada , and five members of the order who sit on the council for a three-year period. If a nomination involves a non-Canadian citizen, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs is invited by the Advisory Council to offer evaluation. Decisions of the council and new appointments to and dismissals from the Order of Canada are announced through the Canada Gazette . As of July 2024 ,
4320-467: The Chief Herald of Canada for personal armorial bearings (coats of arms), should they not already possess any. Companions may receive supporters , and all members may have the escutcheon (shield) of their arms encircled with a red ribbon bearing the order's motto in gold, and from which is suspended a rendition of the holder's Order of Canada badge. The Queen, Sovereign of the Order of Canada, approved
4440-610: The Jeopardy! crew became involved with the United Service Organizations in 1995, appearing on several military bases throughout the world, both in an attempt to find contestants and as a morale booster for the troops. While genuinely supportive of the cause throughout his life, Trebek has said that he believes he initially got involved with the UNCF in the 1980s because — due to the afro, mustache and "very dark tan" that he sported at
4560-494: The Medal of Courage , meant to recognize acts of gallantry. This latter decoration fell in rank between the other two levels, but was anomalous within the Order of Canada, being a separate award of a different nature rather than a middle grade of the order. Without ever having been awarded, the Medal of Courage was on 1 July 1972 replaced by the autonomous Cross of Valour and, at the same time,
4680-485: The Quebec sovereignty movement , such as Luc-André Godbout, Rina Lasnier and Geneviève Bujold , while Alice Parizeau , another supporter of Quebec sovereignty, was criticized for accepting entry into the order despite her beliefs. Victoria Cross recipient Cecil Meritt cited the fact that he already held Canada's highest decoration as a reason not to be admitted to the Order of Canada. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ,
4800-535: The Tom Kennedy -hosted NBC word game To Say the Least in 1978. Both of those shows were produced by Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley Productions, which also produced High Rollers, the show Trebek was hosting during both of those guest appearances. Trebek also was a contestant on Celebrity Bowling in 1976, teamed with Jim McKrell . The duo won their match against Dick Gautier and Scatman Crothers . After High Rollers
4920-654: The University of Windsor in 1998, and in 2004 was inducted into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame as a builder. Mellanby married Janet, a University of Alberta school nursing graduate, around 1963. She died in 2001. His son, Scott Mellanby , was a professional hockey player who played 1,431 games in the NHL, and his daughter Laura was a sports broadcasting executive with CTV and ESPN. He later resided in Atlanta, Georgia . He died on January 29, 2022, at
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5040-658: The Victoria Cross , the Cross of Valour, and the badge of the Order of Merit permitted to be worn before the badges of the Order of Canada. Those in the grades of Companion or Officer may wear their badges on a neck ribbon, while those in the Member group display their insignia suspended by a ribbon from a medal bar on the left chest. Protocol originally followed the British tradition, wherein female appointees wore their Order of Canada emblem on
5160-445: The fount of honour , is at the apex of the Order of Canada as its Sovereign, followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor. Thereafter follow three grades, which are, in order of precedence: Companion (French: Compagnon ), Officer (French: Officier ), and Member (French: Membre ), each having accordant post-nominal letters that members are entitled to use. Each incumbent governor general
5280-408: The Advisory Council feels their actions have brought the order into disrepute. In order for this to be done, the council must agree to take action and then send a letter to the person both telling of the group's decision and requesting a response. Anyone removed from the order is required to return their insignia. As of 2022 , eight people have been removed from the Order of Canada: Alan Eagleson , who
5400-522: The Advisory Council had not been unanimous in its decision, but also proved to be one of the most controversial appointments in the order's history. Opponents of Morgentaler's abortion activism organized protests outside of Rideau Hall on 9 July, while compatriots did the same in front of Government House in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador , the official residence of that province's lieutenant governor . One former police detective, Frank Chauvin, along with
5520-622: The Advisory Council operated with partisan bias. Aubin also pointed to the presence on the council of members of the Royal Society of Canada, an organization into which Somerville was received. Peter Savaryn , a member of the Waffen-SS Galician Division , was awarded the Order of Canada in 1987, for which Governor General of Canada Mary Simon expressed "deep regret" in 2023. At a 2006 conference on Commonwealth honours, Christopher McCreery, an expert on Canada's honours, raised
5640-500: The Advisory Council, was turned down for appointment, yet Morgentaler was accepted. Journalist Henry Aubin in the Montreal Gazette opined that the council's rejection of Somerville, her personal opposition to same-sex marriage , and the acceptance of Brent Hawkes, Jane Rule , and Jean Chrétien , all regarded as supporting same-sex unions, as well as the appointment of a controversial figure such as Morgentaler, were all signs that
5760-712: The Alex Trebek Leadership Award at the University of Ottawa, an annual $ 10,000 award to a summa cum laude graduate who has also demonstrated community leadership. By October 2020, Trebek's contributions to the University of Ottawa totalled around $ 10 million. In March 2020, Trebek donated $ 100,000 to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. Trebek owned his own wardrobe, consisting of dozens of outfits and hundreds of neckties. In February 2021, Trebek's son, Matthew, donated
5880-566: The CBC national radio news and cover a wide range of special events for CBC Radio and CBC Television , including curling and horse racing . Trebek's first hosting job was on a Canadian music program called Music Hop in 1963. In 1966, he hosted a high school quiz show called Reach for the Top . From 1967 to 1970, Trebek was a host for the CBC, introducing classical music programs including performances by Glenn Gould . For one or two seasons, he hosted
6000-522: The Canadian Sports Network (CSN) in 1966 to be the producer for their Hockey Night in Canada in broadcasts; he would remain with them for 19 years as executive producer, hiring sports commentators including Ron MacLean , Dick Irvin Jr. , Jim Robson , Bob Cole , Dave Hodge , Dan Kelly , Mickey Redmond , Don Cherry , and Howie Meeker . During his time with Hockey Night in Canada , he oversaw
6120-576: The Canadian honours system , the Order of Canada comes third, after the Cross of Valour and membership in the Order of Merit , which is within the personal gift of Canada's monarch . By the 1980s, Canada's provinces began to develop their own distinct honours and decorations. Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan represented the order at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. The Canadian monarch, seen as
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#17328556223686240-851: The November 9, 2020, episode of Jeopardy! , as a tribute to Trebek, then-executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune , Mike Richards , visibly emotional, opened the show with this statement: I'm Mike Richards, the executive producer of Jeopardy! Over the weekend, we lost our beloved host Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff and crew, for his family, and for his millions of fans. He loved this show and everything it stood for. In fact, he taped his final episodes less than two weeks ago. He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness, and for his love of his family. We will air his final 35 episodes as they were shot. That's what he wanted. On behalf of everyone here at Jeopardy! , thank you for everything, Alex. This
6360-532: The Order of Canada (post-nominals: CM , in French: Membre de l'ordre du Canada ) have made an exceptional contribution to Canada or Canadians at a local or regional level, group, field or activity. As many as 136 Members may be appointed annually, not including extraordinary Members and those inducted on an honorary basis, and there is no limit on how many Members may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 2,281 living Members. Upon admission into
6480-409: The Order of Canada that would avert the awkwardness around appointing members of the Canadian royal family as full members of the order: He theorized that the Queen, as the order's Sovereign, could simply appoint, on ministerial advice, anyone as an extra member, or the monarch could issue an ordinance allowing for her relations to be made regular members when approved. Similarly, McCreery proposed that
6600-480: The Order of Canada, generally operating without input from ministers of the Crown ; political interference has occurred only once, when in 1978 Paul Desmarais 's investiture was delayed for six months by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau . However, some of the committee's selections have caused controversy. For instance, the admission in 2001 of sex educator Sue Johanson , host of the long-running Sunday Night Sex Show , as
6720-512: The Order of Canada, members are given various insignia of the organization, all designed by Bruce W. Beatty , who "broke new ground in the design of insignia of Orders within The Queen's realms" and was himself made a member of the order in 1990; Beatty attended every investiture ceremony between 1967 and early 2010. The badge belonging to the Sovereign consists of a jewelled, 18- carat gold crown of rubies , emeralds , and sapphires , from which
6840-440: The Sovereign, and the reverse is plain except for the word CANADA . The ribbon is white and bordered in red stripes, similar to the Canadian national flag . The ribbon bar for each grade has the same ribbon and is differentiated by a maple leaf in the centre, the colour of which matches that on the badge of the related grade (red for Companion, gold for Officer and silver for Member). For civilian wear on less formal occasions,
6960-597: The Truth . He also made appearances, usually as himself, in numerous films and television series. A native of Canada, Trebek became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998. For his work on Jeopardy! , Trebek received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host eight times. He died on November 8, 2020, at the age of 80, after a 20-month battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer . At the time of his death, Trebek had been contracted to host Jeopardy! until 2022. Trebek
7080-400: The United States. Trebek's francophone side was put on display in 1978, in a special bilingual edition of Reach for the Top and its Radio-Canada equivalent, Génies en herbe . In this show, Trebek alternated smoothly between French and English throughout. Like other hosts of the day, Trebek made several guest appearances as a panelist or player on other shows. One of his guest appearances
7200-646: The University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy in 1961. While a university student, Trebek was a member of the English Debating Society . At the time, he was interested in a broadcast news career. Before completing his degree, Trebek began his career in 1961 working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . According to Trebek, "I went to school in the mornings and worked at nights; I did everything, at one time replacing every announcer in every possible job." He would eventually read
7320-521: The achievement of outstanding merit or distinguished service by Canadians who made a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as the efforts made by non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions. Membership is thus accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , taken from Hebrews 11:16 of the Christian Bible , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire
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#17328556223687440-541: The annual The Great Canadian Geography Challenge in Canada. He hosted the National Geographic Bee in the United States for 25 years, stepping down in 2013. He also served on the advisory board of U.S. English , an organization that supports making English the official language of the United States. In 2016, Trebek donated $ 5 million to the University of Ottawa to fund the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue,
7560-465: The augmentation of her royal arms for Canada with the order's ribbon in 1987. On the grant to Bishop's College School , Quebec, the Sovereign's insignia of the Order was depicted below the Royal Arms of Canada, the only time the badge has been incorporated into a grant document. The constitution of the Order of Canada states that the insignia remain property of the Crown , and requires any member of
7680-614: The candidates are worthy enough to be accepted into the order, and make recommendations to the governor general, who appoints the new members. The council is chaired by the chief justice of Canada , and includes the clerk of the Privy Council , the deputy minister of Canadian Heritage , the chair of the Canada Council for the Arts , the president of the Royal Society of Canada , the chair of
7800-532: The chemotherapy treatments were often worse than the cancer symptoms themselves, he was confident that he would survive another year, saying that ending treatment would be a "betrayal" to his family, supporters, and to the God in whom he had faith. As a precautionary measure, Jeopardy! initially taped episodes without a studio audience, as protection from the COVID-19 pandemic ; Trebek, because of both his age and his condition,
7920-497: The concern that the three grades of the Order of Canada were insufficient to recognize the nation's very best; one suggestion was to add two more levels to the order, equivalent to knighthoods in British orders. The order of precedence also came under scrutiny, particularly the anomaly that all three grades of the Order of Canada supersede the top levels of each of the other orders (except the Order of Merit), contrary to international practice. In June 2010, McCreery suggested reforms to
8040-462: The debate and talked for 41% of it, often talking about himself without giving candidates time to discuss their stances on political issues. He also made remarks regarding the sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church . Trebek later apologized for his performance, stating that he was "naive" and "misunderstood" the role of a moderator. "I offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pennsylvania ,
8160-403: The emcee role. In October 2018, Trebek signed a new contract to continue as host through 2022, stating in January 2019 that although he was beginning to slow down due to his age, the show's work schedule, consisting of 46 taping sessions each year, was still manageable. On March 6, 2019, aged 78, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. He had been experiencing
8280-437: The fall. He required a short medical leave and returned to regular hosting duty in mid-January 2018. In 2018, while being interviewed by Harvey Levin on Fox News , Trebek floated the idea of retirement, saying the odds of his leaving Jeopardy! in 2020 were 50/50 "and a little less". Trebek added that he might continue if he is "not making too many mistakes" but would make an "intelligent decision" as to when he should give up
8400-825: The first person to host three American game shows at the same time, earning this distinction on February 4, 1991, when Trebek took over from Lynn Swann as host of NBC's To Tell the Truth for Goodson-Todman, which Trebek hosted until the end of the series' run on May 31, 1991. In 1994, Trebek returned to the CBS network for the first time since hosting Double Dare to host the Pillsbury Bake-Off , which he hosted until 1998. Trebek and Pat Sajak , host of Wheel of Fortune , traded places on April Fools' Day 1997. Pat Sajak hosted Jeopardy! and Trebek hosted Wheel of Fortune with Sajak's wife, Lesly, as Trebek's co-host. Sajak and Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White played contestants at
8520-496: The governor general at Rideau Hall, although the monarch or a provincial viceroy may perform the task, and the ceremony may take place in other locations. Since the 1991 investiture of Ted Rogers , Order of Canada installment ceremonies have been broadcast on various television channels and the Internet; recipients are given a complimentary video recording of their investiture ceremony from Rogers Cable . At certain periods, holders of
8640-408: The governor general's approval can the resignation take effect. On 1 June 2009, the governor general accepted the resignations of astronomer and inventor René Racine , pianist Jacqueline Richard , and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte ; on 11 January 2010, the same was done for Renato Giuseppe Bosisio , an engineering professor, and Father Lucien Larré ; and on 19 April 2010 for Frank Chauvin . It
8760-447: The inclusion of many components of the modern hockey broadcast, including slow motion replay , as well as microphone and camera setups across the rink to enhance the viewer experience. Mellanby was involved in the production of Olympic Winter Games hockey broadcasts across Canada, starting with the 1976 Winter Olympics up to the 1994 Winter Olympics , was a member of the productions teams for Summer Olympics in 1992 and 1996. For
8880-413: The insignia on eBay ; however, after the bidding reached $ 15,000, eBay removed the item, citing its policy against the sale of government property, including "any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty." Rideau Hall stated that selling medals was "highly discouraged"; however,
9000-780: The levels of Officer and Member were introduced, with all existing holders of the Medal of Service created as Officers. Lester Pearson's vision of a three-tiered structure to the order was thus fulfilled. Companions of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: CC , in French: Compagnon de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated the highest degree of merit to Canada and humanity, on either the national or international scene. Up to 15 Companions are appointed annually, with an imposed limit of 180 living Companions at any given time, not including those appointed as extraordinary Companions or in an honorary capacity. As of August 2017 , there are 146 living Companions. Since 1994, substantive members are
9120-421: The members of the advisory council are: Few have declined entry into the Order of Canada; as of 1997 , 1.5 per cent of offered appointments to the order had been refused. The identities of those individuals who have declined induction since the 1970s are kept confidential, so the full list is not publicly known. Some, however, have spoken openly about their decisions, including Robert Weaver , who stated that he
9240-462: The objective of which is "to expose students to a wide range of diverse views, through speeches, public panels, events and lectures by University of Ottawa researchers, senior government officials and guests speakers from around the world." His gifts to the university, which at the time totaled $ 7.5 million, also fund a Distinguished Speaker Series, which has included a presentation by Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee , introduced by Trebek. In 2017, he funded
9360-631: The only regular citizens who are empowered to administer the Canadian Oath of Citizenship . Officers of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: OC , in French: Officier de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated an outstanding level of talent and service to Canadians, and up to 64 may be appointed each year, not including those inducted as extraordinary Officers or in an honorary capacity, with no limit to how many may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 1,049 living Officers. Members of
9480-546: The order as a result of the Advisory Council moving forward with his pending removal due to his being found guilty of professional misconduct. The Order's Advisory Council considered a request made in 2021 for the expulsion of Julie Payette , the 29th Governor General of Canada, from the order. Payette, an Extraordinary Companion, resigned from the viceregal post over allegations of harassment of personnel at Rideau Hall . The advisory board attempts to remain apolitical and pragmatic in its approach to selecting new members of
9600-979: The order by John Matheson . The snowflake design for the order was suggested by the diplomat John G. H. Halstead . The association was officially launched on 1 July 1967, the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation , with Governor General Roland Michener being the first inductee to the order, to the level of Companion, and on 7 July of the same year, 90 more people were appointed, including former Governor General Vincent Massey , former prime minister Louis St. Laurent , novelist Hugh MacLennan , religious leader David Bauer , novelist Gabrielle Roy , historian Donald Creighton , feminist politician and future senator Thérèse Casgrain , pioneering neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield , painter Arthur Lismer , public health leader Brock Chisholm , former political leader M. J. Coldwell , disability advocate Edwin Baker , painter Alex Colville , and ice hockey player Maurice Richard . During
9720-456: The order to return to the chancellery their original emblem should they be upgraded within the order to a higher rank. Thus, while badges may be passed down as family heirlooms, or loaned or donated for display in museums , they cannot be sold. Over the decades, however, a number of Order of Canada insignia have been put up for sale. The first was the Companion's badge of M. J. Coldwell , who
9840-566: The order were presented with other awards, usually commemorative medals. Thus far, two commemoratives have been given automatically to every living member of the Order of Canada: the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. The task of the order's advisory council is to evaluate the nominations of potential inductees, decide if
9960-418: The order, while other appointments have been controversial. Appointees are presented with insignia and receive the right to armorial bearings . The process of founding the Order of Canada began in early 1966 and concluded on 17 April 1967, when the organization was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of the Canadian prime minister , Lester B. Pearson , who was assisted with the establishment of
10080-534: The owner continued efforts to sell the insignia via the internet. Five years later, a miniature insignia presented to Tommy Douglas was put on auction in Ontario as part of a larger collection of Douglas artifacts. Douglas's daughter, Shirley Douglas , purchased the set for $ 20,000. Any of the three levels of the Order of Canada are open to all living Canadian citizens, except all federal and provincial politicians and judges while they hold office. The order recognizes
10200-770: The production team for various Olympic Games broadcasts. Mellanby was born on August 22, 1934, in Hamilton, Ontario , but grew up in Essex County, Ontario , where his father, Edgar, worked as a newspaper editor for The Windsor Star . After graduating from high school in Windsor, he attended Wayne State University in nearby Detroit, Michigan , where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 1958. He also played professional baseball during his years at college. He found his first job at CKLW-TV in Windsor, Ontario , first as
10320-480: The program) was let go after taping a week's worth of episodes after various controversies came to light. In 1987, while still hosting Jeopardy! , Trebek returned to daytime television as host of NBC's Classic Concentration , his second show for Mark Goodson . Trebek hosted both shows simultaneously until September 20, 1991, when Classic Concentration aired its final first-run episode (NBC would air repeats until 1993). In 1991, he made broadcast history by becoming
10440-442: The property is now an event center called Windfall Farms. In a 2018 interview with Vulture , Trebek said he was a political moderate and registered independent , neither conservative nor liberal, with some libertarian leanings. Trebek stated he believed in God as a Christian. During a 2018 gubernatorial debate, Trebek said that he was raised Catholic during his childhood and adolescence. On December 10, 2007, Trebek experienced
10560-504: The reigning Canadian monarch, is the order's sovereign; the governor general administers the order on his behalf as Chancellor and Principal Companion. Appointees to the order are recommended by an advisory board and formally inducted by the governor general or the sovereign. As of January 2024 , 8,375 people have been appointed to the Order, including scientists, musicians, politicians, artists, athletes, business people, film stars and benefactors. Some have resigned or have been removed from
10680-539: The second anniversary of his death, Trebek was honored in a category entitled "Remembering Alex Trebek" during the Jeopardy! Round of the 2022 Tournament of Champions special exhibition episode of Jeopardy! Since Trebek's death, various television networks aired their own tributes to him such as MeTV (which played " What Is... Cliff Clavin? " and "Mama on Jeopardy!", two episodes of the classic 1980s sitcoms Cheers and Mama's Family respectively in which Jeopardy!
10800-505: The short-lived CBS game show Double Dare (not to be confused with the 1986 Nickelodeon game show of the same name ). Double Dare turned out to be Trebek's only game show with the CBS network (he returned there in 1994 to host the Pillsbury Bake-Off until 1998), and the first show he hosted for what was then Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions , as well as the second season of the syndicated series The $ 128,000 Question , which
10920-401: The show's history, Brad Rutter , Ken Jennings , and James Holzhauer , against each other. Trebek made multiple guest appearances on other television shows, ranging from Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2008 and 2011 to The Colbert Report series finale. In August 1995, during a return to his broadcast-news roots, Trebek filled in for Charles Gibson for a week on Good Morning America . Trebek
11040-543: The situation in May 2019, stating that he was responding exceptionally well to treatment and that some of the tumors had shrunk to half their previously observed size; he credited the prayers and well wishes of his fans for the better-than-usual results and planned to undergo several more rounds of chemotherapy . Trebek finished that round of chemotherapy treatments in time to resume taping of the show in August 2019. Follow-up immunotherapy
11160-482: The stamp scheduled for release in July 2024. Trebek was a longtime philanthropist and activist. He was active with multiple charities, including World Vision Canada , United Service Organizations and the United Negro College Fund . For World Vision, Trebek travelled to many developing countries with World Vision projects, taping reports on the group's efforts on behalf of children around the world. He and
11280-507: The start of the show. Trebek's final episode of Jeopardy! aired on January 8, 2021, concluding with a 90-second tribute to Trebek. On August 19, 2021, the Jeopardy! stage was renamed "The Alex Trebek Stage", with his family present at the dedication. The United States Postal Service honored Trebek with a commemorative stamp honoring both the 60th anniversary of the Jeopardy! franchise and Trebek's naturalized American citizenship, with
11400-674: The time — he was often confused for being a Black man and so was invited to take part in the organization's telethons. Trebek also donated 74 acres (30 hectares) of open land in the Hollywood Hills to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in 1998. He was later awarded one of the American Foundation for the Blind 's six yearly Access Awards for his role in accommodating Jeopardy! champion Eddie Timanus . Trebek hosted
11520-542: The wardrobe to The Doe Fund , in keeping with a statement Trebek had made on his last day of taping. In 1997, Trebek was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the university (D.Univ) from the University of Ottawa . In addition to awards for Jeopardy! , he received a great deal of recognition. Trebek received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. He was also awarded eight Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards (1989, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2019, 2020, and 2021) and
11640-467: The wheel, with winnings going toward charities. Trebek appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005 and came in second place in his qualifying game , losing to Cheryl Hines . On June 24, 2018, Trebek returned as a panelist on the ABC revival of To Tell the Truth . He hosted a Jeopardy! primetime special event titled The Greatest of All Time on ABC in January 2020, pitting the highest money winners in
11760-464: The winter break of Jeopardy! taping, Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after reportedly experiencing complications from a fall in October of that year. The incident resulted in a subdural hematoma . Trebek underwent surgery to remove blood clots from his brain the following day. On January 4, 2018, the verified Twitter account of Jeopardy! announced that Trebek had been suffering from
11880-446: The world better by their actions. Membership is accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire a better country", a phrase taken from Hebrews 11 :16. The three tiers of the order are Companion, Officer and Member. Specific people may be given extraordinary membership and deserving non-Canadians may receive honorary appointment into each grade. King Charles III ,
12000-558: Was cremated and his remains were given to his wife. Trebek's estate was liquidated in an estate sale in April 2022 as his daughter prepared to sell his home in Studio City . Shortly after Trebek's death, Jeopardy! contestant and future host Ken Jennings , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , and Wheel of Fortune hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White were among those who paid tribute. On
12120-529: Was a plot device), Buzzr (which aired episodes of shows Trebek guest starred in such as Card Sharks or hosted such as Classic Concentration and To Tell the Truth in the Fremantle library) and Game Show Network (which aired a Jeopardy! marathon ). On the premiere episode of the rebooted American version of The Chase , where Jeopardy! champions James Holzhauer, Brad Rutter, and Ken Jennings were chasers, host Sara Haines paid tribute to Trebek at
12240-476: Was also a guest star in season 3 of The X-Files , playing one of two "Men in Black" (human agents charged with the supervision of extraterrestrial lifeforms on Earth, hiding their existence from other humans) opposite Jesse Ventura , in the episode " Jose Chung's From Outer Space ", which first aired on April 12, 1996. On June 13, 2014, Guinness World Records presented Trebek with the world record for most episodes of
12360-470: Was also reported that other constituents of the Order of Canada had, in reaction to Henry Morgentaler 's induction into their ranks, indicated that they would return or had returned their emblems in protest, including organizations such as the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Madonna House Apostolate doing so on behalf of deceased former members. Members may be removed from the order if
12480-540: Was also used to capture "natural sounds" for the viewing audience and fill breaks in commentary. Mellanby was involved in the broadcasts for Canadian Open tournaments in golf and tennis , the Canadian Football League , and Major League Baseball ( Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays ). He was also the vice president of MacLaren Advertising from 1969 to 1977 and founder of Mellanby Robertson Productions (along with Brian Robertson). In 2007, he co-authored
12600-503: Was appointed in 1967; his badge was sold at auction in 1981, an act that received criticism from government officials. In 2007, it was revealed that one of the first ever issued insignia of the Order of Canada, a Medal of Service awarded originally to Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot , was put up for sale via e-mail. Originally, the anonymous auctioneer, who had purchased the decoration for $ 45 at an estate sale in Montreal , attempted to sell
12720-561: Was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario , Canada, the son of George Edward Trebek ( born Terebeychuk, Ukrainian : Теребейчу́к ), a chef who had emigrated from Ukraine as a child, and Lucille Marie Lagacé (April 14, 1921 – 2016), a Franco-Ontarian . Trebek had roots in Renfrew County, Ontario , where his maternal grandmother was born in Mount St. Patrick near Renfrew . Trebek grew up in
12840-430: Was called in to substitute host for Trebek for what was initially expected to be a temporary replacement while Trebek recovered from the surgery on November 8; that same day, Trebek died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80, after 20 months fighting pancreatic cancer. It was the same disease that affected his predecessor and the original host of Jeopardy! Art Fleming , who died a little over 25 years earlier. Trebek
12960-522: Was cancelled in 1980, Trebek moved on to Battlestars for NBC. The series debuted in October 1981 and was cancelled in April 1982 after only six months on the air. In September 1981, Trebek took the helm of the syndicated Pitfall , which taped in Vancouver and forced him to commute, as Trebek had done while hosting High Rollers and The $ 128,000 Question in 1978. Pitfall was cancelled after its production company, Catalena Productions, went bankrupt. As
13080-417: Was critical of the "three-tier" nature of the order; Claude Ryan and Morley Callaghan , who both declined the honour in 1967; Mordecai Richler , who twice declined; and Marcel Dubé , Roger Lemelin and Glenn Gould , who all declined in 1970. However, all the above individuals, save for Gould, later did accept appointment into the order. Others have rejected appointment on the basis of being supporters of
13200-474: Was dismissed after being jailed for fraud in 1998; David Ahenakew , who faced calls for his removal due to antisemitic comments he made in 2002; T. Sher Singh , after the Law Society of Upper Canada found him guilty of professional misconduct and revoked his licence to practise law; Steve Fonyo , due to "his multiple criminal convictions, for which there are no outstanding appeals"; Garth Drabinsky , who
13320-402: Was found guilty of fraud and forgery in Ontario and has been a fugitive from American law for related crimes; Conrad Black , who was convicted in the United States in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice; Ranjit Chandra , whose scientific work was discredited by allegations of fraud; and Johnny Issaluk , following allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2013, Norman Barwin resigned from
13440-413: Was in 1982 offered appointment to the order as an honorary Companion; however, he refused on the grounds that, as the consort of the Queen, he was a Canadian and thus entitled to a substantive appointment. In 1993, the Advisory Council proposed an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Canada, making the monarch's spouse automatically a Companion, but Prince Philip again refused, stating that if he
13560-454: Was ineffective, and Trebek resumed chemotherapy in September. On October 4, 2019, in an interview with CTV's Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme , Trebek said: "I'm not afraid of dying" and "I've lived a good life, a full life, and I'm nearing the end of that life... [I]f it happens, why should I be afraid [of] that?" In the same interview, Trebek noted that sores in his mouth,
13680-533: Was looking forward to taping again. On July 21, 2020, Trebek published his memoir: The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life . Trebek underwent surgery related to his cancer treatment in October. Trebek returned to the show two weeks after the surgery but was unable to handle his full workload due to pain from the surgery and had to split his usual five-episode taping session over two days; these five episodes would be his last. Trebek taped his final episode on October 29, 2020, just 10 days before his death. Ken Jennings
13800-729: Was named the Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; in that capacity, he was present at the opening of the RCGS's new headquarters in 2018. In 2011, it was announced that Trebek would be one of the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards . That same year, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Fordham University . Since June 13, 2014, Trebek has held
13920-492: Was on a special week of NBC 's Card Sharks in 1980. Trebek and several other game show hosts ( Allen Ludden , Bill Cullen , Wink Martindale , Jack Clark , Tom Kennedy , Gene Rayburn , and Jim Lange ) competed in a 3-week-long round-robin tournament for charity. Trebek won the tournament, defeating Cullen in the finals. Trebek also appeared as a celebrity teammate on the NBC game show The Magnificent Marble Machine in 1975, and
14040-399: Was particularly at risk of death from the particular variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulating. Soon afterward, production of the show was suspended altogether. The show resumed taping in August, in time for the season 37 premiere. On July 16, 2020, Trebek gave an update regarding his cancer. Trebek said that while he still felt fatigued, the chemotherapy was "paying off." Trebek also stated that he
14160-467: Was recorded in Toronto . Since the second incarnation of High Rollers premiered while The $ 128,000 Question was still airing and taping episodes, Trebek became one of two hosts to emcee shows in both the United States and Canada, joining Jim Perry , who was hosting Definition and Headline Hunters in Canada and Card Sharks , which coincidentally premiered the same day as High Rollers in 1978 in
14280-401: Was to air on Christmas Day 2020; however, Sony announced on November 23, 2020, that the air dates of Trebek's final week would be postponed, with episodes scheduled for the week of December 21–25 being postponed to January 4–8, 2021, due to the delay caused by the cancellation of most November production dates and pre-emptions caused by holiday week specials and shorts. Following Trebek's death,
14400-512: Was to be appointed, it should be on his merits. Congruent with these arguments, he in 1988 accepted without issue a substantive induction as a Companion of the Order of Australia . In 2013, the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended in a way that permitted the substantive appointment of Royal Family members and Prince Philip accepted induction as the first extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada on 26 April 2013. Former Premier of Newfoundland Joseph Smallwood declined appointment as
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