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Three Canadians of Indian origin to get Order of Canada
They are Pyarali Gulamani Nanji, a prominent philanthropist; Vijayakumar Murty, a leading mathematician; and Ajay K Virmani, a prominent entrepreneur.
The Order of Canada / University of Manitoba website
Three prominent members of the Indian diaspora are among the 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada, the cornerstone of the Canadian Honors System.
They are Pyarali Gulamani Nanji, a prominent philanthropist; Vijayakumar Murty, a leading mathematician; and Ajay K Virmani, a prominent entrepreneur.
The Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest honors. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation. Its motto is: “They desire a better country.” An Advisory Council for the Order of Canada makes recommendations for appointments to the Order of Canada.
Pyarali Nanji is a prominent philanthropist in Canada, devoted to giving back to the country that welcomed him. His family foundation has made transformational charitable contributions to numerous local, national and international hospitals, institutions and organizations, including Sunnybrook Hospital, the Aga Khan Museum and the Seneca Nanji School of Nursing.
Pyarali Nanji was one of the thousands who were exiled from Uganda in 1972 because of their Indian heritage and among the scores who found refuge in Canada. He is also one of the ones who achieved great heights despite having to start from scratch in a new country.
“The way we left the country [Uganda] was very messy, during Idi Amin’s regime. It was a big thing we made it alive,” Nanji says, memories fresh with those dreadful moments. “Canada took care of my kids who came first, followed by my wife. The government gave them food and shelter.”
When Nanji arrived in Montreal, the harsh reality that, at 42, he had to restart his life and fend for his young family hit him hard. While he was determined to do well in this country, he and his wife also made a pact: “With God’s blessings, we reunited and at that point, my wife and I pledged if ever we became successful, we would give back to the country as much as we could.”
They have kept their promise. Today, Nanji is the president and CEO of Belle-Pak Packaging Inc., one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies in 2007, and he is one of the most prominent immigrant philanthropists in the country.
North York General Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Aga Khan University and Hospital, Homewood Health Centre and St. Mary’s Hospital, among others, are beneficiaries of his benevolence. He donates millions of his self-made fortune, says his social media post.
Vijayakumar Murty is one of Canada’s leading mathematicians. A professor at the University of Toronto, he has advanced knowledge in various mathematical fields, including analytic number theory. A renowned scholar of Indian philosophy, he helped develop this specialization and has been an influential mentor to Indo-Canadian youth.
V Kumar Murty received his PhD from Harvard University under the direction of John Tate. His scientific contributions are in the areas of number theory, algebraic geometry, information security and mathematical modelling and he has published more than 140 papers and 9 books in these areas.
His research has been recognized with the Coxeter-James Prize and the Jeffery-Williams Prize (both from the Canadian Mathematical Society) and election to the Royal Society of Canada and the National Academy of Sciences of India.
Kumar is currently the Director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto.
During the pandemic, Kumar served as Co-Chair of the Ontario Modelling Consensus Table and as a member of the Ontario Science Table. He led the Mathematical Modelling of COVID-19 Task Force as well as the Mathematics for Public Health Research Network.
Ajay Virmani is a prominent entrepreneur in the e-commerce logistics and supply chain industry. As the founding president and chair of Cargojet Airways, he transformed the company from a start-up into Canada's largest and most-awarded air cargo airline. Through his philanthropic work, he supports health care and social justice initiatives, impacting communities across Canada.
Virmani has over 42 years of experience in the transportation industry. Mr. Virmani served as Senior Vice President of Cottrell Transport Inc. (“Cottrell”) from 1977 to 1990 when he left Cottrell to form Commercial Transport International (Canada) Ltd. (“CTI”). In 1992, CTI acquired Fastair Cargo Systems Ltd.
Virmani was President and Chief Executive Officer from 1990 to 2000. CTI/Fastair acquired Cottrell in 1995 and the air cargo division of TNT Worldwide in 1996. By 1999, CTI and Fastair had grown to one of the largest freight forwarders in Canada, with both companies employing over 400 team members, with the combined revenue of approximately $100 million (US $70 million). CTI/Fastair were acquired in January of 2000 by Eagle Global Logistics where Mr. Virmani continued to serve as President from 2000 to 2001.
In August 2001, Virmani, formed Canada 3000 Cargo Inc, a joint venture with Canada 3000 Airlines. In 2002, Virmani acquired 100% Canada 3000 Cargo Inc. and rebranded the new company as Cargojet Canada Ltd. In 2005, Cargojet was converted to a public company. Virmani has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cargojet since its inception and has been responsible for the general business direction of the Company. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from City University of New York in 1985 and was honoured with a Doctor of Laws degree by Assumption University Windsor Ontario.
Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, while making the new appointments, said: “Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future. Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing their boundaries. Thank you for your perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit, and welcome to the Order of Canada.”
With these 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada, the Canadian Honours System has celebrated the outstanding achievements and wide-ranging contributions of over 8 000 individuals since its inception in 1967.
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