Congratulations to Peter Jacobs ’61 who has been named a Member of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors for his contributions to Canadian landscape architecture and for his commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development.

Peter Jacobs ’61

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. According to the Governor General of Canada, “those who bear the Order’s iconic snowflake insignia have changed our nation’s measure of success and have helped us build a better Canada.” Appointments are made by the governor general on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.

A leader and advocate for sustainable development, Jacobs is known for his sensible and sensitive approach based on environmental, social, and aesthetic values. His 38-year appointed term with the Kativik Environmental Quality Commission is just one example of his demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability.

Jacobs is an international figurehead in academia. He has contributed to the development and accreditation of landscape architecture programs in Canada and around the world. His research has focused on visual analysis and perception of landscape, environmental impacts, and on sustainable development of the North. Jacobs’ vast experience and fields of expertise are available to the public in more than 100 published articles, 15 book submissions, nine book chapters, and seven complete manuscripts. He is currently a Professor of Landscape Architecture, École d’architecture de paysage, Faculté de l’aménagement, Université de Montréal, and has held numerous academic posts including the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Tsinghua University School of Architecture (Beijing, China), ’École d’architecture de Paris-La Villette (Paris, France), and McGill University School of Architecture.

“According to Peter Jacobs, perseverance and courage come naturally when obstacles encounter deep convictions based on fundamental values that are shared by peers, colleagues, students and institutions imbued with their respective missions,” says Isabelle Giasson, Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec president. “Peter understood early in his career that the field of landscape architecture is one of the keys that leads to the development of solutions to the critical issues we face today.”

Earlier this year, Jacobs was honored with the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, the Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture.