Christopher McCreery


Christopher "Burt" McCreery is a Canadian author and historian.
A native of Kingston, Ontario, McCreery holds a doctorate in Canadian history from Queen's University. His Master's thesis, "Questions of Honour: Canadian Government Policy Towards Titular Honours", was the first major academic work to examine the Canadian titles debate and the Nickle Resolution.
McCreery regularly comments on matters related to the Canadian honours system, the Order of Canada and the Governor General of Canada.

Published works

McCreery's published works include:
He also contributed a number of Commonwealth entries to Burkes Peerage and Gentry's "World Orders of Knighthood and Merit".
A number of chapters related to the role of the Governor General, reforms to the Canadian honours system and the modern role of the Provincial Lieutenant Governors were contributed by McCreery to "The Evolving Canadian Crown" and "Canada and the Crown: Essays on Constitutional Monarchy".
McCreery's most recent work is a pictorial history of Government House :
McCreery is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University, a Fellow and Director of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Champlain Society, Orders and Medals Research Society, the Canadian Historical Association, and the Writers' Union of Canada. Since 2005, he has served as the National Historian for St. John Ambulance Canada and the Venerable Order of Saint John in Canada.
In February 2009, McCreery was appointed Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. During the 2010 Royal Tour of Canada, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II in Halifax.
McCreery previously served as a Senior Advisor to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Marjory LeBreton ; Senior Advisor to the Speaker of the Senate, Noel Kinsella ; and Executive Assistant to Michael J. L. Kirby.
In 2010, McCreery was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the Governor General Consultation Committee, a special committee convened to recommend a successor to Michaëlle Jean. The panel recommended David Johnston.
In November 2010, McCreery submitted testimony to the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence outlining the way in which the Maritime Command element of the Canadian Forces could be renamed the Royal Canadian Navy. This advice was ultimately followed by Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay on 15 August 2011, when the designation Royal Canadian Navy was returned to official use, along with Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army.
In April 2012, McCreery was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of History / Canadian War Museum for a four-year term.
In his down time, Chris enjoys roller blading while dressed up as Burt Reynolds, which is how he earned the nickname "Burt."