Ryan Reynolds is the newest member of the Order of British Columbia.
The Vancouver-born actor and producer received the honour from Premier David Eby and Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin at a private ceremony in Vancouver.
In a social media post with pictures from the event, the actor wrote, “I could have been born anywhere but I had the dumb and incredible luck to be made in Vancouver,” alongside joking remarks about the promises he made when he believed the award was a political appointment, and not “merely symbolic.”
The province’s Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat says a last-minute scheduling conflict means Reynolds won’t be attending a ceremony in Victoria on Thursday where more than a dozen other recipients will be recognized.
The award is considered the province’s highest honour.
Recipients this year include Dr. Penny Ballem, who led B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccination program; nurses Evanna Brennan and Susan Giles, who have worked in the Downtown Eastside for decades; and Chief Harold Leighton, who has served as the chief councillor of the Metlakatla First Nation for more than 35 years.
The government biography for Reynolds says he is a “homegrown heavyweight” whose kindness and selflessness have benefited countless people in B.C., Canada and beyond.