On February 23, 2024, Kenneth Knox officially received the Order of Canada from Governor General Mary Simon.

The citation reads:

“Kenneth Knox has been a central architect of the culture of innovation approach in Ontario and Canada over the past few decades. He fostered scientific and technological innovation by creating leading-edge leadership programs and modern government agencies, and contributed to raising research capacity, notably in the agricultural sector. He has served in leadership positions of government entities at both the federal and provincial levels, and has worked with various corporations and research groups, including Genome Canada, MaRS Discovery District, and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.”

When he was inaugurated to the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame, a more fulsome background was shared:

“Ken Knox was raised on a dairy farm, and upon graduation from OAC in 1972, he joined OMAFRA as an assistant agricultural representative, and continued with OMAFRA over the years to work with Youth Programs, the Ontario Farm Adjustment Assistant Program, as Assistant Deputy Minister, and as Deputy Minister.

“But Ken’s vision and abilities extended far beyond being a capable administrator. The story of his dedication to Ontario agriculture is a tribute to his unwavering determination that the value of agriculture to this province would never be allowed to be undermined, no matter what plans transpired to diminish it. His ability was to see potential new ventures and structures for agriculture and agribusiness, and to strategically gather the forces required to make things happen. This puts Ken Knox in the ranks of the rare few who work for positive change by motivating and enabling the best among us, with little desire on his part for public recognition.”
 

His most recent contribution was as chair of the Ontario Food Terminal Board from February 2019 to October 2020.

Source:  Governor General of Canada February 23, 2024 news release