Courtesy/ Living Arts Centre/ Ronnie Burkett puppets

By Hayley Ferguson

Order of Canada

Locally raised puppeteer set to become Order of Canada member

Jul 9, 2019 | 12:38 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – One of the greatest Canadian puppeteers hails from Medicine Hat and is being honoured with one of the country’s highest honours.

Ronnie Burkett has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Burkett, who grew up in the Gas City, became interested in the art at the age of seven after stumbling on the puppet page of his encyclopedia.

“The family joke for years was why didn’t it fall open to pediatrician or podiatrist or plumber. Anything else but no it fell open to puppets.” Burkett laughed.

Burkett now lives in Toronto and is being honoured for his writing, staging and performing adult plays with marionettes.

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The puppeteer says that one of his favorite part of the job is that he can be who ever he wants on stage.

“I’m not stuck with being this gender, this height, this skin colour. So as a performer I get to be anything. I get to be an enchanted frog or a fairy or a princess. Or the prince even!” He said.

When finding out that he would be named an Officer of the Order of Canada he was overwhelmed.

“I couldn’t quite put it together. I didn’t see what I had done that deserved that frankly,” he said. “I think it just is a lovely reminder of the country I grew up in and the country that gave me this career. You know I don’t take this country and all that we have for granted. So I’m proud that the country also noticed that a puppeteer was worth noticing.”

Burkett says that after he got the news he spoke to fellow puppeteer Noreen Young who also has is a member of the Order of Canada.

“I’ve known Noreen since I was ten years old and I wrote her a fan letter. She said to me since she received the Order of Canada, she felt it was now her job to earn it. And I really loved that comment so I think after the fact I’m really going to be a little more mindful of being worthy of it.”