It’s hard for Gail Anderson to believe that her childhood fascination with insects has led to her investiture as a recipient of British Columbia’s highest honour, the Order of B.C.

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Anderson, Canada’s first academic forensic entomologist and developer of the world’s first comprehensive database of insects, is one of 12 remarkable British Columbians whose appointments to the Order of B.C. were announced on Monday.

Anderson, a professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, and co-director of the Centre for Forensic Research, has been a trailblazer in the field of forensic entomology, the use of insects in criminal investigations, and the use of forensic science in court.

“It’s amazing,” said Anderson of the honour. “I’m not from Canada originally. This is the province and country that I chose, and that I love.”

Anderson fell in love with B.C. when she came on a visit from England at the age of 17. No one in her family had been to university before, and she was unsure of what she wanted to do. In exchange for airfare to visit family in Canada during a gap year, she promised her parents that she would apply to university and give it a shot.

Anderson spent five months on the beach in White Rock, and fell in love with B.C. She returned to the U.K., but promised herself she would be back.

That promise was fulfilled when she returned to do a master’s degree at SFU, studying insects that cause diseases. During the course of her studies, she created a cure for “sweet itch”, or the hypersensitivity to Culicoides bites in horses.

Although her research was groundbreaking, and she was an expert in the field, there was no employment in veterinary insect research of that kind.

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“It didn’t go anywhere,” said Anderson, who recalled the lack of opportunity after so much study “heartbreaking.”

When another professor at SFU approached her to ask if she was interested in forensic entomology — the study of insects to aid in criminal investigations, including determining length of time of death — she wasn’t sure. “I said it sounded a little gross.”

What she discovered, however, was work that mattered. “I had always wanted to do something that was useful. When I’m working on a case, my work matters. It might help convict or exonerate someone. It was wonderful to be able to do something that was really practical.”

Her work is now globally recognized, and she has been honoured with the Award for Achievement in Forensic Life Sciences (Biology) presented by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the dean’s medal for academic excellence at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Burnaby Mountain Endowed Professorship.

At 64, Anderson, who admits she is naturally shy, said she never would have envisioned a life that included testifying in court, or speaking to lecture halls filled with hundreds of students.

“I love teaching. It’s invigorating, exhilarating and fun.”

To young people just starting out, who may not know what they want to do with their lives, Anderson offers encouragement, based on her own journey. “I tell them not to be stressed, to take the courses that interest them, enjoy what you are doing, and they will find their way.”

Other Order of B.C. honourees named Monday include Selen Alpay, a Canadian Tire store owner in Prince George, whose support for local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the YMCA, School District 57, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, and the Prince George Parkinson’s Society has made a difference in the community.

Marc Bains of Vancouver is a three-time cancer survivor and heart transplant recipient, and co-founder of the HeartLife Foundation. He was honoured for community work including raising tens of millions of dollars for cardiac care throughout B.C.

Robert Bauman of Vancouver is the former Chief Justice of B.C. and the Yukon. He was honoured for strengthening access to justice and modernizing B.C.’s legal system through decades of principled service, innovation and public engagement.

Jill Bodkin, B.C.’s first female deputy minister and founding chair of the B.C. Securities Commission, was honoured for her leadership in public service, finance and entrepreneurship, advancing global trade and investment, strengthening market integrity, fostering clean-energy innovation, and building international partnerships benefiting B.C.

Stephanie Cadieux of Surrey is Canada’s first chief accessibility officer, and the former MLA for Surrey-Panorama. She was honoured for her work in public policy and empowering people with disabilities.

Dr. Jim Christenson of Vancouver was named to the Order for transforming emergency care in the province through groundbreaking research, clinical innovation, and his work to transform emergency care in B.C. with life-saving advances in prehospital care and resuscitation science, as well as advocacy for improved care in remote Indigenous communities.

Bristol Foster of Salt Spring Island was honoured for his work as a naturalist, conservation biologist, and filmmaker whose decades-long career has advanced environmental stewardship in B.C. and beyond and led to the protection of vital ecosystems.

Marianne Ignace (Gulḵiihlgad) of Savona is a distinguished professor at Simon Fraser University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She was honoured for advancing Indigenous language revitalization through years of research, education and community partnership.

Patrick Kelly (T’esóts’en) of Victoria and a member of the Leq’á:mel First Nation within the Stó:lō Nation, was named for his commitment to reconciliation, dialogue, and public service for strengthening reconciliation and unity across B.C. by bringing diverse communities together to resolve conflicts.

Elio Luongo of Burnaby, the recently appointed chancellor of SFU and a former CEO and senior partner of KPMG, was honoured for his contributions to the province’s economy and communities through decades of business excellence, innovation and public service.