City of Moncton names 2025 Order of Moncton recipients The City of Moncton is honoured to announce the 2025 Order of Moncton recipients. The 2025 inductees are:Chantal CadieuxDavid HawkinsGeorge Rideout“This year’s inductees have all made exceptional and long-lasting contributions to our community,” says Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault. “Chantal is a shining star in Moncton’s cultural scene, David has given back to the city and the region in so many ways, and George set the stage for Moncton’s current economic success. We are pleased to welcome all three of them into the Order of Moncton this year.” The Order of Moncton is the highest honour the City can bestow on a citizen. Recipients receive a medal, a pin, and a certificate of honour at the formal induction ceremony, to be held at Moncton City Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the City of Moncton’s YouTube channel beginning at 7 p.m. A public reception will take place at 8 p.m. that evening at City Hall. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee comprised of elected municipal officials, three residents of Moncton, and a representative of the City of Moncton administration, from nominations submitted by community members. Chantal CadieuxChantal Cadieux has devoted her career to championing contemporary dance as a living expression of identity in Acadie, shaping the rhythm, spirit, and expression of the art form in Moncton and the wider region for more than 45 years.As founder and artistic director of DansEncorps, she has been responsible for introducing generations of children to dance, providing opportunities for emerging artists to test their talents, and giving young dancers the solid foundation they need to pursue professional careers.DansEncorps, founded in 1979, was the province’s first francophone dance company. When she opened the doors to her studio, Cadieux also opened new doors for artists across the region. There was little tradition of contemporary dance in Acadie at the time, and Cadieux sought to make the art form accessible in a francophone environment.Earlier in life Cadieux had to leave Moncton to pursue her own studies in dance, so she was determined to give young dancers opportunities to learn the art closer to home. Several of her graduates have gone on to shine on the national and international stage, a testament to the quality of her teaching. She is also a generous mentor, creating events like the Atlantic Dance Festival and Les Chantiers de création, which have provided a platform for new and emerging artists.Cadieux is a prolific artist in her own right, choreographing more than 20 major productions. She was recognized for her choreography of Sans Frontière at the 2005 Juex de la Francophonie in Niger and was presented with the Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievement in Dance in 2010.Her passion for dance has helped shaped Moncton’s cultural and artistic landscape and has put a spotlight on local talent nationally and internationally. Her support for arts and culture also extends beyond her studio. Cadieux is a founding member of the Aberdeen Cultural Centre, which has become a vital cultural hub at the heart of the city.David HawkinsDavid Hawkins is known for saying good communications can change the world. It isn’t just a catch phrase – Hawkins has demonstrated it throughout his life.As a communications professional, Hawkins has been responsible for campaigns that have had widespread and longstanding positive impact and earned him regional, national, and international accolades. He was the mastermind behind the strategy commissioned by Moncton City Council that led to the city’s economic resurgence known as The Moncton Miracle.As a philanthropist, he has used his talents as a communicator to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charities, particularly those focused on supporting the most vulnerable in our society. He has served as a campaign chair, committee member, donor, and financial campaign advisor for a diverse array of charities and non-profit organizations including Crossroads for Women, the Beauséjour Family Crisis Resource Centre, the Love for Local Food Banks Campaign, Hospice Southeast New Brunswick, the Campaign for Ukrainian Refugees, the Frye Festival, the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.He was a key early supporter of the Sistema NB program, which provides musical training for children who might not otherwise have the opportunity. His ongoing support recently included assisting in the development of a $12-million fundraising campaign to ensure even more children have access. Sistema NB is now the largest youth music program in Canada and a social, cultural, and economic driver in our city.Hawkins has also personally donated millions of dollars to local charities. His impact is multiplied by his ability to mobilize people and resources to support important causes. Charities know if he is willing to come to the table, he is not coming alone.He has been described as “completely driven by a heart to serve,” which beautifully sums up his enormous dedication to the betterment of our region and the province. George RideoutGeorge Rideout has lived a life of service to his community.His list of accomplishments on their own is impressive: nine years as a Moncton city councillor, five years as mayor, and nine years as a Member of Parliament. But it is the context in which he served that makes his time in office truly stand out.When Rideout became mayor of Moncton in 1983, he inherited a city that was dilapidated, discouraged, and in economic decline. A key feature of Downtown Moncton was the boarded-up storefronts. Eaton’s had already closed and rumours of the CN shops closing were growing louder. Moncton’s reputation was in tatters nationally.Rideout made it clear from the first moment of his mandate that economic development would be his priority. He negotiated a multimillion-dollar investment from the federal and provincial governments to revitalize Main Street, recruited Moncton Industrial Development to lead the charge on economic development, and hired a communications firm to rehabilitate the city’s image and position it as a great place to do business.Midway through his term, when the CN shop closure was announced, Rideout was well on his way to putting the pieces in place for what would become known as The Moncton Miracle – the city’s rebound from the devastating loss of an employer that had largely defined its Hub City status.As the architect of The Moncton Miracle, Rideout orchestrated an economic turnaround and change in attitude that transformed the city and which endures to this day. The city’s continued economic success can be directly traced to his leadership through one of the community’s most challenging periods and the city, the southeast region, and the province as a whole, owe much to his vision.Rideout was appointed a judge of the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick in 1998 and continued to serve the community in that capacity until his retirement.InformationCommunications, City of Monctoncommunications@moncton.caHigh-resolution photos available to media upon request