Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, LLD and Professor Emerita, named to the Order of Canada
Dr. Elizabeth Rollins Epperly—alumna, Professor Emerita, and the first woman to serve as president at the University of Prince Edward Island—has been named to the Order of Canada by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.
Among 83 appointments to the Order announced on the eve of Canada Day, Dr. Epperly was made a Member for her contributions to elevating the works of internationally renowned Island author Lucy Maud Montgomery, most well known for her novel Anne of Green Gables, in Canada and around the globe.
Dr. Epperly was the first student to register at the newly established UPEI in 1969. A native of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, USA, she came to Canada because of her love of and fascination with L.M. Montgomery’s writing. After earning her Bachelor of Arts at UPEI, pursuing graduate studies at Dalhousie University and the University of London in England, and teaching at Memorial University of Newfoundland, she returned to UPEI in 1992 as a Professor of English in the Faculty of Arts. She was an English professor for 30 years, spending 22 of those at UPEI.
“After my initial surprise, I have felt only joy at the honour of being included in the Order of Canada family,” said Dr. Epperly in a media statement. "I love anything that reflects well on my alma mater.
“More than that, I embrace this honour as a celebration of L.M. Montgomery as an internationally beloved great writer who inspires people across cultures to feel there is a beauty-loving, peace-loving, planet-sustaining community to which they belong.”
Dr. Wendy Rodgers, President and Vice-Chancellor of UPEI, congratulated Dr. Epperly on behalf of the University.
“Dr. Epperly is very deserving of the Order of Canada, our country’s highest civilian honour. Not only does she exemplify the qualities the honour recognizes—outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation—she is also the epitome of a trailblazer, much like the literary icon to whom she has devoted her scholarly life. We are so grateful for all of Dr. Epperly’s contributions, but we are especially inspired by her leadership to develop the internationally renowned L.M. Montgomery Institute, which provides a dynamic research centre focused on Montgomery’s life and works, right here at UPEI.”
The acclaimed scholar, curator, and author founded UPEI’s L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI), which honours Montgomery’s achievements, in 1993. The success of the first international Montgomery symposium in 1994 led to a themed biennial international conference series, which has been key in establishing the world-wide field of Montgomery studies, inspiring numerous collections of essays, individual books, and other artistic creations. The 17th biennial conference will be held at UPEI from June 24 to 26, 2026, focusing on the theme “L.M. Montgomery and Change.”
Some of Dr. Epperly’s books include The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass: L.M. Montgomery’s Heroine’s and the Pursuit of Romance (2014), Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery (2008), and Through Lover’s Lane: L.M. Montgomery’s Photography and Visual Imagination (2007).
The presidential plaza at the south entrance of the Robertson Library was dedicated to Dr. Epperly in 2012 to honour her contributions. She received an honorary degree from UPEI in 2017 and from Memorial University in 2022. Dr. Epperly and the other new Members of the Order will be invited to a ceremony at a later date to be invested and to receive their insignia.
