Joni Mitchell has been made a companion of the Order of Canada, established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

"Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation," says the announcement on the governor general's page, going on:

"Folk, pop, rock, jazz and world beat - she has embraced them all and made them her own. From Yorkville coffeehouses to international stages and on to gold albums, Junos, Grammys and Hall of Fame inductions, she has engaged and inspired audiences and musicians for some 40 years.

"She has crossed musical boundaries and created new ones to be crossed. Her independent style has been emulated by many popular artists and has paved the way for today's young female singers. Her music and lyrics have become part of our collective memory. Widely respected as a visual artist and poet as well, she continues to add to the creative legacy indelibly woven into our cultural mosaic.

Mitchell was also one of the first internationally known artists to roundly condemn the practices of the music industry.

"Has the music business changed very much in your lifetime?" - she was asked in David Wild's Rolling Stone interview.

"Well, no," she replied.

"I've been screwed from the beginning ... the deal that I got was just atrocious. I mean, it was like slave labor, really - no points, no budget. And I've never really had a good deal in the business. So I would never take another deal in the record business, which means I may not record again, or I have to figure out a way to sell over the Net or do something else. But I'd be damned if I'll line their pockets."

She also said, "I hope it all goes down the crapper. It's top-heavy, it's wasteful. It's an insane business. Now, this is all calculated music. It's calculated for sales, it's sonically calculated, it's rudely calculated. I'm ashamed to be a part of the music business. You know, I just think it's a cesspool."