Right or wrong here‘s the spin:
The award of an order, decoration or medal by a foreign power to a member of the Canadian Forces (CF) is governed by the "Policy Respecting the Awarding of an Order, Decoration or Medal by a Commonwealth or Foreign Government". The policy, promulgated by the Privy Council, is reproduced in Annex A.
2. For the purposes of this CFAO, "foreign power" includes other nations of the Commonwealth.
3. When a unit or individual is approached by a representative of a foreign power in respect of a foreign award, the representative shall be tactfully informed that Canadian Government concurrence in the award should be sought through normal diplomatic channels, that is via the foreign ministry to the Canadian Department of External Affairs. Without such concurrence, the award will not be recognized in Canada and may never be worn or displayed with official Canadian awards.
4. Each request is adjudicated by a government Honours Policy Sub-committee. If concurrence is granted, the foreign power may notify directly the individual or unit concerned of presentation arrangements. The individual or unit shall pass this information immediately to NDHQ/DC (Director Ceremonial) by message, with copies to the chain of command.
5. If, despite tactful advice, a foreign government presents a member of the CF with an order, decoration or medal at an official function without gaining prior Canadian government approval, the member diplomatically cannot refuse the award. The member shall not wear it thereafter, but shall refer the case to NDHQ/DC with a full explanation of the circumstances.
6. A member who was awarded an order, decoration or medal by a foreign power prior to enrolment may be granted approval to wear the insignia and ribbon while in uniform. To obtain approval the member shall submit a written request to the member‘s commanding officer (CO), accompanied by documentary proof of the award. The CO shall forward the request with the original or photocopy of the documentary proof, through normal channels, to NDHQ/DC.
7. If a member is granted authority to wear a foreign award, a copy of the authority shall be filed on the Unit Personnel Record and the NDHQ personal document file.