Honorary degree recipients are community leaders, advocates
An honorary degree is the highest recognition bestowed by the University of Regina. Four individuals have received honorary doctorate degrees at the 2018 Spring Convocation ceremonies held June 6 – 8 at the Conexus Arts Centre. Meet this year’s recipients
SHELDON KENNEDY
Sheldon Kennedy is one of Canada’s most forceful advocates for abuse and bullying prevention, stemming from his own experience of being sexually abused by his coach while playing for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League.
Kennedy captained the team to a Memorial Cup win in 1989, and then played professional hockey for 10 seasons. He went public about the abuse he suffered in 1996 and began campaigning to educate people about what action to take if they suspect that abuse might be taking place.
In 1998 he roller-bladed across Canada to highlight the issue, raising $1.2 million to support the bullying and abuse prevention programming delivered by the Canadian Red Cross.
He and business partner Wayne McNeil later founded Respect Group, which delivers online training programs aimed at preventing bullying, abuse and harassment in sports, education and workplace settings. More than one million individuals have completed one of the three programs, and are Respect Certified.
Kennedy’s story and his advocacy work have attracted recognition in the form of a television movie and a video documentary about his life. In 2013, the Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary – where he is the lead director – was renamed in his honour. Kennedy has received several leadership awards and two honorary degrees for speaking out in support of victims of abuse, He was named to the Order of Canada in 2015 for his commitment to abuse prevention and support for young victims of abuse.
BRADLEY JOHN HORNUNG
Bradley John Hornung was born in Regina in February 1969, and was an 18-year-old player with his hometown Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League when he experienced an unimaginable setback. His dream of a professional hockey career ended during a game in March 1987, when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury after an awkward body check by an opposing player. He humbly denies it, but he was considered one of the most talented players in the WHL, a likely pick in the National Hockey League’s entry draft.
Brad’s life changed completely that night, but Hornung bore no anger toward the player involved, instead facing his future with courage and perseverance. He completed high school at Archbishop O’Neil High School, and then continued his education at the University of Regina. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Campion College and later took several classes through the Faculty of Business Administration. He worked for many years as a scout for the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and now assesses junior hockey players for the NHL’s central scouting bureau. In this capacity he attends every Regina Pats home game from his familiar vantage point in the Brandt Centre.
The Regina Pats have honoured Hornung by retiring his #8 jersey, and the WHL annually awards the Brad Hornung trophy to the player who best exemplifies talent, determination and sportsmanship. The University of Regina is proud to present Hornung with an honourary Doctor of Laws degree.
ROBERTA MCKAY ELMER BRENNER
Roberta McKay and Elmer Brenner are well-known in Regina and throughout the province for their philanthropic activities, particularly in support of the arts and health care.
They have also become synonymous with the revitalization of the University of Regina’s College Avenue campus. The couple served in an advisory capacity to help create plans for the campaign to rejuvenate the campus, Building Knowledge, and in 2012 donated $250,000 towards it. Now they are able to watch the refurbishing of Darke Hall and the College Building, just a short walk from where they live and work.
In 2014 they donated a Faziloli piano for use in Darke Hall, stipulating that students have access to the world-class instrument. The piano is temporarily located on the main campus while construction continues, but the couple is looking forward to its return, and the restoration of Darke Hall to its historic place as a community performance centre.
McKay, a dermatologist, and Brenner, a visual artist, sponsor free Regina Symphony Orchestra programs at local library branches, the Regina Music Festival Association, and the annual Saskatchewan Fashion Forward Designer Award. The couple also founded and supported the Saskatchewan Health Care Excellence Awards, which for ten years recognized the achievements of outstanding health care workers. Both have received a number of individual awards over the years: the City of Regina named Brenner volunteer of the year in 1978-79, and CTV Regina honoured McKay as Citizen of the Year in 2007.