Bishop’s University’s class of 2018
This weekend another group of grads in caps and gowns will accept their degrees from Bishop’s University. Chancellor Brian Levitt, O.C. will preside over the Convocation ceremonies, which will take place on Saturday in the John H. Price Sports Centre.
Graduating students Raluca Petria and Shayne Cowen-cholette are this year’s Valedictorians and will each speak at one of the ceremonies where, this year, 629 degrees will be conferred.
In addition to the degrees for the Class of 2018, four notable individuals will be recognized for their outstanding professional achievements and their service to society. Alanis Obomsawin, Ron Joyce, Margaret Macmillan and Alexander Reford will be presented with honourary doctorates.
The first ceremony will take place Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. for graduates earning degrees in Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr.macmillan and Mr.redford will receive their honorary degrees during the ceremony.
The second ceremony will be held at 3:00 p.m. the same day for graduates earning degrees in the Business, Natural Sciences and Education. Ms. Obomsawin and Mr.joyce will receive their honorary degrees in the afternoon.
Alanis Obomsawin Filmmaker, singer, artist, activist
Alanis Obomsawin, a member of the Abenaki Nation, is one of Canada’s foremost documentary filmmakers. Using her filmmaking as a platform for activisim, Obomsawin has consistently focused her lens on the importance of roots and intergenerational bonds in preserving First Nations
Alanis Obomsawin culture. Having entered the world of cinema through performance and storytelling, she was hired by the National Film board of Canada as a consultant in 1967 and has since put 50 films under her belt and more still are coming.
Ms. Obomsawin’s many honours include being among the first 35 people named to the inaugural Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2015 and being named a Commander in the Order of Montreal and a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec just the year after. She has also received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and has chaired the Board of Directors of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.
Margaret Macmillan Historian, Professor
A leading expert on history and international relations, Margaret Macmillan was educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. She was a member of Ryerson University’s History Department for 25 years. Professor Macmillan’s
Margaret Macmillan research specializes in British imperial history and international history of the 19th and 20th centuries. She has many publications under her belt. In 2006, she was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada and became a Companion of Honour (UK) in 2017.
In addition to numerous articles and reviews on a variety of Canadian and world affairs, Professor Macmillan has co-edited books dealing with Canada's international relations, including with NATO. In addition to the honorary doctorate from Bishop’s that she will be receiving, she holds honorary degrees from the University of King's College, the Royal Military College of Canada and Ryerson University, Toronto.
Ron Joyce Co-founder, Tim Hortons Owner, Fox Harb’r Resort Owner, Jetport Inc. Advisor Trustee, The Joyce Family Foundation
Ron Joyce invested in the first Tim Hortons donut shop in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario.
Ron Joyce Though he sold the business to Wendy’s International Inc. in 1996, after the passing of his business partner, Tim Horton, Joyce founded the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation and has worked to support disadvantaged children and youth since. He founded The Joyce Family Foundation, which focuses on helping to provide bursary funds to students, so they may pursue a post-secondary education.
Besides this, Joyce has established the now critically-acclaimed Fox Harb’r Golf & Spa Resort and owns of Jetport Inc, a private jet charter company operating out of Hamilton, Ontario. He has won numerous awards and honors. He was honored by The Order of Canada for his dedication to underprivileged children and youth, was put in the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, and was given several awards as Philanthropist of the Year, among others. His achievements have also earned him several honorary degrees from Canadian universities.
Alexander Reford Historian Director, International Garden Festival Director, Jardins de Métis/reford Gardens
A historian by training, Alexander Reford holds master’s degrees in history from the University of Toronto and Oxford University. From 1987 to 1995, he held the position of Dean of College at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, and afterwards he assumed the directorship of Les Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens), which have become a leader in nature conservation.
Reford is the co-founder and director of the International Garden Festival. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Tourism Commission and is President of the Board of Heritage Lower Saint Lawrence (HLSL). He has written numerous books and articles and is a frequent contributor to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Reford was a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002 and has received several honours for his contributions to landscape architecture and gardens. Alexander Reford