Royal Roads lauds man who helped formulate modern Constitution

As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday as a country, Royal Roads University is honouring a person who helped write the Canadian Constitution.

J. Peter Meekison is set to be granted an honourary doctorate of laws today in recognition of his shaping of the modern Canadian Constitution when it was patriated in 1982.

He is to be awarded when the 778 spring graduates receive their degrees.

The graduates are from the faculties of management, social and applied sciences and the College of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Meekison, 80, once a political science professor at the University of Alberta where he was also a member of the board of governors, took leave from his university job to serve in the Alberta government under then Conservative premier Peter Lougheed.

He was deputy minister of federal and inter-governmental affairs and helped write the amending formula for the Constitution.

Under the formula, any amendment must receive the assent of seven provinces with at least 50 per cent of the national population.

Prior to patriation in 1982, politicians were considering an amending formula that gave Ontario and Quebec each a veto and Western provinces were to be lumped together.

Meekison takes pride in his role in the patriation and formation of the modern Constitution, a document he believes is working well, particularly the Bill of Rights.

“I think it [the Constitution] has functioned quite well,” said Meekison in an interview.

“We can see the number of cases going through courts now based on the Charter,” he said. “That’s been a major change.”

Also receiving an honorary degree is Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks and chief science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National.

McDonald has also hosted two television shows on science for children, been part of numerous television documentaries and is author of four books on science.

Royal Roads said it wanted to honour him for his achievements promoting science, science knowledge and scientific literacy among Canadians of all ages.