Spring 2009 Convocation addresses (podcasts)
The Convocation podcast presents the addresses of the honorary degree recipients twice a year. You may either subscribe to the podcast to be updated automatically when each new address is posted, or listen to the addresses individually by clicking on the links provided below.
Spring 2010: Marie Cooper
Marie Cooper is a leading voice in Aboriginal education in BC, working to create opportunities in education for Aboriginal learners and more inclusive educational policies and practices for the benefit of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students alike.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (20.6 MB).
Spring 2010: David Dodge
In more than 35 years of public service, including a seven-year term as Governor of the Bank of Canada, David Dodge was centrally involved in forming and implementing Canadian public policy and is responsible for far-reaching contributions to the governments and people of Canada.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (13.7 MB).
Spring 2010: Linda Hughes
After graduation from the University of Victoria in 1972 with her undergraduate degree in history and economics, Linda Hughes embarked on a pioneering career in print journalism.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (15.2 MB).
Spring 2010: Harold Kalman
Harold Kalman is considered the definitive heritage conservation practitioner, theorist, writer and scholar, and has been instrumental in more than 1,000 preservation projects in Canada and internationally. St. George's Church in Halifax, the Woodward's redevelopment in Vancouver and the City of Victoria's approach to conservation planning have all benefited from his expertise.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (15.1 MB).
Fall 2009: Michael Audain
Michael Audain, chair of the National Gallery of Canada’s board of trustees, is widely known for his deep interest in, and generous philanthropic support for the arts.
He was a founding member of the Bill Reid Foundation, served as president of the Vancouver Art Gallery and is chair of the Vancouver Art Gallery Foundation. In 1997 he created the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has become the single largest supporter of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.2 MB).
Fall 2009: Alex A. Campbell
Alex A. Campbell started in the grocery business at the age of 15, stocking shelves and bagging groceries for the Super Valu chain. He worked his way up and in 1973 he opened the 49th Parallel Grocery in Ladysmith. Four years later, he and co-founder Ernie Skinner opened their first Thrifty Foods store, in Victoria, beginning a tradition of "being in the business of building better communities."
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.1 MB).
Fall 2009: Deepa Mehta
Filmmaker Deepa Mehta was born in India and after coming to Canada in 1973 began her career as an editor, producer and director of television dramas.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.1 MB).
Fall 2009: James Lockyer
James Lockyer is a gifted criminal lawyer and tenacious activist, particularly in his pursuit of justice for the wrongly convicted in Canada. He has worked, often on a pro bono basis, on more than 10 wrongful conviction cases in Canada, including those of Guy Paul Morin, David Milgaard, Clayton Johnson and Steven Truscott.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.1 MB).
Fall 2009 (special): Steve Nash
Steve Nash is a two-time recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, six-time NBA All-Star and creator of the Steve Nash Foundation for underserved children. A member of the Phoenix Suns, Nash is known for his exceptional playmaking, ball-handling and shooting skills.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.1 MB).
Spring 2009: Murray Farmer, Chancellor
Murray Farmer was formaly installed as the university’s tenth chancellor.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.1 MB).
Spring 2009: Rebecca MacDonald
Rebecca MacDonald is a self-made entrepreneur who exemplifies success in the face of adversity. Born in Yugoslavia, she came to Toronto in 1974 with training in medicine and classical piano but with few resources and limited English. She discovered a natural flair for sales and started a door-to-door marketing company.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (5.7 MB).
Spring 2009: Edward Berry
Since the early 1980s, Dr. Edward Berry has taught legal writing and oral judgment delivery to hundreds, if not thousands, of judges in Canada and around the world. His work has been instrumental in reinforcing a principle at the heart of the justice system: that a judge’s reasons for decision should be clear, cogent and comprehensible.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (6.7 MB).
Spring 2009: David Strangway
Dr. David Strangway is a noted scientist, respected academic administrator and a senior statesman of Canadian research administration known for his innovative leadership skills.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (5.3 MB).
Spring 2009: A. J. Stewart Smith
Prof. A.J. Stewart Smith is a leading researcher in high-energy particle physics and is known in the United States for his influence on national science policy.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (11.4 MB).
Fall 2008: Duncan Regehr
Duncan Regehr is a classically trained actor, visual artist and author. The volume and breadth of his work defines the term “multi-media artist.”
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9.2 MB).
Fall 2008: Ted Grant
The “father of Canadian photojournalism” and “Canada’s premier sports photographer,” Ted Grant has been intimately involved in the practice and teaching of the medium in Canada for more than 55 years. Over that time, his work has provided a rich visual record of the arts, politics, athletics and medicine both in Canada and across the world. About 280,000 of his pictures are now secured in the National Archives of Canada, the result of his donation of his life’s work.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (3.0 MB).
Spring 2008: Donald Rix
Donald Rix is a medical doctor, scientist, entrepreneur and humanitarian. A pioneering “venture philanthropist,” Rix was the founder of MDS Metro Laboratory Services (now known as LifeLabs), the largest independent medical laboratory in BC.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.8 MB).
Spring 2008: Eliza Chan
Eliza Chan graduated from UVic in 1988 with a bachelor of laws degree and has since established an impeccable record of public service and private practice in Hong Kong and Mainland China. A past recipient of the UVic Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Chan has also been recognized with China’s Top 100 Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs Award and the Bronze Bauhinia Star, conferred by the chief executive of Hong Kong for her contributions to the education and health care sectors.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (8.8 MB).
Spring 2008: Ian D. Clark
Ian D. Clark is a former Rhodes Scholar for BC who rose quickly through the ranks of the federal civil service to become one of Canada’s most respected public servants. Clark’s career has included postings as secretary of the federal treasury board, Canada’s executive director to the International Monetary Fund, and president of the Council of Ontario Universities.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (6.0 MB).
Spring 2008: Rajesh Tandon
Rajesh Tandon was raised in the industrial city of Kanpur, India, and became one of the more respected world leaders in the areas of civic engagement and governance, and community-based research. As founder and president of the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), he has strengthened the capacity of grassroots non-governmental agencies in India and other parts of the world.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (6.0 MB).
Fall 2007: David Anderson
Entering politics in 1968 as the Member of Parliament for Esquimalt-Saanich, David Anderson quickly became distinguished by his concerns for the environment — principles that would become the hallmark of his careers in federal and provincial politics and away from the political arena.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.7 MB).
Fall 2007: Timothy Parsons
One of Canada’s leading marine scientists, known internationally for his work in biological oceanography, Timothy Parsons contributions to the field are numerous and varied. His research career began in 1958 at the Fisheries Research Board of Canada in Nanaimo (forerunner to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans) before he joined the faculty of UBC’s department of oceanography in 1971, remaining with the school until retirement in 1991.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (4.3 MB).
Spring 2007: Don Vaughan
Don Vaughan is a nationally respected landscape architect. The beauty of the University of Victoria campus, which opened in 1963, and its transformation from a former army camp and farm land to a rich and diverse 160-hectare setting, is in large part due to Vaughan’s vision and expertise. He worked on the initial landscape plan for the campus and served as its landscape consultant for more than 40 years..
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (4.5 MB).
Spring 2007: Bruce Cockburn
Musician and social activist Bruce Cockburn has recorded 20 gold and platinum albums and is widely regarded for his work for the welfare of the less fortunate, expressed through decades of activism around the world.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.5 MB).
Spring 2007: Hon Miria Matembe
The Honourable Miria Matembe of Uganda, member of the Pan-African Parliament has confronted widespread corruption in Ugandan society and urged her culture to come to terms with human sexuality and disease in light of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.5 MB).
Spring 2007: Mary Okumu
Author, educator and human rights activist Mary Okumu trains African women in mediation, conflict resolution and survival skills, has held executive posts with key international aid organizations and is best known for her work with Women Waging Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating conflict in Africa.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.5 MB).
Spring 2007: William (Bill) Turner
Conservationist William (Bill) Turner revolutionized the preservation and restoration of the natural and cultural heritage of BC when he co-founded The Land Conservancy in 1997.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.5 MB).
Fall 2006: Maria Tippet
Tippett is one of Canada’s most prolific scholars and writers on the history and the role of the arts in society. Her By a Lady: Celebrating Three Centuries of Canadian Women Artists is considered the single best survey of the work of women artists in the country. She’s one of a very small group of art historians to be elected to the Royal Society of Canada.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (7.5 MB).
Fall 2006: Arthur Carty
A visionary in terms of Canada’s role in international scientific collaboration, Dr. Arthur Carty has been national science advisor to the federal government since 2004. In this role, he has been instrumental in promoting the development of science and technology clusters within Canada that build on established research strengths and foster synergy among researchers, governments and private sector partners.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (12 MB).
Fall 2006: Earl Claxton Sr.
Earl Claxton Sr. is a lifeline for the preservation and revitalization of the Sencoten language of the Coast Salish peoples of Saanich, whose traditional territory includes the lands on which UVic is situated.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (16.8 MB).
Fall 2006: Edith Iglauer
A staff writer for the New Yorker magazine since 1961, Edith Iglauer became one of her generation’s most adventurous and astute observers of the Canadian way of life. She wrote the quintessential portrait of Pierre Trudeau after he became prime minister in 1968.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9 MB).
Spring 2006: Vicky Husband
A tireless advocate for nature conservation, education and cultural integrity in British Columbia, Vicky Husband is perhaps best known for her work on behalf of the Sierra Club and its role in protecting old-growth forests and endangered wildlife.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9 MB).
Spring 2006: Arthur Vickers
West Coast native artist Arthur Vickers combines respect for the rich traditions of the Heiltsuk and Tsimshian people with the pursuit of a highly original artistic vision. Working in a number of disciplines—serigraphs, paintings, gold relief works—he is able to capture mood in his work using subtle colour blends and multi-layered ink tones.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9 MB).
Spring 2006: Martha Piper
As the 11th president of the University of British Columbia, Martha Piper has earned a national reputation for her work, not only on behalf of UBC but, as well, for the principles and value of higher education and research in B.C. and Canada. She is a strong, vocal advocate of the role of universities in modern society, particularly in terms of our economic, social and cultural well-being.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (9 MB).
Spring 2006: Lewis Perinbam
Lewis Perinbam dedicated his career in the Canadian public service to global issues in every corner of the world. For 18 years he was vice-president of the Canadian International Development Agency. He has been a voice for the role of citizens, citizen-based organizations, and universities in the development of the poorest regions of the globe. Perinbam currently resides in Vancouver and is chairman of the Commonwealth of Learning.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (13 MB).
Spring 2006: Ray Williston
A graduate of the Provincial Normal School (predecessor of the UVic faculty of education), Ray Williston began his career as a teacher. He was first elected in 1953 as the MLA for Prince George and soon became Minister of Education. He engineered sweeping changes to the public school system and paved the way for the creation of UVic with his introduction of the 1955 Victoria College Act, combining the college with the normal school.
Download or play the mp3 file (click) (4.5 MB).