Celebrating scholarship

An extraordinary group of public figures from the worlds of politics, business, education and sports will receive honorary doctorates during the University of Ottawa’s 2006 Spring Convocation, on June 5, 6, 7, and 8. They will be joined by 4,000 proud graduates, who will also receive their degrees at that time.

First elected as an MPP in 1990, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s career in politics has been characterized by hard work, a sense of integrity and a commitment to community service. He won the leadership of his party in 1996, and led it to victory in 2003.		Daniel Poliquin is an accomplished translator and interpreter, and the award-winning author of such works as Temps pascal, L’homme de paille, Visions de Jude, and L’écureuil noir.		Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s newest governor general, was born in Port au Prince, Haïti. She left that impoverished nation, with her family, when she was a young girl. Deeply committed to social justice, Michaëlle Jean pursued a career in broadcasting.
Michael Sabia is president and CEO of BCE Inc. After a successful career in the federal public service, Sabia went on to become an executive at CN, before joining BCE.		Chantal Petitclerc is one of Canada’s best-known athletes and an inspiring public speaker. She made sport history at the 2002 Commonwealth Games when she won a gold medal in the 800 metres. It was the first time that a wheelchair event was fully integrated into the program of a major international competition.		A respected philanthropist, John Lau is president and CEO of Husky Energy, one of Canada’s most important oil and gas firms. Under Lau’s direction, the company has carved out a leadership position for itself in the Alberta oil sands, on the Atlantic Coast, and in the promising field of ethanol production.
Raymond Breton is a world-renowned sociologist and a leading authority on how ethnocultural communities operate and how they relate with one another. Breton has studied the linguistic and ethnic differences that define communities across this country. In doing so, he has made an unrivalled contribution to our understanding of what it means to be Canadian.		A highly successful business leader, Gail Regan is co-owner of Cara Operations, one of this country’s largest and most successful restaurant and food service companies. Dr. Regan began her career as an assistant professor and lecturer at the University of Toronto, where she taught in the Faculty of Education. Over the years, she has been actively involved in various not-for-profit-organizations.		Senator Claudette Tardif worked in higher education, first as a lecturer and then in a number of senior positions within the University of Alberta. She is a tireless advocate for the francophone community in Alberta and elsewhere.
		Alfred Bader is a true Renaissance man; an accomplished scientist, successful entrepreneur, renowned art connoisseur and philanthropist. After studies in chemistry at Queen’s University and Harvard, Bader founded one of the largest chemical firms in the world and an artworks trading company.