Harry Gow wins 2006 Hubert Reiter Award

The 2006 Hubert Reiter Award will be presented to Harry Gow, a passionate defender of public transport, the environment and la francophonie.

The award recognizes a staff member whose social commitment and persistent efforts have contributed significantly to the well-being of the community, the promotion of a social cause, and the outreach of the University of Ottawa. The award will be presented on November 1, at 3 p.m., in Room 140, Residential Complex, 140 University, as part of the University’s United Way Campaign closing ceremonies.

Formerly field placement coordinator at the Department of Criminology, Gow had a longtime interest in public transport. He founded Transport 2000 Canada, which aims to promote public transport and raise awareness of the need to take action to close the gap in an area where Canada lags behind many other countries.
 
Among other projects, Gow was one of the prime movers in establishing rural transport networks in Western Quebec to facilitate access to services and counter social isolation in rural areas.

As president of the Outaouais’s regional council on the environment and sustainable development (CREDDO), Gow has championed environmental quality and the preservation of natural environments.

Gow, who is of Scottish extraction, was born in British Columbia but it was in Quebec that he chose to spend most of his adult life. For more than 25 years he has tirelessly promoted la francophonie, particularly through numerous international exchanges. He coordinated the international campaign for SOS Montfort, which brought support from professionals from all corners of the world to save Ontario’s only French-language hospital. He has also promoted the use of French in Ottawa’s Byward Market area.

Harry Gow took part in a number of philanthropic undertakings, including a scholarship fund that he helped set up in the Faculty of Social Sciences. He organized several fundraising drives including one for ice storm victims and a fund for African athletes at the Jeux de la francophonie

“What is evident in all of this is Harry Gow’s nobility of spirit, his generosity in action and his unconditional and unwavering commitment to the common good,” says professor emeritus John Trent in a letter supporting Gow’s nomination for the award.