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Father Roger Guindon has been showered with accolades during Homecoming 2005, which also marks his 85th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his ordination. He took a few moments to share some memories and reflections on both his youth and his career.
The eventual rector (now called president) of the University of Ottawa was raised in a world where education and religion were a natural combination. His father was a Franco-Ontarian who graduated from the University of Ottawa with a commercial diploma. His mother was Franco-American from Ville-Marie, an Oblate parish in Témiscamingue.
Two of his uncles had strong links with both education and religion. Arcade Guindon was a French professor and director of debates at the former University of Ottawa High School. Auguste Morisset — the brother of Father Guindon’s mother — was chief librarian at the University from 1934 to 1958. The building that now houses the main library was named in his honour.
So, it probably didn’t surprise very many people at the time when the young Roger Guindon opted for a vocation as a priest and educator. Admitted to the priesthood in 1946, he started his university career a year later, first as a professor, then as dean, and finally as rector from 1964 to 1984.
In his first year as instructor, he was told he would teach philosophy in September. Just a few days before classes were to start, his assignment was suddenly switched to first-year moral theology. “Can you imagine,” recounts Father Guindon laughing. “I had to prepare my course and give it almost immediately. I was lucky if I stayed two or three days ahead of my students.”
“I taught the course for 17 years and they never let me teach second year.” However, this did not stop him from becoming dean of the Faculty of Theology in 1961.
At the beginning of July in 1964, just a day before the actual the event, he was told he would be named rector. “Let me tell you I was caught completely off guard.”
Despite admitting he did not feel qualified to take on such responsibilities he responded in a very typical way during the installation ceremony on October 28, 1964: “Called to serve, I answer: here!”
While he had to meet numerous challenges during his long association with the University, Father Guindon says that he never lost sleep over problems. He had a simple approach: Take a long hard look at the facts and come up with concrete solutions instead of denying the obvious.
It’s probably that kind of attitude that led him to oppose the creation of a French-only university in Ontario, which, he believes, would have been too constraining for young Francophones and wouldn’t have been able to draw on the immense possibilities of the Canadian reality.
If one accomplishment stands out in the mind of Father Guindon, it’s convincing the provincial government to adopt the Act respecting Université d’Ottawa in 1965 thus engineering the University’s transition from a catholic institution to a private corporation directed by a board of governors. This law allowed the University to gain access to government funding.
While he retired 21 years ago, Father Guindon continues to follow closely the evolution of an institution where he has invested 51 years of his life. “I am very pleased with what I see,” he says, pointing out the wonderful reputation the university enjoys and the excellence it has achieved in areas such as social sciences, engineering, health sciences, medicine and law.
