Two distinguished Canadians will receive honorary degrees from Lakehead University on Saturday, May 31, at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, and will address the morning Convocation beginning at 9 a.m. Actor and singer Tom Jackson will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, and will address the afternoon Convocation at 2:30 p.m.

The Alumni Honour Award will be given during the morning to Denis Turcotte, an engineering graduate from the class of 1985 who is now president and CEO of Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie.

Approximately 1,300 students will be graduating this spring.

Lloyd Axworthy
Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Lloyd Axworthy was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and graduated with a BA from United College (now University of Winnipeg) in 1961. He obtained his MA in Political Science from Princeton University in 1963, subsequently earning a PhD from Princeton in 1972.

An eloquent statesman, Axworthy believes foreign policy isn’t just for diplomats. Through his association with the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues at the University of British Columbia, he hopes to create a centre for information-based dialogue, conferencing and learning, and connecting with other similar institutions around the world and with the public. As the Liu Centre’s Director and CEO, Axworthy will guide development of research, policies, and partnerships aimed at solving many of the most pressing global issues, such as governance, environmental change, sustainability, and human security.

First elected to Parliament in 1979, Axworthy served as Minister of Employment and Immigration, Minister of Transport, Minister of Human Resources Development, and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. In his Foreign Affairs portfolio, he became internationally known for his advancement of the Ottawa Treaty – a landmark global treaty banning anti-personnel land mines. For this he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tom Jackson
Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

Tom Jackson is an actor, director, recording artist, and humanitarian who is perhaps best known for his role in the long-running CBC series "North of 60." Born on the One Arrow Reserve near Batoche, Saskatchewan, Jackson moved to Winnipeg with his family at age 15, dropped out of school and for the next seven years lived on the street. In the early 1970s he was invited to sing on a local radio program, which led to a stint as a radio host. By the mid-1980s he had moved to Toronto and had carved out a career as a theatre and television actor.

Jackson’s philanthropic activities include The Huron Carol – a CD and annual concert series where he raises money for Canadian food banks. In addition, Jackson has performed on behalf of battered women’s shelters, raised an estimated $3 million for Manitoba flood victims, and taken a traveling road show, the Dreamcatcher Tour, to dozens of small northern communities to increase awareness about teenage suicide. Jackson devotes about six months a year to charitable causes – an investment of time he does not begrudge. People think this is a sacrifice, he says. "It’s not. This is what I want to do – and it is a blast!"

Denis Turcotte (BEng’85)

The President and CEO of Algoma Steel, Denis Turcotte, is the recipient of the 2003 Lakehead University Alumni Honour Award.

Turcotte graduated from Lakehead University in 1985 as a mechanical engineer, finding work as a project engineer for Spruce Falls Pulp and Paper. He later obtained a masters degree from The University of Western Ontario in business.

With a potent combination of experience and education, Turcotte immediately made a name for himself within the business sector. In 1998, while serving as President and CEO of Spruce Falls Inc. and Executive Vice-President of the Newsprint and Publishing Papers Group of Tembec, he was awarded a Top 40 Under 40 Award, which recognizes the achievements of young Canadians in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Even now at the height of his success, Denis Turcotte continues to show a commitment to the people of Northwestern Ontario, and to the region itself. The 3,400 employees of Algoma Steel are not just staff, they are his neighbours as well.

John Valley (BA’71, GDipB’73), a recipient of an Alumni Honour Award himself, has known Turcotte since his university days. "Denis represents a convergence of values, vision, education and experience," he says. "When he sees a worthy challenge, he is not afraid to take it on."

A Lifelong Connection

Convocation is a busy time for the Alumni Association. In fact, it’s the most important event of the calendar year says Rob Zuback, Manager of Alumni Relations. On Thursday, May 29, starting at 5 p.m., the Alumni Association will hold its Annual General Meeting in the Senate Chambers followed by an Alumni Recognition Dinner featuring keynote speaker Denis Turcotte, the 2003 Alumni Honour Award recipient.

At least 20 volunteers are being recruited by the Office of Alumni Relations to Marshall the graduating class, and it has become customary for the Alumni Association to sponsor the LUSU Grad Party held at the Outpost on Saturday night. Again this year, the Alumni Association is hosting a Pancake Breakfast for graduates and their families and friends at the Scandinavian Home Restaurant on Algoma Street between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday. In addition to all of this, the Office of Alumni Relations coordinates the sale of about $20,000 worth of degree frames and class rings in the foyer of the Community Auditorium.

"Convocation is a time of renewal," says Zuback. "The Alumni Association welcomes over 1,000 new members, and it elects new people to serve on its Board of Directors. We want to ensure that graduates know they have a lifelong connection with Lakehead University."