(Ottawa) − The most respected political journalist in the country. The “dean emeritus of Canada’s corporate bar.” A man who has been called “one of the greatest public servants in the history of our country.” An international expert on e-commerce and intellectual property rights in the digital age. And an agency that aids employers who are integrating new Canadians into the workforce – these are the winners of the 10th annual Arthur Kroeger College Awards for Public Affairs presented by Carleton University.
David Wimhurst, Chief Information Officer, United Nations Stabiilization Mission in Haiti
The Awards will be presented at a gala dinner at the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel on April 8. The keynote address will be delivered by David Wimhurst, a Canadian who is head of communications and public information for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, and who escaped unscathed when the recent earthquake demolished the UN headquarters. He will talk about Haiti after the disaster and the obligations of the international community.
- Jeffrey Simpson, national affairs columnist for The Globe and Mail, will accept the award for Public Discourse. More than simply an astute and superbly informed commentator on Canadian political life, Mr. Simpson is something of a Canadian political institution in his own right. The author of eight books, he is a National Newspaper Award winner, a National Magazine Award winner and winner of the Governor General’s Award for non-fiction.
- Purdy Crawford, Counsel with the Osler law, a Companion of the Order of Canada and Chancellor Emeritus of Mount Allison University will accept the award for Management. Mr. Crawford is the former Chairman, President & C.E.O. of Imasco Ltd., Chairman of Canada Trust and Chairman of AT&T Canada/ Allstream. He was a member of the board of, among other companies, Canadian National, Inco, Petro-Canada and currently sits on the boards of Maple Leaf Foods and Ganong Chocolates. He formerly chaired the Ontario Government’s Panel on a Single Securities Regulator, the Securities Industry Committee on Analysts’ Standards and the Five-Year Review Committee under the Securities Act of Ontario. More recently he chaired the Pan Canadian Committee to oversee the successful restructuring of $32 billion of non-Canadian Third Party Asset Backed Commercial Paper.
- Al Johnson’s career in public service spanned half a century, beginning in the 1940s with the Saskatchewan government of Tommy Douglas and extending through his work as founder and resident adviser of the South Africa/Canada Program on Governance assisting Nelson Mandela’s administration in the transition to democracy. Among other appointments, Mr. Johnson served as an economic adviser on the Constitution to former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, secretary of the Treasury Board, deputy minister of National Health and Welfare and president of the CBC. Mr. Johnson will accept the award for Ethics.
- Michael Geist is Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, and a prolific, outspoken and progressive advocate of intellectual freedom in the digital age. He is the editor of In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law, a syndicated columnist with the Toronto Star and the Ottawa Citizen and the winner in 2008 of the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award. Dr. Geist will accept the award for Policy Leadership.
- Hire Immigrants Ottawa is a community-based initiative that has been working since 2006 to address talent shortages by assisting employers who are integrating skilled new Canadians into the workforce. By next year, according to Statistics Canada, 100 per cent of workforce growth in the country will come from immigration. The success of Hire Immigrants Ottawa in working with employers, immigrant assistance agencies and other stakeholders provides a model for other municipalities to follow. Hire Immigrants Ottawa will accept the award for Citizenship and Community Affairs.
Named after the late chancellor of Carleton University and a public servant of singular distinction, the Arthur Kroeger Awards celebrate and encourage exemplary commitment to the public good.
Award winners are selected by independent juries whose work is co-ordinated by William Fox, former director of communications for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and a principal of The Gandalf Group. Juries are chaired by Senator Pamela Wallin (Citizenship and Community Affairs), Keith Sjögren of Investor Economics (Management), Moya Greene, CEO of Canada Post (Ethics), Jodi White, Arthur Kroeger College Distinguished Visiting Fellow (Public Discourse) and Senator Hugh Segal (Policy Leadership).
Carleton University and the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs thank Sun Life Financial for its sponsorship of the awards dinner, CN for its sponsorship of the reception, and TD Bank Financial Group, Alterna Savings and The Dominion Insurance Company for their support of individual awards. Proceeds go toward underwriting student co-op placements with not-for-profit agencies.
To purchase tickets for the gala dinner or to arrange for media coverage, please call 613-520-2600, ext. 2995 or visit www.carleton.ca/akcollege