Keynote speaker Christopher Alexander, deputy special representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan and former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, addressed the obligations of Canada and the international community to the people of Afghanistan, and the prospects for that country.
Photographer and internet marketing company founder Ian Clifford sat in his car in smoggy Toronto traffic and thought there must be a better way. His passionate reaction to battling the daily commute, and poisoning the planet as he did so, was to become an electric vehicle champion—Clifford founded the Zenn Motor Company and now manufactures zero-emission electric cars in St. Jérôme, Que.
For its efforts in the pursuit of the public good, Zenn Motor Company was among the six recipients honoured at the 2009 Arthur Kroeger College Awards for Public Affairs.
Named after the late chancellor of Carleton University and a public servant of singular distinction, the Arthur Kroeger Awards recognize excellence in several of the areas that contribute to the vibrancy of Canadian democracy and our society as a whole. They showcase to all Canadians individual and collective effort in pursuit of the public good.
“Public affairs activity forms a vitally important part of our civic society. While it has been the subject of intensive study, excellence in public affairs has seldom been acknowledged,” says Chris Dornan, director of the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs.
These awards are unique in that they focus on public affairs activity—participation in civic society by individuals and organizations in the private, public and third sectors such as voluntary, charitable, educational and social service organizations.
Alongside the ZENN Motor Company, which was recognized for management, were a grassroots organization and four prominent Canadians who demonstrate exemplary commitment to public affairs.
The Honorable Louise Arbour, president of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, former UN high commissioner for human rights, former Canadian Supreme Court Justice and former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, received the award for ethics in public affairs.
An inspiring champion of the Inuit and the North, Pita Aatami, president of the Makivik Corporation based in Kuujjuaq, Que., and board member of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (the organization that represents all the Inuit of Canada) and of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, received the award for policy leadership.
Linda Hughes, chancellor of the University of Alberta, received the award for public discourse. As the first female editor-in-chief and past publisher of the Edmonton Journal, Hughes sought out community partnerships, creating new relationships and bringing the newspaper closer to the community. A community leader and active volunteer, Hughes is a champion of Edmonton and northern Alberta.
The Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, a thoroughly grassroots organization devoted to the protection of the environment, received the award for citizenship and community affairs. A voice for the environment for more than 37 years, the organization’s 1,350 members, volunteers and staff work to build a healthier, more sustainable Nova Scotia.
A special lifetime achievement award for public discourse was given to Craig Oliver, CTV chief political correspondent and co-host of Question Period. Over nearly five decades, Oliver’s career has taken him across the country, and to far-flung spots around the world, but he is best known as a top political journalist covering the rise and fall of Canadian newsmakers and governments.
“‘Politics has always been a great passion of mine,” Oliver says. “It’s always lively. It really gets the debates going.”