Honorary Degrees
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Each year, Laurentian University solicits recommendations from the university community for potential candidates for an honorary degree.
The awarding of honorary degrees is an important feature of Laurentian’s convocation and is meant to honour both the individual and the university, as well as inspire our graduates, their families and guests.
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The university’s honorary degree recipients are selected from
individuals who:
- Have made outstanding contributions to intellectual advancements in key disciplines offered at Laurentian;
- Reflect the university’s values: students first, excellence, academic freedom, respect, alumni, diversity, truth, integrity, inclusiveness;
- Have been or have the potential to be significant benefactors of the university either creatively, materially or financially;
- Have made outstanding contributions to northeastern Ontario; or
- Have the ability to enhance the reputation of Laurentian University through their outstanding contributions in their fields at the national or international levels.
Solicited in January of every year, nominations are accepted when accompanied by a short biography and rationale for why this person should be considered.
If you know of a worthy candidate, please email president@laurentian.ca. Letters of reference are not required at this time. Candidates must not be aware of the nomination.
Honorary Doctorate Recipients
2024
- The Honourable Michelle O'Bonsawin, Laws (speech)
- Catharine Farrow, Business Administration (speech)
- Dan Andreae, Letters (speech)
- Jason F. McLennan, Architecture (speech)
- Tom Blake, Sports Administration (speech)
2020
- Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden, Sciences
2019
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Cindy Blackstock, Laws (speech)
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Bernard Poulin, Arts (speech)
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Denise Truax, Letters
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Terry MacGibbon, Business Administration (speech)
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Ned Goodman, Sciences (speech)
2018
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Nicole Boivin, Laws
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Arthur B. McDonald, Sciences
2017
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Louise Picard, Letters
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Perry Dellelce, Laws
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Rita G. Corbiere, Laws
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Marianne McKenna, Laws
2016
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Mark Cutifani, Laws
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Suzanne Tessier, Laws
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André Picard, Letters
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Charles Pascal, Laws
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Joseph Roberts, Letters
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Antoni Cimolino, Letters
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Rick Bartolucci, Laws
2015
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Craig Kielburger, Laws
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Susan Aglukark, Letters
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Jean-Marc Aubin, Laws
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Marguerite Andersen, Letters
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Peter Crossgrove, Laws
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Douglas Cardinal, Laws
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Sue Johanson, Letters
2014
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Bruce Cockburn, Letters
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Phil Fontaine, Laws
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James K. (Jim) Gordon, Laws
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Blaine Nicholls, Laws
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Maria (Masha) Krupp, Letters
2013
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Janice Laking, Laws
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Arnold Aberman, Laws
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Ronald F. Caza, Laws
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James Marchbank, Laws
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Ron and Nancy Clark, Laws
2012
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Robert Deluce, Laws
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Meagen McGrath, Laws
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Steve Paikin, Letters
2011
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Frank Stronach, Business Administration
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Gaétan Gervais, Letters
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Patricia Hennessy, Laws
2010
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Roméo Dallaire, Laws
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Richard Malette, Laws
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Gino St-Jean, Laws
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Ted Szilva, Laws
2009
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David Dodge, Laws
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Bruce Ferguson, Letters
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Raymond Kinoshameg, Laws
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Felix Lopes Sr., Laws
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James Orbinski, Sciences
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Lorraine Petzold, Laws
2008
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Lisa Balfour Bowen, Letters
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Leland Bell, Letters
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Herménégilde Chiasson, Letters
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Ken Derrett, Sports Administration
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Ron Francis, Laws
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Silken Laumann, Laws
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Robert Paquette, Letters
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David Suzuki, Sciences
2007
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Pierre Bélanger, Laws
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Minnijean Brown Trickey, Laws
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Steven Jeromy Carriere, Sciences
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John Cunningham, Sciences
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Bruce Mau, Letters
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Robert Sawyer, Letters
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Maureen Kempston Darkes, Business Administration
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Robert McDonald, Letters
2006
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Dyane Adam, Letters
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Louise Charron, Laws
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John Daniel, Laws
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Robert Dickson, Letters
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Frederick Griffith, Letters
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Stephen Lewis, Laws
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Linda Lundström, Business Administration
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Michael Roach, Business Administration
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Homer Seguin, Laws
2005
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Michael Atkins, Letters
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John Gammon, Laws
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Ronnie Hawkins, Letters
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Gisèle Lalonde, Laws
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Roy MacGregor, Letters
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David Paciocco, Laws
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Richard Pound, Sports Administration
2004
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James Bartleman, Laws
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Yadh Ben Achour, Letters
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Kaireen Crichton, Laws
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Tomson Highway, Letters
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Nancy Ruth, Laws
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Laura Sky, Letters
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Fernand Ouellet, Letters
2003
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Hédi Bouraoui, Letters
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Aline Chrétien, Laws
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Pierre M. Gagnon, Business Administration
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Kathy Gannon, Letters
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Frank G. Paci, Letters
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Jean-Roch Pelletier, Laws
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John Ralston Saul, Letters
2002
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Allan Beattie, Laws
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Jean-Marc Dalpé, Letters
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George Ewan, Sciences
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Rick Mercer, Letters
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Ted Nolan, Laws
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Alan W. Pope, Laws
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Dorothy Pringle, Sciences
2001
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Margaret Eleanor Atwood, Letters
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Tony Bates, Letters
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Patrice Desbiens, Letters
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Patrick Le Sage, Laws
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Genevra Richards, Laws
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Bernard Voyer, Letters (Geography)
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James Duncan Wallace, Business Administration
2000
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Olive Patricia Dickason, Laws
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Judy Feld Carr, Laws
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Bernard Grandmaître, Laws
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Penny Hartin, Laws
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Floyd Laughren, Laws
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Liza Mosher, Laws
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Anthony J. Naldrett, Sciences
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Pierre Patry, Letters
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Ernie Schroeder, Laws
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Noble Villeneuve, Laws
1999
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Louise Arbour, Laws
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Denis F. Cheff, Business Administration
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Claire Dimock, Business Administration
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Nicholas Goldschmidt, Letters
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Guy A. Goulard, Laws
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Spyros Loukidelis, Laws
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Donald Obonsawin, Letters
1998
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John I. Clark, Sciences
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Morris Duhaime, Sciences
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Hélène Gravel, Letters
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Tom Jackson, Letters
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Gérald Janneteau, Letters
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Basil H. Johnston, Laws
1997
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Michael Cowpland, Business Administration
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Kenneth Danby, Fine Arts
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Thomas M. Davies, Business Administration
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Raymond Davis Jr., Sciences
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Gordon C. Gray, Business Administration
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William Johnson, Letters
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Guy Lemieux, Education
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Alma Ricard, Business Administration
1996
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Alex Baumann, Physical Education
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Michel Chrétien, Sciences
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Judy Erola, Laws
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Frank Pickard, Business Administration
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Wan Pu, Sciences
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Alan Querney, Business Administration
1995
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Shirley Cheechoo, Letters
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Blake Debassige, Laws
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Umberto Eco, Letters
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Joan Newman Kuyek, Social Work
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John Charles Polanyi, Sciences
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Marie-P. Poulin, Laws
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Michael D. Sopko, Business Administration
1994
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Reginald W. Bibby, Letters
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Robert R. Carmichael, Letters
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Leo W. Gerard, Letters
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Laurent Larouche, Letters
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Ruth McCuaig, Laws
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Madeleine Parent, Laws
1993
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Pierre Dansereau, Sciences
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Normand Forest, Laws
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Ursula Franklin, Sciences
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David L. Johnston, Law
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André Lacroix, Laws
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Mary Stefura, Laws
1992
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Tom Angus, Sciences
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Margaret R. Borley, Laws
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Mary Lou Fox Radulovich, Laws
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Alan J. Johnson, Education
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Tak Wah Mak, Sciences
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J. Arthur Pharand, Business Administration
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George J. Zytaruk, Letters
1991
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Roberta Bondar, Sciences
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Marie-Josée Drouin, Laws
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Gerry M. Lougheed Jr., Laws
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Archie MacKinnon, Letters
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Stanley G. Mullins, Letters
1990
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Margaret Beckman, Letters
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Richard Miles Blackwell, Letters
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Thomas Cummings, Letters
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Jean-Noël Desmarais, Sciences
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Robert C. Desmarais, Laws
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Yves Guérard, Letters
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Thomas L. Hennessy, Letters
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William R. Kinsella, Letters
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Robert J. Richardson, Sciences
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Marianne Scott, Letters
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Fred S. Sheridan, Letters
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Morley Torgov, Letters
1989
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Molly R. Hancock, Social Work
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John Frank Leyerle, Letters
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Daniel E. Pine Sr., Laws
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Alec D. Thorpe, Sciences
1988
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Monique Bégin, Laws
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Rosalie Bertell, Laws
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Lise Bissonnette, Letters
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Anne Hébert, Letters
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James S. Redpath, Letters
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H. Robert H. Stinson, Laws
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Endel Tulving, Letters
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Ossian E. Walli, Sciences
1987
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Robert M. Bateman, Laws
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Kenneth A. Brynaert, Laws
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Claude Castonguay, Laws
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Margaret Benjafield Dow, Laws
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James E. MacDonald, Letters
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F. Baxter Ricard, Laws
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Jeanne Sauvé, Laws
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Albert V. Tucker, Letters
1986
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Herbert E. Brown, Laws
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R.G. Brian Dickson, Laws
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Paul-Émile Filion, Letters
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James Grassby, Laws
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Paul Lacombe, Sciences
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(Ontario) Terry Mancini, Laws
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Benoit R. Mandelbrot, Sciences
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Edward Newbery, Laws
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Arthur Solomon, Laws
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Patterson Webster, Letters
1985
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Robert Campeau, Business Administration
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Chris Doherty, Laws
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Don L. James, Laws
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Nigel M. Kensit, Law
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Anton Kuerti, Music
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J. W. McNutt, Laws
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Robert Perras, Laws
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Alibert St-Aubin, Laws
1984
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Dalton J. Caswell, Laws
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Marsh A. Cooper, Laws
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Germain Lemieux, Letters
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Walter F. Light, Sciences
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Hugh P. MacMillan, Letters
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Davidson S.H.W. Nicol, Sciences
1983
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Walter Curlook, Sciences
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Clifford Fielding, Sciences
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Gérard Gardner, Sciences
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Conrad Lavigne, Laws
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John C. MacIsaac, Sciences
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William B. Plaunt, Laws
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Maurice Saulnier, Letters
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Mary Whelan, Laws
1982
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Paul Desmarais, Laws
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Grace Hartman Grout Mead, Laws
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Daphne Odjig, Letters
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Edward R. Schreyer, Laws
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Yvan Trevor Wheale, Laws
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William C. Winegard, Laws
1981
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Amintore Fanfani, Laws
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Barbara Frum, Letters
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Walter L. Gordon, Letters
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James A. Jerome, Laws
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Antonine Maillet, Letters
1980
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Jean-François Hamelin, Letters
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James R. Kidd, Letters
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John T. Koski, Laws
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Stephen B. Roman, Laws
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Kenneth D. Taylor, Laws
1979
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John Barker, Laws
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Roy Bonisteel, Letters
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J. Maurice S. Careless, Letters
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Jean-Paul Drolet, Sciences
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Herman S. Johannsen, Laws
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Thomas H. Peters, Sciences
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Douglas Pollard, Letters
1978
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René Brunelle, Laws
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Robert H. Carlin, Laws
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Margaret Orange, Laws
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Norman H. Wadge, Laws
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Tuzo Wilson, Sciences
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Paul Wyczynski, Letters
1977
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John W. Beaver, Laws
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Luc Lacourcière, Letters
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W. Bennett Lewis, Sciences
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Sylvia Ostry, Letters
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Alma Reid, Laws
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Murray G. Ross, Laws
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Thomas Symons, Laws
1976
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Harry W. Bain, Letters
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Jean-Noël Desmarais Sr., Laws
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Roger Lemelin, Letters
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J. Dean Muncaster, Laws
1974
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Wallace E. Lambert, Letters
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Grace MacInnis, Laws
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René Marin, Laws
1973
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Donald J. LeRoy, Sciences
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J. d’Auteuil Richard, Letters
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Keith Spicer, Laws
1972
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Mario Bernardi, Music
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Jean-Éthier Blais, Letters
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Walter Currie, Laws
1971
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Rhéal Belisle, Laws
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Harold Bennett, Letters
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Charles H. Best, Sciences
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Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, Letters
1970
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Donald G. Creighton, Letters
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Paul Field, Sciences
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Jean-Louis Gagnon, Laws
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Farley Mowat, Letters
1969
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Emil Fackenheim, Laws
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Roger Guindon, Laws
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A. Maxwell Henderson, Laws
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J.W. Trusler, Laws
1968
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Louis P. Bonneau, Laws
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David S. Holbrook, Laws
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W.G. Schneider, Laws
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Henry S. Wingate, Laws
1967
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James S. Band, Laws
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Jean S. Boggs, Laws
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John H. Chapman, Laws
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Clément Cormier, Laws
1966
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Jacques Garneau, Laws
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Hugh MacLennan, Laws
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Alphonse M. Parent, Laws
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William G. Tamblyn, Laws
1965
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Lester B. Pearson, Laws
1964
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Benjamin F. Avery, Laws
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William Wright, Laws
1963
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Earl S. Lautenschläger, Laws
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John H. Robarts, Laws
1962
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Alexander Carter, Laws
1961
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Ralph D. Parker, Laws
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Georges P. Vanier, Laws