General John de Chastelain - Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
General John de Chastelain received the honorary degree, Doctor of Education on Friday, June 9, 2006 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Education, Intermediate / Senior division.
He was educated at Fettes College in Scotland and Mount Royal College in Calgary. General de Chastelain was a member of the International Body on Arms Decommissioning in Northern Ireland and one of three International Chairmen involved in the Northern Ireland peace talks. This resulted in the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement of April 10, 1998. Since September 1997, he has been Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland.
Gwen M. Boniface - Doctor of Letters
(honoris causa) DLitt
Gwen M. Boniface received the honorary degree, Doctor of Letters on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony and deliver the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Arts and Science.
Boniface began her policing career with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 1977 as a Provincial Constable. In 1998, she was sworn in as Commissioner and now leads more than 7,000 OPP uniform and civilian members serving in Ontario. Commissioner Boniface is one of only three women police chiefs in Canada. She is, by invitation, a member of the First Nations Chiefs of Police. She is the first woman to have held the position of President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the first Canadian police officer to be elected General Chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Division of State and Provincial.
Jane Urquhart - Doctor of Letters
(honoris causa) DLitt
Jane Urquhart received the honorary degree, Doctor of Letters on Friday, June 9, 2006 at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Arts and Science.
Urquhart was born in Little Longlac, in northern Ontario and grew up in Cramahe Township, Northumberland County. She is the author of three books of poetry, one collection of short fiction and six acclaimed novels. Urquhart’s fiction has been published in over a dozen countries, translated into numerous foreign languages and has earned awards and honours including the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, the Marian Engle Prize, the Trillium Award, The Harbourfront International Festival Prize, and France’s prestigious Le Prix de Meilleur Livre Étranger. Her books have also been short-listed and long-listed for a number of international prizes including the Giller Prize, Orange Prize, The International Dublin IMPAC literacy award and the Booker Prize.
Jean-Marc Filion - Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
Jean-Marc Filion was be bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Education on Thursday, June 8, 2006 at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Education, Junior/Intermediate division.
During his 32 years of teaching at the secondary level, Filion’s Science Fair students have won 32 medals in 19 consecutive years at both national and international competitions and have published 39 scientific reports. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the TV Ontario “Excellence in Education” Awards; the Distinguished Service Award from Youth Science Foundation Canada and The Commemorative Medal for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Sheila Fraser - Doctor of Letters
(honoris causa) DLitt
Sheila Fraser received the honorary degree, Doctor of Letters on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. ceremony and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Arts and Science.
Fraser was appointed Auditor General of Canada in 2001. As Auditor General, she has focussed the Office’s efforts on serving the needs of parliamentarians and ensuring that they have objective and reliable information with which to scrutinize government activities and hold the government to account for its stewardship of public funds. At her initiative, Canada was the first legislative audit office to request a review of its performance audit practice in an effort to provide assurance about the quality of its work.
The Honourable James K. Bartleman - Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
The Honourable James K. Bartleman received the honorary degree, Doctor of Education, and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing’s Faculty of Education, Primary/Junior division.
As the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, he has three key mandate priorities: to reduce the stigma of mental illness, to fight racism and discrimination, and to encourage Aboriginal youth. Born in Orillia, Ontario, Bartleman grew up in Port Carling and is a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation. His distinguished career in Canadian Foreign Service spans 35 years.
Walter Gretzky - Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
Walter Gretzky received the honorary degree, Doctor of Education on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing University’s concurrent Bachelor of Education program in Brantford, Ontario.
Gretzky was born on October 8, 1938 in Canning, Ontario. His eldest son, Wayne, enjoyed phenomenal success in the hockey rink and achieved world-wide stardom; consequently Walter found himself in the limelight as a world-famous hockey dad. In 1991, he suffered a severe brain aneurysm, which destroyed much of his memory. With the support of his wife and family, and a dedicated therapist, he bravely faced this hardship and now devotes much of his time to speaking about brain trauma. Gretzky is a dedicated individual with a compassionate heart who gives freely of his time to help others through charities and fundraisers while continuing to coach youth hockey.