Honorary degree recipients Archive
Honorary degree 2023: Naxaxalhts’i ‘Sonny’ McHalsie shares Stó:lō culture and
If things had turned out a little differently, Naxaxalhts’i Albert ‘Sonny’ McHalsie might have been one of B.C.’s top mechanics rather than a highly valued interpreter of Stó:lō people’s culture and traditions. And much vital knowledge about the culture and history of Indigenous Coast Salish history would have been lost. Because he chose a different…Judith Soon awarded honorary degree for promoting science education and
Sometimes it takes one defining moment to change life’s trajectory. For Dr. Judith Soon, it was in Grade 12 when she and four other classmates toured the inner workings of a pharmacy building. From this experience, Soon knew she wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy and so far, it has been extremely rewarding for…Knowledge keeper, practitioner and educator Mike Retasket receives honorary degree
From sleeping in a bed dug from Peruvian sand to educating along the plank sidewalks of Barkerville, Mike Retasket’s long and diverse commitment to learning and sharing complex Indigenous history is unparalleled. For this and more, he will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of the Fraser Valley this June. A…UFV to grant honorary degrees to Bonnie Henry, Naxaxalhts’i Sonny
UFV will present honorary degrees to four leaders who have had a significant impact on society and their communities at its Convocation ceremonies in June. They include Dr. Bonnie Henry, who led British Columbia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; Naxaxalhts’i Sonny McHalsie, one of the most distinguished interpreters of the Stó:lō cultural tradition and history;…Honorary degree 2022: Jo-ann Archibald — wanting to see herself
When a young Jo-ann Archibald boarded the school bus daily as an elementary school student back in the 1950s, she stepped from one world into another. Archibald, whose Indigenous name is Q’um Q’um Xiiem, grew up in Soowhalie near Cultus Lake, part of the Indigenous Stó:lō community, and attended the Chilliwack public school system, graduating…Honorary degree 2022: Diane Delves found success in the real
Diane Delves says she wants to slow down, but she can’t. Or at least she has no desire to. Even though she is of retirement age, the prominent Abbotsford-based real estate developer and philanthropist still operates at a similar speed to what she did decades ago. Every morning, Delves wakes up and checks email as…Honorary degree 2022: Shirley Turcotte built on her trauma experience
In April, when UFV presented Shirley Turcotte the opportunity to be a UFV honorary degree award recipient, she accepted. But she did so somewhat reluctantly. It is not that the renowned Métis knowledge-carrier and registered clinical counsellor is not honoured. Or that she has anything against UFV. Simply put, Turcotte hates attention. “When I first…Honorary degree 2022: Cranberry king Peter Dhillon believes in hard
A groundbreaking businessman from humble beginnings whose company now produces billions of pounds of cranberries and employs hundreds across the world, Peter Dhillon is a tireless leader, philanthropist, and cultural advocate. And as of June 14, he’s also the proud recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of the Fraser Valley.…UFV to grant honorary degrees to Jo-ann Archibald, Diane Delves,
A leader in Indigenous education, an Abbotsford-based developer, an agribusiness magnate, and an innovator in Indigenous-focused counselling will receive honorary doctorates from the University of the Fraser Valley at its Convocation ceremonies on June 14 and 15. UFV will welcome Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald, Diane Delves, Peter Dhillon, and Shirley Turcotte to campus and honour them…Catching up with Justice Shirzad Ahmed — 2011 Distinguished Alumni
A former UFV student from the university-college era is now a Federal Court judge. Justice Shirzad Ahmed was appointed to the Federal Court on September 14, 2017. The Federal Court is Canada’s national trial court. It deals with cases in a broad range of areas of federal jurisdiction, including national security law, intellectual property law,…Honorary degreee 2021: Cathy Press’s success proves the sky’s no
Some kids spend their days on the playgrounds or sports fields, but Cathy Press grew up in the skies. Her childhood memories in the Lower Mainland consist of her being in a floatplane, side by side with her father, a retired commercial pilot. Together, they would take impromptu expeditions to remote places like Garibaldi Lake…Honorary degree 2021: Andrée Cazabon uses film to turn pain
It began in the basement of her childhood home. For Andrée Cazabon, the magic of film and the world of visual storytelling bloomed in a makeshift cinema. Cazabon was seven years old living on the outskirts of Ottawa when her father put on the classic French Canadian animated short The Hockey Sweater on the 16mm…Honorary degree 2021 — Roméo Dallaire: a courageous champion for
As a highly decorated veteran, courageous champion for mental health, and passionate advocate against exposing children to the horrors of war, Roméo Dallaire is an inspiration to multiple generations across the world. For this and much more, Dallaire is being awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of the Fraser Valley in…UFV honorary degree 2021: Chamberlain honoured for advocacy for LGBTQ+
When James Chamberlain was a youth attending school in Abbotsford, he didn’t see himself reflected. Not in the books he was assigned to read, the teachers who guided his education, or in his interactions with his fellow students. “School was difficult and a lonely place for me,” he recalls. “I was targeted with homophobic bullying by my peers…UFV to grant honorary degrees to Roméo Dallaire, James Chamberlain,
The University of the Fraser Valley is presenting honorary doctorates to four Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their field and Canadian society. Retired general and humanitarian Romeo Dallaire, filmmaker Andree Cazabon, teacher and LGBTQ activist James Chamberlain, and helicopter pilot and aviation entrepreneur Cathy Press will all be honored by UFV in…Honorary degree 2023: Naxaxalhts’i ‘Sonny’ McHalsie shares Stó:lō culture and
If things had turned out a little differently, Naxaxalhts’i Albert ‘Sonny’ McHalsie might have been one of B.C.’s top mechanics rather than a highly valued interpreter of Stó:lō people’s culture and traditions. And much vital knowledge about the culture and history of Indigenous Coast Salish history would have been lost. Because he chose a different…Judith Soon awarded honorary degree for promoting science education and
Sometimes it takes one defining moment to change life’s trajectory. For Dr. Judith Soon, it was in Grade 12 when she and four other classmates toured the inner workings of a pharmacy building. From this experience, Soon knew she wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy and so far, it has been extremely rewarding for…Knowledge keeper, practitioner and educator Mike Retasket receives honorary degree
From sleeping in a bed dug from Peruvian sand to educating along the plank sidewalks of Barkerville, Mike Retasket’s long and diverse commitment to learning and sharing complex Indigenous history is unparalleled. For this and more, he will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of the Fraser Valley this June. A…UFV to grant honorary degrees to Bonnie Henry, Naxaxalhts’i Sonny
UFV will present honorary degrees to four leaders who have had a significant impact on society and their communities at its Convocation ceremonies in June. They include Dr. Bonnie Henry, who led British Columbia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; Naxaxalhts’i Sonny McHalsie, one of the most distinguished interpreters of the Stó:lō cultural tradition and history;…Honorary degree 2022: Jo-ann Archibald — wanting to see herself
When a young Jo-ann Archibald boarded the school bus daily as an elementary school student back in the 1950s, she stepped from one world into another. Archibald, whose Indigenous name is Q’um Q’um Xiiem, grew up in Soowhalie near Cultus Lake, part of the Indigenous Stó:lō community, and attended the Chilliwack public school system, graduating…Honorary degree 2022: Diane Delves found success in the real
Diane Delves says she wants to slow down, but she can’t. Or at least she has no desire to. Even though she is of retirement age, the prominent Abbotsford-based real estate developer and philanthropist still operates at a similar speed to what she did decades ago. Every morning, Delves wakes up and checks email as…Honorary degree 2022: Shirley Turcotte built on her trauma experience
In April, when UFV presented Shirley Turcotte the opportunity to be a UFV honorary degree award recipient, she accepted. But she did so somewhat reluctantly. It is not that the renowned Métis knowledge-carrier and registered clinical counsellor is not honoured. Or that she has anything against UFV. Simply put, Turcotte hates attention. “When I first…Honorary degree 2022: Cranberry king Peter Dhillon believes in hard
A groundbreaking businessman from humble beginnings whose company now produces billions of pounds of cranberries and employs hundreds across the world, Peter Dhillon is a tireless leader, philanthropist, and cultural advocate. And as of June 14, he’s also the proud recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of the Fraser Valley.…UFV to grant honorary degrees to Jo-ann Archibald, Diane Delves,
A leader in Indigenous education, an Abbotsford-based developer, an agribusiness magnate, and an innovator in Indigenous-focused counselling will receive honorary doctorates from the University of the Fraser Valley at its Convocation ceremonies on June 14 and 15. UFV will welcome Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald, Diane Delves, Peter Dhillon, and Shirley Turcotte to campus and honour them…Catching up with Justice Shirzad Ahmed — 2011 Distinguished Alumni
A former UFV student from the university-college era is now a Federal Court judge. Justice Shirzad Ahmed was appointed to the Federal Court on September 14, 2017. The Federal Court is Canada’s national trial court. It deals with cases in a broad range of areas of federal jurisdiction, including national security law, intellectual property law,…Honorary degreee 2021: Cathy Press’s success proves the sky’s no
Some kids spend their days on the playgrounds or sports fields, but Cathy Press grew up in the skies. Her childhood memories in the Lower Mainland consist of her being in a floatplane, side by side with her father, a retired commercial pilot. Together, they would take impromptu expeditions to remote places like Garibaldi Lake…Honorary degree 2021: Andrée Cazabon uses film to turn pain
It began in the basement of her childhood home. For Andrée Cazabon, the magic of film and the world of visual storytelling bloomed in a makeshift cinema. Cazabon was seven years old living on the outskirts of Ottawa when her father put on the classic French Canadian animated short The Hockey Sweater on the 16mm…