By McGill Reporter Staff
Former Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum was among a notable list of honourees Thursday night as the Public Policy Forum held its 27th annual Testimonial Dinner and Awards night in Toronto.
Prof. Munroe-Blum, who is currently on sabbatical, was one of four women honoured with the Testimonial Dinner Award that celebrates “commitment to achieving greater understanding and cooperation between the public and private sectors to improve the quality of government in Canada.”
In her remarks to the dinner, she stressed how important it is for Canada to invest in its institutions and its cities. She also paid tribute to the late Jim Flaherty, whose sudden death on Thursday sent shockwaves through the political and financial worlds. The former federal Finance Minister was 64.
Prof. Munroe-Blum also urged people to be persistent. With a reference to the Rolling Stones famous anthem, she said, “If you try and don’t get what you want, you try and try to get what you need.”
Other recipients of that award this year were: Annette Verschuren, Chair and CEO, NRStor Inc. and former President of Home Depot Canada and Asia; Mary Simon, Chairperson, National Committee on Inuit Education, former President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, andCanada’s first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs; and Sheila Fraser, former Auditor General of Canada and a graduate of McGill.
“After paying tribute to Canada’s Prime Ministers in 2012 and the Clerks of the Privy Council in 2013, the Public Policy Forum is returning to its tradition of recognizing Canadians from all sectors and regions of the country,” said David Mitchell, President and CEO of the Forum. “These honourees represent the highest standards of accomplishment, leadership, and service to their respective fields and to their country.”
In addition, Toronto Star journalist Susan Delacourt was presented with the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism, while Erin Freeland Ballantyne, a McGill grad and founder of the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning in the Northwest Territories, received the Emerging Leader Award.
Each year, the Forum’s Testimonial Dinner & Awards recognizes distinguished Canadians who have made a lasting contribution to the advancement of public policy and good governance in our country.
The Public Policy Forum is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of government in Canada through enhanced dialogue among the public, private, academic and non-profit sectors.