The Thursday morning Loyalist College Convocation ceremony honoured 468 graduates from the Schools of Health and Human Studies. The guest speaker was The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. The Honourable David C. Onley was appointed Ontario’s 28th Lieutenant Governor following a distinguished career as a broadcaster. His Honour has championed disability issues for many years and served as Chair of the Government of Ontario’s Accessibility Standards Advisory Council and was an accessibility council member for the Rogers Centre and the Air Canada Centre. As the first Lieutenant Governor with a physical disability, His Honour has adopted ‘Accessibility’ as the overarching theme of his mandate. He has defined Accessibility as that which enables people to achieve their full potential. True Accessibility means that disabled people can fully participate in the social, cultural and economic life of Ontario. Because Accessibility includes opportunities for Education, His Honour is also continuing and expanding the Aboriginal Youth Literacy Programs implemented by his predecessor. His Honour was born in Midland, Ontario and grew up in Scarborough. He was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame and the Scarborough Walk of Fame. He is the recipient of the Rick Hansen Award of Excellence, the Courage to Come Back Award, and has received several honorary degrees.
In his address, His Honour challenged the graduates to practise a lifetime of intellectual rigour. Citing the words of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, he commented, “’Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny – it is the light that guides your way.’ You are already proving this. Your character, creativity, intellectual curiosity and humanity have brought you this far and will lead to your success.”
His Honour was presented with an Honorary Diploma by Mrs. Kay Manderville, Vice-Chair of the Loyalist College Board of Governors, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in championing accessibility during his distinguished career as a broadcaster and as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. His efforts have helped to empower people with disabilities to fully participate in the social, cultural and economic life of Ontario.
Media Contact: Dianne Spencer, Executive Director, College Advancement & External Relations, Loyalist College, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2235; e-mail: dspencer@loyalistc.on.ca