On December 30, 2020, former MacEwan University board member, Douglas Stollery, C.M., Q.C. was one of 61 Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada by Governor General Julia Payette.
Stollery received the honour for "his wide-ranging contributions to Canada's legal landscape, for his defence of human rights, and for his broad community involvement. Stollery received national recognition for his work as co-counsel on the landmark Supreme Court of Canada Vriend v. Alberta case, which made legal history by amending Alberta's human rights legislation to protect the rights of LGBTQ citizens. It is considered to be one of the most important decisions related to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Fittingly, Stollery was nominated for the honour by Dr. Kristopher Wells, MacEwan faculty member and Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth. "Mr. Stollery has been a pioneer and a driving force for the advancement of human rights and LGBTQ2-inclusion in Canada, says Dr. Wells. His many contributions have enabled our community to move from being sex and gender outlaws to full citizens deserving of equal rights and respect. He is not only known for his amazing intellect, but also perhaps best for his humility, generosity, and compassion. I can't think of a better person who embodies all the virtues of what it means to be a great Canadian."
The university presented Stollery with its Distinguished Citizen Award in 2012 in recognition of his distinguished career and his long association with MacEwan. Stollery also served as vice chair of the university's board of governors from 1995 to 2001 and as director of the MacEwan Foundation Board. Through the Stollery Charitable Foundation, of which he is president, Stollery and his family have contributed more than $1.25 million to MacEwan.
"We are thrilled with Mr. Stollery's well-deserved appointment to the Order of Canada," says Dr. Annette Trimbee, MacEwan's president and vice-chancellor. "We are inspired by his longstanding, unwavering commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and human rights - a commitment shared by the university."
Stollery recently completed a term as chancellor of the University of Alberta. He has received the Canadian General Counsel's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. He currently serves on the board of CARE Canada, which focuses on economically empowering women and girls in developing countries and is an emeritus director with the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which supports individuals impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. He is currently practicing as counsel at Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP.
Created in 1967, the Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.
