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York University to honour David Collenette, Margot Franssen, John Bankes, Seymour Schulich
The awards ceremony, which follows the York University Alumni Association Annual General Meeting, will feature keynote speaker Canadian Astronaut and York alumnus Dr. Steve Maclean, (BSc '77, PhD '83, D.Sc '93 ). Maclean will discuss Canada's involvement in the International Space Program.
The gala dinner will be held at the Renaissance Skydome Hotel, 1 Blue Jays Way, at 6:30 p.m., Northern Lights Ballroom. (There will be a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Northern Lights Ballroom Foyer.)
"The strong connection and commitment of our friends and alumni to York and to the larger community is testament to the University's role in helping shape citizens who make a difference in society. With these awards, named in honour of Bruce Bryden who embodied the spirit of York, we salute the recipients' generosity and dedication," said AndrÈ Beaudry, York Director of Alumni Affairs and Executive Director of the York University Alumni Association.
R. Bruce Bryden (1943-1992) graduated from York in 1964 (BA ë64, Sociology & Economics). He founded the York University Alumni Association in 1965 and sat on Senate before joining the Board of Governors in 1971. A Fellow of York's McLaughlin College, Bryden served as the first (and one of only two) alumnus to chair the Board of Governors (1982-1991). Bryden, an investment banker, helped launch a $170-million building campaign in 1988. Bryden was Vice-President and Director of A.E. Ames and Co. Ltd., President of its New York City-based investment banking firm, and Assistant Vice-President of Confederation Life in Toronto. Bryden established his own investment counseling firm before his untimely passing in 1992.
The Bruce Bryden Alumni Recognition Awards will be presented annually to three alumni who have made a significant contribution to York. The award will also be given to one friend of York University who is not a graduate, but who has made a memorable contribution to the University. This year's recipients are:
John Bankes LLB/MBA '77 (Contribution Category ñ Alumni)
John Bankes (LLB/MBA '77), the longest-serving member of York's Board of Governors, was first appointed to the Board in 1974 as a student member, and served continuously since 1985. In 1995 he was appointed Co-Chair of the National Campaign for York University, which raised over $108 million -- ahead of schedule and over target. He has also personally funded a prestigious Governors' Award of Distinction scholarship. Bankes is the Managing Director of Artemis Management Group Inc. and Chair of the Board of Minacs Worldwide.
He is a sessional lecturer at Osgoode Hall Law School, and teaches an advanced corporate law seminar to students in their final year of York's joint LLB/MBA program. Bankes also participated for more than 15 years as an executive member of the York University Alumni Association (YUAA).
Honourable David Collenette BA '69 (Achievement Category ñ Alumni)
The first Member of Parliament and first federal cabinet minister to graduate from York University, the Hon. David Collenette (Glendon, BA ë69) was first elected in 1974 and has served as Minister of State (Multiculturalism), Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council, Government House Leader, as well as Postmaster General. In 1993, Collenette was appointed Minister of National Defence and Veterans Affairs. In this senior position, he oversaw successful Canadian peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the former Yugoslavia, the publication of the 1994 Defence White Paper, and set into motion a process to reform and renew the Canadian Armed Forces. In June 1997, he was appointed Minister of Transport where he continued the reorganization of the department, steered the Canada Marine Act through Parliament, and began the revitalization of Via Rail.
Margot Franssen BA '79 (Leadership Category ñ Alumni)
Margot Franssen (BA ë79), President and Partner of The Body Shop Canada, leads a national retailing team that sells skin care, hair care, and cosmetic products that aren't tested on animals and don't exploit communities or the environment. She has been instrumental in working to help stop violence against women through The Body Shop Canada's national public awareness and fundraising campaigns. In 1995 Franssen was invited to participate in the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. She presented the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights with more than one million signatures from around the world, calling for all nations to recognize that "Women's Rights are Human Rights." She was appointed to the York University Board of Governors in 1991. She is a member of the University Advancement Committee and served as Co-Chair of the recent National Campaign for York University which raised over $108 million -- over target and ahead of schedule.
Seymour Schulich (Contribution Category ñ Friend)
Seymour Schulich, who has donated $20 million to York University, is the University's leading philanthropist. In recognition of his 1995 gift of $15 million, York University's business faculty was renamed the Schulich School of Business. It is now the largest graduate management school in Canada -- one in every three MBA's entering the Ontario work force is a Schulich graduate. Schulich's continued generosity has also helped bring a stunning new Honour Court and Welcome Centre to York's Keele campus. He has also committed $5 million toward the construction of a new business school, scheduled to open in 2003. Schulich is the Chairman and CEO of Franco-Nevada Mines Corporation Limited and Chairman of Euro-Nevada Mining Corporation Limited, two gold royalty companies. He was appointed to the York University Board of Governors in 1996, and is currently a member of the Board's Investment Committee. Schulich is also a recipient of the Order of Canada.
For more information, please contact:
AndrÈ Beaudry
Karli Farrow
Ken Turriff
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