Home and land development businessman Ignat Kaneff, psychologist and philanthropist Frederic Jackman, Canadian auditor general Sheila Fraser and Novopharm founder and businessman Leslie Dan are the distinguished national figures who will receive honorary degrees from York University at Fall Convocation ceremonies. The ceremonies begin tomorrow and continue to Friday. Here are the recipients in order of the Faculty ceremonies where they will be honoured.
Ignat Kaneff (left)
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Osgoode Hall Law School
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 10:30am
Ignat Kaneff immigrated to Canada and became a highly successful businessman and philanthropist. In 1956 he founded his own home and land development businesses, and since that time has built thousands of homes, buildings and world-class golf facilities, including Lionhead Golf & Country Club. With his strong belief in the community, Kaneff also tirelessly contributes to many charitable organizations and initiatives across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as York University and Osgoode Hall Law School. He has received many awards for his contributions to the community, including the Canadian Citation for Citizenship and the Order of Stara Planina, Bulgaria’s highest honour.
Frederic (Eric) Jackman (right)
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Health
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 3:30pm
Frederic (Eric) Jackman is president of Invicta Investments Incorporated, chairman of the Jackman Foundation, a psychologist and staunch supporter of the arts, education and the community. In addition to his business, professional and philanthropic work, he is actively involved in several community, cultural, educational, military and professional organizations. His most important contribution to both the community and his profession is his founding and leadership as president of the Psychology Foundation of Canada. For his significant contributions Jackman has received several awards, including the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the Canadian Mental Health Association C.M. Hincks National Award for Mental Health.
Sheila Fraser (right)
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Thursday Oct. 14, 10:30am
Sheila Fraser is a chartered accountant with more than 20 years’ experience in public accounting in the private sector. She joined the Office of the Auditor General in 1999 as deputy auditor general and in 2001 became Canada’s auditor general. She is the first woman to hold this postion. Fraser has always been active in her profession, at both the provincial and national levels. For her noteworthy service to the auditing and accounting professions, she was awarded the Prix Émérite 1993 and the designation “Fellow” by the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec in 1994. In 2009 she received the Award of Outstanding Merit from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.
Leslie Dan (left)
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Kellog-Schulich Executive MBA Program
Friday, Oct. 15, 10am
Leslie Dan is a successful Canadian pharmacist and businessman who in 1965 established Novopharm, one of Canada’s largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. Among his many initiatives he founded and chaired the Canadian Drug Manufacturers Association to represent Canadian-owned pharmaceutical manufacturers. Dan is recognized not only for his achievements in his professional field, but also as a well-known philanthropist. Among his most notable charitable acts is his founding of the Canadian Medicine Aid Programme, an organization that provides life-saving medicines and other aid to the Third World. For his generosity and many achievements he was appointed as Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.
Ceremonies will be held from Wednesday, Oct. 13 to Friday, Oct. 15. All ceremonies will take place at the Tennis Canada Rexall Centre on York’s Keele Campus, with the exception of the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA ceremony, which will take place in the McEwen Auditorium of the Seymour Schulich Building.
The Convocation website includes a full schedule of all ceremonies. If you can’t attend, you can watch the Fall 2010 Convocation ceremonies live and then archived on the Internet.