Honorary Degree Recipient 2014

The Honourable Robert (Bob) Rae
Doctor of Laws
Biography

The Honourable Robert (Bob) Rae is a gifted negotiator, lawyer, and distinguished former statesman. His endeavours are linked by the conviction that social justice must be sought for every Canadian.

Although Bob spent his early childhood in Ottawa, he also grew up in the United States and Europe as his diplomat father was moved to different postings.

Bob graduated from the University of Toronto in 1969 and then attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. During this period, Bob’s belief in the transformative power of social justice was strengthened when he helped squatters in London find rental lodgings.

After receiving his Bachelor of Philosophy from Oxford in 1971, Bob returned to Canada. He earned a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1977 and won a seat as a Federal MP in 1978 with the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Bob was elected at the federal and provincial levels a total of eleven times. As the provincial NDP leader, he served as Premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.

In 2005, he completed a postsecondary education report that led to significant policy changes and substantially increased Ontario universities’ base budgets. In 2008, he returned to Ottawa as a Liberal MP and was interim leader of the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2013.

Bob has been a longstanding advocate for First Nations’ right to self-government and full social and economic equality.

In 2013, Bob resigned from Parliament and joined the law firm Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP as a senior partner, focusing his practice on First Nations issues. Currently, he is lead negotiator for the Matawa First Nations in talks with the Ontario Government to develop Northwestern Ontario’s “Ring of Fire” mineral deposits.

In an interview Bob explained that, “the stronger self-government is, the stronger the capacity for making decisions is, the healthier a community can become.”

Bob Rae has been recognized with numerous honorary degrees and awards from Canadian and international universities, colleges, and organizations. He was appointed to the Privy Council of Canada in 1998, named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000, and received the Order of Ontario in 2004.