Honorary Degrees

The University confers “honorary” degrees which symbolize the highest honour that can be conferred upon an individual by the University. An honorary degree may be awarded in recognition of scholarly or creative achievements or distinguished public service to the country or region.

At Convocation, the degree is awarded honoris causa, or “for the sake of honour”. A hood is also given to the recipient and it may be worn to any academic affair. Recipients of these degrees become honorary alumni of the University and they may affix, after their names, the abbreviation of the degree.

Lyn McLeod

Lyn McLeod served in elected political office, locally and provincially, for 33 years, prior to her retirement on October 2, 2003. Elected to the Ontario Legislature, Lyn represented the riding of Fort William/Thunder Bay-Atikokan from 1987 to 2003.

Under the Peterson Government, she held the positions of Minister of Colleges and Universities, Minister of Energy and Minister of Natural Resources. Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1992 to 1996, Lyn was the first woman to be elected leader of a political party in Ontario.

Since her retirement from elected office, Lyn has served as Chair of the Ontario Health Quality Council, as the Ontario representative on the Health Council of Canada, and as a member and vice-chair of the Ontario Power authority.

She is a past Chair of Confederation College's Board of Governors and a former member of the Board of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute. She was the Founding Chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (now known as Ontario Tech University) and she holds an Honorary Doctorate from that institution.

She is a Fellow of Lakehead University and she received the Lakehead University Alumni award. Lyn was Lakehead University's Chancellor from 2017 until 2021.

Following a move to Alliston, Ont., Lyn served as a member and Chair of New Path, which provides mental health services to children in Simcoe County. She is currently a member and vice-chair of the Board of Georgian College and a member of Lakehead University's Achievement Committee.

She was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2014.

Lyn will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Laws on June 2, 2022.

Chief Perry Bellegarde

Chief Perry Bellegarde (Little Black Bear First Nation) has dedicated his life to championing the rights and well-being of First Nations. For 35 years, he has held various First Nations leadership roles, including serving two terms as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) from 2014-2021.

As National Chief, Chief Bellegarde campaigned tirelessly to close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations and other families in Canada. Critical accomplishments include the passage of Canada’s first national legislation recognizing and protecting Indigenous languages, and securing a legislative commitment to national implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Chief Bellegarde also influenced the acknowledgement of Indigenous Rights in the final Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), as a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Advisory Council. He has also raised the international profile of First Nations expertise on sustainable development, promoting rights-based solutions to the climate crisis from the Paris Agreement to the Sustainable Markets Initiative.

In recognition of his work, Chief Bellegarde has been awarded the Confederation Medal, the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal, and both the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and Golden Jubilee Medal. In 2018, he was recognized with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, and in 2019, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Queen’s University. Most recently, Chief Bellegarde was named “Nation Builder of the Year” by the Empire Club of Canada and the Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

Perry will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Laws on June 2, 2022..

Karl Subban

Karl Subban is a life-long educator, author, and inspirational speaker.

When Karl packed his bag for the journey from Sudbury to Thunder Bay, Ont., to fulfill his dream at Lakehead University, he had no idea that the experience would change his life forever.

Karl's dream was to play basketball in the National Basketball Association, and Lakehead University was the training ground for him to learn, grow and develop as a student-athlete.

Karl discovered his passion for working with young people while teaching at the Lakehead Abitibi-Price Basketball clinics. This experience awakened the sleeping giant in him - his calling to be an educator. Karl learned that he loves working with children, and they love working with him. Basketball was no longer his destination – it was a means to his true calling to be a difference-maker in the lives of young people.

When Karl returned home to Sudbury, he had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Faculty of Education degree. In addition, he had forged a relationship with Lakehead University that continues to grow and blossom over time.
Karl has more than a few accomplishments under his belt – such as 30 plus years as an educator and principal – but perhaps his proudest is being a dad to NHL players P.K., Jordan, and Malcolm Subban, and to his daughters Nastassia and Natasha, who are educators.

Karl is a principal at Everest Academy in Toronto. He wrote a bestseller, How We Did It, with Scott Colby from the Toronto Star on how to encourage children to develop their potential. His second book will be published in the fall.

Karl will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Education on June 2, 2022..