The Honourable Bob Rae, the 2020 Symons Medallist, presents his lecture entitled “Learning from The Past, Imagining the Future: Reflections from a Political Life.” Following the lecture, Hon. Rae takes questions from the audience.
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The Confederation Centre of the Arts has announced the 2020 Symons Medal will be awarded to the Honourable Bob Rae, PC, CC, OO, QC through an online broadcast on Friday, October 30.
The Symons Medal and Lecture Series is named in honour of Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, a long-time supporter of Confederation Centre and a Board Governor. The Symons Medal recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to Canadian life and is presented annually at the Centre.
The Symons Medal Ceremony and Lecture will be streamed online via the Centre’s Facebook and YouTube channels on October 30 at 8 p.m. AT.
Remarks of welcome will be made by the Honourable Premier Dennis King and official response will be delivered by the Honourable Roy Romanow, PC, OC, SOM, QC, former premier of Saskatchewan and current chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan. The Medal Lecture will be followed by a live question and answer component with viewers.
Hon. Rae’s lecture is entitled: Learning from The Past, Imagining the Future: Reflections from a Political Life. “I am delighted to be following so many distinguished Canadians as this year’s Symons Medal recipient,” states Hon. Rae. “I have long admired Tom Symons’ vision and leadership and it is also wonderful to be associated with Confederation Centre of the Arts and my many friends in Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island.”
Throughout the video address, Hon. Rae will explore themes around: Canada’s improbable origins as a nation; post-war emergence onto the global stage; active membership within the United Nations (U.N.); and the significance of the ever-evolving Canadian constitution—a “living tree document”.
Hon. Rae is the 2020 recipient in part for his many years of work on humanitarian issues, most recently the Rohingya Refugee crisis, as well as his time focusing on indigenous issues with Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP, and his decades of public service and teaching. He has always been deeply involved in the political life of Canada including as MP, former premier of Ontario, and interim leader of the federal Liberal Party. While premier, he was involved in many of the initiatives for constitutional reform.
In July, Hon. Rae was appointed Canada’s ambassador to the U.N. by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Humanitarian and Refugee Issues.
Stay tuned to the Confederation Centre’s news page for further updates, including further potential distribution or screenings of the lecture.
About the Medal: The Symons Medal was designed by Dora de Pedery-Hunt, CM, OOnt (1913 – 2008). The famed Canadian sculptor was inspired by the Jean Paul Lemieux 1964 painting Charlottetown Revisited (submitted).
Symons Medallists:
Since 2004, the Centre has honoured 19 distinguished Symons Medallists:
· 2019 Senator Murray Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
PEI Professional Theatre Network
PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre, Confederation Centre for the Arts, Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse
Confederation Centre of the Arts Announces 2020 Symons Medallist
Confederation Centre of the Arts announced today that the 2020 Symons Medal will be awarded to Mr. Bob Rae, C.C. on Friday, October 30 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
The Symons Medal—one of Canada’s most prestigious honours—recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to Canadian life. Held each fall, the medal ceremony and its associated lecture offer a national platform for an eminent Canadian to discuss the nation’s current state, shared histories, and future prospects using themes related to their professional pursuits.
The award is presented at Confederation Centre of the Arts—Canada’s living monument to Canadian Confederation—in honour of the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation, who first gathered at Province House National Historic Site in the fall of 1864.
“On behalf of Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, for whom this lecture is named, and Confederation Centre CEO Steve Bellamy, we are elated to announce Mr. Bob Rae as the 2020 Recipient of the Symons Medal,” says Chair of the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust, Robert Sear.
“Mr. Rae is the 20th Medallist in this series, following a formidable line of recipients such as the Right Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, and Dr. Margaret MacMillan. We look forward to welcoming Mr. Rae to Charlottetown to share his unique perspective on the evolving State of Canada and its nationhood.”
Elected 11 times to the House of Commons and the Legislature of Ontario, Mr. Rae served as Ontario’s 21st Premier as well as Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He is the author of five books and three government reports, most recently on the Rohingya Refugee crisis, where he has served as Special Envoy for the Government of Canada.
Mr. Rae is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, a Privy Councillor, and a Queen’s Counsel. He is a Senior Fellow of Massey College and of the Forum of Federations, an international NGO, which he co-founded in 1998. He received a Lifetime Parliamentary Achievement Award in 2018 and has received many other honours in Canada and internationally. He lives in Toronto with wife Arlene Perly Rae; they have three children and five grandchildren.
The 2020 Ceremony will take place in the Homburg Theatre at Confederation Centre and will also be live-streamed. In the event of any continued limitations around public gatherings this fall, the Centre will announce updates regarding the expanded use of the live-stream.
Tickets for this important ceremony will be available via the Box Office at a later date. Stay tuned for further event updates on social media: @confedcentre and via hashtag, #Symons2020.
About the Lecture: The Symons Medal and Lecture Series is named in honour of Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, a long-time supporter of Confederation Centre and a Board Governor. Read more here.
Symons Medallists: Since 2004, the Centre has honoured 19 distinguished Symons Medallists:
· 2019 Senator Murray Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
PEI Professional Theatre Network
Theatre PEI 