成人大片 hosts Lieutenant Governor

成人大片 hosts Lieutenant Governor

April 1, 2015

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Campus played host to Ontario鈥檚 Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, on April 1 when she visited the university to deliver a public lecture and take part in a roundtable discussion.  

Her Honour鈥檚 lecture, titled 鈥淚deas that Matter: Conversations with Ontarians,鈥 reflected her desire to meet and speak with the province鈥檚 citizens about what goals and themes she should prioritize for her tenure.

鈥淚 want to learn about what issues concern Ontarians, what they鈥檙e interested in, what they鈥檙e doing and what stories they want me to tell,鈥 she says. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to promote Ontario in the world, I need to know what people are already doing and a university setting is a great place to have that conversation.鈥

At her lecture she recounted the responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor and spoke about some of the experiences she鈥檚 had with the Queen鈥檚 community. After telling of her meeting with the Queen鈥檚 Model Parliament in Ottawa, she praised the work that Dr. John Smol (Biology) has done to articulate the effects of climate change and shared the story of her investing Professor Emeritus Dr. James Low (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) to the Order of Canada. When Dr. Low was too sick to attend the Order鈥檚 official ceremony in Ottawa, Her Honour visited his house in Kingston to present him with his medal, skyping in friends and family for the impromptu event. 

Though she spoke about many of the accomplishments that Ontarians have to be proud of, she also devoted attention to the challenges that are facing the province. She says that among the hurdles facing the province are the task of managing the fragility of the environment, ensuring economic prosperity and fostering a fair, inclusive and cohesive civil society.

鈥淲e鈥檙e living in an interconnected and interdependent world now and if we don鈥檛 know how to live in, work in and trade in that world, we鈥檙e going to get left behind,鈥 she says.

To better hear what鈥檚 on the minds of Ontario citizens, Her Honour also took part in a roundtable discussion with a group of administrators, academics, students and alumni. The group shared with her the work being done on campus to foster innovation and interdisciplinary problem-solving.

Though Her Honour has only been in her position for six months, she said she鈥檚 seeing clear lines between the matter that the people of Ontario care most about and that she wants to use her position to affect positive change.

鈥淎s Lieutenant Governor, I have a platform that allows me to shine a light on the big issues that our society has, things that require bringing people together for conversations on issues that transcend politics,鈥 she says. 鈥淢y position is a totally apolitical one, so I make sure to ask every group I meet with, 鈥榳hat do you think I should be working on?鈥欌 

Her Honour鈥檚 lecture was the most recent installment of the Principal鈥檚 Forum, a public lecture series sponsored by Principal Daniel Woolf. Previous speakers in the Principal鈥檚 Forum have included the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Tricia Marwick and His Excellency the Governor General, the Rt. Hon. David Johnston.

鈥淲e were honoured to host Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell and to hear her address,鈥 says Principal Daniel Woolf. 鈥淚 look forward to working with her during her time in office.鈥