April 8, 2008

A forest industry pioneer, BC’s “Man In Motion,” and a visionaryNisga’a educator will be receiving honorary degrees from UNBC at the2008 Convocation ceremony on May 30.

Peter Bentley is Chairman of the Board for Canfor and has served as amember of the Board for the past 42 years. He was also Canfor presidentfor 20 years, starting in 1975. Mr. Bentley is a former Chancellor ofUNBC and has been instrumental in establishing the Bentley Centre oncampus, the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre, and the University’sDowntown BMO Bank of Montreal Centre.

To access a high-resolution photo of Mr. Bentley, please contact Rob van Adrichem at (250) 960-5622 or email vanadric@unbc.ca

Rick Hansen grew up in Williams Lake and received global attention in1985 when he wheeled 40,000km through 34 countries to raise awarenessof the potential of people with disabilities and funds for spinal cordinjury research. Today, he is President and CEO of the Rick HansenFoundation, which has generated more than $200 million for spinal cordinjury-related programs and initiatives. Mr. Hansen is a formerworld-class athlete, winning three world championships and competingfor Canada at the 1984 Olympics.

To access a high-resolution photo of Mr. Hansen, please contact ErinMcMillan at (604) 709-6324 or email emcmillan@rickhansen.com

Jacob McKay is a founding member and current Chair of Wilp Wilxo’oskwhlNisga’a (WWN), the Nisga’a post-secondary institution that worksclosely with UNBC to deliver university programming in the Nass Valley,north of Terrace. WWN is the latest in a series of successes theNisga’a have achieved with respect to education. In the 1970s, Mr.McKay oversaw the construction of the Nisga’a Elementary-SecondarySchool in what was then the first Aboriginal school district in Canada.He also managed the construction of four Nisga’a health centres.

To access a high-resolution photo of Mr. McKay, please contact Rob van Adrichem at (250) 960-5622 or email vanadric@unbc.ca

Honorary degrees are awarded by the University in recognition ofdistinguished achievement in scholarship, governance, the arts,research, teaching, business, and other forms of service to the public.Past recipients of UNBC honorary degrees have included Haida artistBill Reid, author Denise Chong, and former Lieutenant Governor IonaCampagnolo. In 2004, ten UNBC founders also received honorary degreesto recognize the University’s tenth anniversary.

It’s expected that more than 800 UNBC students will graduate this yearand receive their degrees during Convocation. Two ceremonies will beheld this year, with both taking place at the new Charles Jago NorthernSport Centre.

For more information about Convocation 2008, click here.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622