Past Recipients

Writer and folklorist John Robert Colombo is the ultimate enthusiast of Canadian culture. Known nationally as the Master Gatherer, he has compiled more than 200 anthologies of quotations, lore, literature, mystery and horror. A frequent commentator and avid supporter of the arts, Colombo has described been as a “national treasure” by the Globe and Mail. For his prolific body of work and dedication to preserving Canadian culture, Colombo has been honoured with the Centennial Medal, the Order of Cyril and Methodius, the Harbourfront Literary Award and an honorary doctorate from York University.

Corporate director, business executive and psychologist, Ruth Corbin is a Canadian authority on intellectual property policy and protection. She is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall and author of several books, articles and public addresses. In her corporate career, Corbin has held top management positions with Kroll Canada, Angus Reid Group, Leger Marketing and Royal Trust, among others. An in-demand speaker, she has been named among Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network and as one of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs by PROFIT magazine. She is currently managing partner of CorbinPartners Inc, a firm specializing in intellectual property auditing and forensic marketing evidence.

Filmmaker David Cronenberg is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest directors of all time. A native of Toronto, he studied arts at UC where a classmate's short film sparked his interest in cinema. The director of the acclaimed Crash, eXistenZ, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method and Cosmopolis, among many others, Cronenberg has a reputation for making highly original and daring films. In recognition of his incredible body of work, Cronenberg was awarded the Carrosse D’Or for lifetime achievement from the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Légion d’honneur from the government of France.

Eminent physicist John Cunningham McLennan made tremendous contributions to the advancement of science. The first person to receive a doctorate in physics from U of T, his laboratory was at the forefront of research in radioactivity, spectroscopy and low-temperature physics. McLennan is credited with discovering the cosmic ray and pioneering the use of radium to treat cancer, accomplishments which earned him a knighthood. During the First World War, he acted as scientific adviser to the British Admiralty and helped found the National Research Council.

Prominent economist Janet Currie studies how socio-economic factors affect health and well-being. She has taught at UCLA, MIT and Columbia University, and is the editor of several economic journals. Currie is also vice-president of the American Economics Association and the director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Program on Children. She has written extensively on early intervention programs, programs to expand health insurance and improve health care, public housing and food and nutrition programs.

The former dean and James M. Tory Professor at U of T's Faculty of Law, Ronald Daniels is a noted scholar of law and economics and a leader in higher education. He is currently president of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His research focuses on the intersections of law, economics, development and public policy in such areas as corporate and securities law, social and economic regulation and the role of law and legal institutions in promoting growth in developing nations. He is the author or editor of seven books and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Lawyer and statesman Bill Davis served as the eighteenth premier of Ontario, from 1971 to 1985. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at the age of 29 and appointed a minister in John Robarts’ cabinet. Responsible for education and university affairs, he created Trent and Brock Universities, 22 colleges and the TVO educational network. He succeeded Robarts as party leader and led the Conservatives to victory in three consecutive elections. A dedicated federalist, Davis played a key role in negotiating Canada's constitutional accord, promoting the spirit of compromise that made the agreement possible. After retiring from politics, he served as the Special Envoy on Acid Rain and as director of several corporations. He is sworn to the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and is a recipient of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest honour.

Precedent-setting lawyer and writer Linda Silver Dranoff is a specialist in family law, known for her role in reforming family law to provide for the equal sharing of matrimonial assets and for advancing the cause of equality for Canadian women. She is the author of popular handbooks, including Every Canadian’s Guide to the Law. For 25 years, she was a legal columnist for Chatelaine magazine. She is the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association's Distinguished Service Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the Governor-General‘s Award in commemoration of the Person’s Case and the Law Society Medal, among others.

Longtime community leader Susan Eng works to promote safety, security and justice for all citizens. She is best known as the former chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board, where she tackled issues of accountability, use of force and racism. Eng has served on the boards of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the YWCA of Greater Toronto and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and on the Governing Council of University of Toronto. She is the recipient the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award, and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists by the Hill Times. A frequent commentator and public speaker, Eng is currently vice-president of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.

Hershell Ezrin is one of Canada's foremost political advisors, policy experts and strategic communications counsellors. Initially a career diplomat, he served as Canadian Consul in New York and Los Angeles, in the Privy Council Office under former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, where he worked on the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, and as deputy minister to former premier David Peterson. After leaving politics, he led two multinational companies and founded the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Affairs. A frequent blogger and commentator on public issues, he currently heads a social media advocacy company. He has served on numerous health, arts and culture boards and was chair of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Lawyer, executive and entrepreneur Kenneth Field has always had a knack for business. At the tender age of 27, he was appointed director of United Trust. He later presided over a period of dramatic growth at Bramalea and founded Greenfield Ethanol, the largest manufacturer and distributor of fuel ethanol, industrial alcohol and alcohol-related products in Canada. Field has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and as one of the Financial Post’s Hot 20 on the Climate Change Power List.

Translator Sheila Fischman is in large part responsible for bringing the riches of contemporary Quebec literature to the English-speaking world. For her skill in translating nearly 150 books from French to English, she has been recognized with the Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation, the Canada Council Translation Prize, the Félix-Antoine Savard Translation Prize and the Molson Prize in the Arts. The holder of two honorary doctorates, Fischman is the founding co-editor of the journal Ellipse: Ouevres en traduction / Writers In Translation, and a founding member of the Literary Translator’s Association of Canada. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and a chevalier of the Ordre national du Québec.