We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Mr. John Tavares

Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

For his outstanding work as a Canadian athlete, his dedication as a role model to aspiring young athletes, and for inspiring the next generation to build a better world for themselves and future generations, the university proudly confers upon Mr. John Tavares the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

Mr. Tavares is a distinguished National Hockey League (NHL) star, currently the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the former captain of the New York Islanders.

Mr. Tavares was a prolific junior hockey player, primarily with the Oshawa Generals and finishing up with the London Knights. To this day, he remains the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) career goals leader with 215, a record that has yet to be seriously threatened.

Mr. Tavares showed such promise on the ice as a youngster, that he was already playing with older players at the age of seven. He developed so quickly, he requested to be made eligible for the 2005 OHL Entry Draft at the age of 14, a full year earlier than normal. The league initiated an ‘exceptional player’ clause and he was drafted first overall by Oshawa. After his second season (2006-2007), he was named OHL and Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year. The next season he was named the Generals’ Scholastic Player of the Year.

With a birthdate of September 20, Mr. Tavares was born five days after the cutoff date for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and would have to wait a year to turn professional. In the 2009 Draft he was selected first overall by the Islanders. After nine years in New York, Mr. Tavares opted to sign as a free agent with the Maple Leafs in 2018.

Mr. Tavares launched the John Tavares Foundation in 2020, which is committed to inspiring the next generation to build a better world for themselves and the generations that follow. He also spends some of his time working with the Special Olympics.