THUNDER BAY - A former MP and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party has been named the ninth chancellor of Lakehead University.
On Wednesday, Lakehead University announced Lyn McLeod as the next chancellor of the institution, making her the second woman to hold the position.
“I am extremely excited about it,” McLeod said following the announcement. “Obviously, I’m very honoured to be asked to be chancellor. I’m so pleased to be reconnecting with Lakehead. I’ve been involved with Lakehead from different points in time, from the time I was a mature student and Lakehead gave me the opportunity to further my education here. I am very proud to be able to come back as chancellor and help further the goals of Lakehead.”
McLeod has held political office for more than 30 years. She was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 1987, representing the riding of Fort William/Thunder Bay-Atikokan until 2003. During her time as an MPP, she held the position of Minister of Colleges and Universities, Minister of Energy, and Minister of Natural Resources, and also served as party leader from 1992 to 1996.
Lakehead University president, Brian Stevenson, said McLeod’s intimate understanding of the community and the region, as well as her extensive experience in Ontario politics, make her the best candidate to be named as the new chancellor.
“When we looked at her history , her commitment to community, her constant and continuous service, she could have retired a long time ago, but she still sits on boards, she‘s still out there and supporting people,” Stevenson said. “That passion, that energy, that strength that she brings to any role she is in, I think that is what we were really impressed by.”
Having been involved in post-secondary education policy for so many years, McLeod said she has a number of priorities she would like to see Lakehead address.
“One of those priorities for me has always been our ability to reach out to our First Nations communities and bring more indigenous education and more awareness of our indigenous communities and our indigenous culture,” she said.
McLeod added that she is pleased to see Lakehead is already moving in that direction, pointing to the university’s requirement that all graduates complete an indigenous studies credit before graduating.
Stevenson said McLeod’s priorities of more indigenous education and awareness fits well with the university’s strategic plan.
“We have a strategy in Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County to try and increase the number of indigenous students to create more sensitivity and understanding around indigenous issues,” he said. “I think she is going to take that role very passionately and help us move in that direction.”
McLeod lives in Alliston, Ont. in Simcoe County. She sits on the Georgian College Board and she is looking to further the partnership between Georgian College and Lakehead University.
According to McLeod, there needs to be stronger linkages between universities and colleges, which is her second top priority as chancellor.
“When I was minister, I heard so many students say they needed better pathways, they needed the ability to go from college to university or university to college,” she said. “Back then, there weren’t many opportunities. We’ve come a long way. I think students need as many opportunities as they can to follow the career path, the educational path that works for them.”
McLeod has held many other positions during her distinguished career, including serving as the chair of the Board of Governors of Confederation College, a board member of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, and the founding chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. In 2014, McLeod was awarded Order of Ontario.
McLeod is the second woman elected as chancellor of Lakehead University, with Lois Wilson serving as chancellor from 1991 to 2000.
“To be able to follow in her footsteps as the second woman chancellor of Lakehead has significance for me,” McLeod said. “Obviously, I also have some pretty strong feelings about opportunities for women. Taking on a new leadership role on International Women’s Day has a special significance.”
