THUNDER BAY -- Some very important figures were recognized at Saturday’s convocation ceremony.
The morning ceremony saw two alumni receive honorary degrees, and one alumnus named a fellow of the university.
From "Hockey Night in Canada" fame, Ron MacLean received a doctorate of humane letters, but could not attend the ceremony due to his broadcasting duties for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The university played a pre-recorded video clip of his speech, and athletic director Tom Warden spoke on his behalf.
“He leads a narrative that has become our national tapestry,” Warden said. “We are honoured today to call Ron MacLean a Thunderwolf.”
MacLean was joined by Robert Deluce, the chief executive officer of Porter Airlines. Deluce received a doctorate of commerce and spoke of his success in the airline industry, hoping for the message to reach graduates.
“It’s been nice steady growth over a good number of years,” Deluce said. “Thunder Bay is growing in terms of our overall business… and having this personal connection to Lakehead is special to me.”
Deluce maintained the day was special not just for him, but for the graduates about to embark on their next journey.
The same went for Jim Symington, a retired accountant who was nominated as a fellow for Lakehead University.
“I was taken by surprise when I got the call,” Symington, who was born-and-raised in Port Arthur, said. “David Tamblyn (the chair of Lakehead's board of governor's) gave me the call… I wasn’t even aware the university had a fellowship.”
Symington attended Lakehead from 1959 to 1960 when it was called the College of Arts, Science, and Technology.
“Lakehead is a wonderful resource for our area,” he said. “It helps people who otherwise couldn’t afford a higher education. We have a lot of wonderful graduates doing wonderful things in the world.”
