Page 14 - Convocation Fall 2017

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
THE HONOURABLE JUDITH GUICHON, OBC
November 9, 2017, 9:30 A.m.
The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC, is the 29th lieutenant governor of British Columbia and a lifelong advocate for sustainability and education. Her commitment to natural resource conservation and sustainable agriculture is inspired by her life and career as a rancher in the Nicola Valley in the interior of BC.
Prior to her appointment as lieutenant governor in 2012, Her Honour ran the Gerard Guichon Ranch north of Merritt, a 700-head cow and 700-head yearling operation now managed by two of her four children. As a rancher and business owner, she practised and promoted holistic farming management and advocated for sustainable agriculture. It was for these principles that her ranch was awarded the Environmental Stewardship Award for cow-calf producers by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in 2002.
Her Honour’s long-standing connection to the land and recognition of the importance of biodiversity motivated her to establish the Stewards of the Future program to promote environmental awareness and stewardship among youth. A provincewide student initiative designed to engage secondary students in hands-on activities and real-world learning experiences, the program supports students to explore and discover unique attributes, ecosystems and special places in their own communities; identify and research key issues of concern; and investigate stewardship initiatives.
Her Honour’s motto on her official coat of arms–Relationships Respect Responsibility–represents her abiding belief that integrity and respect are integral to healthy relationships between people and the land.
Her Honour has served as a director for the Fraser Basin Council and for the Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia. She was a member of the Nicola Water Use Management planning committee, served on the Provincial Task Force on Species at Risk and the British Columbia Agri- Food Trade Advisory Council and as president of the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association.
She received the Order of British Columbia and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and she is a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. In June 2017, she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Vancouver Island University.
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