TORONTO, ON, March 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hon. William G. Davis, PC, CC, QC, has been selected as the 13th recipient of the Couchiching Award for Public Policy Leadership, presented annually by the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs (CIPA).
Sponsored by Scotiabank, the 2015 Award recognizes Mr. Davis's inspirational and principled leadership, characterized by his unwavering belief that when in government, a political leader represents all citizens and not only those who hold similar beliefs.
Mr. Davis's record as premier of the Province of Ontario from 1971 to 1985 is testimony to his vision of a broad constituency of citizens. On his watch, TV Ontario and Canada's first Ministry of the Environment were created. He oversaw direct funding for municipal transit. His government introduced Bill 100, giving teachers the right to strike. Ontario's successful network of colleges of applied arts and technology opened their doors under his tenure. Overall, Mr. Davis consciously and deliberately implemented policies to benefit all Ontarians and made decisions based on what he believed must strengthen and unite the province.
Federally, his actions had important consequences for the future of Canada, notably in 1981 when he supported the repatriation of the Constitution and the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was powerful testimony to his fortitude and his ability to unite rather then divide and remains a powerful example of his many contributions to public policy.
"Mr Davis's leadership, in Ontario, and in Canada, moved his province, and our country forward in so many important ways, it is a privilege to be able to present him with the Couchiching Award for Public Policy Leadership," said CIPA president Adam Redish.
The award will be presented on April 13th at the 2015 Couchiching Gala in Toronto. This year's dinner is led by Honorary Gala Chair, the Hon. David R. Peterson, PC, QC, OOnt. It brings the spirit of the Couchiching Summer Conference to the city for an evening of small, intense discussions at each dinner table led by a prominent provocative thinker.
About the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs
The Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs, a charitable, non-partisan organization, has played a pre-eminent role in Canada's civic discourse on public affairs since its inaugural conference in 1932. Ensuring a civil place to disagree, Couchiching's mission is to increase awareness, understanding, and knowledge of domestic and international issues through open and inclusive discussion, without advocacy or partisanship, at its annual summer Conference on the shores of Ontario's Lake Couchiching and through the year in Conversations and Roundtables across Canada.
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Couchiching Institute Honours Former Ontario Premier William G. Davis
| Source: Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs