Bob Rae is the recipient of the 2020 Symons Medal.
The 20th Symons medallist will be presented with the medal at the Homburg Theatre at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown on Friday, Oct. 30.
Rae is currently serving as the Prime Minister’s special envoy on humanitarian and refugee issues and is senior counsel at a law firm that focuses on Indigenous issues. He also teaches at the University of Toronto as a professor of public policy in the Munk School, the Faculty of Law and Victoria College.
The annual award honours and recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to Canadian life. Held each fall, the medal ceremony and its associated lecture offer a national platform for an eminent Canadian to discuss the nation’s current state, shared histories and prospects using themes related to their professional pursuits.
Elected 11 times to the House of Commons and the legislature of Ontario, Rae served as Ontario’s 21st premier as well as interim keader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He is the author of five books and three government reports, most recently on the Rohingya Refugee crisis, where he has served as special envoy for the government of Canada.
Rae, a husband to Arlene Perly Rae, father of three and grandfather to five, is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, a Privy Councillor and a Queen’s Counsel.
In the event of any continued limitations around public gatherings this fall, the Confederation Centre of the Arts will announce updates regarding the expanded use of the live-stream.
Tickets will be available via the box office at a later date.
