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Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Ken Shaw exemplifies the qualities we strive to instill in all our graduates – humanity, benevolence, and selfless dedication to making a difference in our world.

Mr. Shaw is perhaps most familiar as the reassuring and steadfast anchor of CTV News, where he has reported on the news of the day for more than 30 years. He began his career at CTV in 1972 and left to work at a number of radio stations including Toronto’s CHFI-FM before returning to CTV, where he became a reporter, then news anchor for CTV Toronto. At the same time, he reported on major Canadian news stories for American network news programs, including ABC’s Good Morning America, Nightline and NBC’s The Today Show. In 1998, he was appointed national editor of CTV News, while continuing to bring the daily news to millions of Ontarians.

Mr. Shaw is also universally admired for his compassion and dedication to improving the lives of Canadians. He has worked with a broad range of organizations, including health care, Canadian veterans, the environment, and people with disabilities, where he gives freely of his time to help raise awareness and to generate support for these important causes. To all of these efforts, Mr. Shaw brings a great generosity of spirit, deep integrity, tireless energy and quiet gentleness, which in turn engages and inspires those around him to give of themselves in the same way.

He is a devoted member of numerous boards of directors where he brings valuable support, guidance and wisdom to their work. He currently serves as director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada and of ProAction Cops & Kids, and has previously served as director of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the Hinks Dellcrest Centre, the Empire Club of Canada and many others.

Closer to home, Mr. Shaw was instrumental in the establishment of the Abilities Centre in Whitby, a stunning world-class, fully accessible, multi-purpose facility that offers physical and performing arts activities for people of all ages and abilities. As chair of this organization, which also seeks to develop a series of such programming centres across Canada, he was instrumental in raising the needed funds and community support to bring the Whitby facility to completion in June 2012.

In 2009, Mr. Shaw was invested into the most prestigious Order of Ontario in recognition of his outstanding community service. He is also the recipient of numerous other awards, including the Canadian Association of Broadcaster’s Gold Ribbon Award for Outstanding Community Service, and the Oshawa Community Legend Recognition Award for the substantial impact he has had on the City of Oshawa. He was also named Honorary Chief of the Toronto Police Service.