Debates of the Senate (Hansard)

1st Session, 38th Parliament,
Volume 142, Issue 11

Tuesday, November 2, 2004
The Honourable Daniel Hays, Speaker

Simon Fraser University

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, Simon Fraser University was established in 1965 during a time of dramatic social change. It was a time when institutions and traditions were tested by deep questioning, radical imagination and creativity. SFU captured the vibrant spirit of those formative years and gave new definition to the idea of university. Hierarchy was tempered by openness, inclusion and a profound commitment to academic freedom. Like the explorer whose name the university bears, SFU prizes adventure and discovery.

Nearly 40 years later, with its main campus situated atop Burnaby Mountain in the heart of B.C.’s Lower Mainland, SFU is recognized as one of Canada’s leading comprehensive universities. Five times it has been ranked the number one comprehensive university by Maclean’s, which can be attributed, in part, to its innovative undergraduate programs and outstanding graduate programs, with an enrolment of more than 23,000 students. SFU is making a rich contribution to the economy and to the intellectual environment in B.C. and in Canada.

The Centre for Dialogue, located in downtown Vancouver, welcomes local, national and international meetings of government, business and community organizations in a setting custom-designed to facilitate dialogue on matters of urgent public importance. SFU is proposing to relocate its celebrated School for the Contemporary Arts to the historic Woolworth’s development in Vancouver’s downtown East Side. It will be part of the dramatic transformation proposed for this disadvantaged part of the city.

SFU will be celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2005 through the Reaching New Heights Campaign. Simon Fraser University is preparing for its next 40 years. I ask that honourable senators join me in congratulating Simon Fraser University, Chancellor Milton K. Wong, and President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Stevenson on 40 years of academic achievement.