Vancouver, BC – October 23, 2023 – University Canada West is delighted to announce that it will present an Honorary Doctorate to Sam Sullivan at its Fall 2023 Convocation ceremony on October 24.
Sam Sullivan has dedicated his life to public service as an elected official and an advocate for people with disabilities.
He spent more than a dozen years serving in elected public office for the city of Vancouver, first as a city councillor from 1993 to 2005, and then as the 38th mayor of Vancouver from 2006 until 2009.
He served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Vancouver False Creek from 2013 until 2020, and was British Columbia’s Minister of Communities, Sports and Culture with Responsibility for TransLink in 2017.
Mr. Sullivan has also served on numerous governmental committees including as Chair of the Vancouver Police Board and member of the Metro Vancouver Regional District and TransLink.
In addition to his tireless work in public office, Mr. Sullivan is known as an ardent advocate for people with disabilities.
He founded the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation, which has raised $20 million and supported quality-of-life initiatives for 10,000 people with disabilities. He has also founded several quality-of-life non-profit societies that continue to serve people with disabilities across Canada, in the United States and elsewhere throughout the world – including the Disabled Sailing Association, the British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society Wilderness Access Program, Tetra Society, which provides voluntary assistive devices, the Vancouver Adapted Music Society and the Disabled Independent Gardeners Association.
Mr. Sullivan also founded the Global Civic Policy Society, advocating for better policies to reduce the price of housing, solve the drug addiction problem and educate the public about BC history. The society’s speaker series, the Public Salon, has been attended by more than 20,000 people. Additionally, Mr. Sullivan is working to help preserve some of the city’s civic history, organizing a group of volunteers to transcribe handwritten documents, including early Vancouver city council minutes dating back to 1886 to 1896. He has produced more than 25 videos on history and public policy issues in British Columbia, which have over one million views.
Mr. Sullivan is also championing the revival of Chinook Wawa, a pidgin Indigenous trade language that was prevalent in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest in the 1800s and early 1900s.
He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and serves as an Honorary Major in the BC Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.
In 2004, Mr. Sullivan was named a Member of the Order of Canada for his work enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.
“We are delighted to bestow an Honorary Doctorate on Sam Sullivan, recognizing his dedication to public service and commitment to empowering people with disabilities,” said President Makhoul. “His efforts have transformed the disability landscape and the way that disabled people here in British Columbia navigate life.”
Mr. Sullivan will receive a Doctor of Laws degree during UCW’s Fall 2023 Convocation ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Tuesday, October 24.
About University Canada West (UCW)
University Canada West (UCW) is an innovative business and technology-oriented institution in Vancouver, Canada, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees for domestic and international students.
UCW offers a range of career-focused programs including, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication, Associate of Arts and Master of Business Administration. Courses are offered at our two downtown Vancouver campuses – our West Pender Campus in the heart of Vancouver’s financial district and our state-of-the-art Vancouver House Campus.
Contact:
For media inquiries or to arrange an interview contact Jessica Kerr, UCW Public Relations Manager, at [email protected].
