Avie Bennett, CC OOnt, was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. His dedication to public education has taken many forms: He served as the tenth Chancellor of York University from 1998 to 2004, and was Chancellor Emeritus and a member of the Board of Directors of the York University Foundation. Together with William G. Davis, he created a series of bursaries for students attending Sheridan College, and he created a scholarship fund for Indigenous students. In recognition of his support of York University, the Student Services Centre at York’s Keele campus was renamed the Bennett Centre for Student Services.

Avie was the honorary chair of the board of trustees of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Chair of the Historica Foundation of Canada, and President of International Readings at Harbourfront. Among his many honours, he has received honourary doctorates from the University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and York University.

He was awarded the Order of Ontario in 1996, and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003.

Dr. John Mighton is a playwright turned mathematician and author who founded JUMP Math as a charity in 2001. His national best-seller, The Myth of Ability: Nurturing Mathematical Talent in Every Child, describes his approach and successes with the program, which is unique in its premise of an “ethos of ability.”

John is currently a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, and has taught mathematics at the University of Toronto. His work in fostering numeracy and building children’s self-confidence through success in math has been widely recognized. He has been named a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, an Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada, an Ashoka Fellow, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has received three honorary doctorates. John is also a playwright and has won several national awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and the Siminovitch Prize.

Justice Murray Sinclair was Manitoba’s first Indigenous Judge. He has served as Special Assistant to the Attorney General of Manitoba, Co-Commissioner of Manitoba’s Public Inquiry into the Administration of Justice and Aboriginal People (The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry), legal counsel for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and, most famously, Chair of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

With the release of the Commission’s findings and recommendations, Justice Sinclair has provided a vital frame for a dialogue about the connection between education, long-term healing, and change. He has been extraordinarily vocal, passionate, and articulate about education as the key to hope for Canada and for the future of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit young people. He has been equally clear that for true reconciliation, changes must be made to our public education system. As Justice Sinclair himself has said, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.”

For nearly 40 years, Sheldon Levy has demonstrated how deeply he cares about Canada’s young people, public education, and citizen engagement. As a leader in post-secondary education, he has always ventured far beyond the “ivory tower.” His dedication to young people has run the gamut—from tutoring high school math students in his basement, to acting as president at Ryerson, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and Sheridan College, as well as vice-president of Institutional Affairs at York University.

Sheldon has been outspoken about the importance of developing broader goals for our education systems, and about engaging communities in a public dialogue about education.

The Honourable Ken Dryden is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender. He is an officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. For more than a decade, he has been a passionate advocate for education. He has been an outspoken champion of early childhood education, and written extensively about education, kids and sports.  He also inaugurated the Ken Dryden Scholarship for Youth in Care.

On November 26, 2012, People for Education celebrated the work of Charles Coffey. The work he has done on behalf of Indigenous children and youth, early childhood programs, and mentorships for girls and women, as well as his strong voice on diversity, made Mr. Coffey the ideal recipient of the Egerton Ryerson Award. He is an extraordinary advocate for young people and a lifelong believer in public education. He truly understands the impact that strong, accessible, adequately resourced schools can have on young people and their communities.

Roberta Jamieson is the president and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, which is dedicated to realizing the potential of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit youth through scholarship assistance and other support.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin leads the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative , which is focused on reducing the Aboriginal youth dropout rate and increasing the number of Aboriginal students attending post-secondary institutions.

Their work was celebrated at an evening that included presentations from Shawn Atleo – Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine – former chief, Senator Gerry St. Germain, the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, Colton Quinn Clause – a Brock student who received support through the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, and the Honourable Laurel Broten – Minister of Education.

The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain is a Canadian philanthropist, and the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. She is known for her work in the promotion of early childhood education, and is a champion for all children, from the very young to school age and beyond. Her interest in equity for children, in ensuring that all children have the best start possible, and in keeping children and young people’s issues in the public eye, makes her the perfect recipient of the Egerton Ryerson Award.

2009’s honouree was The Honourable William G. Davis, P.C., C.C., Q.C. for his dedication to public education. During his tenure as Education Minister (1962-71), Mr. Davis oversaw profound changes to the public education system in Ontario. Through his multi-faceted career, William Davis has embodied the spirit of Ryerson. He has been a tireless and non-partisan spokesperson for public education, both during his political tenure and since then – advocating for strong publicly-funded schools with the capacity to provide all students with a broadly-based education.

In 2008, our honouree was Dr. Charles Pascal,  an internationally respected Canadian educator with expertise in early and higher education, public policy and leadership development. Dr. Pascal is a former college president and acted as a deputy minister in different ministries in three different governments in Ontario. He has also held positions as the chair of the province’s Education Quality and Accountability Office, the Premier’s Advisor on Early Learning, and the CEO of the Atkinson Foundation. We were very proud to honour his life-long commitment to education, to children, and to equity.

Harold Brathwaite was the first recipient of the Egerton Ryerson Award for Dedication to Public Education.

The award honoured Harold’s commitment to public education and his dedication to the ideal that all students should have access to the education they need for success in school and in life. A former director of Education for the Peel District School Board, he has been an outstanding spokesperson for public education. He has developed many programs for students at risk and has participated in the development of public education policy at all levels. He has been honoured with the Order of Ontario, and has fought tirelessly for equity in the public education system and for funding that guarantees all students access to a rich, broadly-based education.