SFU honours distinguished community leader Mike Harcourt

This Friday, Simon Fraser University will confer its 2019 President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award upon former Vancouver Mayor and B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt.

The award is presented annually to recognize remarkable people who exemplify the values of community leadership and community service that reflect our vision as an engaged university.

Mike Harcourt has devoted a lifetime of service to empowering citizens and building strong, sustainable communities.

As a young lawyer, he championed the fight against freeway expansion into Strathcona – a struggle that ultimately helped establish Vancouver as one of the world’s most livable cities.

As Vancouver Mayor from 1980 to 1986, he raised the profile of the city and province before and during Expo 86, and as B.C. Premier from 1991 to 1996, he created a process to resolve land use conflicts that resulted in the preservation of over 12 percent of B.C.’s land base, and the creation of 500 new protected areas. He also worked to establish a modern-day treaty process to recognize land and self-government rights of the province’s First Nations peoples.

Mike Harcourt’s activism and optimism continue to have a positive impact through his work for initiatives such as Dogwood 25, a collaborative supporting the academic success of Aboriginal students. He is also founding patron of AGE-WELL, a pan-Canadian network co-led by SFU to promote technologies that improve the quality of life for seniors.

It is a privilege to bestow this well-earned honour on Mike Harcourt, and to express appreciation on behalf of SFU and the communities we serve for his decades of service and leadership to the people of Vancouver and the province.