A champion of northern issues will be receiving an honorary degree from the University of Northern British Columbia, during the University's annual Convocation ceremony on May 30th.

Audrey McLaughlin was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Yukon in 1987 and two years later was elected Leader of the New Democratic Party, the first woman to be elected leader of a major national political party in Canada. In 1991, she was appointed to the Privy Council of Canada.

Although born in southern Ontario, Ms McLaughlin has become a true northerner, passionately advocating for the north and its peoples. Following her departure from federal politics in 1995, she served as a Circumpolar Envoy for the Yukon Territorial Government, a member of the advisory committee to the Northern Research Institute at Yukon College, and a founding member of the Board of Governors for the University of the Arctic. She has also worked internationally to promote sound governance, democratization, human development, and peace.

Ms McLaughlin received a bachelor's degree from the University of Western Ontario and a master's in Social Work at the University of Toronto.

The 2003 Convocation ceremony will be held May 30th at the Prince George Multiplex. Approximately 550 students are expected to receive UNBC degrees at the ceremony.