UNBC President Charles Jago was among 33 distinguished Canadians who received their insignias of membership into the Order of Canada from Governor-General Michaëlle Jean today. The Order of Canada is the country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.

“It was a very moving experience and the Governor General made it very personal,” said UNBC President Charles Jago, speaking from Ottawa. “It was some minutes later, after I sat down, that I looked at the medal. It’s just stunning. What an incredible experience it has been for my family and me.” Joining President Jago at the event was his wife, Mary; their son, Noel, from London, Ontario; his sister and brother-in-law; and family friend, Tom Steadman.

Dr. Jago has been the President of UNBC since 1995. He has become a passionate advocate for the North and of the role of education in shaping the region’s development. He has been instrumental in expanding educational opportunities throughout the North, especially in First Nations communities. He was the leading figure behind the creation of the Northern Medical Program to address the critical shortage of physicians in northern and rural communities. At the same time, UNBC has become a national leader in rural health teaching and research. More recently, he has been actively involved with establishing the Northern Sport Centre in Prince George as a world-class centre for high-performance sport.  He will retire from his position this summer, after 11 years as President.

Prior to coming to UNBC, he was Principal of Huron College in Ontario and a Professor of History at McMaster University. He received his PhD from Cambridge University.

Dr. Jago is only the second resident of Prince George to be named a Member of the Order of Canada.  The only other recipient was explorer and conservationist Tommy Tompkins in 1975.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC - 250.960.5622