UBC Reports | Vol. 46 | No. 18 | November 16, 2000

Trekker, former judge earn awards

Great trekkers recognized for community service and personal values

A participant in the Great Trek and a former chief justice of B.C.'s Supreme Court have been named recipients of the 2000 Great Trekker Award.

Harriet Winspear, known for her commitment to community involvement and Bryan Williams, an alumnus with a 40-year legal career, received their awards from the Alma Mater Society (AMS) in a ceremony held Nov 9.

"These individuals are models for current and future UBC students," says Graham Senft, AMS vice-president, External Affairs. "Both recipients are dedicated to lifelong learning and integrating personal values with community service."

The AMS gives the award every year to members of the UBC community who have achieved excellence in their careers and contributed to society. Previous recipients include former prime minister John Turner and CBC journalist Eve Savory.

"We must always be open to exploring new things," says 96-year-old Winspear, who believes strongly in continuous learning and has been involved in community events and volunteerism in Edmonton, where she now lives.

"Learning is fun, keeps us alive, makes us more interesting and helps us to be better people and better members of our communities."

Raised in Vancouver, Winspear moved to Edmonton in 1960.

A member of the Edmonton Opera Board, she is also an honorary chair of the Arts Development Council of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts.

Winspear has been recognized with numerous honours, including the Edmonton YWCA Woman of Distinction Award.

Williams holds a Commerce and a Law degree from UBC.

"I remember the Great Trekker Award from my days on the AMS student council and as I recall it was given only to very distinguished British Columbians," says Williams. "So I'm astounded but delighted to be selected for this year's award."

Williams' private legal practice spanned 35 years. He specialized in arbitration and mediation, constitutional and environmental issues and served as counsel for the government of B.C. in the landmark Delgamuukw decision concerning aboriginal land claims.

Appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal in 1995, he was elevated in 1996 to the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, from which he retired in May.

Since 1950, Great Trekker awards have commemorated the Great Trek of 1922 when 1,200 UBC students marched from downtown Vancouver to the Point Grey site in a bid to pressure the government to complete construction of campus buildings that had remained unfinished for 15 years.