2021-2022 Donald Lecture Series

Made possible by the generous support of Bishop’s alumnus John Donald ’60, DCL ’12, the Donald Lecture Series brings speakers of national and international renown to the Bishop’s campus to provide insight, provoke thought, and stimulate debate on the most compelling issues and events in the world today. All lectures are free of charge and open to the public.

2021-2022 Season

Kim Thúy, DCL ’19
Award-winning writer

In-person academic activity for first-year Bishop’s students*

Wednesday, September 8, 2021
7:00 p.m. ET – Centennial Theatre (first-year Bishop’s students only)

Born in Saigon in 1968, Kim Thúy left Vietnam with the boat people at the age of 10 and settled with her family in Quebec.

A graduate in translation and law, she has worked as a seamstress, interpreter, lawyer, restaurant owner and food commentator on radio and television.

She lives in Montreal and devotes herself to writing.

*Attendance in person in Centennial Theatre is limited to first-year Bishop’s students only. Upper-year students, alumni, Bishop’s community members and the wider community are invited to watch via live stream.

Patterson Webster
History Made Visible: The Story of Glen Villa Art Garden

Wednesday, September 15, 2021
7:00 p.m. ET – Centennial Theatre (free event; registration is required*)

In this lively presentation, Patterson Webster describes her 25-year journey as she transformed a beautiful but conventional country property into Glen Villa Art Garden, a 750-acre landscape garden that explores ideas about what a garden is, or can be.

Using the history of the property as a framework and her own outstanding photography as illustration, she shows how the use of words can deepen and enrich the experience of a landscape.

Through engaging stories and personal anecdotes, Webster describes what prompted her to create a garden based on ideas rather than aesthetics, and why she felt compelled to go beyond the garden into fields and forests by creating Timelines, a 4-km trail that interrogates assumptions and accepted ideas about history, memory and our relationship to the land.

*Seating in Centennial Theatre is limited. Registration is required for this free event and attendees must present proof of vaccination.

Glen Villa Art Garden Tour

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Bus departure time: 9:30 a.m.

On Saturday, September 18th, Patterson Webster will welcome visitors to Glen Villa Art Garden in North Hatley for guided tours. This is a free event.

Buses will depart for North Hatley at 9:30 a.m. from in front of the Sports Centre on the Bishop’s University campus. Please note that you must register for the bus in order to take part (it will not be possible to drive oneself to the gardens). Proof of vaccination will be required in order to board. Spaces are limited.

The visit will take place rain or shine.

Following the garden tours, the buses will return to Bishop’s University at approximately midday.

Note: Registration for the lecture and garden tour are separate. Should you wish to participate in both events, you must register for each separately.

Naheed Nenshi
Former Mayor of Calgary

Wednesday, March 30, 2022
7:00 p.m. ET – Centennial Theatre

Naheed Nenshi served as Calgary’s mayor for three terms between 2010 and 2021. He was awarded the World Mayor Prize as the best mayor in the world in 2014 by The City Mayors Foundation.

Under his leadership, Calgary saw an unprecedented investment in quality of life including transit, roads, recreation centres and libraries.

He led Calgary through four states of emergency, including devastating floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Nenshi became an international voice on urban issues, with audiences across Canada and around the world, including the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, serving as president of the students’ union, and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Nenshi was the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city.

Dr. Terri Givens
Radical Empathy

NEW DATE: Monday, April 4, 2022
7:00 p.m. ET – Centennial Theatre

Dr. Terri Givens is a Professor of Political Science at McGill University and the Provost’s Academic Lead and Advisor on McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism.

Dr. Givens is a political scientist with more than 30 years of experience in higher education, politics, international affairs and not-for-profit organizations.

She is the author of Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides.

Dr. Givens is the CEO and Founder of the EDI consulting firm Brighter Professional Development. She is committed to helping develop leaders with an understanding of the importance of diversity and encouraging personal growth through empathy.

Donald Lecture Series speakers have been selected from nominations submitted by Bishop’s students, faculty, staff and community members. The Donald Lecture Series Advisory Committee is comprised of students, staff, faculty and community members, and provides recommendations to Principal Michael Goldbloom. Nominations for the 2022-2023 season will open in March 2022 – we welcome your ideas!

For all questions regarding the Donald Lecture Series, please contact Denise Lauzière, Chief of Staff, Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor at denise.lauziere@ubishops.ca, or 819-822-9600, ext. 2201.