University of Toronto - OCTOBER 18, 2012

University of Toronto – OCTOBER 18, 2012
         (Speech by the President of the RSC, Dr. Yolande Grisé)

Dear Mr. President and Vice-Chancellor,
Dear Vice-President Research and Innovation,
Dear colleagues,

Merci pour votre très aimable accueil. I am very pleased to have the
opportunity to meet with RSC Fellows at University of Toronto. Today’s
celebration provides a unique opportunity to convey, loud and clear, the
Royal Society of Canada’s gratitude for the strong and steady support of
University of Toronto, since the establishment of the RSC in 1882.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to President David Naylor for
supporting today’s event, and for being with us this afternoon. President
Naylor leads by example, as demonstrated by his own outstanding career
of research, as well as his support for the Fellowship at the University of
Toronto. Over the years, President Naylor has been a keen and dedicated
partner of the RSC. President Naylor’s leadership is complemented by Dr.
R. Paul Young, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. In a manner
similar to President Naylor, Vice-President Young is also a Fellow of the
Academy of Science. In addition, Dr. Young’s service on a Task Force as
well as a Working Group of the RSC are continuing evidence of the U. of
T.’s commitment to scholarly excellence, and to leading by example. May I
thank you both, President Naylor and Vice-President Young, for your warm
hospitality and welcome here today?

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A few additional words are necessary about the support of the University of
Toronto for the Royal Society of Canada, because this support is manifest
in a number of ways.

For example, the Research office of Vice-President Young is committed to
ensuring that outstanding nominations from the U. of T. are continually
being developed and submitted. The 2012 cohort of 17 new Fellows means
that this institution is now on the cusp of 350 RSC Fellows. Is there any
possibility to see this outstanding achievement celebrated next year?
                                     * * *
The leadership of the University of Toronto has been instrumental in
securing a sustainable future for the RSC at its first permanent home. Last
year at this time, President Naylor made the very first commitment to
supporting the innovative, bold and visionary project to guarantee the
Society’s first permanent headquarters : Walter House. This magnificent
leadership gesture by the U. of T. inspired others to consider this support.
Today, thanks to the momentum established at this time last year, I am
delighted to report that eleven RSC Institutional Members are engaged in
naming a room at Walter House in partnership with the RSC Fellows
among their institution. This would not have been possible without the up-
front support of the University of Toronto. I would also like here to note that
the campaign among Fellows of the University of Toronto in support of the
Council Boardroom has begun. I know this campaign will be successful,
and I thank you, colleagues, fellows, in advance for your generous
contributions to ensuring the permanent home of the RSC.
                                    * * *

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                                    * * *
There are so many other Fellows at the University of Toronto integrally
involved in the affairs of the RSC. I wish to acknowledge the contribution of
Dr. Maria B. Sokolowski, Professor of Biology at the University of Toronto
and a Canada research Chair of Genetics and Behavioural Neurology, for
having committed her time and her outstanding expertise as a member of
the Expert Panel on Early Childhood Development sponsored by RSC and
the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The Expert Panel Report will
be published on the RSC Website next month. In addition to her service on
the Expert Panel, Dr. Sokolowski is also the Director of the Division of Life
Sciences in the Academy of Science. As if that were not enough already,
Dr. Sokolowski is a member of the organizing committee of the RSC
Symposium on The New Science of Child Development. Dr. Sokolowski’s
commitment to the RSC is typical of many Fellows on this campus. On
behalf of the Society, I would like to address my deep thanks to Dr.
Sokolowski for her commitment.

                                    * * *
May I turn to briefly report on specific initiatives the RSC has undertaken in
my first year as President? The implementation of the Society’s five-year
Strategic Plan is well underway: the recommendations of the five Task
Forces launched by my predecessor Professor Rod Macdonald were
adopted by the Council last fall. Since that time, standing committees are
gearing up to translate them into new initiatives needed to advance the
implementation of the Strategic Plan.

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The work of the Task Force on the Place of Canada’s Both Official
Languages within the RSC, chaired by Dr. Joseph-Yvon Thériault from
Academy of Social Sciences has been vital. Allow me to thank Dr. Janet
Paterson, Professor of Literature at the Department of French and
Principal of Innis College, for being the Academy of Arts and Humanities
representative on this Task Force. The work of this Task Force responds
directly to my first priority as President of the RSC, which is to augment the
presence of Francophones in the affairs of the Society. Il est essential que
la dualité linguistique de notre pays est partout refleter dans les
programmes, le gouvernance, et les nouvelles initiatives de la Société
royale.

My second priority as President is to consolidate the establishment of the
Division of Arts in the Academy of Arts and Humanities. In support of this,
as well as to emphasize the remarkable role played by Francophone artists
in our country, the Honorary Fellow of the RSC for 2012, nominated by the
President, will be Robert Charlebois.

Expert Panels, such as the one on Early Childhood Development, have
infused new life into RSC. To date, the interdisciplinary work and reports of
the Expert Panels have been the Society’s most relevant, most original,
most publicised in the media, and most influential. Whether studies on the
oil sands, end-of-life decision making, marine biodiversity, or early
childhood development, the Society is proud to sponsor the rigorously
documented review of major current issues and make an independent and
civic contribution to the advancement of knowledge. In this way the RSC

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wants to contribute to informed public debate. The RSC Committee on
Expert Panels is currently designing new panels for the future, and we
expect the announcement of two new panels later this fall.

                                    * * *
There is more. I would like to mention the ongoing work of the Ad hoc
Committee on Intervention in Matters of Public Importance». Following a
recommendation by the Ad Hoc Committee to the President, a letter from
the RSC President was sent to Prime Minister Harper to express concerns
regarding the implications of Bill C-38 (budget restrictions) for scholarship
and research in Canada. The letter is posted on the RSC Website.
                                    * * *
A College of New Scholars in the Arts and Sciences is one of the solutions
adopted by the Council on the recommendation of the Working Group on
The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists to assure the RSC’s
renewal by including the new generation of intellectuals, scientists and
artists among its ranks. V.-P. Young has been a member on this Working
Group, and I express my thanks to him for serving the Society in so many
ways. Fellows can expect to hear much more about this in the months to
come, as the Report of the Working Group on the College is expected.
                                     * * *
A mentorship programme has been established with Indspire, the
organization formerly known as the National Aboriginal Achievement
Foundation. I know that many Fellows in this room, including Robert Reisz,
Andrew Miall, and Freda Miller are active participants in this programme to
the benefit of First Nations youth. This is a very important initiative, and we

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keenly look forward to collaborating with Fellows, and with the U of T, in
this work.

Lastly, the wind of change at the RSC is embodied in the recent redesign of
the Society’s website. The goals of improving the website are to ensure
transparency, strengthening and interaction of the Society’s relationships
with its Fellows, Institutional Members, partners and donors, as well as
achieve greater awareness and sharing of knowledge to benefit the public.
I encourage you to browse the new configuration of the Society’s website
and periodically update your Fellow Profile. With its new look, the RSC
enters a new era.
                                   * * *
IN CLOSING, I would like to reiterate my warmest thanks to University of
Toronto, to President Naylor and Vice-President Young for the courtesy of
organizing this event and you, dear colleagues, for having attended it in
spite of your busy schedule. Thank you as well to Elissa Strome and
Adrienne Teo, for their constant support and encouragement. I would also
like to note the presence, from Ottawa, of the RSC Honorary Secretary,
André Lapierre. (André, would you please raise your hand?) In addition,
Darren Gilmour and Sarah Pouliot are present from the Secretariat. The
four of us would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

Chers collègues, vous êtes les bienvenus chez vous à Walter House. I
invite you to come and see the «University of Toronto Boardroom» at your
next visit in Ottawa. It seems to me that the Society’s 130th anniversary
celebrations at the AGM on November 16, 17 and 18 would be an ideal

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timing to welcome you. This wonderful gathering in Ottawa will be a
scholarly, as well as a festive occasion to celebrate our pride in our
Canada’s senior national Academy, the Royal Society of Canada.

Merci de votre attention. Thank you very much.