Turpel-Lafond returns honorary degree to another B.C. university after internal review
Another British Columbia university has taken back the honorary degree it bestowed on retired judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond after an investigation raised doubts about her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Royal Roads University announced Tuesday it accepted the return of the honorary doctorate of laws it awarded Turpel-Lafond in 2016.
"Royal Roads initiated a review process following public concerns raised over the degree," said the university in a statement.
"The university contacted Turpel-Lafond during the review process, which also included consultation with Indigenous and academic colleagues as well as engagement of the university’s advisory committee on honours and awards," the school added.
"Turpel-Lafond responded by voluntarily relinquishing the degree, and the Royal Roads board of governors has accordingly cancelled the degree."
Turpel-Lafond, who served as B.C.'s first representative for children and youth and who was selected as an independent investigator into anti-Indigenous racism in the province's health-care system, returned an honorary doctorate from Vancouver Island University last month.
The University of British Columbia, where Turpel-Lafond had been a tenured law professor, announced she no longer worked there as of Dec. 16.
"False claims of Indigenous ancestry cause harm to Indigenous peoples," said VIU president and vice-chancellor Deborah Saucier in a statement that noted the school would develop an identity policy to confirm Indigenous heritage going forward.
Royal Roads acknowledged the "harm caused to Indigenous people and communities by controversies such as these" on Tuesday and said it would similarly develop "policies and processes to support Indigenous students, faculty, and staff" in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.