Past Activities
The McKenna Centre in Action
During its first decade, the Centre organized and supported many campus events, helped fund student scholarships, provided a forum for community discussions of public policy issues, and contributed to the production of St. Thomas University’s Journal of New Brunswick Studies.
The Centre presented a distinguished speaker series that included the following:
Former Prime Minister Paul Martin spoke about the connection between sound public policy and communications in the context of the economic challenges in Europe, the “fiscal cliff” in North America, and the pressing need to address economic and social issues in Indigenous communities in Canada.
Senator Michael Kirby spoke about mental health and addictions policy and his ground-breaking report, Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada.
Former Ontario Premier and Liberal leader Bob Rae spoke about polling and branding in modern politics, and why ideas and policy need to matter more during and after campaigns.
Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May spoke about rescuing democracy from politics through authentic citizen engagement.
Blair Feltmate, the head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, spoke about climate change and extreme weather events, and how policies of adaptation are no longer optional.
Former New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor Margaret McCain spoke about educating for democracy and her decades long campaign for early childhood education.
Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, spoke of advancing Inuit self-determination in the north in the face of growing international interest in his homeland.