Loyalist College has announced it will be awarding seven honorary diplomas at its 56th Convocation ceremonies.
In a release, the college says honorary diplomas are awarded to “individuals who embody the College’s core values through their outstanding achievements and community impact as examples of excellence for students and graduates.”
The following will be receiving an honorary diploma from the college (bios provided by Loyalist):
Monique Belair
Fire Chief, Kingston Fire & Rescue Services
As Kingston’s first female Fire Chief, Monique Belair is a trailblazer who has made it her professional mission to foster female talent within the firefighting industry. When Ms. Belair graduated from Niagara College in 1985 with a Law and Security Administration diploma, she joined the male-dominated Canadian Armed Forces as one of only five female firefighters. After training at various Canadian Forces Bases (CFB), her first post was at CFB Ottawa as the first female firefighter in the area. From there, Ms. Belair rose through the ranks, taking on diverse roles in all divisions of fire services, such as communications, public education, investigation, prevention, and training. She served as Deputy Fire Chief for St. Catharines and Oakville before climbing the last rung to Chief of Belleville Fire Services and Kingston Fire & Rescue Services. In 2019, Ms. Belair’s mission came to fruition with the founding of Camp Molly in Halton – an unprecedented opportunity for women and girls aged 15 – 18 to get hands-on experience in all aspects of fire services. The program has since expanded to Belleville, Quinte West, Brantford and Vaughan, with eight additional locations across the province hosting Camp Molly in 2023.
Hanna Bunton
Professional Canadian Hockey Player
Hanna Bunton is a professional Canadian hockey player with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association and Head Coach at Collège Bourget in Quebec. Ms. Bunton grew up in Belleville, and as a youth player, she played for the Whitby Wolves in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. After graduating high school, Ms. Bunton moved to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and play hockey at Cornell University. She played in 125 NCAA games with the University and was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2014 and Ivy League Player of the Year in 2017. Ms. Bunton played for Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship, scoring six points in five games as the country won gold. In 2021, Ms. Bunton appeared on the cover of Elle Canada magazine with two other female athletes recognized as changemakers for women’s hockey and advocating for equal opportunity in female professional sports.
Josiah Fallaise
Founder and Owner of FDF Raceshop
Josiah Fallaise is the founder and owner of FDF Raceshop in Trenton and is a leader in high-quality automotive engineering and manufacturing, specializing in racing. After launching an independent business in 2018 and working alone in a 1,000-square-foot building, Mr. Fallaise is committed to supporting “homegrown” talent and manufacturing. He now employs 16 skilled workers in a 9,000-square-foot space. He plans to expand his operations to a new building, creating even more job opportunities in the local skilled trades industry while ensuring all products are manufactured in Canada. By using cutting-edge technology and social media platforms to teach, market, and promote his business, Mr. Fallaise now sells over 6,000 unique automotive parts – all of which he designed himself by incorporating the latest technologies. He is currently building a next-level race car that has drawn international attention. Mr. Fallaise is also a professional driver and brand ambassador for Formula Drift and has an educational YouTube channel. As a proud alumnus of Loyalist, he has remained close to the College community and served as an instructor in Loyalist College’s Manufacturing Engineering Technician program from 2015 – 2017.
Shelby Lisk
Photographer, Filmmaker, and Journalist
Shelby Lisk is a Kanyen’kehá:ka artist, filmmaker, and photojournalist from Kenhtè:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory). Ms. Lisk has a degree in Fine Arts, with a minor in Gender Studies from the University of Ottawa, a diploma in Photojournalism from Loyalist College, and a certificate in Mohawk Language and Culture from Queen’s University and Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na. Her films have appeared internationally at film festivals, including the American Indian Film Festival, Native Spirit Film Festival, Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival, Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival, Māoriland Film Festival, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and on CBC Gem. Ms. Lisk’s writing and photography have been published in The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s magazine, ProPublica.org, APTN News, TVO.org, Watershed Magazine, and TEACH Magazine. She is a member of the international photography collectives “Women Photograph” and “Indigenous Photograph” and was longlisted for the Scotiabank New Generation Photography Award in 2021. She recently received the Journalist for Human Rights (JHR) annual award for “outstanding work by an Indigenous youth reporter” for her story on Indigenous language revitalization for TVO. The story received recognition for including translations into four different Indigenous languages.
Lisa Kirbie
Founder and CEO, Blackbird Strategies
Lisa Kirbie is the Founder and CEO of Blackbird Strategies, a values-first firm focused on reconciliation and social justice. Ms. Kirbie’s progressive career led her from British Columbia, where she began as a struggling single mother, to the hallways of power and influence on Parliament Hill. Recognized for her work ethic and drive to succeed, she is one of our day’s most reputable political consultants and was nominated for a Premier’s Award by Loyalist College in 2010. At 50, Ms. Kirbie founded Blackbird just months before the pandemic with nothing more than a laptop and the determination to succeed. Now, the thriving communications and government relations firm’s client roster continues to grow, serving clients across the country and employing a dozen staff in Ottawa and Saskatoon. In addition to her government relations successes, including being recently named one of the Top 30 Most Active Lobbyists in 2022, Lisa is also an award-winning public relations professional. Ms. Kirbie is a mother of two adult children and a doting grandma to Harrison and Hutton.
Henry Saulnier
Warden, Millhaven Institution
A noteworthy leader at the Correctional Service of Canada, Henry Saulnier is Warden of Millhaven Institution – one of six federal maximum security correctional facilities in Canada. He is a proud Loyalist College graduate, recipient of the 2013 Governor General of Canada’s Exemplary Service Medal, and 2022 Loyalist College Premier’s Award nominee. Shortly after graduating from Loyalist’s Law and Security Administration program in 1992, Mr. Saulnier began his career at the Correctional Service of Canada as a Correctional Officer. He worked his way up the ranks at various correctional institutions before taking over the top job at Millhaven two years ago. As Warden, Mr. Saulnier is responsible for managing operations of an institution with capacity for 500 inmates. Driven by his passion to lead others in contributing to public safety, he has been a dedicated partner and mentor to Loyalist students for more than 30 years. In a unique experiential learning opportunity, Mr. Saulnier recently challenged students and faculty in Loyalist’s Community and Justice Services program to help design and facilitate new rehabilitation programs for inmates in the Ontario Structured Intervention Units (SIU), Regional Psychiatric Treatment Units – three of whom successfully received an official Loyalist College “Job-Readiness” micro-credential.
Mike Shoreman
Athlete, Author, Speaker, and Mental Health Advocate
Mike Shoreman was recently honoured by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister after making Canadian history as the first athlete with disabilities to cross all five Great Lakes in the largest national mental health awareness campaign led by an individual. In 2018, Mr. Shoreman lost his mobility and parts of his vision, hearing and vestibular function before suffering a mental health breakdown. He now travels across North America speaking to organizations about corporate wellness and resilience, and is a sought-after, award-winning leadership speaker, a best-selling author, athlete and advocate. A feature length documentary following Mr. Shoreman’s journey and the Canadian mental health crisis will be released into the Canadian and International film festival circuit in August 2023. Featured in over 100 news media outlets across Canada and internationally, Mr. Shoreman is a Bell Let’s Talk ambassador and is involved with several mental health organizations across Canada and the United States. A proud Loyalist College graduate, he is the 2022 Mental Health Leadership Award recipient from the Mood Disorder Society of Canada and is a three-time Canadian Disability Hall of Fame nominee.
Convocation ceremonies will take place from June 6-9.
More information about the ceremonies can be found at the college’s website.
