Notable Alumni | Leaders from Toronto's Top Boys School

A career politician and passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities, served as a Liberal senator before becoming chairman of the Institute of Research on Public Policy in Montreal; was appointed chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University in 1977; served as Ontario’s 23rd lieutenant-governor; named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1993.

Considered one of the top mathematicians in Canada and the only Canadian to serve as head of the American Mathematical Society, James is the Ted Mossman Chair in Mathematics at the University of Toronto, and has been a professor at U of T since 1978. 

In 2015, James was awarded the Wolf Prize in Mathematics from the Wolf Foundation. This prize is considered by many to be the precursor to the Nobel Prize, and marks only the second time it has been won by a Canadian. 

James was Head Boy at the College in 1962, and went on to study at the University of Toronto and Yale University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1981, a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1992, and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. In 2012, he became a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. James was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in 2018, and elected a Fellow of the Canadian Mathematical Society in 2019.

Francis Assikinack (c. 1824–1863) was a 19th-century Ojibwe historian. Assikinack was born on Manitoulin Island. He was raised learning only Ojibwe and did not learn English until after enrolling at Upper Canada College in 1840. His father, Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, was a prominent leader of the Ojibwe.

Mehrdad is co-founder and co-CEO of Future Secure AI, an innovative high-growth venture in the enterprise AI space. Mehrdad serves as a Distinguished Industry Professor at the University of Technology Sydney, an appointment that spans all departments. In addition, Mehrdad is the co-founder and CEO of the High Resolves Group, a not-for-profit social venture in citizenship education that has engaged over 6 million young people worldwide. Mehrdad is also the co-founder of Running Cloud Productions, a film production company and Executive Producer of the award-winning films Descent and Diving Into The Darkness. He is a frequent lecturer and writer on management theory, particularly in the area of growth strategy.

He is a co-author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller As One, as well as international bestsellers The Alchemy of Growth and Granularity. Previously, he was the founder and chairman of Alchemy Growth Partners, a boutique strategy advisory firm that advises large companies on growth strategies and business-building initiatives. Before that, Mehrdad served a three-year term in the public sector as an executive director at CSIRO, with overarching responsibility for growth and commercialization, during which he launched the famous WiFi litigation and spun out dozens of companies. Prior to that, he was a partner in the Sydney and Toronto offices of McKinsey and Company and co-leader of the firm’s worldwide Growth Practice.

Mehrdad received a B.S.E. with highest honours from Princeton University, an M.P.P. as a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a J.D. with high honours at Harvard Law School. Mehrdad is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and winner of the prestigious John P. McNulty Prize. He was also awarded a social entrepreneur of the year award by the Schwab Foundation, a sister organization to the World Economic Forum.

Jon Beare was a Canadian rower. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he started rowing in 1988 and was a graduate of the University of Western Ontario. In 1993, he participated in the Canada Games in Kamloops B.C. as a member of the Ontario Team. The team returned with a gold in the four, and a silver in the eight. The following year as a member of the National Team he won a bronze in the Men's Lightweight 8 at the 1994 Commonwealth Regatta in London, Ontario. 

Beare competed in the Olympics three times (2000, 2004 and 2008), and won a bronze medal in the men's lightweight fours at the 2008 Summer Olympics with Iain Brambell, Liam Parsons and Mike Lewis.

Beare died on October 5, 2023, at the age of 49.

UCC Old Boy of Distinction | 2022

Renowned economist, corporate governance expert and founding managing director of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, past president of George Weston Foods, Member of the Order of Canada, former UCC Board of Governors chair, and academic director of the David and Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance and Innovation, among myriad other achievements and contributions.

“Being the Old Boy of Distinction for 2022 is a wonderful recognition of my career. The school has always embedded the idea that beyond success, there is significance — that giving back to society as a whole is an obligation and a gift to each student. For today’s students, as for my students at the Rotman School of Management, I have three recommendations. One: to be effective, you have to be reflective — being busy is easy, being useful is not. Two: Carpe diem (remember Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society). And three: do unto others as you would be done by.”

Oliver Mowat Biggar was a Canadian lawyer and civil servant. He was the second judge advocate general for the Canadian Militia and the first chief electoral officer of Canada. He also served as the first Canadian co-chair of the Canada–United States Permanent Joint Board on Defence. Biggar was well known as a leading Canadian lawyer with expertise in public law and patent law.

At the conclusion of World War I, Sir Robert Borden, Canada's prime minister, invited Biggar to attend the Paris Peace Conference as chief legal adviser and member of the Canadian delegation. Biggar was also asked to serve as British Secretary of the War Guilt Commission and Assistant Secretary of the British delegation.

A writer, editor, director and cinematographer who pioneered the split-screen filming technique; won the Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short in 1968, with his movie A Place to Stand (which played at Expo 67); awarded the Order of Canada in 1987; bestowed an honorary Doctor of Laws by TMU (formerly Ryerson University) in 2000; served as president of both the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the Directors Guild of Canada.

A career broadcast journalist, with a 40-year tenure covering all manner of stories, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the war in Iraq; former Washington bureau chief for CTV. He moved to Global News in 201 before retiring from journalism in 2016. He currently serves as Canada’s Consul General in New York.

Received a Victoria Cross – the British Commonwealth’s highest award for military bravery -- during the Second Boer War. 

On 7 November 1900, Lieutenant Cockburn served in South Africa with the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

At Liliefontein, near the Komati River, a large force of Boer commandos sought to encircle a retreating British company comprised of two troops of Royal Canadian Dragoons.

The remnant of Lieutenant Cockburn’s troop of Dragoons fought desperately against 200 Boers intent on capturing the 12-pounder guns in their charge.

His handful of men successfully held off the Boers, but all became casualties, including Cockburn, who was slightly wounded.

For his part in saving the guns, Lieutenant Cockburn received the Victoria Cross, one of three awarded for separate incidents in this action.

“Lieutenant Cockburn, with a handful of men, at a most critical moment held off the Boers to allow the guns to get away; to do so he had to sacrifice himself and his party, all of whom were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, he himself being slightly wounded.” - London Gazette, no.27307, 23 April 1901

Cockburn died on a ranch in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan on 12 July 1913.

Hampden Cockburn was the son of UCC Principal George R.R. Cockburn. 

A member of the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs, who downed the Montreal Canadiens and won the Stanley Cup in six games; a member of the Canadian hockey team at the 1965 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria; authored the book Hockey in Canada: The Way It Is!

Mark Cohon is an internationally respected leader and a champion of Canadian sports, culture and community. A former executive with the NBA and MLB, he was also the 12th commissioner of the CFL, where he oversaw a period of unprecedented growth and stadium infrastructure development. Most recently, he has brought his expertise to the Northern Super League as chair of Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league.

Mark’s influence extends across business and the arts. He has chaired Toronto Global, securing more than $3 billion in foreign investment, and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, where he helped transform the Juno Awards. An active entrepreneur and angel investor, he currently chairs Georgian Bay Spirit Co. and Founder Brands.

He was awarded the UCC Old Boy of Distinction Award in 2026. In 2012, he was appointed to the Order of Ontario. He has also been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General and an honorary Juno Award for his successful stewardship of the Junos. 

Famed Canadian Arctic Explorer. From 1913 to 1916, John Cox explored the Fifth River, the MacKenzie River Delta and the Arctic coast. He served in WW1 in the Canadian Army and, during WW2, wrote many brief biographies of the “Dollar a Year” men.

Harry Crerar entered RMC in 1906 after attending Upper Canada College and Highfield School in Hamilton. After graduating from RMC, he joined the militia and, over the course of WWI, he served in a number of key command and staff appointments, rising through the ranks to Lieutenant-Colonel by the end of the war. He was awarded the DSO as a result of his efforts as Acting Commander of an artillery brigade during the final phases of the Vimy Ridge Campaign. At the end of the war, he was demobilized from the militia, but subsequently joined the Permanent Force.

Following graduation from Staff College in England, Crerar accepted a posting with the War Office in London as General Staff Officer 2. In 1929, he was appointed General Staff Officer 1 at Army HQ in Ottawa and began work on a major reorganization of the Canadian Militia. He was appointed Director of Military Operations & Military Intelligence in 1935, and Commandant of RMC in 1938. His appointment was cut short in October 1939 as WWII began, and he was posted to London as brigadier on the General Staff at the newly formed Canadian Military Headquarters.

In July 1940, he was called back to Ottawa as Vice-Chief General Staff but promoted a few days later to Chief General Staff. In that year, he oversaw the rapid expansion of the Army and its upgrading from top to bottom, including Army HQ, the improved preparation of officers, men and equipment heading overseas, and the implementation of emergency recruitment and training programmes for territorial defence.

In December 1941, back in England, Crerar was appointed General Officer Commanding, 1st Canadian Corps. Following the ill-fated Dieppe raid in 1942, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was absorbed into the 1st Canadian Corps as it engaged in the Italian campaign in 1943 with Crerar in command. In early 1944, he was recalled to England to replace General McNaughton as Commander of the 1st Canadian Army, the first Canadian to be promoted to full General while commanding troops fighting in war.

The 1st Canadian Army arrived in Normandy from England on 23 July 1944, and, under Crerar's command, played a major role as the Allies circled German troops in the Falaise Gap in August 1944. In February 1945, with the 1st Canadian Army on their northern flank, the Allies advanced to the Rhine. When the Allies launched the Rhineland campaign, General Crerar was leading a 450,000-man army, including allied formations, under 1st Canadian Army command.

After the war, Crerar oversaw the demobilization process. He retired from the military in 1946. Later, he occupied diplomatic postings in Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Japan. He was named Aide-de-Camp General to the King in 1948, and to the Queen in 1952, and appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 1964.

In the words of historian J.L. Granatstein, "No other single officer had such impact on the raising, fighting, and eventual disbanding of the greatest army Canada has ever known".

An internationally-renowned, two-time Juno award-winning vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and one of the frontmen for the band Blue Rodeo, has recorded four solo albums and performs live with the Jim Cuddy Band; he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013.

On UCC’s Impact: “At UCC, there was no stigma to being accomplished,” he says. “I got my appreciation back [for excelling].”

A former boarder at UCC and one of the leading figures in Canada’s literary canon, best known for his Deptford Trilogy, which includes the classic novel Fifth Business; a former editor-in-chief of now-defunct Canadian magazine Saturday Night; noted playwright; received the Stephen Leacock Medal for humour in 1955.

A Writers Guild of America- and Emmy-award winning television producer and writer; worked on TV hits like Lost, The Good Wife and House.

On UCC’s Impact: “There’s a real advantage to the Canadian sensibility. Hollywood indulges a level of bad behaviour. But it pays to be nice and professional.

A double Academy Award-winning actor for Best Supporting Actor, picking up accolades for his roles in Being There and Hud; he also won an Emmy for a CBS Playhouse special called Do Not Go Gently into That Good Night.

Received Canada’s first Victoria Cross -- the British Commonwealth’s highest award for military bravery -- for saving lives during the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

In March 1852, Dunn joined the British Army's 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars as a junior officer. At the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, the 11th Hussars were sent to Russia, to join other elements of the British Army and an allied force made up elements from France, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire.

Dunn, now a lieutenant, was in action on October 25, 1854, the day of the Battle of Balaclava, and took part in the infamous "Charge of The Light Brigade".

“For having in the Light Cavalry charge on the 25th October, 1854, saved the life of Serjeant Bentley, 11th Hussars, by cutting down two or three Russian Lancers who were attacking him from the rear, and afterwards cutting down a Russian Hussar, who was attacking Private Levett, 11th Hussars.”

- Victoria Cross citation, The London Gazette, February 24, 1857.

Alexander Dunn was invested with his Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria at the first investiture held in Hyde Park on the 26th June 1857.

Dunn is the first Canadian to have been awarded the Victoria Cross. In fact, not only was he Canada’s first recipient, he was also the only officer to earn a Victoria Cross for bravery during the “Charge of The Light Brigade,” and among the very first group of recipients to be awarded the newly created medal, generally believed to be made from Russian cannons captured during the Crimean War.

Served as president of the T. Eaton Company from 1907 until 1922, succeeding his father, Timothy, who founded the Eaton’s department store chain in 1907; known for expanding the popular Canadian retail chain nationally; a generous benefactor, who, together with his mother, donated land and funds to build the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto.

Jim Elder is a Canadian retired businessman and former equestrian. He competed at six Olympic Games for Canada between 1956 and 1984, winning one gold (Mexico City, 1968)  and one bronze medal (Melbourne, 1956). He missed the 1964 and 1980 Olympics because Canada did not send eventing and jumping teams there.

Elder was Canada's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

In 1983, he was honoured with the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1968), Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1971), Canada's Walk of Fame (2003), Canadian Eventing Hall of Fame (2009), and the Jump Canada (2010) Hall of Fame.

As an athlete, won the first gold medal for Canada as a member of the men’s eight rowing team at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California; was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2003; former vice-chair of multinational investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs; appointed president of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba in 2015.

John Fraser is a Canadian journalist, writer and academic. He served as Master of Massey College in the University of Toronto from 1995 until his retirement in June 2014. He is currently the executive chair of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada.

As a journalist, Fraser received multiple national awards and chaired the Canadian Journalism Foundation until 2008. He initiated and taught a course on Canadian newspaper history at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. 

Fraser has received honorary degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland (D.Litt.), University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia (D.C.L.), York University in Toronto (LL.D.), and Trinity College in the University of Toronto (D.S.L). He has received medals from the Queen (Silver Jubilee, 1977; Golden Jubilee, 2002; Diamond Jubilee, 2012) and also the 1967 Centennial medal. In journalism, he has won three National Newspaper Awards, seven National Magazine Awards, and "Editor of the Year" from the Canadian Magazine Editors Society. His book, The Chinese: Portrait of a People, was a Book-of-the-Month Club main choice in 1981 and was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award in non-fiction. A book on the American Ballet Theatre and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Private View, was a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate choice in 1989 and won a Dance Magazine "book of the year" award. In 2001, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. For his professional lifetime in journalism, he was named to the Canadian News Hall of Fame (2016) and later, in 2020, he was awarded the rarely-bestowed lifetime achievement Michener-Baxter Special Award for public service journalism.

Academy Award-winning Best Actor (for The Whale) with leading roles in a number of Hollywood movies, including School Ties, George of the Jungle, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Mummy franchise.

Brendan Fraser is the first Canadian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Dan Gibson was a Canadian photographer, cinematographer and sound recordist. 

During the late 1940s, Dan Gibson took photographs and made nature films, including Audubon Wildlife Theatre. Gibson produced many films and television series through which he learned how to record wildlife sound. He pioneered techniques of recording and also helped design equipment to optimize results, including the "Dan Gibson Parabolic Microphone". Some of his early recordings of the 1950s and 1960s were released on LP records, and started his Solitudes series, which was introduced in 1981.

Gibson is well-regarded for his contributions to the Friends of Algonquin Park and his dedication to the Algonquin Park Residents Association. Having a lease of land in Algonquin Provincial Park gave Gibson and his family (wife: Helen, children: Mary-Jane or "Kirkie," Holly, Dan, and Gordon) a unique opportunity to connect with nature, and it certainly fueled his passion for the study, preservation and interaction with wildlife.

In 1994, Gibson was awarded the Order of Canada for his environmental works. In 1997, he was awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Juno Awards ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario.

Minister of Finance in Lester B. Pearson’s cabinet; chaired the Royal Commission on Canada’s Economic Prospects; instrumental in establishing a Committee for an Independent Canada in 1970; served as chancellor of York University from 1973 to 1977.

Colin Greening is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played for the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted by the Senators in the seventh round, 204th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

A broadcaster considered the voice of hockey in Canada for more than 28 years; was famous for his play-by-play of Toronto Maple Leafs games; his claim to fame is coining the phrase, “He shoots, he scores!”; inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965; made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1972.

On UCC’s Impact: “I partially absorbed the wisdom of the masters, and while I usually squeezed through examinations, there were few indications that a noted scholar was about to appear,” he wrote in his autobiography with his trademark humour.

Community Leader, Engineer, Artist, Historian, and Philanthropist 

As a young man, Barry left the family farm to pursue a career in engineering, and for the next 30 years, he did just that. He attended Upper Canada College boarding school on a scholarship and from there enrolled in McMaster’s newly minted engineering faculty in 1962.

One of six mechanical engineering graduates in 1966, Barry returned to McMaster to earn a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering design. His work on control systems led him to a 26-year-career with Ontario Hydro helping build the province’s energy infrastructure.

Upon retirement, he moved closer to his roots in Ohsweken to focus on giving back to both his First Nations Community and the Greater Community of Brantford.

He began teaching Mathematics and Computer Sciences at Six Nations Polytec. When not at school, Barry was getting his hands dirty in a veggie garden beside his cabin as a stress reliever. He chuckles, “I was told never to be a farmer, so I went off to be an engineer. But you can’t get farming out of the boy.”

To improve efficiency for his own farm and others, he organized a First Nations Agri Group co-op. Their capacity enables rebates on seed purchases and bulk tendering for fertilizer. The co-op now sources products for more than 20,000 acres of cropland.

In 2011, Barry was named Brant County Farmer of the Year and was a finalist in the 2014 BMO Farm Family Awards. Recently, he’s been inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. Their success has led Barry and his wife to establish a scholarship for agricultural students at the University of Guelph. Among his many accolades, Barry also holds an Honorary Degree from McMaster University. 

President and CEO of OMERS, one of Canada's largest pension plans.

On UCC’s Impact: “I learned a lot about life and responsibility as a boarder at UCC, and I'm committed to seeing it continue – better than ever – for other young men who have the privilege of experiencing this same opportunity.”

Awarded the Order of Ontario in 2024 and a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2000. 

An author, historian, professor and former leader of the Liberal Party and leader of the opposition from 2008 until 2011; has held senior academic positions at Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and the University of Toronto; appointed president of Central European University in Budapest in 2016; named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2016.

A well-known philanthropist who served as Ontario’s lieutenant-governor from 1991 to 1997; appointed chancellor of the University of Toronto in 1997, after which he donated the largest gift of its kind to a Canadian university; named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000.

The founding director of Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute, former deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and former director of its Center for Democracy.

On UCC’s Impact: “I thought they were exceptional teachers at the time, and I'm even more sure of it today. It’s been more than 20 years, but I still remember specific conversations that I had with each of them.”

An accomplished director who helmed Prince Hamlet for the National Art Centre’s 2018-19 theatre season; a play he performed with his mother, A Brimful of Asha, had a successful multi-year run in Toronto.

Ravi Jain is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director at Why Not Theatre.

Ravi’s work tours for many years after it is made and has been presented on national stages and internationally at major festivals including off-Broadway and off-West End. Mr. Jain was selected as the 2025 Siminovitch Prize Laureate, one of the highest honours in Canadian Theatre. He was also awarded the 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award for Emerging Director and the 2016 Canada Council John Hirsch Prize for direction. In 2022, Mr. Jain was awarded the Johanna Metcalf Foundation Performing Arts Prize. He is the only Canadian artist to have won Dora Mavor Moore Awards, for acting, playwriting, and directing.

On UCC’s Impact: “Going to UCC it was easy to feel like you didn’t have to choose the traditional path,” he says. “The school is still a part of me.”

Vahan Kololian is a champion of multiculturalism and inclusion. An entrepreneur and financier by trade, he is the founder of the Mosaic Institute, an organization dedicated to dismantling prejudice through dialogue, outreach and inclusion. A leader in the Armenian-Canadian community, he works with local and international partners to support development and prosperity in his ancestral homeland, including efforts to resolve historic and modern-day hostilities between Armenia and Turkey. He and his wife also support a variety of Canadian art, health care and educational organizations.

He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2021 and invested in the Order of Canada in 2025. 

Matriculated at Upper Canada College and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1932. During the Depression, he worked in Toronto as an investment salesman and soldiered part-time with 7 (Toronto) Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, of the Non-Permanent Active Militia. He married his sweetheart, Barbara Caldwell, before shipping out to Britain in January of 1940. A few months later, he was a major. Mr. Lace later commanded 15 Field Regiment, RCA, before becoming a staff officer at 1st Canadian Army headquarters. He was acting brigadier in late 1944 at the age of 33 and commanded two artillery regiments. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on June 8, 1944. In October of 1945, he was mentioned in dispatches for “gallant and distinguished services in the field” before receiving the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership on the battlefields of northwest Europe, where he showed “at all times great devotion to duty without regard to himself, visiting forward observation posts or making use of small aircraft to get the first-hand picture of enemy dispositions and strong points.” Late in the war, Mr. Lace was given command of Royal Canadian Artillery for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. After the war, BGen (Ret’d) Lace returned to the investment business, finishing as chairman of Matthews and Co. Ltd. from 1972 to 1975. BGen Lace died on 4/29/2005.

A professional athlete, community volunteer, philanthropist and businessman, Stu Lang embodies UCC’s highest virtues. His enduring belief in and commitment to our school and our students is truly inspirational.

Stu is a board director of CCL Industries, a family-controlled international business, where he was a divisional president for many years working in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe over the course of his 25-year career. In the 70s and 80s, he spent eight years in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Elks (then called the Eskimos), playing in seven Grey Cups and winning the trophy five times. Stu then went on to be the head coach for the University of Guelph football team for six years, playing in the Yates Cup three times and ultimately winning the trophy in 2015.

While a student at UCC, Stu was Head of Mowbray’s House, played football, hockey, track and rugby and earned the Herbert Mason Award for outstanding character and leadership. After UCC, Stu attended Queen’s University where he studied chemical engineering and played for the Golden Gaels varsity hockey and football teams and was elected to their Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Stu made an $11-million gift to UCC — the largest donation in our history and the largest single donation in Canadian independent school history at the time. This incredible contribution paved the way for initiatives like the Lang Scholar Program. Now in its second decade, it enables student-athletes to cultivate leadership skills and gives them unparalleled opportunities both to mentor and be mentored. Through their continued generosity to the priorities of the College, Stu and his wife, Kim, are the College’s largest philanthropic supporters. Most recently, the Langs endowed a major gift to establish the Lang Leadership Lab — a Senior Kindergarten to Year 12 leadership development program to be launched next year across UCC’s Deer Park and Norval campuses.

As an Old Boy, Stu contributes to the College in myriad ways, including serving on various committees and as an honorary member of the Campaign Cabinet. He chaired the Athletic Review Committee charged with enhancing our athletics curriculum and has been an honorary member of the Foundation Board of Trustees for the past 12 years. He also served for two years as a volunteer coach of the UCC varsity football team — travelling three hours a day, six days a week, between the campus and his home near Guelph, Ontario.

Stu and his wife, Kim, presently manage two charitable foundations, one focused on athletics, academics, animal welfare and adolescents, and the other supports Christian missionary work around the world.

Stu was awarded the Old Boy of Distinction Award in 2025. 

A world-renowned humorist and author of 60 books, with Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town among his most notab­­le work; held a position as an economics and political theory professor at McGill University from 1900 until his retirement in 1936; wrote Elements of Political Science in 1906, which became the standard textbook on the subject matter for more than 20 years.

Stephen Leacock was also a UCC Faculty Member and Master from 1889 to 1899, teaching French, serving as house master, and captaining the faculty cricket team against the varsity cricket team.

As a UCC student, he was head boy in 1887 and editor of College Times in 1886 and 1887. Leacock won every school prize that was open to him in his graduating year.

In 1929, Leacock chaired the Centenary Dinner of Upper Canada College in honour of the centennial.

Dr. Phil Lind was one of Canada’s most respected communications and media industry leaders. 

Phil joined Rogers Communications Inc. in 1969, ultimately becoming vice chairman and helping grow Rogers into one of Canada’s preeminent cable companies. Phil was a close confidant and right hand man to Ted Rogers ‘51. One of his career highlights was leading Rogers’ expansion in the US during the 1980s, negotiating valuable acquisition deals.

He steered the complexities of the approval process for the Maclean Hunter acquisition in 1994 and was a key leader in bringing Shaw and Rogers together in 2021. He was instrumental in the creation of the Rogers Group of Funds and championed Canada’s independent film and television sector. He was the architect and founder of CPAC and the driving force behind bringing Sportsnet to Rogers. It was Phil who convinced Ted to buy the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2000.

Phil, who served as the Vice Chair of our Board until his passing, was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2002 and was inducted into the U.S. Cable Hall of Fame in 2012. Phil was the third Canadian to receive this honour, after Ted and JR Shaw.

Don Lindsay is one of Canada’s most respected and impactful business leaders, known for shaping the mining industry through a rare combination of strategic vision, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Over the course of an exceptional 17-year tenure as President and CEO of Teck Resources Limited, he transformed the company into a global force in copper and coal, guiding it through major economic cycles while keeping sustainability and community at the heart of its growth.

Born in Toronto in 1958, Don holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His early career in banking was equally impactful. As President of CIBC World Markets, he pioneered Canada’s first mining-focused investment banking group, revolutionizing how the financial sector supported the resource industry and positioning CIBC as a global leader in mining finance.

When Lindsay took the helm at Teck in 2005, the company was valued at $8 billion. Under his leadership, Teck grew to a market capitalization of $22 billion, returned nearly $9 billion to shareholders, and increased its copper reserves from 2.5 million to 19 million tonnes—ensuring a 70-year reserve life based on 2022 production levels. Key acquisitions like Aur Resources and Fording Canadian Coal made Teck a leader in critical minerals, and one of the world’s largest exporters of metallurgical coal.

Equally transformative was his work on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Long before ESG became a mainstream focus, Lindsay embedded sustainability and social responsibility into Teck’s operations. Teck initiatives, such as The Zinc Alliance for Child Health and programs like Copper and Health, have reached more than 140 million people globally and influenced international policy on public health and infrastructure. Under his guidance, Teck earned recognition as one of the most sustainable mining companies in the world.

As Chair of the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM), Lindsay spearheaded the development of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, a standard that changed the safety and quality of tailings management in the industry.

Lindsay has chaired many industry organizations, such as the International Zinc Association, Business Council of Canada, and Board of Governors for the World Economic Forum’s mining and metals sub-group. He remains active as Chair of Manulife Financial and sits on the Board of Directors at BHP. He also served as Chair for the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler and has led major philanthropic efforts, including a $200 million campaign for BC Children’s Hospital.

Lindsay has been recognized with numerous honours, including the Order of British Columbia, multiple honorary doctorates, and lifetime achievement awards from the mining and business communities. He was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2026. His career stands as a testament to the power of combining business excellence with social responsibility.

The first Canadian to lay eyes on the Titanic shipwreck, his footage of the famous wreckage inspired James Cameron to make the blockbuster Hollywood film. He led the team that discovered the Breadalbane, Canada’s northernmost shipwreck, and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1976, and has received six honorary degrees.

Cofounder of Atlantis Films and the former executive chairman of Alliance Atlantis, a TV and film production house with 13 Canadian TV networks, which was sold It to Canwest in 2007; launched Blue Ant Media in 2011; co-founded Samara, a charity dedicated to reconnecting citizens to politics; co-owner and co-founder of Closson Chase, a vineyard in Prince Edward County.

Michael served UCC as the Chair of the Board of Governors from 2007 to 2010.

In 2015, Michael MacMillan was inducted into the Order of Canada. 

On UCC’s Impact: “I was addicted right from the start,” MacMillan told The Globe and Mail of making films during his years at UCC. “The place tolerated it; they let me do my own thing, and that made all the difference. It allowed me to find out what I wanted to do.”

George Edward Mara, CM, was a Canadian businessman and Olympic hockey player. He was a member of the Ottawa RCAF Flyers who won the gold medal in ice hockey for Canada at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.

After declining an offer from the Detroit Red Wings during World War II, he instead served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy. After the war, he played for the Royal Canadian Air Force Flyers in the 1948 Winter Olympics and was captain of the gold medal team

He was one of the founders and chairman of the Olympic Trust of Canada, the fundraising arm of the Canadian Olympic Association (now the Canadian Olympic Committee), which raised millions of dollars to help support Canadian athletes.

From 1957 to 1969, he was a director of Maple Leaf Gardens and briefly became President in 1969.

In 1976, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for his tireless efforts in raising funds to support Canadian Olympic athletes competing in Munich and Montreal."[2] *In 1993, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2001, George Mara was honoured by the Canadian Forces when it was announced that the 1948 RCAF Flyers were selected as Canada’s greatest military athletes of the 20th century.[3]

NHL Sports Agent and Senior Vice President of Wasserman Hockey. Judd represents some of the top players and future stars in the NHL. He was named a top 40 Under 40 and one of the years 5 to watch by Canada Sports Business. His clients include Austin Matthews and Connor McDavid.

Montague was born in Dunville, Ontario. He was educated at Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto, and Osgoode Hall, where he graduated in 1905. He was called to the bar in Ontario and Manitoba in 1907. He joined the firm of Pitblado, Hoskin, Montague and Drummond Hay in 1913 and practiced there until he was appointed to the bench in 1932. He was appointed a King's Counsel in 1928 and appointed to the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba in 1932.

Montague took a leave of absence from legal practice during the First World War. He was assistant adjutant and quartermaster general in the 2nd Canadian Division by 1917, by which time he had been awarded the Military Cross, and in January 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). In 1919 was made a CMG.

He was Commanding Officer of the Fort Garry Horse from 1920 to 1924, and Commanding Officer of the 6th Canadian Mounted Brigade from 1928 to 1936. From 1932 to 1940, he was Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of Canada.

On the outbreak of the Second World War, he took a leave of absence from the bench and was posted to the Canadian Military Headquarters in London, as assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general, Deputy Adjutant-General, Chief of Staff, and Chief Administration Officer. In 1943, he was appointed Judge Advocate-General Canadian Army Overseas. He retired in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant-General.

After the war, he returned to the Manitoba bench and was raised to the Manitoba Court of Appeal in 1951, retiring in 1959.

A preeminent Canadian journalist with an impressive six-decade career; author of 20-plus books; former editor of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s; is a Companion of the Order of Canada, and has received countless honours from peers, including a lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

Served as a rifleman with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, for which he was knighted by King Edward VII; co-founded the Toronto Electric Light Co.; was instrumental in bringing hydro-electricity to the streets of Toronto; built Casa Loma in 1914, his castle-like personal residence south of the college, which is now a major Toronto landmark

Canadian politician and physician Shafiq Qaadri graduated from UCC in 1982. He is well known for his commentary on medicine and public health, as well as his tenure as a Member of Provincial Parliament. Qaadri represented Etobicoke North in Ontario’s legislature from 2003 until 2014. He has served as a Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministers of Health Promotion, Government Services, and Children and Youth, as well as to the Premier of Ontario. In 2012, he was awarded Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Vivek Rao is a Toronto-based cardiac surgeon and researcher. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, he was the youngest ever faculty member to join the University of Toronto’s Cardiac Surgery division and the second youngest chief of cardiac surgery ever appointed at the University Health Network Division of Cardiac Surgery. Rao is the Munk Chair in Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital, and Senior Scientist in the Division of Experimental Therapeutics at the Toronto General Research Institute. Rao was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners.

A dedicated philanthropist who was instrumental in the creation of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children; served as chairman of the trustees’ board for the hospital for 27 years, during which time he attracted major financial support from prominent donors.

As a young man, he started a newspaper at UCC called Young Canada and a satirical weekly magazine, The Grumbler, published in 1864.

He was hired as a reporter and then city editor at The Globe in Toronto, but left The Globe to found The Toronto Daily Telegraph in 1866. That paper lasted five years, and Robertson went to England as a reporter for The Globe. He returned to Toronto in 1876 and convinced his friend and former colleague, Goldwin Smith, to loan him $10,000 to enable him to launch the Toronto Evening Telegram. In the Toronto Evening Telegram he wrote a recurring column on Toronto landmarks. The Evening Telegram was a success from the start and Robertson was soon a wealthy man. Eventually these columns were published in a book called Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto which consists of six volumes.

He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the electoral district of Toronto East in the 1896 federal election, defeating the incumbent Conservative MP, Emerson Coatsworth. An Independent Conservative, he did not run for re-election in 1900.

The world of sports was also a focus for Robertson’s public-spiritedness. A fervent advocate of amateur sport, he served as president of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1899 to 1905, which was a critical time period in the history of the sport. His battle to protect hockey from the influence of professionalism caused him to be called the "father of Amateur Hockey in Ontario."

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.

The founder of Rogers Communications, responsible for introducing Canadians to cellphones and high-speed internet; a renowned philanthropist; named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990.

Executive chair of Rogers Communications, Edward Rogers, was named Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2025. Rogers is a prominent figure in both the telecommunications and sports worlds, as he chairs the Toronto Blue Jays and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Rogers and his wife support a variety of charitable causes, with emphasis on health care, education and other community initiatives.

John Rumble was a Canadian equestrian. He was a member of the Canadian national equestrian team in eventing. Rumble won a team bronze medal in eventing at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, together with teammates Jim Elder and Brian Herbinson. He placed 16th in individual eventing

In 2009, Rumble was inducted in the Canadian Eventing Hall of Fame.

Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and executive in ice hockey and horse racing. He was best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of the Maple Leaf Gardens hockey arena.

His name appears on the Stanley Cup eight times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder. In his honour, the NHL established the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

A world-renowned multimedia artist known for his Walking Woman series, the flock of Canada geese that grace Toronto’s Eaton Centre (entitled Flight Stop), and the sculptures of cheering fans (called The Audience) adorning Toronto’s Rogers Centre; made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981, and promoted to Companion in 2007; received the first Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2000; recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees.

Thomas H.B. Symons was a great Canadian educator and innovator who thrived on civic responsibility. He was teaching at the University of Toronto when a committee of Peterborough, Ont. citizens approached him about creating a university there. Symons became the founding president and vice-chancellor of Trent University and remained at the university until his retirement in 1994. At Trent, Symons began Canada's first university Indigenous studies program, created a Canadian Studies program and founded the groundbreaking Journal of Canadian Studies.

In addition to his dedication to Trent, Symons had a strong commitment to Canada and served the country, the province and its communities well. He was chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission from 1975–78; chair of the board for the United World Colleges from 1980–86; and president of the Ontario Heritage Trust from 2010–2017. He helped establish a landmark Ontario-Quebec Educational Exchange Program that continues today and led the "Symons Commissions,' which laid the basis for French-language education in Ontario.

His contributions to the country were recognized by his appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada, with 13 honorary degrees and appointment to the Order of Ontario, among other honours. He also received the Queen's Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the Canadian Centennial Medal.

Founding director of the BC Lions, Canadian Football League Hall of Fame inductee, and Canadian Football League fullback, and founding partner and director of Delta Hotels

Victor Spencer's interest in football began during his years at Toronto’s Upper Canada College, where he captained the first team in 1942. After the war, he played senior football in Vancouver (Merloma) and with the Hamilton Tigers of the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). Upon returning home to Vancouver in 1950, he spearheaded a group seeking a British Columbia franchise in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).

Spencer attended WIFU meetings in 1951 and 1952, and approval was granted in 1953 for the franchise to begin in 1954. Although they would play at the brand-new Empire Stadium, the new franchise was not given an initial draft. Spencer attracted local rugby players to join the BC Lions and tried unsuccessfully to establish an arrangement with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams to use their cuts. The BC Lions then attracted players from the NFL and American universities. In a court battle, a Seattle judge’s ruling allowed the BC Lions to sign players from the United States, setting the precedent for U.S. players to play in Canada.

Spencer spent nine years on the Lions executive board and helped Vancouver attract the 1955 Grey Cup. He was nominated as a life member of the team’s board of governors. The Victor V. Spencer Athletic Scholarship established in 1965 at Simon Fraser University, which offsets a football player’s education costs.

In 1976, he was awarded the inaugural Lionbacker Certificate to kick-start a franchise-saving bond drive.

Victor Spencer was inducted into the BC Lions Wall of Fame in 2002.

The founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials (the company has won more than 50 awards for entrepreneurship); named the “#1 CEO under 30” in the July 2006 issue of Inc. magazine.

On UCC’s Impact: “The big thing I appreciate, that was unique to the setting, were the resources, the extras. It wasn't just geography. I came up with ideas and I could test them. A big part of education is testing,” he told The Globe and Mail. “I was able to run a big fashion show, which had never been done before. It was the biggest production the school had ever seen. I was able to look beyond grades and think outside the box.”

John Thompson enjoyed a 36-year career with IBM, beginning as a systems engineer in 1966. He became president, CEO and chair of IBM Canada Ltd., and later Executive Vice-Chair and member of the Board of Directors of the worldwide IBM Corporation in New York. He was responsible for technology, research and development and corporate strategy.  

After retiring from IBM, John went on to serve as Chairman of the Board of TD Bank Financial Group.

While his résumé is filled with chairs and directorships, John always made time for UCC. He has served as a member of the UCC Board of Governors and as a member of the Principal’s Advisory Committee from 2007 to 2008 and the Campaign Leadership Council from 2010 to 2011. A huge supporter of UCC, John also assisted with enhancing IT capabilities at the College.

John has unselfishly given his time and counsel to other organizations as well. Among John’s past volunteer contributions are service as Chancellor of Western University, Vice-Chair and Trustee at SickKids Hospital, Vice-Chair of Royal Philips NV and directorships at Thomson Reuters, the Conference Board of Canada and the Business Council of Canada.

His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including induction as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2012 for his leadership in the information technology sector and for advancing research partnerships between industry and academia. He has also received honorary doctoral degrees from Western University and Wilfrid Laurier University.

While a student at UCC, John was a prefect, a championship swimmer, an active skier, and a member of the football team.

Pat Turner was a Member of the Men’s Eight Rowing crew at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They won Canada’s first gold medal in Men’s Coxed Eight. Pat Turner was also awarded a Gold Medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games for the Coxless Four Event.

Jared A. Walker is a writer, political strategist and nonprofit leader serving as executive director of Canadians for Tax Fairness, Canada’s leading think tank dedicated to advancing fair taxation and economic justice.

Jared began his career leading student organizing efforts in New York State for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign before holding senior roles within the New Democratic Party (NDP). These included serving as communications director for Jagmeet Singh’s barrier-breaking federal leadership campaign and as director of digital communications and speechwriting for the Ontario NDP.

The first Black speechwriter for a major federal party leader in Canadian history, Jared is also the founding chair of the Black Youth Fellowship at Toronto City Hall, a program dedicated to empowering the next generation of Black leaders in public service.

With more than 15 years of experience in media, public policy, and politics across Canada and the United States, Jared is a sought-after commentator and speaker with work that has appeared in national outlets including The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and CBC. He also serves as vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Broadbent Institute, Canada's leading social democratic public policy think tank.

Weir was born in 1919 and attended Upper Canada College before the war.  He enlisted for war service on 4 September 1939 when he was just 20 years old.  After attending flight training in Winnipeg, he earned his wings and was posted to No. 401 Squadron at Lincolnshire, near the Scottish border in England.  He gained his nickname while still in flight training.  A RAF Group Captain who inspected the training unit saw the young Weir in a uniform spattered with glycol and said that he looked rather "scruffy," and the nickname stuck.  

Weir was shot down while engaged in coastal defence duties and was burned while trying to escape his aircraft.  He was able to bail out of the crippled aircraft but was captured by the Germans and sent to Stalag I on the Baltic. In mid-April 1942, he and his fellow prisoners were marched out of the camp and put on a train to Stalag Luft III. This is the camp made famous by the movie The Great Escape. Weir became a member of the Escape Committee at the camp and applied his pre-war mining experience in Canada to helping construct the escape tunnels. He was removed from the operation after his eyes became infected from working underground. His eyelids had been severely burned when his Hurricane was shot down. Weir was sent to another POW camp to have eye surgery performed and missed the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III. He eventually escaped from that POW camp after bribing a German guard and was able to make it back to England. 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of George Weston Limited, and Executive Chairman and Former President of Loblaw Companies Limited.

On UCC’s Impact: “I learned the power of good communication, whether it was from my English teacher Ross Morrow, who taught me how to succinctly put words on a page, or Marshall Webb, who taught me how to engage emotionally on the stage.” 

Fighter Pilot, Avro Arrow Test Pilot Team, Astronaut, Record Holder 

In 2009, the BC Aviation Council honoured Bud White with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of “his notable achievements and distinguished service in military and civilian aviation.” For his engineering test flying, Gemini Program Office service with the USAF and NASA, and particularly for his leadership of the Centennial team, Colonel White was made an Officer of the Order of Military Merit (O.M.M.) by the Governor General of Canada in June 1974 in Ottawa. A month later, as one of the 28 McKee Trophy recipients, he was inducted as a Member of the "First Class" of the new Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.

In Canada’s Centennial year, Bud reached 100,110 feet in the Lockheed-built original CF-104—a high-altitude record that captured the nation’s imagination. A record that still stands to this day.

As a test pilot, he flew an incredible 52 aircraft types, including the CF-3 Freedom Fighter, Hawker Hunter, CF-100 Canuck, C-119 Flying Boxcar, Vampire, Harvard, Sabre, Gloster Meteor, C-117 Falcon, B-23 Mitchell, Huey helicopter, Canso, and CF-104 Starfighter.

Pre-selected to join the Avro Arrow flight test team, he returned to England in 1959 as a Flight Lieutenant to attend the year-long course at the Empire Test Pilots’ School at Farnborough.

In 1962, White was loaned to NASA for the Mercury and Gemini manned programs, where he was responsible for pilot safety, man-rating, and acceptance programs, with operational responsibility for engines, propellants, and loading systems. He knew the early astronauts - Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, Dick Slater, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, and John Young -  and was responsible for their safety as a flight safety officer.

Wilder left McGill in his second year to join the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and served as an officer on a Royal Navy destroyer in the English Channel in 1942. After the war, he completed his degree, earned his master’s at Harvard Business School, and became a leader in the business community, eventually as president of Wood Gundy. Over the years, Wilder became increasingly active in public policy, serving as an adviser to numerous companies, government and not-for-profit institutions. 

Meanwhile, his philanthropic streak is legendary. Wilder ran the E.W. Bickle Foundation (named for his father-in-law) for decades and is a significant donor to many arts, church, military, industry and education causes, as well as an adviser, fundraiser and board member for many esteemed organizations. Wilder is a recipient of the 2017 Order of Canada, and this year was awarded the Legion of Honour, France’s highest honour for military merit.

“When one looks at the purpose of any great national school, it must be focused on the development of people who will lead society and the nation,” van Nostrand says. “At the core, it requires a combination of competency—the skills and abilities to be highly successful—as well as the development of the kind of character infused by a sense of civic duty, selflessness and generosity. Without question, UCC would not be the place it is today without the role Bill Wilder has played as an Old Boy champion over the last 70 years.”

Bill received the Old Boy of Distinction Award in 2019.

A former Member of Parliament and Finance Minister under Brian Mulroney’s leadership; former Chancellor of Trinity College and former Chancellor of the University of Toronto; former Canadian Ambassador to the United States; appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003 and promoted to Companion in 2010. Wilson, our Old Boy of Distinction 2018, passed away Feb. 10, 2019.

Explorer and Scientist. Team physicist on Robert Scott's Antarctic expedition and developer of the "trench wireless" during the First World War. He was educated at Upper Canada College, where he also became head boy.

He was on Robert Scott’s South Pole expedition crew in 1911 as the expedition glaciologist and assistant physicist. 

In 1914, he joined the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant and served in France. After a distinguished career in the First World War, during which he helped develop trench wireless and gained the Military Cross and the Order of the British Empire (OBE), he joined the Admiralty Research Department in 1919. By 1929, he was superintendent at Teddington and from 1934 to 1936 was director of scientific research at the Admiralty. He was active in the British Admiralty during World War II, playing an important role in the early development of the Allied radar system and developing devices to detect magnetic mines and torpedoes. He was knighted for his work in 1946.

Justin Wu is an award-winning Toronto-based Feature Film & TV Director, Photographer, Creative Director, and Speaker.

A fashion photographer and short-film director; his micro-film, Overtime, was the audience award winner at the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival in 2017; has contributed creative to brands like Vogue, Elle and GQ.

On UCC’s Impact: He says his UCC teachers recognized his ultimate career path before he did. “They told me I was destined to work in the arts!”

Justin was awarded the UCC Young Alumni Award in 2022.