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THE ROLE of a Christian press in a pluralistic society is the topic for the 2011
Mel Smith Lecture, scheduled in late January at Trinity Western University
(TWU).
This year’s lecture will be delivered by veteran author and commentator Lloyd Mackey.
Melvin H. Smith, who died in 2000, had a distinguished provincial public service
career for almost four decades. He gave leadership in administrative and constitutional law and
was a key provincial figure in the negotiations that led to the patriation of
the Canadian constitution in 1982.
He also was well-known for his thinking and writing on aboriginal issues, much
of it articulated in Our Home or Native Land (Stoddart, 1995). Smith’s papers are located in the TWU archives. He taught on constitutional issues at
the university for several years before his death.
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Now based in Ottawa, Mackey was co-founder of this newspaper. He also once
served as editor of The Chilliwack Progress. He is author of several books, including Stephen Harper, the Case for Collaborative Governance (ECW Press 2006). He is a winner of the Leslie K. Tarr Award for his work in
Christian publishing.
Regarding the Smith lecture, he told BCCN: “Mel had a lifelong commitment to integrity in legal, governance and faith
spheres. I am honoured to be able to speak, this year, to some of the issues
that were important to him.”
Among the previous Mel Smith lecturers are broadcaster Rafe Mair; political
leaders Preston Manning, Gordon Gibson, Ralph Klein, Nick Loenen, Deborah Grey
and Chuck Strahl; and lawyer-educator Janet Epp-Buckingham.
Their lecture subjects have ranged from proportional representation to
aboriginal self government.
The event is set for January 27 at 7 pm, in TWU’s Northwest Building Auditorium.
January 2011
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