Principal’s Message
These are exciting days at Massey College, as we look forward to upcoming events like Friday’s sold out reading by Margaret Atwood, the December 11 High Table with special guest speaker Timothy Snyder, the Senior Fellow lunch with Janice Stein, and of course lots of holiday celebrations upcoming including the Winter Gaudy!
Please read through the events and news below, including the call for nominations for this year’s Clarkson Laureates. With all best wishes,
James
Dr. James Orbinski, OC, MSC, MA, MD, MCFPC
Principal, Massey College
Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto
Call for Nominations: 2026 Clarkson Laureateships for Public Service
The Clarkson Laureateships were established by approval of the Governing Board in 2003, with the inaugural awards presented in 2004 during the final year of Madame Adrienne Clarkson’s term as Governor General of Canada. A Senior Fellow of the College, Madame Clarkson has dedicated her life to public service, and this award honours her legacy by recognizing members of the Massey community who contribute meaningfully to the common good.
Each year, the College invites nominations for individuals whose exceptional commitment to public service, volunteerism, and community impact exemplifies the values of Massey College. The names of nominated individuals are maintained on a long list for three years.
To nominate someone for a Clarkson Laureateship, community members are asked to submit a nomination letter by email to nominations@masseycollege.ca. The letter should outline the nominee’s contributions, their service to the public good, and the significance of their efforts within the community and beyond.
All submissions must be received by December 12, 2025, at midnight.
Successful nominees will be announced to the community early in the new year and will be honoured at the Clarkson Laureates High Table on January 30, 2026.
The 2025 Winter Gaudy Literary Competition
The Massey College literary competition is back! Members of the community are invited to turn their hand to a bit of creativity and whimsy to celebrate the season of fellowship and goodwill.
You can enter in either (or both) of two categories: Limericks or Haiku. The subject should be an aspect of college or academic life.
The judge will be Senior Fellow Rita Deverell. The winners will be announced at the Winter Gaudy on December 6.
The Rules
- All members of the Massey community are eligible.
- Only one entry per person per category will be considered.
- Entries should be sent to news@masseycollege.ca with the subject line: “2025 Literary Competition.”
- The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, December 3, at 5:00 p.m.
The Prizes
- Winner in each category: A swag bag with Masseywear and a signed first edition of Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World, the 2025 CBC Massey Lecture by Alex Neve.
- Runner-up in each category: Your choice of selected books from the Massey archive.
THE JCR: A MASSEY PODCAST
In A Trip Down Memory Lane, Junior Fellow Brohath Amrithraj speaks with Junior Fellow Nelly Matorina, a PhD candidate in Psychology at the University of Toronto, about her research on memory, sleep, and dreams. Their conversation explores fascinating questions such as: How do we form memories? and How might sleep and dreaming shape the way we perceive them? Listen here.
EVENTS AT MASSEY
Green Screenings: Conservation in the 21st Century
How can we balance conservation of the world’s tropical rainforests with the needs of local communities relying on them for survival? What can community-based conservation look like? How can communities be organized to bring this about?
Green Screenings: Conservation in the 21st Century explores these questions and more through a moderated screening and discussion of the 2023 documentary The Corridor. Join us for a screening followed by a moderated discussion with the bioethicist and environmentalist Dr. Kerry Bowman, one of the researchers featured in the film.
Wednesday, November 26 | 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
Chapel Explorations – Darkness and Light: Seasons of the Soul
Join us in the Chapel for another in our series of Explorations. The subject, as we approach the Solstice, is Darkness and Light – words and concepts that have multiple layers of meaning in our lives.
Participants will be asked to briefly offer some thoughts about darkness and light in their lives. The format will be a Talking Circle, in which each person speaks in turn – not a debate, but a space to listen, to share, and to learn. Elder Dorothy-Lee Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will lead and moderate.
Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
Thursday, November 27 | 4:00-6:00pm
St. Catherine’s Chapel | RSVP
GCMS 2025
Join the William Southam Journalism Fellows and Dr. Thorsten Faas, the Hannah Arendt Visiting Chair for German and European Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, for a lunchtime discussion about his research and how institutions, media, and social change shape democratic participation. Lunch will be provided.
Tuesday, December 2 | 10:30am -1:00pm
Upper Library | RSVP
Fireside Chat with Maestro Nurhan Arman
Join us for a conversation with acclaimed Maestro Nurhan Arman, Artistic Director and Conductor of Sinfonia Toronto. Organized by Massey Senior Fellow and Vice President of Sinfonia Toronto, Cindy Sinclair, and Massey Junior Fellows and PhD music students, Evan Chan and Yuan Chen, this conversation invites the Massey community to reflect on artistry, imagination and intersections of music and leadership.
Tuesday, December 2 | 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Round Room | RSVP
Massey Dialogues: Building Accessible Futures for Everybody
Join us for a panel discussion with contributors to Living Disability: Building Accessible Futures for Everybody, co-hosted by Massey alums Emily Macrae and Igor Samardzic. The book gathers insights from thirty-five disabled writers across Canada on topics ranging from urban systems and disability justice to climate resilience. As Ontario marks the 20th anniversary of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, this conversation invites reflection on progress toward accessibility and inclusion.
Tuesday, December 2 | 7:30-9:00pm
Upper Library | RSVP
Memorial for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Junior Fellows are organizing a small, candlelight vigil at Massey to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women and to honour the lives lost in the L’École Polytechnique massacre.
The ceremony will include the lighting of 14 candles, the reading of the names of the women who were killed, and the offering of white ribbons. We anticipate a small, quiet gathering of Junior Fellows and community members, with brief reflections from student leaders.
Friday, December 5 | 10:00am – 11:15am
Upper Library | RSVP
The Ethics of Justice: Can We Fix the Justice Delayed, Justice Denied Problem?
Canadians are losing faith in a justice system that too often moves at a glacial pace. Court delays, bail backlogs, and complex procedures mean that justice delayed has become justice denied for victims, accused persons, and the public alike. This Massey Ethics Forum will bring together experts, Junior Fellows, and diverse voices for a cross-generational discussion on how to make Ontario’s courts fairer, faster, and more accessible.
Join us for an in-person and livestreamed conversation from Massey College, where viewers on YouTube will be invited to submit questions throughout the event. The discussion will be moderated by Thomas S. Axworthy, Public Policy Chair at Massey College, and will feature a distinguished panel including Justice Julie Thorburn of the Ontario Court of Appeal and Senior Fellow of Massey College; Kara Hart of the John Howard Society; and Ikran Jama, Junior Fellow at Massey College, Rhodes Scholar, and third-year law student.
Friday, December 5 | 1:00 -2:00pm
Upper Library & Online | RSVP
Winter Gaudy 2025
Gaudy – from the Latin, gaudium, meaning enjoyment or merrymaking – is a traditional term used to reflect the lighter side of university student life. Join us for this evening of music, merriment and holiday treats, featuring performances from our talented Junior and Senior Fellows, the annual Principal’s ghost story, and more. The winners of the annual literary competition will also be announced.
Saturday, December 6 | 7:30 – 9:00pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
Junior Fellow Lecture Series: Critical Race Theory
How have societies constructed race to justify social hierarchies? This Junior Fellow Lecture Series explores intersectional projects that touch on historical, political, socioeconomic, cultural and/or literary structures of race. Critical Race Theory interrogates whiteness as the status quo, asking how racism is embedded in the foundational structures of a nation—whether in the narratives of history, literature, or the legal system itself.
Monday, December 8 | 7:30 – 9:00pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
Senior Fellow Luncheon
Senior Fellow Janice Stein will deliver a lunchtime talk entitled Canada in an Age of Authoritarianism.
Wednesday, December 10 | 12:00 -1:00pm
Upper Library | RSVP
December High Table
Munk-Massey Global Scholar, Timothy Snyder — author of On Freedom and On Tyranny— will be our special guest speaker at the December High Table. With expertise in Ukraine, the United States, authoritarianism, digital politics, health, and education, Professor Snyder will share important lessons (e.g. Do Not Obey in Advance) with his unique wit and wisdom.
Thursday, December 11 | 6:00pm
Junior Common Room & Ondaatje Hall | RSVP
Clarkson Laureateships High Table
Now in its 22nd year, the 2026 Clarkson Laureateships High Table invites the Massey community to gather in celebration of the 2026 distinguished Laureates. Join us for an evening honouring the contributions and public leadership of the 2026 recipients.
We are now accepting submissions for the award. Please refer to our guidelines, here and consider nominating someone from our community.
Friday, January 30 | 6:00pm
Ondaatje Hall | RSVP
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS & APPOINTMENTS
- Senior Fellow Andrew Szonyi received the 2025 University of Toronto Arbor Award. Read about it here.
NEWS
- A newly published biography, Keep in Touch: The Serendipitous Life of Canadian Arts Icon David Silcox (Dundurn Press), features a foreword by Master Emeritus John Fraser, O.C., who reflects on Silcox’s 1991 appointment to Massey and calls him “a pretty good catch for Massey.”
Former Gordon N. Fisher / Journalists for Human Rights Fellow Patrick Egwu has joined the Reuters Institute as one of ten international Journalist Fellows. Read more about the fellowship here.
Senior Fellow Nurjehan Mawani, recently reappointed as Governor of the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), invites you to the November 28 screening of Stories of Possibility, co-sponsored by the Global Centre for Pluralism and HotDocs. Free and open to the public. Tickets available here.
Read Senior Fellow Neil Seeman’s latest op-ed in the Toronto Star, exploring entrepreneurship and the value of honest dialogue.
Senior Fellow Stephen Scharper was recently interviewed by The Medium on AI ethics, spirituality, and environmental responsibility. Read the interview here.
- Junior Fellow Carlos E. Sánchez Pimienta argues that planetary health must move beyond a single shared reality toward embracing “a world that fits many worlds” in his latest blog post on Seeing the Woods.
Call for Applications – Junior Fellowship Admissions Selection Committee
A reminder that we are accepting applications from Alumni and Senior Members to serve on Junior Fellowship Admissions selection committees. More information on how to apply, here.
