On March 26, 2026, the School of Policy Studies (SPS) hosted “Celebrating Tom Courchene,” a symposium dedicated to celebrating the inaugural SPS director’s contributions to public policy in Canada.
As the inaugural director of SPS, Tom Courchene (1940-2025) played a major role in establishing the school as a leading centre of policy debate in Canada. In his own research, Tom was a master at bridging scholarship and public policy. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a recipient of the Canada Council Molson Prize for lifetime achievement, and a two-time winner of the Donner Prize.
To celebrate Tom’s contributions, this symposium brought together leading commentators from universities and the broad public sector. Speakers were asked to ask address two questions:
1) Why was Tom such an effective contributor to policy debates?
2) Does his approach to public policy remain relevant today?
Speakers and moderators included Keith Banting (Queen’s University), Robin Boadway (Queen’s University), Kevin Lynch (former federal public servant), Lisa Powell (University of Illinois at Chicago), Jennifer Ditchburn (Institute for Research on Public Policy), Bob Rae (political leader; former Premier of Ontario), Kyle Hanniman (Queen’s University), and Olivier Jacques (Université de Montréal).
The symposium was held at the University Club and attracted nearly 100 attendees, including students in the Master's of Public Administration program, faculty and distinguished fellows, representatives from Queen’s leadership, community members, and members of Tom's own family.
This event was made possible by the generosity of the Courchene family through the Margie and Tom Courchene Endowment Fund.
