Honour Bestowed Upon Lieutenant-Governor

The University of West Indies (UWI) will honour Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis, musician Harry Belafonte and other individuals who have made significant contributions to the university and Caribbean community.

The lieutenant governor will be recognized in Toronto on Saturday, Feb. 27, at a gala to celebrate the many graduates from UWI who have contributed to Canada's rich diversity. Proceeds from the event will benefit UWI's scholarship program.

Lt.-Gov. Francis is the first African Nova Scotian Lieutenant Governor, and the second woman to hold the position. A first-generation Canadian whose parents immigrated to Canada from the Caribbean, Lt.-Gov. Francis has a strong family connection to the region. Her father was a native of Cuba and her mother hailed from Antigua.

"I am greatly honoured to be recognized by the UWI," said Lt.- Gov. Francis. "As the child of West Indian parents, I am delighted to accept this award in their memory."

The University of the West Indies was established in 1948 as a college of the University of London. It achieved full university status in 1962 and today, is the only pan-Caribbean university offering a wide array of accredited programs to 40,000 students, with campuses in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean.