Planting the Seeds of Change at Vic U
Dr. Jean Augustine spoke during a Charter Day event on Oct. 9. (Photo by Will Dang)
By Leslie Shepherd
Victoria University is fundraising for two projects that reflect the school’s deep commitment to education, equity and reconciliation—the Dr. Jean Augustine Professorship in Transformative Education and an Indigenous Healing Garden.
The university is seeking $2.5 million to establish a named professorship honouring Dr. Augustine’s pioneering legacy of advancing equity and social justice while creating opportunities for historically underserved communities. About $500,000 has been raised so far.
The professorship will be embedded in Victoria College’s Education & Society program and the Vic One Education stream and will champion inclusive teaching practices, foster community partnerships and tackle systemic inequities. This initiative will empower future leaders and educators to shape a society rooted in fairness and opportunity.
Victoria has the only undergraduate education/teaching program in the University of Toronto system.
“Victoria has a long and rich tradition of supporting and advancing women leaders, including Augusta Stowe-Gullen, the first woman to graduate from medical school in Canada, former Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and Judy LaMarsh, who was the first female Liberal cabinet minister— under Lester B. Pearson, another Vic grad,” said Victoria University President Dr. Rhonda McEwen. “In keeping with our Strategic Framework to foster greater inclusion, it is exciting that Dr. Augustine will be the first Black Canadian woman to have a named endowed professorship at U of T.”
Vic U will honour Dr. Augustine at the Isabel Bader Theatre as part of Black History Month celebrations in February. Dr. Augustine was the first Black woman elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada and the first appointed as a federal cabinet minister. Her many accomplishments in government include having February officially recognized as Black History Month.
Please join us on Feb. 6, 2025, for a screening of Steadfast: The Jean Augustine Story, with remarks by President McEwen and Dr. Augustine. A cocktail reception with live music will follow.
Meanwhile, on the east side of Emmanuel College, work has begun on an Indigenous Healing Garden and accessible pathway—a space for reflection, truth and reconciliation, and a living classroom for learning about Indigenous traditions and stewardship of the land.
The garden, created in consultation with Indigenous advisers, will be fully accessible and ecologically sustainable, growing Indigenous sacred medicinal plants, as well as vegetables and wildflowers. The garden is expected to officially open in the spring of 2025 to coincide with celebrations for the United Church of Canada’s centennial.
The goal is to raise $500,000 toward the cost of building the garden, through donations and naming opportunities for paver stones, plant beds, benches, lighting, the walking path and the accessibility ramp and railing.
An artist's rendering of the Indigenous Healing Garden.
“Both of these mini-campaigns support Vic U’s strategic priorities and are part of Defy Gravity: The Campaign for Victoria University,” said Louise Yearwood, executive director of Alumni Affairs & Advancement. “We hope that the Victoria community will embrace these initiatives enthusiastically and invest in this important work.”
To support these campaigns, please contact Victoria University’s Office of Alumni Affairs & Advancement at vic.alumni@utoronto.ca or 416-585-4500. Donations to the Indigenous Healing Garden can be made directly here.