Eric Peterson

“It’s difficult for me to put into words,” says stage, screen, and voice actor Eric Peterson about receiving an honorary degree from the University of Regina. “It’s a big deal for me,” he continues. “And it affirms to young people the possibility that they don’t have to leave home to achieve success, that being a cultural worker is not just something done by other people in other places.”

Peterson – who was born and raised in Indian Head, Saskatchewan – has fashioned a distinguished 50-year acting career that includes the enduring stage play Billy Bishop Goes to War and lead roles in the TV series Street Legal, This is Wonderland and Saskatchewan’s own Corner Gas. He has performed on stage in countless theatres across Canada, at international festivals, at London’s West End and on Broadway.

As for Corner Gas and his role as the irascible Oscar Leroy, Peterson describes what a huge thrill it was to step out and see his own landscape when he prepared for a day on the set. “I had to pinch myself, but it proved what I believed: that my country can produce successful cultural productions based on who we are.”

Peterson’s pathway to success did require him to travel to establish his career. Along the way, he met other Canadians who were determined to discover and tell Canadian stories. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Saskatchewan, “with no idea of what I wanted to do,” he says. While there, he was persuaded to take a part in a drama production and “took to it like a duck to water.”

After his second year he dropped out, working for a while with a semi-professional drama company before moving to England to work as an apprentice stage manager and stage carpenter, picking up acting roles when he could. When his work permit ran out, he returned to Western Canada, eventually settling in Vancouver where he met many people involved in the arts, including John Gray, who would become his long-time creative collaborator.

Later, in Toronto, Peterson’s experience with emerging groups such as Theatre Passe Muraille, which aimed to create a home-grown theatre telling Canadian stories, profoundly affected his thinking about theatre and his ambitions as an actor. “I realized that theatre – and cultural expression in general – is as important as any other activity in the life of a nation and its people; providing glimpses of what living in Canada and being Canadian is like.”

Peterson’s long list of acting credits include The Farm Show, a collective creation based on conversations with people living in Ontario’s farm country, and Billy Bishop Goes to War, a collaboration by Gray and Peterson that dramatizes the life of Canadian World War I fighter pilot Billy Bishop. The often-revived two-man musical has been a staple for Gray and Peterson throughout their careers. “Billy Bishop established us and made us famous, both in the theatre and on film,” Peterson observes.

As for Corner Gas and his role as the irascible Oscar Leroy, Peterson describes what a huge thrill it was to step out and see his own landscape when he prepared for a day on the set. “I had to pinch myself, but it proved what I believed: that my country can produce successful cultural productions based on who we are.”

Peterson also appeared in Corner Gas: The Movie, and continues to portray Oscar Leroy in the animated TV series.

Peterson receives his honorary degree on June 6, 2019.

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Jon Ryan will be forever immortalized – certainly on the Internet – for his touchdown pass that sparked a comeback playoff victory to ensure the Seattle Seahawks a berth in the 2014 NFL Super Bowl. The scoring toss – part of a fake field goal play – also earned Ryan a place in the NFL record book as the first punter to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL playoff game.

“I always try to lead by example on and off the field,” Ryan says. “That means never cutting corners, and treating all of the people you meet during a workday – and there are hundreds – the same way.”

While that may be his signature play, he says one of his greatest accomplishments, was to be named a team captain by his fellow players for four consecutive years. “I always try to lead by example on and off the field,” Ryan says. “That means never cutting corners, and treating all of the people you meet during a workday – and there are hundreds – the same way.”

Ryan was born and raised in Regina, playing running back, place kicker, and punter for the Sheldon-Williams Spartans, and then wide receiver and punter for four seasons with the University of Regina Rams. At the end of his university career, Ryan was recognized with three team awards from the Rams and named a first-team Canada West All-Star and CIS All-Star.

He is an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, known for his strong response to online homophobic comments made after the Pulse nightclub shootings in 2016. “I’m a believer in equality,” he says, “and that people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their race, sexuality or any other characteristic.”

He then spent two seasons as a punter with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He continued his career in the NFL, playing two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, followed by ten years with the Seattle Seahawks, including a Super Bowl championship in 2013. He was released by the Seahawks in August 2018. Ryan is proud of his longevity, being a member of a select group of just over 300 players who have appeared in more than 200 NFL games.

He is an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, known for his strong response to online homophobic comments made after the Pulse nightclub shootings in 2016. “I’m a believer in equality,” he says, “and that people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their race, sexuality or any other characteristic.”

Ryan also believes in giving back to his community. In Saskatchewan, he founded the Gear Up with Jon Ryan Foundation to fill a gap that he identified in minor football programming in Regina. The foundation initially provided proper equipment for younger players playing tackle football and more training for coaches to improve player safety. It has since expanded to other communities across Saskatchewan, including support for a start-up team in the northern part of the province.

Ryan credits the behind-the-scenes work of his wife – actress and comedian Sarah Colonna – members of his family, and some local business people for the foundation’s success in making football more accessible to young people. “There are about 25 people who put in unbelievable hours to make it go,” he says.

As for receiving an honorary degree from his alma mater, Ryan says it was a complete surprise when he received the call from University President Vianne Timmons. “It’s a great honour, and to receive an honorary degree at the same convocation that my mother (Barb Ryan) is getting one is pretty cool.”

Ryan receives his honorary degree on June 5, 2019.

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As a child growing up in India, Renu Kapoor recalls her mother helping young women further their education, while her father was a founding member of the Rotary service club in the country. She also remembers that students coming from other countries to attend school in their community were welcomed into their home. She absorbed those childhood lessons and has applied them as a volunteer and fundraiser and in her professional work as a counsellor.

“I tend to volunteer with activities that relate to community needs that I’ve identified as important,” she says. “My criteria for volunteering is: ‘Will it help people and make our community better?’”

“Regina has enriched my and my family’s life so much, and I believe in giving back to this community. I feel so fortunate to have met many beautiful people and to have built long-lasting friendships along the way,” she says

Kapoor has a Master of Social Work from the University of Lucknow, India, and a Master of Science-Social Work from the University of Wisconsin. She and her husband Don settled in Regina in 1965, when there was what she describes as a small but vibrant ethnic community in the city. “We faced challenges but felt welcomed,” she says. “In many ways the Regina of today is built on cultural diversity and richness; it is part of our city’s identity.”

Kapoor’s 35-year career focused on mental health and addictions counselling with the former Saskatchewan Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and the Regina Health District. Over her career, she witnessed a shift in public attitudes regarding addictions and
mental health.

“There was a stigma attached to people with addictions or mental health issues, but in my work I counselled people from all walks of life,” Kapoor notes. “Attitudes are quite different now; there is an understanding that these things can happen to anyone.”

Her volunteer activities outside work encompass organizations such as Cultural Connections Regina, Community Foundations of Canada, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, SaskCulture, Regina Public Library, YWCA Regina, Saskatchewan Health Care Excellence Awards, United Way Regina, North Central Family Centre and Regina Airport Authority.

“It is the biggest surprise of my life, and I feel deeply humbled by this honour,” Kapoor says.

Kapoor has also taken leading roles in various fundraising galas, including India Night, Champions for Mental Health, Moving Forward Together and the RCMP Charity Ball. She has been recognized for her volunteer work with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, University of Regina President’s Community Award, YWCA Volunteer of the Year Award and the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal, among many others.

Kapoor says she was in shock for days when she received the call from University of Regina President Vianne Timmons that she was to receive an honorary degree. “It is the biggest surprise of my life, and I feel deeply humbled by this honour,” Kapoor says. Her parents raised her to believe in the spirit of sharing, she adds, and that people should volunteer because of their values, not for recognition.

“Regina has enriched my and my family’s life so much, and I believe in giving back to this community. I feel so fortunate to have met many beautiful people and to have built long-lasting friendships along the way,” she says.

Kapoor receives her honorary degree on June 6, 2019.

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