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Elite Canadian journalist to receive honorary doctorate

NEWS RELEASE ALGOMA UNIVERSITY ************************* Lester Pyette to be Recognized at June Convocation Algoma University is pleased to announce that established Canadian journalist Lester Pyette will be this year's Honorary Degree Recipient

NEWS RELEASE

ALGOMA UNIVERSITY

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Lester Pyette to be Recognized at June Convocation

Algoma University is pleased to announce that established Canadian journalist Lester Pyette will be this year's Honorary Degree Recipient at the 2014 Convocation ceremonies, to be held on Saturday, June 14. 

"Lester Pyette is a great Saultite," said University President, Dr. Richard Myers. "He has made outstanding contributions to the world of Canadian journalism and is considered by many to be something of a newspaper legend. He's an excellent choice for the honorary doctorate at this year's Convocation, and we're delighted to have him with us."

Lester Pyette is an esteemed Canadian journalist from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

At the age of only 17, Pyette began his lifelong newspaper career, working as a sports writer at the Sault Ste. Marie Daily Star from 1963 to 1967.

From here, Pyette's career skyrocketed, to include the Publisher and CEO of the National Post (2004 and 2006), Vice President of New Products at the Quebecor (2003), Vice President of Sun Media, Eastern Region (2002-03), Publisher, Executive Assistant to the President, and Executive Editor of the Toronto Sun (2002, 1984-1992), Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and CEO of the Calgary Sun (1980-84), as well as many others.

In October of 2013, Pyette was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame, amongst other distinguished peers including Doug Creighton, Peter Worthington, Pierre Berton, Conrad Black, Lloyd Robertson, and Jocko Thomas.

With over 40 years of journalistic experience, Pyette has striven to emphasize the importance of a free and independent print media that is both accurate and accountable.

Even more important, Pyette has aimed to expose and liberate freedom of thought and expression, as well as fostering debates on varied ideas - cornerstones in any post-secondary institution.

"[I am] Surprised yet delighted to be recognized as a Sault native who lived their dream of first writing about sports then switching to news and eventually to the CEO level of many newspapers and always making sure that wherever I went people knew that I was from the Soo and very proud of it...The Soo is a great place to live and certainly a terrific place to spend your youth and although I've lived in and visited many cities I still call the Soo home. I can't thank Algoma University enough for recognizing my 41 years in the newspaper business with this outstanding honor," said Lester Pyette.

 Previous Honorary Degree Recipients include Giller Prize winning author Joseph Boyden, Guy Traficante, Principal of the Algoma Conservatory, James Bartleman, former Ontario Lieutenant Governor, hockey coach Ted Nolan, Canadian hockey legend Ron Francis, and Frederick Griffith, long-time chair of the Group Health Centre.

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