Gordon and Jill Rawlinson to receive honorary degrees from University of Regina

By University Advancement and Communications Posted: June 7, 2019 10:00 a.m.

Gordon and Jill Rawlinson, philanthropists born and raised in Saskatchewan, have made service to community a way of life.
Gordon and Jill Rawlinson, philanthropists born and raised in Saskatchewan, have made service to community a way of life. Photo: U of R Photography

At the 45th annual spring Convocation being held at the Conexus Arts Centre today at 2:00 p.m., Gordon and Jill Rawlinson will receive the University of Regina's highest honour - an honorary degree for their lifelong commitment to community service.

Both Gordon and Jill Rawlinson were born and raised in Saskatchewan: Jill on a farm near Redvers and Gordon in Prince Albert. Jill received the Governor General's Academic Award in high school, studied at the University of Saskatchewan and then graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Gordon received a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan.

Gordon grew up around CKBI radio in Prince Albert, the broadcasting company his father E. A. Rawlinson established in 1946. Gordon expanded the company - Rawlco Radio - to include stations in Regina, Saskatoon, and Calgary, all of which have been recognized for their emphasis on community service. That same focus on community is conspicuous in the couple's lengthy list of philanthropic support directed to health care, education, the arts, and assistance to Aboriginal entrepreneurs and business leaders, primarily through their family foundation (the Lily Street Foundation), which Jill chairs.

A partial list of the many organizations and programs Gordon and Jill have donated to include the Mother Baby Care Centre at the Regina General Hospital, support for Aboriginal students studying business education at the University of Saskatchewan and several initiatives at the University of Regina. In Prince Albert they support the E. A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts and the Victoria Hospital Foundation. They have also donated to the Saskatchewan Hospital at the Battlefords and for the development of a multiplex facility in North Battleford. The couple are also major supporters of the United Way in Saskatoon and Regina, and the work of the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan.

Related

Up-and-coming Indigenous entrepreneurs and journalists get boost with gifts to U of R

Timely Rawlinson Gift to University of Regina Paves the Way for Indigenous Entrepreneurs