-Annual medal ceremony and lecture on the state of Canadian Confederation returns this fall; 2020 Medallist to be named in early May-

(Charlottetown, P.E.I.) – CEO Steve Bellamy and the Confederation Centre of the Arts team announced today that the 2020 Symons Medal will be awarded on Friday, October 30, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Symons Medal—one of Canada’s most prestigious honours—recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to Canadian life. Held each fall, the medal ceremony and its associated lecture create a national platform for an eminent Canadian to discuss the nation’s current state, shared histories, and future prospects.

The Centre also announced today that the recipient of the 2020 Symons Medal will be revealed in early May 2020. The Symons Medal Ceremony also includes an hour-long address wherein the Medallist reflects upon the state of Canadian Confederation using themes related to their professional pursuits.

The award is presented at Confederation Centre of the Arts—Canada’s living monument to Canadian Confederation—in honour of the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation, who first gathered at Province House National Historic Site in the fall of 1864.

Since 2004, the Centre has honoured 19 distinguished Symons Medallists. These include: the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau; His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; Historian Margaret MacMillan; the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada; and Senator Murray Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Tickets for this important ceremony will be available via the Box Office at a later date. Stay tuned for further event updates on social media: @confedcentre and via hashtag, #Symons2020.

The 2020 Ceremony will take place in the Homburg Theatre and will also be live-streamed via the Centre’s Facebook feed. In the event of any continued precautions around public gatherings this fall, the Centre will announce updates around the expanded use of the live-stream.

Photo cutline: The Symons Medal was designed by Dora de Pedery-Hunt, CM, OOnt (1913 – 2008). The famed Canadian sculptor was inspired by the Jean Paul Lemieux 1964 painting Charlottetown Revisited (submitted).

Previous Symons Medallists: (from most recent)

• 2019 Senator Murray Sinclair, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• 2018 Dr. Margaret MacMillan, historian
• 2017 The Right Honourable Prime Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
• 2016 Antonine Maillet, novelist and playwright
• 2015 Paul Gross, actor, writer, director
• 2014 Stephen Lewis, politician, human rights activist, UN Special Envoy
• 2014 His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
• 2013 The Right Honourable Paul Martin
• 2012 Dr. David Suzuki, environmentalist
• 2011 Dr. Ivan Fellegi, former Chief Statistician of Canada
• 2010 The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada
• 2009 Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, national Inuit organization
• 2008 The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of Canada
• 2008 Dr. Ian E. Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada
• 2007 The Honourable John Crosbie
• 2007 The Honourable Peter Lougheed
• 2006 Mark Starowicz, producer and journalist
• 2005 The Honourable Roy McMurtry, Chief Justice of Ontario
• 2004 The Honourable Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec

About the Lecture: The Symons Medal and Lecture Series is named in honour of Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, a long-time supporter of Confederation Centre and a Board Governor. Professor Symons, the founding President of Trent University, is widely recognized for his work in the field of Canadian Studies, particularly within public policy, heritage, and education. Read more here.