Mr. Lorne Cardinal

Convocation A
Doctor of Letters, honoris causa

Mr. Lorne Cardinal is perhaps best known for his starring role as Officer Davis Quinton in the popular television comedy series Corner Gas. One of Canada’s most successful actors and directors, Mr. Cardinal earned his first theatre credits at Cariboo College in 1987/88 in courses taught by Dr. David Edwards, who is retiring this year after 24 years of service to TRU. Besides taking Introduction to Acting, Lorne appeared in one of this institution’s earliest staged productions at the Pavilion Theatre with the Cariboo College Actors’ Workshop Theatre. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta, and has been acting in film, television and the stage throughout Canada and the United States over the last decade.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Cardinal has maintained a focus on Aboriginal issues in much of his work, reflecting his Cree heritage and his personal commitment to social education and the promotion of Canada’s Aboriginal culture through art.

Mr. Cardinal has appeared in many movies, television series and stage plays. His performance in the MOW Tecumseh: The Last Warrior earned him a First Americans in the Arts nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has won a Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series for Corner Gas in 2007. Additionally, Mr. Cardinal has been nominated for numerous theatre awards throughout his stage career.

In recognizing Mr. Cardinal, Thompson Rivers University is recognizing the importance of theatre as a vehicle of social change, and in particular, the cultural importance of Aboriginal artists and art.