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Past Honorary Doctorates
The university began awarding honorary doctoral degrees in 1996. The university awards its highest honour to those who have made extraordinary contributions in Canada, or internationally, to fields in which the university is active, to the development of the University or to the enhancement of Canadian culture or society.
| Recipient | Year Awarded | Degree |
| Albert Rose | 1996 | Doctor of Laws |
| David Mirvish | 1996 | Doctor of Letters |
| Diane McGarry | 1996 | Doctor of Science |
| Douglas G. Hull | 1996 | Doctor of Science |
| John Craig Eaton | 1996 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Pierre Juneau | 1996 | Doctor of Letters |
| The Right Honourable Romeo LeBlanc | 1996 | Doctor of Letters |
| Thomas A. Brzustowski | 1996 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Anne Golden | 1997 | Doctor of Laws |
| Linda Lundstrom | 1997 | Doctor of Laws |
| Marian Packham | 1997 | Doctor of Science |
| Murray Enkin | 1997 | Doctor of Laws |
| Peter Laughton | 1997 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Sam Sniderman | 1997 | Doctor of Commerce |
| The Honourable Jacques Hebert | 1997 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable Judd Buchanan | 1997 | Doctor of Laws |
| Alex Taylor | 1998 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Anne Ross | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| Arthur Lee | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| Barbara Hall | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| Gaetano Gagliano | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| James Cameron | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| Micheline Bouchard | 1998 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Ron Osborne | 1998 | Doctor of Laws |
| Bev Salmon | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Beverly Mascoll | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Cornelia Hahn Oberlander | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Frank McKenna | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jack Granatstein | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| John Neville | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Lionel Hurtubise | 1999 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Lorne Michaels | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Roger Moore | 1999 | Doctor of Laws |
| Allan Slaight | 2000 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Bobbie Gaunt | 2000 | Doctor of Laws |
| Carol Stephenson | 2000 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Christopher Chapman | 2000 | Doctor of Laws |
| Cynthia Trudell | 2000 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Pamela Wallin | 2000 | Doctor of Journalism |
| Russell Jolliffe | 2000 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ruth Grier | 2000 | Doctor of Laws |
| Stephen Foster | 2000 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Terence Grier | 2000 | Doctor of Laws |
| Dennis Lee | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Eugene Polistuk | 2001 | Doctor of Engineering |
| George Wong | 2001 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Graca Machel | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ivan Fecan | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jane Goodall | 2001 | Doctor of Science |
| Margaret Risk | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Maria Klawe | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Nelson Mandela | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Paul Godfrey | 2001 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Shirley Douglas | 2001 | Doctor of Laws |
| Christopher Plummer | 2002 | Doctor of Letters |
| George Heller | 2002 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Hurbert Astier | 2002 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ian Rowe | 2002 | Doctor of Engineering |
| James Orbinski | 2002 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jean Pelletier | 2002 | Doctor of Laws |
| Martha Billes | 2002 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Michael De Pencier | 2002 | Doctor of Letters |
| Mira Godard | 2002 | Doctor of Laws |
| Robert E. Brown | 2002 | Doctor of Science |
| Bonnie Sherr Klein | 2003 | Doctor of Laws |
| George Yabu | 2003 | Doctor of Laws |
| Glenn Pushelberg | 2003 | Doctor of Laws |
| Harry Rosen | 2003 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Isadore Sharp | 2003 | Doctor of Commerce |
| J. Fraser Mustard | 2003 | Doctor of Science |
| Joey Tanenbaum | 2003 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Linda Hasenfratz | 2003 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Richard B. Wright | 2003 | Doctor of Letters |
| Roberta Jamieson | 2003 | Doctor of Laws |
| Toby Tanenbaum | 2003 | Doctor of Commerce |
| William Davis | 2003 | Doctor of Laws |
| Albert Berry | 2004 | Doctor of Laws |
| Edward Kilroy | 2004 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Edward S. Rogers | 2004 | Doctor of Laws |
| Fang Minglun | 2004 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Jack Cockwell | 2004 | Doctor of Commerce |
| L. Yves Fortier | 2004 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Loretta Rogers | 2004 | Doctor of Laws |
| Michael F. Goodchild | 2004 | Doctor of Laws |
| Phyllis Lambert | 2004 | Doctor of Fine Arts in Photography Studies |
| Ronald D. Besse | 2004 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Sheela V. Basrur | 2004 | Doctor of Science |
| Tak Wah Mak | 2004 | Doctor of Science |
| Dennis Mock | 2005 | Doctor of Laws |
| Elyse Allan | 2005 | Doctor of Commerce |
| G. Raymond Chang | 2005 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Hany Moustapha | 2005 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Herschel Segal | 2005 | Doctor of Laws |
| Janet Storch | 2005 | Doctor of Science |
| John L. Sharpe | 2005 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Julia Levy | 2005 | Doctor of Science |
| Margaret MacMillan | 2005 | Doctor of Laws |
| Peter Mansbridge | 2005 | Doctor of Journalism |
| The Honourable James K. Bartleman | 2005 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable Tom Hockin | 2005 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Basil "Buzz" Hargrove | 2006 | Doctor of Laws |
| Christine Magee | 2006 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Heather Reisman | 2006 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Judith Shamian | 2006 | Doctor of Science |
| Margaret Somerville | 2006 | Doctor of Science |
| Pierre Lassonde, C. M. | 2006 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Piers Handling | 2006 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable Landon Pearson | 2006 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson | 2006 | Doctor of Laws |
| David Suzuki | 2007 | Doctor of Science |
| Donald Triggs | 2007 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Edward Burtynsky | 2007 | Doctor of Fine Arts in Photography Studies |
| Gail J. Donner | 2007 | Doctor of Science |
| Michael Belcourt | 2007 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Michele Landsberg | 2007 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ramsay Cook | 2007 | Doctor of Laws |
| Shirley M. Tilghman | 2007 | Doctor of Science |
| Stephen Lewis | 2007 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable George Vari | 2007 | Doctor of Engineering |
| The Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella | 2007 | Doctor of Laws |
| Brenda Milner | 2008 | Doctor of Science |
| Brian Segal | 2008 | Doctor of Laws |
| Dominic D'Alessandro | 2008 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Janet Rosenberg | 2008 | Doctor of Laws |
| John Honderich | 2008 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Lotfi Asker Zadeh | 2008 | Doctor of Science |
| Norman Jewison | 2008 | Doctor of Letters |
| Peter Busby | 2008 | Doctor of Science |
| The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain | 2008 | Doctor of Laws |
| Aditya Jha | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| Alan Broadbent | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| Asad M. Madni | 2009 | Doctor of Science |
| Gina Bohn Browne | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jean Arthur Beliveau | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| John A. Bickley | 2009 | Doctor of Science |
| Michael Adams | 2009 | Doctor of Letters |
| Michael Guerriere | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable Edward Broadbent | 2009 | Doctor of Laws |
| David E. Smith | 2010 | Doctor of Letters |
| Frances Lankin | 2010 | Doctor of Laws |
| Kyle Rae | 2010 | Doctor of Laws |
| Paula N. Goering | 2010 | Doctor of Science |
| The Honourable Louise Arbour | 2010 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Right Honourable Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin | 2010 | Doctor of Laws |
| Tony Gagliano | 2010 | Doctor of Laws |
| William Alsop | 2010 | Doctor of Letters |
| Charles S. Coffey | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Des McAnuff | 2011 | Doctor of Letters |
| Joanne H. Dallaire | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Julie Payette | 2011 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Justice Robert W. Metzger | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Laura Formusa | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Michael MacMillan | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Phil Fontaine | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ruth daCosta | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ursula Franklin | 2011 | Doctor of Laws |
| Shawn Atleo | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Margaret Eleanor Atwood | 2012 | Doctor of Letters |
| Sally M. Horsfall Eaton | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Christiane Germain | 2012 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Graeme Gibson | 2012 | Doctor of Letters |
| Sarabjit S. Marwah | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Rohinton Mistry | 2012 | Doctor of Letters |
| Valerie Pringle | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ivan Reitman | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Robert B. Thirsk | 2012 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Colm Wilkinson | 2012 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mitchell Cohen | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Kenneth Dryden | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Diane Francis | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Sue Gardner | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Thomas E. Kierans | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Judith Levkoe | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Deepa Mehta | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Calvin R. Stiller | 2013 | Doctor of Science |
| Chief Justice Warren Winkler | 2013 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mary Jo Haddad | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Christopher Hume | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Shafique Keshavjee | 2014 | Doctor of Science |
| Roy McMurtry | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Peter Oliver | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Bonnie Patterson | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jack Rabinovitch | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Brian Stewart | 2014 | Doctor of Journalism |
| Hayley Wickenheiser | 2014 | Doctor of Laws |
| Salah Bachir | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ed Clark | 2015 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Steve Gupta | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ralph Lean | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Gordon Pinsent | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Adel Sedra | 2015 | Doctor of Engineering |
| James (Jim) Temerty | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Louise Arcand Temerty | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Annette Verschuren | 2015 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Catherine Zahn | 2015 | Doctor of Laws |
| Catharina Birchall | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| William Birchall | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Dennis Edney | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Patricia Edney | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Siamak Hariri | 2016 | Doctor of Architecture |
| Peter Gilgan | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Nick Saul | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| John Smol | 2016 | Doctor of Science |
| Carole Tanenbaum | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Howard Tanenbaum | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Lisa de Wilde | 2016 | Doctor of Laws |
| Cindy Blackstock | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Frank Iacobucci | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Heather McGregor | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| David McKay | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Bonnie Schmidt | 2017 | Doctor of Science |
| Masai Ujiri | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Louis Vachon | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Helen Vari | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Phyllis Yaffe | 2017 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mohamad Fakih | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Elyse Goldstein | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| David Johnston | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Alanis Obomsawin | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ratna Omidvar | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Brian Porter | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Michael Tulloch | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Maria Campbell | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Hassan Yussuff | 2018 | Doctor of Laws |
| Richard Atleo | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Samantha Nutt | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Eric McCormack | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Jean Augustine | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Victor G. Dodig | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Hazel McCallion | 2019 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Maryka Omatsu | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Sajjad Ebrahim | 2019 | Doctor of Laws |
| Donette Chin-Loy Chang | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mitch Frazer | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Silvio De Gasperis | 2021 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Emmanuelle Gattuso | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Gregory Regis | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Tanya Talaga | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Malala Yousafzai | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Brian Gluckstein | 2021 | Doctor of Fine Arts |
| Wes Hall | 2021 | Doctor of Laws |
| Louise Penny | 2021 | Doctor of Letters |
| Avvy Yao-Yao Go | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| George Russell Strathy | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mohammad Al Zaibak | 2022 | Doctor of Commerce |
| Michael Clemons | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Anju Virmani | 2022 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Sherrill Tekatsi’ tsia:kwa Cook Barreiro | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Edward Sonshine | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Gabrielle Scrimshaw Sagalova | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Avie Bennett | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Vivienne and Neville Poy | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Toby Heaps | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Lynn Factor | 2022 | Doctor of Laws |
| Nigela and Wayne Purboo | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Lawrence Loh | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Michelle DiEmanuele | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Dwight Drummond | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Deborah Flint | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Rola Dagher |
2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| John England | 2023 | Doctor of Science |
| Kimberly Murray | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Izzeldin Abuelaish | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Lisa LaFlamme | 2023 | Doctor of Laws |
| Nancy Sprott | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |
| Haroon Siddiqui | 2024 |
Doctor of Laws |
| Roslyn Bern | 2024 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Catherine Karakatsanis | 2024 | Doctor of Engineering |
| Bernd Christmas | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |
| Tony Chahine | 2024 | Doctor of Science |
| Theresa McClenaghan | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |
| Richard Rooney | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |
| Ray Williams | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |
| Mark Bonham | 2024 |
Doctor of Laws |
| Janice Fukakusa | 2024 | Doctor of Laws |