Dear members of the McGill community,
On March 31, 2021, McGill will turn 200, an occasion to celebrate our past achievements and to set the course for our future. This March also marks one year since the pandemic altered our lives dramatically, ushering in a challenging reality that we continue to navigate.
While this may be an unusual time to mark a bicentennial anniversary, it is also a most meaningful moment to do so. The pandemic has reminded us of how our community, time and again, rises to the occasion. We take on new challenges with determination, forge new paths and find solutions to improve society — as many McGillians have done over two centuries. There is no doubt that this period has tested our resiliency. Yet, it has also prompted us to reimagine our regular activities, offering a unique opportunity for reflection as we embark on our third century.
With the continued evolution of COVID-19, the plans for McGill’s Bicentennial have likewise changed substantially. Events have been postponed, scaled down and adapted to a virtual format. Even amid these uncertain times, we recognize the significance of this milestone for our community, which invites us to come together and celebrate the people, both past and present, who have contributed to McGill’s 200 years of impact.
On March 31 at 12:30 pm ET, you are invited to join us for McGill’s Bicentennial Day. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, MD’18, and Heleena De Oliveira, BA’21, will host this interactive event, which will feature stories from the McGill community and performances by our students from the Schulich School of Music, as well as Inuk/Mohawk artist Beatrice Deer and Chilly Gonzales, BMus’94.
For more information and to register for Bicentennial Day, please visit the newly launched Bicentennial website, 200.mcgill.ca.
I hope that, as we mark this important milestone, you will be reminded that you are an integral part of a very special community — one that has been evolving for 200 years, that has made an incredible impact on society and knowledge, and that has helped people fulfill their promise.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Fortier
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Le 31 Mars 2021