For years, The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy has provided OLIP with support in so many forms. As a committed sponsor to our programme, the Society offers the interns an abundance of intellectual and academic support from their distinguished members and executives.
The Churchill Society is a non-partisan, charitable organization that honours the life of Sir Winston Churchill. The Churchill Society facilitates education, discussion and debate about Canada's parliamentary democracy. The Churchill Society was formed in Toronto in 1982 and is named after former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, one of the greatest Parliamentarians of all time.
Many esteemed figures hold membership, are present on the board of directors and have been honoured by the Churchill Society. The current Chair is Mr. John Parker, former Ontario MPP and Toronto City Councillor.
In September, the Interns were delighted to meet with Mr. Parker and fellow board member Corrine Murray. We discussed the important role of the society and the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. They expressed how much they enjoy the OLIP program and we are so fortunate to have their support. It was a wonderful discussion to kickstart our time as interns and really get our curiosity flowing.
The Churchill Society so graciously allows an OLIP intern to attend and contribute to their monthly meetings of the Board of Directors. These meetings include stimulating and insightful dialogue on current events, the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill and Parliamentary Democracy in modern times. Our current intern, Eric Osborne, is so grateful to have been given the opportunity to spend time engaging with members of the board and special guests that are invited.
He extends his thanks to members John Parker, Corrine Murray, David Brady, Tracy Dalglish, Mitchell Davidson, Gordon Kaiser, Peter Large, Cameron MacKay, Robert O'Brien, David Pyper, Peter Russell, Harlan Tufford and Malilha Wilson for being so welcoming and allowing him to contribute to these exceptional discussions. He has truly enjoyed learning from such an insightful and distinguished group. He recognizes how fortunate he is to have the opportunity to interact and learn from them on an intimate level.
Each year, the Churchill Society generously invites the OLIP interns to attend their Annual Society Dinner. The dinner is an illustrious event, attended by many prominent public figures from throughout Canada. The dinner’s main event is the recognition and presentation of the Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy. The Churchill Society honours an important member of Canadian society who has contributed greatly in the advancement of Parliamentary Democracy. This year’s honoree was the Hon. David Crombie. Past recipients of the award include: The Rt. Hon. Paul Martin Jr., the Hon. Bob Rae, the Hon. Hugh Segal, the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, the Hon. William Davis, the Hon. Sheila Copps and many other distinguished honorees. It was an absolute pleasure for the interns to have the opportunity to attend and engage with such important figures from Canada’s political sphere.
The OLIP interns want to express how grateful we are for the support from the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy and we are excited for this friendship to last for years to come.