Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 16, 2021
• Invested on: June 21, 2023

Ralph Nilson, C.M.
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Ralph Nilson is a powerful advocate for access to higher education. President emeritus of Vancouver Island University, he transitioned the former college into an award-winning university recognized for the quality of its faculty and dedication to its students. He is highly regarded for implementing a tuition waiver program for former youth in care, an initiative emulated across the province. He is also admired for developing programming that honours the reconciliation process and supports the cultural values of Vancouver Island’s First Nations peoples.