Community Builder John Ruddy to Receive Honorary Degree from Algonquin College
Posted on Monday, June 7th, 2021
OTTAWA – (June 7, 2021) Algonquin College will present Ottawa’s John Ruddy, visionary entrepreneur and community philanthropist, with an Honorary Degree at its virtual convocation ceremony in June.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ruddy started the Trinity Development Group – one of Canada’s leading developers – nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the company has developed properties across the country, including local projects such as South Keys, Lansdowne Park, and 900 Albert. Ruddy was also a driving force in bringing professional football back to the city, and currently serves as Governor for the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks.
“John’s incredible success in business is exceeded by his dedication and contributions to the community, including here at the College where he, as a Campaign Cabinet member, contributed to the fundraising strategy and helped raise funds for Algonquin’s Centre for Construction Excellence,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO. “Our community has been transformed in so many positive ways thanks to John’s vision and ability to bring people together to achieve great things.”
Ruddy established the Trinity Development Foundation to provide community-level funding for youth education and sports, seniors, health and the arts – and as honorary chair of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, he launched a $25-million fundraising campaign in 2015 with his own $1-million donation. His passion for football also extended to his alma mater, with Ruddy contributing $5 million to help revive Carleton University’s football team in 2013, after a 15-year absence.
“I like to work on challenging things. That’s what motivates me,” Ruddy says. “As a developer, you want to serve a societal need – houses to live in, offices to work out of, stores to shop in. But there is also a great desire, at least on my part, to create a legacy of buildings that I can look back on with pride.”
The Honorary Degree will be awarded to Ruddy on June 23 during Algonquin College’s virtual convocation ceremony.
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For more information:
Bruce Hickey
Communications Officer
Algonquin College
Chris Lackner
Communications Manager
Algonquin College
Office: 613-727-4723 ext. 2091
Mobile: 613-220-3479
About Algonquin College:
The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.
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