Posted on October 17, 2017

Norman Loveland’s U of T pride has extended well past his Class of 1972 days at the Faculty of Law. The now-retired tax lawyer and former partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP has fond memories of his alma mater – and wants to help other students to experience the same. He and his spouse Gay Loveland, a former teacher and U of T alumna, are big supporters of promoting post-secondary education, particularly for Indigenous youth.

“U of T Law was a great calling card,” says Norman, one he now wishes to help extend to Indigenous youth.

Making education available to future leaders is important for reconciliation

“I think it’s very important that we support Indigenous people in pursuing fields such as education, engineering, and law, so that they will be at the forefront of tackling issues and working with their leaders in their communities,” adds Gay. “I think this is a very important part of the reconciliation process.”

That’s why they’ve donated $1 million towards the Faculty of Law’s student financial aid fund, specifically to benefit Indigenous youth. It’s their part, says Gay, to help right the wrongs in Canada’s history with its Indigenous Peoples.

“We are deeply grateful for Norman and Gay Loveland’s most generous gift to support our Indigenous law students,” says Dean Edward Iacobucci. “Building up our needs-based financial program is the key funding priority for this chapter at the law school, and I am excited at the prospect of supporting Indigenous students attending the Faculty of Law with the help of their gift.”

A legacy of pride in U of T and giving back to society

Their generosity of spirit and time is extensive beyond U of T: he in the business world, and she in children’s charities, education and in supporting victims of violence. Their career successes have allowed them to pursue their passions.

Looking back, it wasn’t an easy decision for Norman to attend law school as a married, older student, after completing a civil engineering degree at Queen’s. By then, he and Gay had moved to Burlington, Ontario and he needed to commute to U of T. Hearing about the Faculty of Law’s outstanding reputation – and easy access to the campus on the GO train – clinched it for him, and the rest was history.

“I really liked the environment of U of T. I was absolutely amazed how intimate, pleasant and terrific it was— humble, warm and positive.”

So for Norman, there was no question this outstanding gift would be for U of T.

“I always felt proud of U of T—the university, the law school, the institution, the faculty, the student body. It just seemed to me it was a very worthwhile thing to do, and a very good place to do it. I’m very high on U of T,” he says with a chuckle.

“I have always felt we should do something meaningful at U of T. And the Faculty of Law is making every effort to ensure that anybody who has the capacity and the interest and drive to go to law school will not be precluded for lack of money,” says Norman. “Gay and I very much wanted to support this effort.”