It was a real pleasure to welcome Guests of Honour the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark and Ms. Maureen McTeer to the 2026 OUS Ottawa black tie dinner on Tuesday, 12 May. Also joining us for the evening was H.E. Rob Tinline, British High Commissioner to Canada.
Mr. Clark was the 16th Prime Minister of Canada and also served with great distinction as Secretary of State for External Affairs (i.e. Canadian Foreign Minister) from 1984-1991, where among many other accomplishments he was instrumental in forging a Commonwealth consensus against apartheid.
During a session smoothly moderated by OUS Ottawa VP Akaash Maharaj, Mr. Clark modestly downplayed his influence, but it was nonetheless evident to all that thanks to his experience and keen insight, his perspectives regarding Canada’s international role remain both timely and relevant today. The willingness of Mr. Clark and Ms. McTeer to engage with participants prior to the event and during a Q&A session was keenly appreciated by all, as was this year’s venue at the newly refurbished Officers Mess on Somerset St. W.
Oxford University Society in Ottawa 