- Every year, usually during our graduation ceremonies,
UBC has the honour of bestowing honorary degrees
upon individuals,
who, in the opinion of the university community,
have fit the criteria of excellence
and eminence in their chosen field.
Howard Soon exemplifies these characteristics
and it is our pleasure to grant him an honorary degree.
The pioneers of British Columbia's wine industry
includes several UBC alumni,
but few have contributed in greater measure to both the art
and the science of winemaking in this province
than Howard Soon.
A graduate of the faculty of science in biochemistry,
he spent five years in the brewing industry
before steering his creativity in a new direction.
For the next 37 years, from 1980 to 2017,
he was involved in winemaking in Calona Vineyards
in Kelowna,
including the founding winemaker
of the award-winning Sandhill Wines.
Renowned among growers for his collaborative
and non-interventionalist approach,
he was the first British Columbia winemaker
to release exclusively single vineyard wines,
a practice that subsequently became central
to the production of many of the province's
most distinct award-winning wines.
Indeed, he continues to do so today,
creating small lot wines of notable distinction
in hands-on fashion as master winemaker
at Vanessa Vineyards.
His commitment to the industry is highlighted
by his volunteer work on various industry
and government boards,
including the Scientific Advisory Board
for Grape and Wine Genomics,
a research project involving Genome BC and Genome Canada.
I am pleased to also note that he has also served
on the Dean's Advisory Board
for the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
He has received numerous industry awards,
but perhaps none more prestigious than when in 1999,
he became the first BC winemaker to receive a gold medal
at the Chardonnay du Monde competition in Burgundy, France.
It should also be noted that 2019
turned out to be a particularly fine vintage year
for him personally,
one in which he was appointed
as a Member of the Order of Canada.
In recognition of his contributions to this profession
and to the economy, culture and lifestyle of this province,
we are pleased to confer the degree of Doctor of Science,
Honoris Causa, upon Howard Timothy Lee Soon.
It now it gives me great pleasure to ask Dr. Soon
to say a few words.
- Mr. Chancellor, Mr. President,
and members of the UBC community, hello from Kelowna, BC
in the heart of the beautiful Okanagan Valley.
My name is Howard Soon.
It is my honour and privilege to speak to you today.
I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
First, we should give thanks to our parents,
family members, teachers, professors,
and mentors that have supported us throughout to graduation.
Second to the members of the UBC graduating class of 2020,
congratulations.
This is a special point in your lives.
Shortly, you will be moving on to enter new jobs,
further studies, more success.
I think it is wise to pause for a moment,
reflect on what this means, share your joy with others,
perhaps even have a small party.
Dr. Ono, thank you for reading my citation to all assembled.
It was done respectfully and also kindly.
I feel humbled yet proud
to know that in my 40 years of winemaking
in British Columbia,
I have helped in building the success
of our wine industry today.
In the early days,
our BC wine was not well liked or respected.
Wine critics, restaurateurs,
consumers, and politicians sneered at our quality.
The only wine I've ever worked at is Kelowna wines,
originally started by the Capozzi family
and famous for wine packaged in large jugs.
I still remember the remark made by Dr. Pat McGeer,
an MLA and an UBC alumnus that our wines tasted
like they were strained through Capozzi socks
and everybody laughed at that one.
There was no one to give rebuttal to his remarks
at that time.
Now with all my BC Wine colleagues,
we would be able to make a positive reply.
Her Honour, Iona Campagnolo,
one of our Lieutenant Governors,
was foresighted enough in 2003
to start a Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence
in BC wine.
I still recall welcoming our next Lieutenant Governor,
His Honour Steven Point, and his wife, Gwen,
and international diplomatic corps
to our Cilento Winery to celebrate the presentation
of one of those awards.
Now I am glad to offer congratulations
and support to Steven Point as our newest UBC Chancellor.
Now BC and Canadian wines have been widely accepted
for quality, both within our borders and beyond.
A universal truth about fine wine is that it shows terroir,
broadly translated to a sense of place
where the grape is grown.
How appropriate that each bottle of BC wine,
wherever in the world that is tasted can exhibit terroir
and the magnificent beauty of our province.
Now, a recent study of the economic impact
of the wine industry to the local economy
reveals that in Canada,
$9 billion goes to our country.
Within BC, our share of that is $3 billion
from about 300 wineries.
Astounding.
Now my humble nature kicks in.
There are many people united in the quest to make and sell
great wines from BC.
30 years ago, the BC VQA program started.
Visionary people and practical people,
great farmers took part.
Harry McWatters, George and Trudy Heiss,
Anthony von Mandl, Robert Goltz and Richard Cleve,
and many others invested dollars and sweat in our future.
My own time at UBC was spent on,
what is now called the Point Grey Campus.
I still remembering entering IRC-2 to take Biochem 410.
The bright green color of the swinging doors
and distinctive snick snick as they opened and closed
for latecomers to the lecture is something I remember.
Of course I was never late,
after setting up my tape recorder
and choosing where to sit among the 400 to 500 seats,
right next door with the Woodward Biomedical Library,
where I fondly remember, courting my future wife, Wendy.
Our UBC campus was a beautiful romantic place then,
and still is.
My career in winemaking started with a deep love of science
and a UBC degree.
I am proud that we have a world-class Wine Research Centre
at UBC that is now located at both campuses.
For public universities, UBC is ranked second in Canada,
seventh in North America, and in the top 20 in the world.
Graduating from UBC should make us all proud.
What is the value of a UBC degree?
I know that you've been through a learning process
that has trained you.
Here's a checklist, how to think,
how to face challenges and surmount them,
both external and internal challenges,
how to work with others, how to be a better person,
how to take care of the world.
This is the first time
that UBC has had a virtual graduation celebration.
You have a UBC degree virtually clutched in your hands.
We have not lived with a pandemic threat before.
Things are looking grim.
Some of us will look to the past
and wish things were like they used to be.
Some will look to the future and fear it.
It's been said that we are living in the new normal.
Things will be different.
Having a UBC degree leaves you better equipped
to deal with the future.
With a UBC degree, you join a privileged few
that have had a higher level of education
in this beautiful, safe, free country of Canada.
With that privilege comes great responsibility to help out.
Congratulations again.
In the early days of the pandemic,
Dr. Bonnie Henry asked us to be kind,
to be calm, and to be safe.
I was surprised that then that she told us to be kind.
Who knew how hard it was going to be
to live with this threat of COVID-19.
Who knew that our friends and family or strangers
could be potential carriers.
Dr. Bonnie was really smart
to know that our tolerance to danger from others
would wear thin.
You know, those announcement boards outside of churches
that often have a wise thought posted for you
as you drive by?
Rutland United had one that reminded us,
be kind, be calm, be safe, be Bonnie Henry.
My point is that,
this is showing us to show leadership by example,
to show kindness, to show caring for others.
A university degree empowers you and calls you
to build a better world, to become a better world.
You have the knowledge and abilities,
you're at the right time in the right place.
Our hope is in you.
Those are my thoughts for this special day.
I hope you will find them worthy of your action.
Thank you.