Bio

Dr. Peter Harrison

Contact: 

School of Policy Studies

138 Union Street, Room 217

Queen’s University

Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

613.533.3020

Peter.Harrison@queensu.ca

Dr. Peter Harrison has been the Skelton-Clark Fellow in the School of Policy Studies at Queen`s University (Kingston, Ontario) since June 1st 2008 

Immediately prior to this he was Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada where he was responsible for the Northern Affairs Program (NAP) and the Inuit Relations Secretariat (IRS).  In this position Peter’s responsibilities included guiding the development of Canada's Northern/Arctic Strategy and the proposed world class Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS). 

Concurrently, Peter was the Executive Director and Deputy Minister (Permanent Secretary) of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada where he was responsible for the successful implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, which is the largest court-ordered out-of-court settlement in Canadian history.  This included: implementation of the Common Experience Payment; the creation of the Independent Assessment process (to deal with specific cases of abuse); the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and shepherding the development of the Government of Canada`s apology to First Nation, Inuit and Métis survivors of Residential Schools which the Prime Minister made in the House of Commons on June 11th, 2008.

Peter has served as Deputy Minister (Permanent Secretary) of:

• Natural Resources Canada (energy and mineral policy; climate change; the Geological Survey of Canada; Polar Continental Shelf Project; Geomatics Canada; CANMET; the Canadian Forestry Service)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fisheries management; ocean policy; marine science; habitat regulation; the Canadian Coast Guard)
• The Leadership Network
• Public Appointments Commission
• Senior Research Fellow (Oceans) at the National Research Council. (Ratification of UNCLOS; the Oceans Action Plan; International Polar Year) 

He was previously Assistant and Associate Deputy Minister in a variety of Departments including Finance, Indian and Northern Affairs, the Canadian Centre for Management Development, Revenue Canada, and Human Resources Development Canada.  In the Privy Council (Cabinet) Office he was Secretary to the Priorities and Planning, Operations, and Expenditure Review Committees of Cabinet.

Peter is a professional Geographer and holds a BA Hon (1st Class) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), an MA from the University of Victoria (British Columbia), and a PhD from the University of Washington (Seattle).  Prior to 1981, Peter was Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Ottawa.  He served on the Council of Ontario Universities, and was a member of its Executive Committee.  His research, teaching and writing focused on Ocean and Coastal Management with particular reference to the North and the Arctic, and this continues.  Peter`s most recent publications include:

• Ricketts, P., and P. Harrison 2007 (guest editors) Coastal Management Theme Issue: Coastal and Ocean Management in Canada: Moving Into the 21st. Century 35(1) 3-162
• Ricketts, P., and P. Harrison 2007 Coastal and Ocean Management in Canada: Moving into the 21st Century Coastal Management 35(1) 3-22

Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; a Fellow, Governor, and Vice President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; and Adjunct Professor at the World Maritime University (Malmö, Sweden).  He is a recipient of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Gold Medal for Public Service, and the J.B.Nicholls award for lifetime contribution to Ocean and Coastal Management in Canada.