The Queen’s community is remembering Hugh Segal, a former Senator, long-time public servant, the Donald Matthews Faculty Fellow in Global Public Policy at the Queen’s School of Policy Studies, and a 2018 honorary degree recipient of Queen’s University, who died Aug. 9, 2023 at the age of 72.

A long-time supporter of Queen’s, Segal had a lengthy and impactful career in the public sector.  In addition to being a distinguished fellow at the School of Policy Studies, he also recently served as the director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy, and was Chair of the School of Policy Studies External Advisory Board

Segal was also the past director and an instructor on Queen’s Public Executive Program for more than 20 years, an Executive Education program delivered through Smith School of Business. It was evident through his teaching that the public service was more than a career for him, it was his calling.

“Hugh Segal was a long-standing champion of the School of Policy Studies. He set an example for our students and our faculty of how one might rise above partisan politics to craft policy solutions to some of the most difficult challenges that Canada faces,” says Warren Mabee, Executive Director of the School of Policy Studies. “He was deeply invested in discussions of how the school might evolve to best meet these challenges, and in his role as chair of our advisory board he assembled eminent Canadian thought leaders to guide us in that evolution. He will be greatly missed by his friends within the school and throughout Queen’s.”

During his career Segal held a number of key positions, including as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Associate Cabinet Secretary for Federal-Provincial Relations in Ontario under Premier William Davis.

In 2005 he was appointed to the Senate, representing Kingston-Frontenac-Leeds. During his time in the Upper Chamber he served as chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and the Special Senate Committee on Anti-terrorism.

Outside politics he also served as the fifth Head of Massey College at the University of Toronto and President of the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Montreal. More recently he was a senior strategic advisor at the Aird & Berlis LLP law firm and a Distinguished Fellow the Munk School of Global Affairs.

Segal’s public policy focus for many years was reforming income security in Canada with a basic income guarantee.

Flags on campus will be on Friday, Aug. 18.