The University of Ottawa announced today one of the largest individual philanthropic gifts in its history.
The Dellelce family is generously donating $5 million to create the Susan, Perry, Taylor, and Nicholas Dellelce Legacy Fund in support of the Faculty of Law, Common Law section’s students and faculty members, both now and in the future.
With their landmark gift, they intend to seed the potential expansion and renovation of Fauteux Hall, home to the Law School, and create an endowment that will fund future Deans’ priorities in perpetuity.
Perry Dellelce is a proud and distinguished uOttawa alumnus, having graduated with a law degree in 1990.
In recognition of, and with deep gratitude for their philanthropy, the University will create its first named deanship in honour of the donors. Dr. Kristen Boon will be the first Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean for the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, as she commences her position on April 15, 2022.
The Susan & Perry Dellelce named deanship is a first of its kind for uOttawa, and to our knowledge, a first for any Canadian post-secondary institution. Named in recognition of its generous donors, the Fund will ensure the Dean has unprecedented financial support to achieve the Faculty of Law’s vision and priorities. “We are honoured that the Dellelce family are entrusting us with this investment in our Faculty” said Alain Roussy, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.
“My time at the uOttawa law school was instrumental to my success,” said Perry Dellelce, Founder and Managing Partner of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, one of Canada’s leading corporate finance and transactional law firms. “My first year in Law School was particularly challenging. Then Dean Don McRae, took a personal interest in me, and his support and mentorship made all the difference in my success. I grew up in a family that believed in community involvement. Our children, Taylor and Nicholas, have been raised with the same values. My wife Susan and I believe in giving back, and that’s what we are doing today.”
The Dellelce family, and Perry in particular, share the dream of many in the Faculty of Law, that of enhancing the law school’s physical learning environment. “This gift is about creating an inspiring space that will attract the best educators and students from every part of our society so they can all thrive,” added Mr. Dellelce. “Our hope is that this gift will rejuvenate the campaign to reimagine the physical space for the Faculty of Law and inspire others to give generously.”
“The University of Ottawa and the Faculty of Law are truly fortunate to have the Dellelce family as generous and loyal friends, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for this transformative gift,” said Jacques Frémont, President and Vice-Chancellor. “To know that the incoming Dean, Dr. Kristen Boon, will have the resources to develop the faculty in the years ahead reassures me that students and scholars will benefit for generations to come.”
Perry Dellelce has long supported the goals of the University of Ottawa. After Perry graduated from the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section in 1990, he was called to the Ontario Bar in 1992. His legacy of service dates back 20 years. In 2002, he was approached by then Dean Bruce Feldthusen of the Faculty of Law to serve on the Common Law Campaign Cabinet. He went on to serve on the Board of Governors under the leadership of then President & Vice-Chancellor Allan Rock from 2008 to 2017. Perry is the current Chair of the reIMAGINE fundraising campaign.
Susan and Perry Dellelce are active philanthropists who give generously to community programs, entrepreneurship, sports for youth and physically challenged athletes, education, and healthcare, which all align with the core values of the University of Ottawa.
The $5 million gift from the Dellelce family toward uOttawa’s reIMAGINE campaign drives forward the University’s efforts to reIMAGINE the future of higher education and to nurture the next generation of changemakers.
About the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
It’s at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section that our country’s future is being formed. Scholars at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law are confronting the most pressing issues of the day —from climate change to reconciliation to the ethics of artificial intelligence and the regulation of our privacy. And here, in our nation’s capital, steps away from the Supreme Court and Parliament, more young people are being trained to create the Canada of tomorrow than at any other law school in the country.
The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section is Canada’s most influential law school. Its faculty members are quoted in the national media and appear before the Supreme Court of Canada and before parliamentary committees more than any other law school in the country. They are called upon to provide formal and informal advice to governments, legislators, and policy makers.
The faculty members have been recognized for their work through countless awards from the Order of Canada to membership in the Royal Society of Canada to recipients of the Law Society of Ontario’s Law Society Medal.
The uOttawa’s Faculty of Law is deeply committed to a leadership role in Canada’s reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
About the University of Ottawa
Rooted in our bilingual and Francophone DNA, we are evolving at the intersection of many cultures. Located in Canada’s capital, a gateway to the world, we possess a unique platform to respond with energy, creativity, and scale to the global challenges and opportunities our world offers. With an active focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion, we will thrive like never before.
Already in this new millennium we have rocketed into the top 1% of the world’s 20,000+ universities with our research reputation. We have doubled our enrolment with students from across Canada, as well as from 147 countries around the globe, choosing uOttawa.
Our international influence is surging, with institutional partnerships in Europe, Asia and Africa multiplying rapidly – including membership in the U7 Alliance of world universities.
Meanwhile our research and programs in Cybertech, health, science, social justice, sustainability, education, and entrepreneurship continue to impact communities across Canada and around the globe every single day. Our scientists and academicians are driving progress in ethical AI and technology development, in clean growth and innovation and in action- oriented research on aging, active and healthy living, lifelong learning, and well-being, to name but a few.
At uOttawa we are driven by the urge to challenge the status quo, the will to make an impact, and the ambition to become a catalyst for change.
For additional information: media@uottawa.ca