Ben Throndson, a second-year JD candidate at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, is the 2018 winner of the Lou Hyndman Edmonton Glenora Award.
The award recognizes UAlberta students who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities and potential, are good communicators and carry out their leadership through involvement in university or community organizations, sports activities, cultural events or political activities.
Throndson is currently the chair of the new City of St. Albert Youth Advisory Committee, a group he helped to initiate after seeing an opportunity for more youth input in municipal government. In 2018, he graduated from UAlberta with a bachelor of arts in political science and a certificate in interdisciplinary leadership from the university's Peter Lougheed Leadership College.
"It is a distinct honour to receive this award," said Throndson. "Lou Hyndman left an incredible legacy of public service that I find very inspiring. Receiving this award allows me to continue my community leadership activities while I complete my law degree and begin my career. I am truly grateful."
The award's namesake, Lou Hyndman, QC, '59 LLB and '00 LLD (Hon), was an Edmonton lawyer and an Alberta politician. In 1967, he was one of the original six Progressive Conservatives elected to the Alberta legislature, alongside future premiers Peter Lougheed and Don Getty.
When the Conservatives became the governing party in 1971, Hyndman served as the minister of education, the minister of federal and intergovernmental affairs, government house leader and provincial treasurer. In 1994, he was named chancellor of the University of Alberta.
The Lou Hyndman award has a value of $20,000, distributed over two years, and is available to students in their second year of studies in the fields of anthropology, business, Canadian studies, economics, education, history, law, political science, psychology, sociology or women's studies.