The reception was attended by High Commissioner Hon. Ralph Goodale, who opened the proceedings saying the RCGS’ ties to Great Britain are impressive, and that Fry was joining a community of 1,300 Fellows including author Margaret Atwood, astronaut Roberta Bondar, nearly every Canadian Prime Minister and prominent Britons including the Princess Royal, Sir David Attenborough, Broadcaster and Historian Dan Snow, and Sir Michael Palin.

“The RCGS community is united in its spirit of discovery, and adventure and has grown to become one of Canada’s longest standing educational charities. Canadian Geographic is now the country’s #1 paid magazine and its educational programs reach hundreds of thousands of young people through giant floor maps and lesson plans that help them understand the human and physical geography of the country,” said Goodale.

Attending were Society Fellows including Hon. Alexandra Shackleton, former Society Vice President Dr. Wendy Cecil, Prof. Joe Smith, current Director of the Royal Geographical Society, and former RGS Director John Hemming, himself a legendary explorer whose exploits, including the 1961 Iriri River Expedition, have been widely documented.

Other Fellows attending include Fram Museum Director Geir O. Kløver, David Mearns, Gregory and Pamela Copley, Martin Brooks, historian and author Rafe Heydel-Mankoo, and polar historian Dr Claire Warrior, who is a curator at the National Maritime Museum.

Geiger concluded by saying Fry “recognizes that Geography has the power of uniting us, in the wonder and appreciation of the beauty of nature, and the glorious diversity of human geography, thank you Stephen for all that you have done for the RCGS, for Canada, and for our world.”