In September 2006, the United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) joined with The Arthur Erickson Conservancy to hold a gala dinner to celebrate the internationally renowned Canadian architect Arthur C. Erickson and his optimistic vision for the role of architecture in shaping our cities and in providing positive solutions to the significant challenges of human habitat in Canada and across the world.

Kate White, Executive Director of UNA-Canada, said at the time: “in the same way that, as a Canadian, I am the north, I am the prairies, I am a UN Peacekeeper, I am, too, Arthur Erickson. His architecture is the architecture of place of geography: the architecture of home.”

Not only has Arthur Erickson designed buildings and complexes with so profound a response to place that they are best known as "cultural expressions," Mr. Erickson also contributed to the public discussion around the possible built community in his extensive writings, debates, and speeches on urbanism, habitation, planning and development, environment, culture, and context, and the essentially humanist role of architecture in the world. These include such important works as the 1965 Canadian Housing Design Council lecture, published as "Habitation: Space, Dilemma and Design;" the illuminating series on Japanese architectural models and traditions for Canadian Architect (1964; 1966); the concept of the university in Canada (1966; 1968); the meaning of a museum (from 1965); the role of Western banking in developing countries ("Address to the Institute of Canadian Bankers" 1972); reflections on "shaping" the city as dwelling (Dallas 1980); on building, design, and planning for cities (various lectures and addresses, including "Revitalizing our Cities" in Plan Canada 1993); and in his teaching and speeches to universities such as Oregon, Lethbridge, Manitoba, McGill, UBC, Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Simon Fraser over the years.

UNA-Canada joins with a vast community of Canadians and global citizens in mourning the passing, on May 20th, 2009, of Arthur Charles Erickson, OC. We have lost a man who represented the very best this country offers to our own citizens, as well as to the global community as a whole.

He will be greatly missed.