SOCAN member Robert Paquette received an honourary PhD degree in Literature on June 6, 2008, from Sudbury's University Laurentienne. The presentation was made by the institution's Rector, Judith Woodsworth.

A highly regarded musician for nearly four decades and a leading advocate of Francophone causes, Robert Paquette has helped Franco-Ontarian artists reach new audiences in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and was the recipient of two SOCAN Classics Award for his songs "Bleu et blanc" and "Jamaica." He is the president of Alliance nationale de l’industrie musicale (ANIM), and a board member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) and Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec (SPACQ).