1 9 7 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁Simon ▁F ras er ▁University , ▁serving ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁Constitution al ▁reform ▁invol vement ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Roberts ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Canada ▁West ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁capacity , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁leading ▁role ▁in ▁arg uing ▁for ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁west ▁in ▁Canada ' s ▁constitution al ▁deb ates . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁developed ▁contacts ▁with ▁Ernest ▁and ▁Pr eston ▁Mann ing . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁Roberts ▁expressed ▁interest ▁in ▁Francis ▁W ins pe ar ' s ▁proposed ▁constitution al ▁re forms , ▁which ▁included ▁Senate ▁reform ▁and ▁the ▁equal ▁treatment ▁of ▁all ▁provinces . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁Roberts ▁made ▁several ▁speech es ▁warning ▁about ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁western ▁separ at ism . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁some ▁within ▁the ▁Canada ▁West ▁Foundation ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁Roberts ▁himself ▁was ▁partly ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁separ at ism ; ▁he ▁never ▁became ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁movement , ▁but ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁step ▁down ▁as ▁C WF ▁President ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁after ▁some ▁controvers ial ▁statements ▁on ▁the ▁subject . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁he ▁moved ▁from ▁British ▁Columbia ▁to ▁Toronto ▁after ▁being ▁named ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce . ▁Roberts ▁left ▁that ▁position ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Roberts ▁remained ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party