THE MAGAZINE FOR MOUNT ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • 2022 Folia Montana On the road to celebrating our 150th SnapshotsanniversaryinTime
Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor: Dr. Joël Dickinson Dr. Dickinson addressing staff and faculty recently. Meeting members of the Mount community. many of you in the days and months to come, and I hope you will start planning now to join us during our much-anticipated year of celebration in 2023, as we mark 150 years of this incredible institution. It certainly wouldn’t be the same celebration without Dr.you!Joël MountPresidentDickinsonandVice-ChancellorSaintVincentUniversity
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As I mark my first days on this beautiful campus (quite literally by setting off alarms in my office!), I am pleased to have the opportunity to greet you – the valued members of Mount Saint Vincent University’s alumni – by way of this message.
Having experienced life as a student here, I expect you’re well aware of the significant impact that MSVU students, staff, faculty and alumni have within our community and beyond. One of the many things that drew me to this institution is the way in which the entire university community seeks to celebrate individuals for who they are and help support them to achieve their full potential. This, together with our focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and social justice, makes Mount Saint Vincent a place unlike any other university in Canada. I am honoured to lead and to celebrate all that makes MSVU unique. In this special “Reflections” edition of Folia Montana, you will read about the fondest memories of some of the many people who have contributed to and learned from MSVU, helping to create the strong foundation and rich history that supports us today. Like me, I expect you’ll appreciate the insights offered by former presidents Dr. Sheila Brown, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, and Dr. Elizabeth Parr-Johnston. It’s an exciting time to be here at MSVU as we enter the second year of our university’s strategic plan — aptly named Strength Through Community. I’m looking forward to meeting
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Editor donalee QuantumMoultonCommunications Managing Editor Lori Lancaster, Alumni Relations University Advancement Articles written by donalee Moulton, University Advancement, MSVU Communications and other contributors as noted. University Advancement Denise Green Lori Lancaster Erin Patrick Paul Salloum Kari AnneShannonThibodeau Cover photo: Mount Saint Vincent College photography club, 1946-1947. Photograph by R. Allen Benjamin. Design & Production: Rand Gaynor Digital Imaging, Prepress Film and Printing Advocate Printing & Publishing, Pictou, NS Fulfilment Services: Russell House Contact Us | Address Change | Class Notes Alumni Relations, University Advancement Advancement House Mount Saint Vincent University Halifax, NS B3M 2J6 Canada T: 1-888-MSV.ALUM (678-2586) (Toll free in Canada / USA / Bermuda only) F: 902-445-3962 E: PublicationW:alumni@msvu.caalumni.msvu.caAgreement Number: 40063269 @ msvu_alumni M o u nt S a i nt V n ce nt U n ve r sit y msvu_alumni LIKE US, FOLLOW US AND LINK WITH US Mount Saint Vincent Alumni 4 President’s Message 5 Editor’s Note UNIVERSITY NEWS 6 Leadership updates 7 New Nancy’s Chair 7 Ramona Lumpkin honoured 7 Fostering Black inclusion 7 Lumsden CCAA Athletic Director of the Year 8 New bursary for Indigenous students 9 New MSVU Indigenous Tourism program 10 Convocations celebrated 12REFLECTIONS Former president Sheila Brown 13 Former president Ramona Lumpkin 14 Former president Liz Parr-Johnston 15 Inside the MSVU library 15 Capturing oral histories 17 Mentorship builds lifelong connections 18 Thank you, Vincent Hall! 19 Sharing 150 years of memories 20 A walk down memory lane 21 Fire! 22 A legacy of love and learning 23 Butterfly Garden returns to MSVU 24 Collaborating with Team Mi’kmaw NS 26RESEARCH Updates and acknowledgements 28 Eating disorders support for 2SLGBTQIA+ community 28 Advancing women through research CONTENTS Editor’s Note MSVU is located on unceded ancestral Mi’kmaq territory. This territory is covered by the Covenant Chain of Treaties of Peace and Friendship signed between 1725 and 1779. We pay respect to the knowledge embedded in the Indigenous custodians of this land and to the Elders, past, present, and future. ALUMNI NEWS 30 MSVAA President’s Message 30 MSVAA 2021-2022 Board of Directors 31 Reunion 2021 32 Class Notes 35 Retirees 36 2021 Alumni Award winners 38 In memoriam A FINAL NOTE 39 An apology and commitments to Indigenous Peoples Mount Saint Vincent College (Evaristus Hall) in foreground. Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse in background (Archives, 1960) HalifaxLtd.,AviationAtlanticbyPhoto Duck Pond on the MSVU campus
I’d like to share a memory of my own that is a quintessential Mount experience. I was teaching a course for the PR degree program (and loving every minute of it). One day I’m driving to campus, headed to the secret parking space I have staked out. I have plenty of time to make it to class; I’m at least 20 minutes early. drive up the side of Seton heading towards what is now the Child Study Centre when I am forced to stop short. A mother duck is leading her little ones across the road. There are a lot of little ones, and they are in no hurry. I wait patiently, and then less patiently. At one point Mama turns back to nudge a few stragglers across the road, but there is no concern for their safety. The MSVU ducks have trained us well: they rule the roost. By now there is a line-up of cars behind me, and I am late. No one honks their horn or yells though. We all understand this is part of life at the Mount. Finally, Mama duck and what seem like a hundred babies are safely across the road. I park quickly and, just as quickly, head to class. The students look at me questioningly.
“Ducks,” I say simply and a roomful of heads nod in understanding. It’s an experience you can only get at MSVU – and it is one you’ll treasure for life.
Next year Mount Saint Vincent celebrates its 150th anniversary. It’s a milestone deserving of sustained and splendid celebration, so we’re starting the walk down memory lane with this issue of Folia Montana.
In these pages, you’ll hear from people whose lives have been touched by the Mount – and who have contributed to life on and off campus. You’ll get to know three former MSVU presidents as they talk about the rigors and the joys of leading one of Canada’s most respected educational institutions. You’ll go back in time with Penelope Russell to experience life as an 11-year-old at the Mount Academy, and you’ll step inside life at the Mount library late at night when stressed students are hitting the books one last time.
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On November 18, 2021, MSVU joined 40 Canadian postsecondary institutions who took part in a virtual signing of the Scarborough Charter. As a new signatory, MSVU is sharing and formalizing its commitment to redressing anti-Black racism and fostering Black inclusion. The Scarborough Charter recognizes key barriers to Black inclusion and identifies concrete actions post-secondary institutions can take to end systemic racism. It also includes accountability measures to help institutions take meaningful action.
Former MSVU president (2010-2017) and interim president (20212022) Ramona Lumpkin, CM, PhD, was presented with an Eagle Feather by the L’nu members of the L’nu Advisory Circle at MSVU this past April. For many Indigenous Peoples, the Eagle Feather is the highest honour that can be bestowed. It signifies gratitude, accomplishment, and deep respect. The L’nu Advisory Circle at MSVU provides important guidance on initiatives in support of Indigenous learners and communities, including Truth and Reconciliation efforts. Ramona expressed her deep gratitude for the significant gift and for the guidance provided to her by the members of the L’nu Advisory Circle, and Indigenous leaders and community representatives.
Folia 2022 76 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends UNIVERSITY NEWS UNIVERSITY NEWS
FM 17th Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies MSVU appointed Dr. Adwoa Onuora as the next Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies. Recognized as a leading scholar-activist within the women’s movement in Jamaica, Dr. Onuora began her two-year term at MSVU on July 1, 2022. As Nancy’s Chair, Dr. Onuora will examine the challenges faced by queer AfroCanadian/Caribbean youth and their parents. The project will aim to equip Afro-Caribbean parents with the tools to support queer Black youth who struggle with issues of belonging within their communities.
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FM (From left) Catherine Martin (L’nu member), Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, Dr. Donald Julien, and Ann Sylliboy (L’nu member)
New MSVU President and Vice-Chancellor
On May 3, MSVU’s Board of Governors announced the appointment of Dr. Joël Dickinson as the university’s next President and Vice-Chancellor. Dr. Dickinson began her new role on July 1. An accomplished academic administrator, Dr. Dickinson was previously dean of the Faculty of Arts at Laurentian University where she also served as acting associate vicepresident of teaching and learning (20202021), and chair of the Department of Psychology.Dr.Dickinson held a leadership role with the Laurentian University Sexuality and Gender Diversity Committee and was a long-standing member of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Status of Women. She also served as an ex officio member of the Laurentian University Native Education Council. She holds a Psychology Honours, Bachelor of Arts, and PhD in Psychology from the University of New Brunswick.
“MSVU is a special institution, unlike any other in the country, and I’m eager to ensure it remains a post-secondary destination of choice,” says Dr. Dickinson. “The opportunity to lead and exemplify all that makes MSVU unique is a privilege that am delighted to have been afforded.”
New Associate Vice President of Research Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan became MSVU’s new Associate Vice-President, Research on September 1, 2021. They hold a PhD in medical sociology, a master of arts in sociology, and bachelor of arts degrees in sociology and anthropology. A medical sociologist by training, Dr. Gahagan has engaged in research in the areas of public health and the social sciences locally, nationally, and internationally, and has also worked with colleagues at MSVU on past social justice and equity-related research initiatives.“Ithinkthere are many opportunities for MSVU to showcase its communityfacing research strengths, and I want to work with research communities to look at what the most pressing issues are for Indigenous communities, women’s communities, LGBTQ communities, and feminist communities, among others,” says Dr. Gahagan. Dr. Gahagan was recently named a 2022 Leadership Award recipient by the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). The award recognizes an individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, commitment, and dedication to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Canada and internationally. The award highlights and celebrates the contributions of Canadians who have devoted time and resources towards this effort.
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June Lumsden named CCAA Athletic Director of the Year MSVU’s June Lumsden has been named the 2022 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Athletic Director of the Year. The CCAA award highlights administrative excellence within the campus or college community environment. It also recognizes an Athletic director who has made a significant contribution to their institution over the past academic year. This past year, in addition to her role as director of athletics and recreation at MSVU, Lumsden assumed the role of Interim Associate Vice-President for Student Experience.
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Ramona Lumpkin receives honour from L’nu community
Dr. Keltie Jones has joined Mount Saint Vincent University as the new Associate Vice-President of Student Experience. Before coming to MSVU, Dr. Jones served as dean of Algonquin College’s Pembroke campus in Ontario. Prior to that, she was assistant dean of students and academic administration for Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture and associate vice president academic for students at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.Dr.Jones is committed to truth and reconciliation, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility practices to ensure the success of every Mount student. Most of her professional life has been dedicated to seeing students succeed. In recognition of her high level of commitment to student service, she was named the recipient of Dalhousie University’s Rosemary Gill Award in 2015. Dr. Jones holds a doctorate in business administration from Athabasca University, a juris doctorate from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor of arts (with departmental honors and distinction) from Stanford University. She has previously worked as a lawyer in California.
Dancer Jesse Benjamin
“As the original inhabitants of these lands, our Mi’kmaw ancestors were the first to welcome travelers and settlers to what is now Nova Scotia and Canada. Today, through key investments by governments and strong partnerships with industry and educational institutions like MSVU, we are working to build Mi’kmaw tourism opportunities that will welcome the world to Mi’kma’ki while working with the mainstream tourism industry to find ways to address reconciliation with our Mi’kmaw people,” said Robert Bernard, Executive Director, Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network. The first students in the program are expected to begin their studies in September of 2024. FM Canada’s first Indigenous Tourism Program coming to MSVU
“We are deeply grateful to Scott and Leslie for their very generous gift in support of Indigenous students at MSVU,” said Ramona Lumpkin, interim president and vice-chancellor at the time of the announcement. “Theirs is a deep commitment to removing barriers to education for Indigenous students. It’s (From left) Scott McCain, Leslie McLean, Ramona Lumpkin, Samantha Rioux (2021 MSVU graduate), and Patrick Small Legs-Nagge (Special Advisor to MSVU on Indigenous Affairs) a commitment that aligns with MSVU’s dedication to ensuring opportunity and a supportive experience for Indigenous students.”“Wewere inspired by MSVU’s commitment to Indigenous learners and communities and sought to help further that critical work through direct financial supports to students. We believe in the power of education to transform lives and are pleased to support Indigenous students at MSVU,” said Leslie McLean, who is also a member of the MSVU Board of ScottGovernors.McCain recognizes that in addition to ensuring bursary supports, unexpected financial needs can arise in other areas of students’ lives that can have an impact on their abilities to continue their studies. “It is our hope that the new L’nu Emergency Fund will help address those financial challenges for Indigenous students.”
A new Indigenous cohort tourism education program is being established at Mount Saint Vincent University through a $1,964,250 grant from the federal government. The Kinu Tourism Program is being developed by Indigenous community leaders and representatives from MSVU’s Tourism and Hospitality Management Program with a goal of removing barriers to post-secondary education while creating opportunity for future Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs. Kinu means inclusive of us/everyone.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
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MSVU has created a new fund in support of Indigenous students thanks to a $500,000 donation from philanthropists Scott McCain and Leslie McLean and a $500,000 investment from the university. That is $1 million in new financial supports for Indigenous students at MSVU.
The first of its kind in the country, the new degree program will emphasize two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmunk), a concept introduced by Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall, who described it this way: “To see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing, and to see from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing, and to use both of these eyes together.”
The Scott McCain and Leslie McLean L’nu Student Success Bursary Fund will support full-time undergraduate Indigenous students through renewable bursaries and an emergency fund providing support to Indigenous students faced with financial needs due to unforeseen circumstances.
“A recent report noted that Indigenous tourism sector growth is outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall. (From left) Pictured in front of the wikuom on the MSVU campus: Dr. Peter Mombourquette, interim chair, MSVU Business and Tourism Department; Robert Bernard, executive director, Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network; Jennifer Guy, assistant professor in the MSVU Tourism and Hospitality Management Program. However, training was cited as one of the primary barriers to growth. We need to build capacity within post-secondary education to further the development of Indigenous-led tourism experiences,” said Dr. Peter Mombourquette, interim chair of the Business and Tourism Department.
New bursary for Indigenous students
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Megan Leslie and Abbie Jean McDonough pay tribute to the late Alexa McDonough (spring 2022).
Spring 2022 This past spring, over 700 students graduated in four different ceremonies. Among them were Will Brewer and Tamara Byard, the first graduates of the MountAbility program, which supports students who identify with accessibility issues that might otherwise be a barrier to post-secondary education to participate in university studies.
Valedictorians Megan Cook (BBA) and Joshua Deal (BSc Hons) delivered wonderful addresses to their respective classes, and Eleftherios Michalopoulos, graduating with his Master of Education in Lifelong at the age of 80, expressed immense gratitude to his classmates and the university during a special address.
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Close to 170 graduates and their families filled Seton Auditorium. Each graduate had their name called, crossed the stage, and received an alumni pin. Honorary degree recipient retired judge Corrine Sparks, BA, LLB, LLM, who was honoured the week prior during MSVU’s spring 2022 convocation ceremonies, addressed the graduates and encouraged them to “savour and delight in your academic and educational reward.”
Fall A crisp sunny Saturday in November set the scene as MSVU graduates stepped back onto campus for the university’s first set of in-person convocation ceremonies since March 2019. MSVU proudly awarded honorary degrees to Margaret Anne Fountain, CM, a noted philanthropist, and Jessie Jollymore, founder and CEO of Hope Blooms. In addition, Dr. Lynn Jones, educator and human rights activist who received an honorary degree from MSVU in 2020, addressed education students and emphasized their future impact.
“Show up and celebrate whenever you can.”
MEd 2020 grad Greg Pretty gives student address
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Fall 2020 Valedictorian Greg Pretty gave the student address, urging graduates to “Show up and celebrate whenever you can.
Grad Re-do 2022
Fall 2021 graduates
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The legacy of Dr. Alexa McDonough, OC, ONS, was celebrated with a heartwarming address from MSVU Honorary Doctorate Megan Leslie and Abbie Jean McDonough, Alexa’s eldest granddaughter. Four students addressed their classes as valedictorians: Jasmine Tang (BSc), D’Vaughn Rolle-Johnson (BBA), Brooke Van Tassel (BEd), and Grace Anderson (BSc). All graduation photos can be found on the Mount’s Flickr site.
CONVOCATION
Acknowledge each other and be willing to acknowledge yourself because we don’t always want to do that.”
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The university granted honorary degrees to three exceptional women: Retired Judge Corrine Sparks, BA, LLB, LLM, the first African Nova Scotian to be appointed to the Bench; Marie Battiste, OC, FRSC, BS, EdM, EdD, a renowned Indigenous scholar and advisor; and Deanne Fitzpatrick, BA, MEd, a textile artist.
Convocation ceremonies are a rite of passage. But for many who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were among the life celebrations put on Universitiespause. worked hard to replace these missed moments with creative alternatives such as tribute videos and special mailouts, but knowing deep down that nothing could replace crossing the convocation stage to cheers from classmates, family, and friends. This May, MSVU made sure that each pandemic graduate who wanted to savour that special missed moment could. Spearheaded by the Alumni Association, in partnership with the MSVU Convocation Committee, the Grad Re-Do celebration invited spring and fall graduates from 2020 and spring 2021 back to the Seton Auditorium for a special convocation that featured all the trimmings: a processional set to celebratory live music, inspirational addresses from the podium, photo opportunities, and individual graduate moments on stage.
“This is exactly what we envisioned when the board discussed this idea in 2021,” says MSVAA President Joanne Bernard, who addressed the graduates at the Re-do and welcomed them to the alumni family. “Crossing that stage is what you dream of as a graduate. We wanted to make sure we provided this moment
In-person ceremonies return
MEd graduate Eleftherios Michalopoulos addresses graduates (fall 2021). MountAbility program graduate Will Brewer celebrates (spring 2022).
Congratulations to all our MSVU grads, and welcome to the alumni family! to those who missed out, and I think for many in attendance this helped to appropriately close their MSVU chapter as a student.”
Folia 2022 13 more staff across our areas of operation. We need more student supports, including mental health support. There is so much worthy we would like to do. What would people find surprising to learn about you? I was captain of my university’s undergrad cheerleading squad. Mind you, athletic standards for cheerleader teams have risen since I graduated from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, the small southern university I attended. I had a very good education there. I was mentored most wonderfully. I majored in English, and the chair of the department came to my installation when I was sworn in at Huron University College in Ontario. What makes Mount Saint Vincent unique? The overarching sense of purpose. The university is very focused. We have a niche to support women, and this is huge. We also offer purpose-driven education. Ensuring access to people who couldn’t otherwise easily access an education is central to who we are. A social purpose is at the core of MSVU, and this has expanded out to reaching a broad swathe of youth and mature students who want an education for a better life. Do you have a favorite place on campus? The Rosaria Dining Hall. I spent a lot of time here. This was the social part of the job. Having a cup of tea here let me connect with students and staff – including the staff in the dining hall. What advice do you have for future MSVU graduates? There is a quote from a favorite poem of mine by Frank Walker about the 19th century jockey Isaac Murphy, the most winningest jockey in history. Walker writes: Grab the reins of any and everything that makes your heart race. Find your purpose. Find your purpose. And hold on. That just sings to me about making our lives passionate and purposeful. I would also say be kind, to yourself and other people. Cherish your friendships. Try to make a positive difference in the world. These are familiar pieces of advice –because they are important. FM 12 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends
It’s the mission – the longstanding commitment to educating girls and women. This ongoing commitment was made when education for girls and women would have been difficult to obtain. I went to a girls’ school and then a women’s college, so I am the product of institutions where there is a special focus on supporting women and girls. MSVU also has a broader commitment to social justice. This really resonates with me.
I am a very outdoorsy person. Each day, try to get out and walk around. enjoy the campus, and it allows me to meet people. A lot of what I do is outdoors. play golf. I’m an avid birder.
What is a highlight of your time as president?
Do you remember your first day on the job? When I first came to MSVU as vice president academic, a faculty member had generously loaned me their condo. I remember my first day walking downhill to work and seeing the Bedford Basin and then the campus with beautiful trees, flowers and shrubs. It was unique. There aren’t too many universities that have such a spectacular view and such a beautiful setting. The environment in which we spend our time is very important and we are very fortunate to have an environment in which you feel connected to nature and natural surroundings. What is a highlight of your time as president? That is hard to answer especially because I was president for 10 years. It was undoubtedly exciting to be able to plan, build, and open Westwood, our new residence. But what really sticks in my mind is convocation. This is such a special time. One of the highlights for me always was being able to present all our students with their parchments and see their faces. I also remember when Rosa Parks received an honorary degree and spoke at convocation. A car drove up and out stepped this petite woman who had such a profound effect on history. I was humbled to be in her presence and thrilled that she came to the Mount. What was most challenging about your role? MSVU has always been very financially responsible, but funding was an ongoing issue. It is a challenge to find the balance between being fiscally responsible and ensuring access. At the end of the day, that accountability lies with the president. It can weigh on you. I hope I rose to the challenge. What would people find surprising to learn about you?
It is important graduates understand that you have the ability to contribute to the society in which you live. Approach what you hear and see in the world around you in a critical way. Make sound decisions that benefit you and your families and the society and culture we belong to.
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Do you have a favorite place on campus? I just love to roam around. At this moment, I’m in my office looking out over the arboretum. I walked this path the other day and a pileated woodpecker flew by. I like taking the woodland paths.
The realization we were going to be able to build the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research, then seeing it rise from the ground up. The opening of the Indigenous Student Centre was also a personal highlight. I had received a letter from Sister Dorothy Moore, a well-respected member of the Indigenous community, urging me to do more to educate Indigenous youth. I reached out to the Indigenous community leaders, and we created an advisory group that recommended having a safe space for Indigenous students on campus. There were 40-50 Indigenous students when we started, now there are closer to 200. That has been a real joy to watch. The Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice holds a special place in my heart as well. We wanted to name this after Alexa McDonough and worked in secret to raise money. The opening ceremony was held in a ramshackle house where the Institute was housed before we built the McCain Centre, and we got Alexa there under false pretenses. Her family and friends were waiting. That was a great moment. What was most challenging about your role? Having to say no to things I really wanted to see happen because of a lack of funding. That is a continuing challenge. I don’t think we are adequately funded by the province. We are the only remaining Nova Scotia university that has not run a deficit. We’ve played by the rules and kept our house in order, but we need
Reflections
On my first day back as interim president I sent a note to say people might see me out walking and please join me. What makes Mount Saint Vincent unique?
REFLECTIONS
Three former MSVU presidents take a walk down memory lane with Folia Montana. Read on to discover more about their roles, their favorite places on campus, their wish for future alumni, and more.
Students strolling through the arboretum on the MSVU campus
What advice do you have for future MSVU graduates? Individually, don’t be afraid to seize an opportunity even if you’re not sure where it might lead. You have a strong educational foundation. Be open to the possibility of new opportunities, some of which may be very unexpected and challenging.
The feminist mission drew me here, and received a very warm welcome. remember Alexa McDonough, interim president at the time, passing me the keys to the president’s office with her blessing. There were some keys neither of us ever knew what they were for.
I would also emphasize the need to maintain a work-life balance. That is much easier said than done, but if you don’t, there are consequences.
The pond, a favourite spot on campus.
Sheila Brown reflects Sheila Brown, PhD, served as MSVU’s ninth president and is president emerita, an honour bestowed upon presidents who rendered exceptionally distinguished service to the university. She was president from 1996 to 2006 and interim president from May-June 2022.
Ramona Lumpkin reflects Ramona Lumpkin, CM, PhD, served as the twelfth president of MSVU from 2010 to 2017 and was named president emerita in 2019. She was interim president from April 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. What initially attracted you to MSVU?
Capturing the Mount’s oral histories
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From card catalogue to a very special collection
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Sheila Brown, Liz Parr-Johnston, Ramona Lumpkin, and the late Alexa McDonough Hillary Clinton receives an honorary degree from MSVU. Liz Parr-Johnston reflects In 1991, Elizabeth Parr-Johnston, CM, PhD, became the eighth president and vice-chancellor of Mount Saint Vincent University. She served a five-year term, and MSVU has established an endowed scholarship in her name.
What was most challenging about your role? I came to MSVU from the corporate world, an oil company. I had to learn a lot about the university. While I had a strong academic background, I still had a huge learning challenge. Communication and activism were key. Fortunately, I had a fabulous academic and administrative team – and we were a team. It was us, and we all knew our roles. When I was interviewed for the position, I was asked about the budgetary process. I said I didn’t expect first-round estimates to be final numbers. It was invariably far too high and was an iterative process. Moreover, as we went through that process, we found that no differentiation was made between capital items (and budget) and the items of an operating budget. We made this distinction and discovered we no longer had a deficit! MSVU is one of the few universities that has consistently achieved a balanced budget year after year.
Please connect directly with the Alumni Office at alumni@msvu.ca or 1-888-678-2586.
Peter Glenister recalls as a young boy being “dragged along” by his mother to visit the Mount Academy. His mother had been a student there and was stopping by to spend a little time with a former teacher, one of the Sisters of Charity. “I remember going into the main entrance and being shown into a room like a gymnasium. Everything was very well waxed.”Glenister also recalls the import of this occasion. “I was actually in the original Mount before a huge fire burned the single building on campus to the ground,” he says. The 1951 fire left the university bereft of housing for students and classrooms for teaching. The community threw open its doors and offered up support, resources, and a helping hand. In honor of that kindness, Caritas Day, a day of giving, was established.Glenisterhas gone on to celebrate many of those days as a member of the library faculty at MSVU and now as librarian emeritus. As an undergraduate at another Halifax university, Glenister worked part time in their library. Here he met the future chief librarian of MSVU’s library. “I was hired in 1968 and spent my career at the Mount.” During the past five decades much has changed. When, after the fire, the library was located within the Evaristus building, “You could see the whole library when you came through the entrance,” says Glenister. In 1989, MSVU opened a new and much larger library in the E. Margaret Fulton Communications Centre that included the computing centre. At that time, students, staff, and faculty were also introduced to Novanet, an integrated catalogue and library management system. Previously resources were catalogued on microfiche; before that students, faculty, and staff used a card catalogue to find books and other resources, “It was the only access to the collection,” explains Glenister. Back then, the library also housed – as it does today – the MacDonald Collection, named for William MacDonald of Sydney. “This is the library’s most important special collection,” notes Glenister, who still works on this. “It consists of approximately 12,000 volumes of largely 19th and early 20th century literary works purchased by MacDonald and donated to Mount Saint Vincent.”Whatwas always paramount for the six librarians and library staff was service. “We were given shifts on Sunday afternoons to help students at one time,” recalls Glenister. “In more recent years, we offered extra service during exam periods and stayed open until 2 a.m. We called this the night owl service.” One thing Glenister has never forgotten about his own education: comments from a faculty member in one of his library science classes. “He said, ‘book for book the Mount library is the best around’.” FM MSV College students, 1959 (Archives) MacDonald collection 1955 (Archives)
I have a very large family: 6 children plus spouses,15 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. I was raised on Long Island and in New Jersey. I love baseball and the Dodgers, and I have learned to love hockey. My hobbies include sewing, embroidery, and genealogy. What makes Mount Saint Vincent unique? Our distinctiveness is MSVU’s dedication to the education of women. We were never “just another university” and we will never be “just another university!” Our focus is still women. We pioneered DUET (Distance University Education by Television) and very early on offered co-op programs as well as programs such as Public Relations and Tourism. Do you have a favorite place on campus? The arboretum. I just like to sit there. Another favorite is the pond. I love that little pond. What advice do you have for future MSVU graduates? When you come to MSVU, study what you love, become financially and intellectually independent, keep learning – and keep in touch with your alma mater. This is a time of change. Embrace it.
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What would people find surprising to learn about you?
Do you remember your arrival at MSVU? I didn’t particularly want to live in the president’s house on campus, but I was told that it was important for us to move in. So, my husband and I, one dog, and a cat arrived and moved into the Meadows, the president’s house. I was only the second (and the last) president to live there. Very quickly, I realized my husband was the only man living on campus and we had the only dog on campus. What is a highlight of your time as president? One disconcerting experience was the discovery of a toxic fungus growing in the walls of Rosaria. We immediately moved people out of this section of the building, and we called the press. We were very open about this. I was not going to tackle this problem secretly. We were going to tell the world what we were doing, and why. We had to tear the structure down to the bare outside wall, then took the better part of a year to fix the building. It dominated the scene. It also convinced me that communication and teamwork are essential to success. On a much more positive note, as I was about to leave, I got a call from a friend whose husband, an MP, was coming for the G7 meeting in Halifax. We reached out – quietly – with a request to award an honorary degree to First Lady Hillary Clinton. Security was very tight, but the special convocation ceremony was lovely from start to finish. Later, Mrs. Clinton hosted a cross-section of Nova Scotian women at a luncheon at the (then) Chateau Halifax. I remember the organizers had flown up table settings including crystal and napkins with presidential emblems for the occasion.
Have a story to share?
RockinghamLarkin,A.GordonbyPhoto
In an effort to record and preserve the incredible history of Mount Saint Vincent Academy, Mount Saint Vincent College, and Mount Saint Vincent University, and students past and present, the Alumni Office is teaming up with the MSVU library and the Archives as well as the English and History departments to embark on an oral histories project. If you have a story to share, we’d love to hear it!
Mentorship program builds lifelong connections by Erin Murray (BA ‘08, BPC ‘21)
Continuing to build memories Share your special Mount memories with us for our 150th anniversary celebrations and our
The stories
our alumni will
Listening to Jane Landry and Dawn Dalley (BPR ‘91) chat, it’s hard to believe they only met a few months ago.
“We’ve been able to build a trusting and supportive relationship,” says Landry, a 4th year student in the Bachelor of Public Relations program who was matched with Dawn, president and CEO of CAA Atlantic, as part of the 2022 Mount Mentorship Program.
Dalley sees herself as an advocate for Landry. “It’s something I’ve attributed to being a value of mine. I like helping clear the path for women, particularly when they’re starting out, because there are real industry barriers, so anything I can do to help, I’m keen to do,” she says. Mentorship is not without its benefit to those mentoring. “It’s interesting to have that exposure into how Jane perceives the world around her,” says Dalley. “Certainly, as a leader, I see it as critical for me and my development to keep my sphere of influence open, and being a mentor allows me to do that.”
What started with a meeting has turned into a lifelong connection.“IthinkDawn will always be a mentor for me,” Landry says with a smile, “She’ll always be someone I can trust and reach out to in myDalleycareer.”agrees. “I’m vested in her success. I think the connection is one of the most important things that comes out of the program. I see it as a lifelong opportunity.”
A worldofreflectionA worldofreflection alumni.msvu.ca alumni@msvu.ca @msvualumni @msvu_alumni @msvu_alumni Mount Saint Vincent University
When an email seeking alumni mentors for the program landed in Dalley’s inbox, her response was immediate. “It was an automatic ‘Ahh, this is brilliant,’ so responded right away and registered.” For Landry, on the cusp of finishing her degree, she saw mentorship as an opportunity to navigate post-graduation life that she describes as both exciting and overwhelming. Shortly after they met, it was apparent Dalley’s guidance was exactly what Landry needed. “I remember Dawn saying when I talked to her about being a bit fearful, ‘What’s the worst that could happen? If you have any inclination to do anything, just try it. And if you don’t like it or if it’s not great for you, you can always pivot,’ ” Jane says.
REFLECTIONS
FM Dawn DalleyJane Landry Experiences and memories unite us in special ways. As we approach the Mount’s sesquicentennial anniversary in 2023, let’s celebrate those moments. Together. new oral histories project. of be shared for generations to come.
Vincent Hall by Stacey Pineau (BPR ‘95)
Three decades of friendship – thank you
From left: (front row) – Stacey Harrison (BTM ’95), Sylvia Quinn (BSc ’99), Paulette Cormier (BEC ’94, MAE ’10) (middle row) Cheryl Fricker (MEd ’16), Catherine McBride (BBA ’94), Stacey Pineau (BPR ’95); (back row) Alison Stark (BBA ’95, CAC ’08).
While the group’s friendship began thanks to their chance assignment of residence accommodations in Vincent Hall in their
18 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends Folia 2022 19
first year of university, it has grown into a long-term relationship they all treasure.
“My time at Vincent Hall was the beginning of my journey here at MSVU,” says Paulette Cormier, now an assistant professor and tourism program coordinator at the university. “It was at Vincent Hall where I met a group of amazing women who have become lifelong friends and colleagues.”
Some 1990-91 Vincent Hall residents gathered in the fall of 2021 to catch up and reminisce. They were each gifted a set of wind chimes crafted by Stacey Harrison, who used glass in MSVU’s colours and repurposed hardwood flooring that was saved from Vincent Hall prior to the demolition of the Mount Saint Vincent Mother House.
Ltd.Service,PhotoHalifaxCochrane,A.Harry
150 years of Mount memories Founded in 1873, the Mount will mark a momentous anniversary in 2023 - its sesquicentennial! We’re so excited about our anniversary planning and we couldn’t wait to get started! After 150 years, we can only assume our alumni and friends have accumulated an amazing amount of Mount memories and special stories. For the anniversary, we want to collect and share these stories online and in a special anniversary edition of Folia Montana We invite you to be part of this wonderful project by sending in your special Mount memories online specialca.byalumni.msvu.ca/MountMemories150throughoremailingusdirectlyatalumni@msvu.Thankyouforhelpinguscelebratethisanniversary.
“I have always known that our friendship is special,” says Stacey Harrison, executive director of the Colchester-East Hants Hospice Society. “As Stuart McLean once shared in his story Jimmy Walker of Foggy Bottom Bay, there are some friends that we may not see often, but we never really lose touch with. I know that no matter what life throws at me, this amazing group of friends will always have my back.”
Vincent Hall was once located in the Mount Saint Vincent Mother House – a huge building (at one time the largest in Atlantic Canada) that stood at the very top of the hill at MSVU. For a time, the facility housed both the MSVU students who lived in the residence portion of the building and the Sisters of Charity who resided elsewhere in the facility. Vincent Hall closed sometime before fall 1993 and the Mother House was closed in 2008 and demolished the following year.
Friendships formed in the 1990-91 academic year among the young women who lived in Mount Saint Vincent University’s former Vincent Hall residence endure even now, more than 30 years“Decidinglater. to begin and eventually complete my science degree at Mount Saint Vincent University has remained one of the most life-changing decisions I have ever made. I moved into Vincent Hall where I made friends that have remained by my side through all life’s twists and turns,” says Sylvia Quinn, a Grade 7 and 8 Teacher at Riverside Education Centre in Milford, N.S. “The various paths we have followed since have continually been braided back together over more than 30 years.”
FM Mount Saint Vincent Academy basketball team, 1959. 1st row: Dorothy Johnson, Gail Smith, Emily Langley, Martha Laurence, Isabel Fougere, Barabara Howitt, Marilyn Gaudet 2nd row: Shirley Paul, Margaret Dunphy, Carol Anne Spurrell, Johanne Hoppe, Charlotte Pavy, Roseline Theriault, Gillian Murphy, Lorraine Hadder, Carol Chisholm (Archives)
REFLECTIONS REFLECTIONS
Aerial view of the Motherhouse (1965). Vincent Hall was located in the Motherhouse, in the right front wing (Archives).
A fireman with a firehat pulls my curtain open
All in one classroom – upstairs above an annex
A bit of a celebrity – but not for long
yearbook
No running… quiet, calm No teddy bear.
Swimming in our clothes. Happiness and order.
In January 1951, a devastating fire broke out resulting in the destruction of the entire Mount Motherhouse, which at the time, was just one large building. The students had to assemble in the recreation room of the East Wing. From there, they were directed to St. Mary’s Cottage, a place Russell had never been before.
Lifelong learning Russell credits her teachers, the Sisters of Charity, with reaffirming the values of her parents, developing her religious devotion, and helping to prepare her for life outside the safety and security of the Mount. “My teachers essentially formed my life. They gave me the skills I needed as a woman to go out into the world. The Mount prepared women to feel comfortable in their own skin and to be confident enough to tackle the challenges ahead, Russell adds. “We were not afraid to have our voices heard.”
… Discipline sets in I think, “Dress in your uniform, Tie your brown oxfords, Don’t bother with your closet. – Leave your new English coat.
One particular infraction was going into a restricted area in winter and falling into a semi-frozen pond. “It could have been serious,” Russell says. Fortunately, everything turned out well. “I was given a stern talking to – after the sisters gave me a warm bath and made sure I was okay.”
While rules were enforced, life at the Mount was fun. Russell recalls year-end dances and a graduation prom – but the dresses had to be vetted for modesty. Shoulders had to be covered, and the skirt needed lots of tulle and netting.
Wake Up!
Told to “Get up, get dressed, quickly, quietly”
Three weeks – Now it’s the Gainsborough Hotel – Hubbards
20 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends Folia 2022 21 REFLECTIONS
Motherhouse (Archives) Russell’s family being highlighted in
MSV Academy graduation prom, circa 1960
Surprising laundry on the clothesline! Concerts in the parlour – I play the piano, we sit on the floor Walks back to the Blue Bonnet margarine factory at the railroad siding Wonderful picnic on a large estate
Fire!
February One week – I’m back at the Convent of the Sacred Heart
One thing that did happen: Taxi drivers turned their meters off so people could get to safety and parents could pick up their children.Atabout 4 a.m., an RCMP officer came for Russell and walked her down to the highway, stopping traffic in both directions. She remembers her surprise when she saw her father waiting for her. “Five girls came with me back to my house. Dad fed us tomato soup.” The fire left the Mount community understandably devastated. The students had nowhere to learn. In a time of great need, the people of Halifax were quick to step in and offer help. Spaces were offered where classes could be conducted until the new academy building was completed in the fall. Following the fire In September, the Mount students moved into the new, temporary building. There were unfinished classrooms above the chapel, with no heat or lights. It meant that all study ended at 4 p.m. “We washed and dressed in a large room with lockers around the walls and wooden tables with our own white enamel washbasins. We had great water fights,” says Russell. After the washing – and the water fights – all the students would march down the hall and empty their basins in the one small bathroom available for their use. “The Novices across the hall lived with the same restrictions,” says Russell. We look forward to sharing more stories like this on the road to celebrating the Mount’s 150th in 2023.
ILeave!...NOW!turn…Iwalktoward the door… Down and round the brown staircases…
Below are two excerpts from a poem Penelope Russell wrote and read at an an assembly for the 50th anniversary following the fire of 1951. The full poem is available on the alumni website at alumni.msvu.ca.
The Sisters are quick to set up the Junior School Sister Victoria – always fun, mischief, sneaking out the kitchen door
The lights on, someone calling I’m in my alcove – in my bed
A walk down memory lane
I have to take my Mother’s Kenwood blanket – she’ll ask me for it!”
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“We were sitting on beds like a pajama sleepover, but we couldn’t see out of the windows.”“Itwasthe coldest night in 25 years,” she recalls. “Water froze when firefighters sprayed. They wanted to draw water from the Bedford Basin, but that would have meant stopping the trains. CN was unable to allow that to happen.
My first memories – always calm, firm, never panic!
Wake Up!
When (Stanbury)PenelopeRussell was 11, (MSVA)Vincentatandfamily’sfollowedsheinherfootstepswasenrolledMountSaintAcademy–oneof the few boarders from Halifax living on campus. She spoke with Folia Montana about her early memories of the Mount – including the devastating fire of 1951 –and how the Mount helped prepare her for life ahead. All in the family Going to the Mount Academy was a tradition in Penelope Russell’s family. “Indeed, Mount Saint Vincent has influenced my family history for five generations.”Russell’sgreat-grandmother Ella Bauld was a student here in 1874. She and Russell’s great-grandfather George W.C. Oland had 12 children. Many were also educated at the Mount – both boys and girls.Inthe early 1900s, Russell’s grandmother Herlinda de Bedia and her sister Fide were Mount students from Cuba. Her grandfather Sidney Oland told Russell that it was love at first sight – at least for him. It took three trips to Cuba to convince Herlinda to marry him. They exchanged vows in Cuba in 1912. Their children, and their children’s children, continued to be educated at the Mount, including Russell’s son Paul. Life at the Mount Russell arrived at the Academy as an impish, seventh-grade student. She brought her favourite teddy bear with her: a white polar bear with ruffled fur and glass eyes, tapered paws covered in velvet, and fur that was smooth as silk from all her stroking. “It was strict here,” says Russell. “There were rules, and you were expected to obey them. I didn’t always. I was ‘campused’ a lot. This meant didn’t get to go home on Sundays.”
… As I pull the blanket off the bed … hesitation … I watch my teddy bear fall to the floor They’re calling – firmly I look to the floor – my bear, lying there, by the chair
Work on the MSVU garden will begin this June and will be located adjacent to the Gallery’s exterior entrance, near the duck pond. Another neat aspect of the project will be an audio tour of the garden accessible from MSVU Art Gallery’s website. And through a combination of photos, video, and audio recordings, the gallery will document the Butterfly Garden’s history, present form, and growth.
FM Artist Mike MacDonald Butterfly Garden returns to MSVU 25 years later
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Sadly, Dr. Bob passed away in 2021. His wife Wendy and sons Chris and Andrew knew the best way to honour his memory was to keep his love of learning alive. So, together with donations from family and friends, they established the Dr. Bob Scholarship that will be awarded annually to a promising fourth-year student at MSVU.
“Avid birder, photographer, world traveller, nature lover, philanthropist, and excellent hugger.” That is who Dr. Robert McDonald was to his friends and family. As a professor of organic chemistry at MSVU for over 30 years, Dr. Bob — as he was affectionately known — shared his love of nature with his students, helping them understand its building blocks. His love of nature, however, was not confined to the classroom. He worked to preserve Nova Scotia’s natural beauty and was an active member of the natural history community. One of his many successes was his involvement in preserving the Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area, a Halifax urban forest. When semesters ended, Dr. Bob’s work in the research lab began, bringing students with him as lab assistants. He dedicated his research to finding chemical solutions for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Even after his retirement, he continued to frequent the lab in pursuit of finding Alzheimer’s treatment. “Whenever possible, Bob supported MSVU students by giving them opportunities to conduct research and give them experiential learning outside of the classroom. This experience reinforced the importance of the lecture material and further developed our young scientists at MSVU,” says faculty member Dr. Ian Pottie, who is currently engaged in a research collaboration investigating possible imaging agents for Alzheimer’s disease.
A legacy of love and learning
“Initially imagined as a project in line with the Gallery’s 50th anniversary in 2021, the revival of MacDonald’s Garden is
Dr. Bob presents Alyssa Doue with the L. MacDonald Memorial Award in 2016. In 2021, Doue was hired as an MSVU lab instructor.
“During his tenure and well into his retirement years, the summers were when he managed to do research, always employing students to assist with progress and discovery,” says Wendy McDonald. “The scholarship will continue his legacy by helping a senior student with tuition.” This is one of many legacies Dr. Bob will leave. As an academic, his influence appears in Alzheimer’s research and shines through the work of his former students. As a community member, hikers on the trails of Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes are benefitting from his passion and love of nature, and as a philanthropist his impact is ingrained in the organizations supported by his generosity. But mostly, you will find his legacy in the kindness he brought out in those that knew him and the memories cherished by those who loved him best. If you would like to contribute to the Dr. Bob Scholarship, in memory of Dr. Bob, please go to alumni.msvu.ca/donate.
FM now among a campus-wide reflection on MSVU history as we anticipate our 150th anniversary,” says Gallery Director Laura Ritchie. “His intentions prompt us to continue thinking about this land, how we care for it, and how we relate to the campus’ lifecycle.”Theinspiration for the garden came to MacDonald while working with the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en nations. He recorded testimonies and created visual documents to assist both nations’ land claim challenges when he began speaking to Elders about the butterflies, learning more about the butterfly’s connection with medicinal plants, healing, and the land.
The MSVU Butterfly Garden is one of many MacDonald planted across Canada between 1995 and 2003. He intended them to be places of contemplation, to observe butterflies and prioritize Indigenous knowledge over land commodification.
Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Wildnerness
The MSVU Art Gallery is replanting a Butterfly Garden first created 25 years ago by Mi’kmaw artist Mike MacDonald MacDonald’s original garden was planted in 1997 as part of a larger exhibition of his work, Digital Garden, then hosted at the Gallery. The original garden once ran along the retaining wall that divides the Seton Parking lot and green space by the Art Gallery. Now, with the help of the organization Finding Flowers and community input, the Gallery will install a new Butterfly Garden that captures the spirit of MacDonald’s original.
REFLECTIONS
Women’s soccer program collaborating with Team Mi’kmaw Nova Scotia
Folia 2022 2524 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends ATHLETICS Connect them with our friendly recruitment team today! questions@msvu.ca | msvu.ca/futurestudents greatsomeoneKnowwho’dbeafitatMSVU?
“We are happy that Coach Cyr and Halifax County proposed to lead this project with their commitment to the development of coaches, particularly youth, women, and Indigenous participants,” says NAIG Chef de Mission Levi Denny. The coaching team, under the technical and sporting direction of Cyr, includes an impressive roster of high-level coaches including Jenna Blackburn, a long-time technical and performance coach with HCU and MSVU, and Kate Fines, the 2017 AUS Soccer Rookie of the Year, former NAIG player, and C license coach.
“I am looking forward to working and learning alongside athletes, coaches, and communities throughout Mi’kma’ki,” says Cyr. “Levi and Team Mi’kmaw Nova Scotia mission staff have set an inspiring vision for NAIG 2023. We are grateful and excited to have our MSVU soccer program supporting this vision.”
Fines is also excited about the opportunity. “It’s fantastic that Coach Cyr is bringing her leadership to this project and Halifax County Soccer is embracing the program,” she says. “This will be a very player-focused experience.”
FM Coaches Cyr and Blackburn in background during a 2017 match. Danielle Cyr
The MSVU Mystics women’s soccer program, in partnership with Halifax County United Soccer Club (HCU), has been selected by Team Mi’kmaw Nova Scotia to manage and coach the 2023 North America Indigenous Games (NAIG) soccer teams.TheNorth America Indigenous Games 2023 is the largest multi-sport and indigenous cultural event to ever be held in Atlantic Canada. From July 15 to 23, 2023, the event will bring together more than 5,000 athletes, coaches, and team staff from 756 Indigenous Nations to celebrate, share and reconnect through sport and culture. Co-led by MSVU head coach Danielle Cyr (BPR ’15) and HCU President Richard MacLellan, the project assembles a highly skilled and engaged leadership team focused on player experience and development opportunities for all participating players, coaches, organizations, and communities.
RESEARCH
Dr. Janice Keefe named 2021 Fellow of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
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Dr. Janice Keefe is one of just three health science leaders in the Atlantic region among the 74 newly named 2021 Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Keefe is professor and chair of the Department of Family Studies and Gerontology at MSVU, the Lena Isabel Jodrey Chair in Gerontology, and Director of the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging. Dr. Keefe is one of Canada’s leading researchers on aging, home care, long-term care, and caregiving, and a resource to municipal, provincial and federal governments on these topics.
impactingAtlanticprogramsexploreDr.formerwaiversecondaryaworthDevelopmentSSHRCresearch,vice-president,associatereceivedaPartnershipgrant$199,858towardstudyonpost-tuition-programsforyouthincare.GahaganwillhowtheseacrossCanadaarerecipients’ lives and how they are related to advancing institutional commitments to gender-based analysis, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, among other considerations.
In September 2021, Dr. Amy Thurlow, professor and chair of Communication Studies at MSVU, was nationally recognized for her work to advance a global standard for public relations professionals in Canada. Dr. Thurlow and the University of Huddersfield’s Dr. Anne Gregory received the Canadian Public Relations Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award. The award celebrates their efforts to launch the Global Capabilities Framework in Canada, a new tool allowing PR professionals to benchmark their skills and compare themselves to a global standard.
PR professor recognized for outstanding achievement
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MSVU researcher receives grant to advance work on lung disease
FM Dr. Gahagan,Jacquie
The Lung Association of Nova Scotia named MSVU biology professor Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal as the recipient of a Legacy Research Award. The award, which carries a value of $25,000, will facilitate a new research initiative for Dr. Franz-Odendaal’s lab. Currently the lab is studying tracheal development and signaling molecules, and their function in relation to lung disease, by examining he development of trachea in chicken embryos.
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RESEARCH
Dr. Jennifer Khoury, assistant professor in the department of psychology, is the recipient of a SSHRC Insight Grant for $249,610. Dr. Khoury’s grant will support an interdisciplinary and comprehensive study of the factors that shape the development of emotion regulation and broader socialemotional development in children.Dr.Khoury also received $99,984.02 from Research Nova Scotia’s New Health Investigator Grant program for her study of pregnant women affected by child maltreatment and their infants. Dr. Khoury and her team will follow 125 pregnant Nova Scotians from the third trimester of pregnancy until the first three months after birth. Information gathered will help enhance understanding of the social, mental, and physical health needs of these new mothers and their infants.
Dr. Chérif Matta, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics at MSVU, was elected to the 2021 class of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows – one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community. An avid researcher, Dr. Matta is known globally for his research that focuses on theoretical and computational (bio)chemistry and (bio) physics. He has a primary focus on analyzing electron density and an interest in problems related to biology and material science.
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FM Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition, received $305,817 in funding to establish the Mount Food Research Centre (MFRC). The MFRC will be a unique site in Nova Scotia that combines food product development, nutritional research focused on prevention of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, and knowledge translation to the food industry and local communities.
Professor and researcher elected Fellow of AAAS
FM Dr. Lori Borgal, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, received $704,216 in funding to advance her research in molecular and cellular biology. Dr. Borgal’s research targets the mitotic spindle, a componentkeyin the cell that is required to accurately segregate duplicated DNA. Results from this research can be used to identify genetic basis of disease, achieving improved disease detection and diagnosis.
FM MSVU researchers receive $1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Research Nova Scotia New SSHRC funded studies will explore emotion regulation in children and the impacts of tuition waiver programs for former youth in care
Dr. Franz-OdendaalTamara
Need for improved eating disorder supports for 2SLGBTQIA+ community
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Dr. Rosemarie Sampson, BSc ’63, BA ‘68 Professor of Psychology, Psychology Department Chair, Dean of Professional Studies, Senior Advancement Associate and Planned Giving Officer (1973 – 2007) Board of Governors Member (2021 – present) Donor (1979 – present) 1873 Society Member (MSVU’s legacy giving recognition circle)
For more information about making a legacy gift or to let us know that you have remembered MSVU in your estate plans, please contact Anne Thibodeau at 902-457-6270, anne.thibodeau@msvu.ca or visit https://alumni.msvu.ca/legacygiving
Dr. FindlayTammy , Chair of the Department of Political and Canadian Studies at MSVU and president of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, explores gender-based policy making, feminist intersectionality, social policy, community engagement, and women’s representation. She works on the Policy4Women Project, exploring non-conventional means of public engagement and is co-author on a new book titled Women, Politics and Public Policy: The Political Struggles of Canadian Women.
Dr. Kyly Whitfield, professorassociate in Applied inresearchisNutritionHumanatMSVU,partnerinainitiativeruralBangladesh that seeks to reduce child marriage by improving nutrition, health and livelihoods through enhanced homestead food production. Led by Hellen Keller International, the study hypothesizes that improving family income and thus food security will reduce adolescent malnutrition, resulting in a decrease in the prevalence of marriage among adolescent girls in the region.
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Your MSVU Legacy
My association with the Mount has been a long one, being an integral part of my adult life and providing opportunities I would never have had at another university. My husband and I have made provisions through gifts in our Wills and a life insurance policy that will not only provide donations much larger than we would be able to contribute in our lifetime to MSVU and other charities important to us, but will also ensure future generations of MSVU students are afforded the same opportunities. I encourage others to consider the potential and the impact of their philanthropy with legacy giving.
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, professor of Biology at MSVU, has been the Atlantic NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) in Canada since 2011. The Chair’s program provides opportunities for girls to engage with role models and have hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and for professional women working in STEM to network and discuss the challenges they face.
Across the MSVU community, researchers are engaged in efforts related to the advancement of women and girls.
Dr. Phillip Joy, a faculty member in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition at MSVU, recently published the results of his project titled “Safe, Seen, Supported: Navigating Eating Disorders Recovery in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community.”
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RESEARCH
In partnership with Eating Disorders Nova Sctoia, Youth Project, and the Change Lab Action Research Initiative, Dr. Joy aims to spotlight the gap in eating-disorder recovery programs for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Through this research, he identifies barriers to accessing support while offering suggestions for healthcare providers serving 2SLGBTQIA+ patients. Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community face challenges not only in finding appropriate therapeutic options but also in accessing those limited options.
Advancing women and girls through research
Key findings and recommendations from this research highlight a need to develop culturally responsive, accessible, and effective supports for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Increased diversity among service providers (including more 2SLGBTQIA+ representation) and more peer support from other 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have lived experience with eating disorders are needed, the study concludes.
As president of the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association, I am proud to collaborate with a dedicated group of volunteers who bring to the table their own reasons, memories, and commitment to supporting current students and engaging our ever-growing alumni family. We give back to the Mount because the Mount has given so much to each of us. It is that simple. As we approach the Mount’s 150th in 2023, here is to many more years of special memory making and personal Joanneaccomplishments.Bernard,B.A.
Special thank you to our 2021-2022 Board of Directors who shared their time and passion this year in support of our students and alumni. Board of Directors
30 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends Folia 2022 31 MSVAA President’s Message
When someone asks me about what memories I have of my time at the Mount, my answer is always the same. The Mount was my Muse. It inspired my love of politics and quest for equity. It ignited my feminism and set before me my paths both personally and professionally. The day walked across the stage would be the last time both of my parents would witness their only child’s accomplishment. Both would die suddenly in the months after that pivotal day in my life. I hold the strengths I learned from my time at the Mount close. I hold my memories closer. My classes, my achievements, and the friends I made in university all framed my future.
The weekend culminated with our virtual Alumni Awards where we celebrated Corrine MacLellan (BPR ’96), Katie Feltmate (BPR ’18), and Terri Roberts (BA ’99, BEd ’02). FM (Pictured left, L-R, ) Penny Henneberry (BSc ’87), VP of the MSVAA, and Lynne MacQuarrie (BPR ’96), MSVAA Board member and 25th anniversary milestone recipient. Now on to 2022! Mark your calendars for October 11-15 for Reunion 2022. Full details, including a schedule of events, can be found at alumni.msvu.ca/reunion2022.
Joanne with her parents at her 1996 graduation from MSVU
MSVAA
(with Distinction) ‘96 President MSVAA
President: Joanne Bernard, BA ’96 Vice President: Penny Henneberry, BSc ‘87 Past President: Alison MacDonald, BPR ‘88 Secretary: Nancy Dorey, BPR ‘97 Treasurer: Linda MacKay, BA (AIT) ’99 Members at Large Whitney Atkinson, BBA ’17 Katherine Brien, BBA ’10 Shannah Butterfield, BBA ’02 Craig Ennis, BPR ’00 Aris Hernandez, BBA ’16 Roberta Hibbert, BBA ‘15
Executive2021-2022Committee
Despite pandemic uncertainties playing out across the world late in 2021, we were thrilled to have been able to host a combination of virtual and in-person events for reunion celebrations last October. For many attendees, it was the first time back to campus in quite some time and we certainly took advantage of the opportunity to gather safely. The event kicked off with a Thanksgiving centerpiece making and social followed by anniversary teas for our 50th classes of both the academy and university. Graduates celebrating milestone years ending in 1 and 6 were celebrated at our Friday evening pinning ceremony and social where we paid tribute to close to 40 milestone graduates, including Penelope Stanbury Russell (see A Walk Down Memory Lane, page 20-21), who was marking her 65th anniversary from Mount Saint Vincent Academy.
ALUMNI NEWS
Tanya Lush, MEd ’06 Lynne MacQuarrie, BPR ’96 Dawn Mallyon, BPR ’92 Ryan Nearing, BPR ’17 Jeremy Neilson, BA ’10 Ashley Stewart, BSC ’06 Heather Strickey, BAH ‘95 Alumni Representatives on the Mount Board of Governors
Joanne Bernard, BA ’06 Penny Henneberry BSc ’87 Aris Hernandez BBA ‘16
Members of the 50th class of MSVU: Left: (taking photo): Linda (Resk) Corsetti, Pat (MacLellan) Maccagno, Mary Ann (Richardson) Villeneuve, Carol Rogers, and Trudy Thompson Academy 50th class members gather for reunion luncheon: Left (front row): Charmaine LeBlanc-Sanders, Lenora MerriganThorpe, Louise (Vaughan) Connors, Mary Beth (Todd) Pion (back row) Faith (Thompson) Cooper, Dianne (Barrie) West, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin (MSVU), Nancy Battis, Sister Lorraine D’Entremont and Penelope (Stanbury) Russell. Reunion 2021 celebrations kicked off with a Thanksgiving Floral Centerpiece Making & Social at Vinnie’s Pub on campus.
2020sNEWSShannonPaquette(BTHM‘21)
Folia 2022 3332 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends ALUMNI
Last June, Michelle Russell (BA Hons ‘20) and current MSVU Student Allison Bray Lougheed were members of Canada’s Canoe/Kayak – Sprint team taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The pair took home 11th place in the K-4 500-meter race. 2010s toCongratulations Sacha Nadeau (MA ‘14), who was recently promoted to Director of Programs and Services at the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, taking over the role after the retirement of MSVU alumni Linda Bird. Marco Redden (BA Hons ‘17, MA ‘21) became a two-time MSVU grad in 2021 after completing his MA in Family Studies and Gerontology. His thesis, “Meaningful Engagement among Care Home Residents with Dementia and Family Members: A Critical Ecological Analysis,” received the university’s Graduate Thesis award. Marco is the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia’s new Research and Evaluation Coordinator. Congratulations to Andrea Penney (BSc ‘11) on receiving her Masters in Applied Human Nutrition in spring of 2021 and recently becoming an official registered dietician. In 2021, John. R. Sylliboy (MA Ed ‘18) collaborated with IKEA Halifax to design their show living rooms and bedrooms to reflect Mi’kmaq culture and heritage. John is also currently working on a Ph.D. in education from McGill University. In June 2022, Katie Mahoney headed to Peru to race 230 km to raise money in support of Brad Carmichael (BPR ‘18), who was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease and always dreamed of travelling Europe with his family. As an avid game show fan Anthony Jackson (BA ‘10) won the jackpot with his new role as the host of Bluenoser Battles. The Bell Fibe TV local reality show launched in 2021 and sets friends and family against each other to compete in a set of unique challenges. Multiversity Comics named Jed MacKay (BEd ‘12) one of the top breakout writers of 2021. Jed signed on to write exclusively for Marvel comics which includes his critically acclaimed Man Without Fear Miniseries and ever popular Black Cat Saga Congratulations to Aren Morris (MA Ed ‘13) for publishing their debut novel We Happy Few in Spring 2022. In the book, Aren brings readers back to a bustling World Ward II era Halifax and explores the Victory in Europe Day riots through the eyes of protagonist Polly Tremblay. Kathryn MacPhee (BBA ‘19) launched a wedding planning & design business, KM Wedding & Event Co. - a boutique event planning company based out of Halifax that specializes in planning & designing events all over the Maritimes and internationally.Afterworking for Tourism Nova Scotia for the past few years, Melanie Lowe (BTHMT ‘13) has returned to her alma mater as the new Project Manager of the recently launched Kinu Tourism Program at MSVU which is set to launch with its first students in 2024.InFebruary 2022, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King appointed MacDonaldJamie(BSc ‘16) Deputy Minister of Social Development and Housing. Prior to the appointment, Jamie worked in P.E.I.’s Department of Health and Wellness as the Senior Director of Health. Before attending MSVU, Thomas Hall (BBA ‘13) was already an Olympic medalist, winning a bronze medal as a spirit canoe paddler at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since graduating, he has received a master’s degree in Journalism from Carleton University and is now the Canadian Olympic Committee’s director of communications. 2000s For the last three NBA seasons, Luke Corey (BSc ‘08) has been the team dietitian for the Timberwolves.Minnesota
After graduating from MSVU, Luke spent three years at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Minnesota, followed by two years at UCLA Health Sports Performance in CongratulationsCalifornia.to Laurianne Sylvester (MEd’ 06), Cape Breton University’s new Dean of Unama’ki College. Born and raised as a Mi’kmaw woman in Membertou First Nation, Laurianne has worked in education for 20 years. She plans to incorporate an Indigenous framework into future CBU plans and create a supportive environment for all Mi’kmaw students.
Robyn McIsaac (BA ‘93, BPR ‘94, MPR, ‘11), the founder of The PR Hive, has joined Crestview Strategy as Vice President. The PR Hive in Halifax is Crestview’s eighth global location, providing them with expert public relations support to clients across Canada.
Class Notes
Leanna Whiting (BCY ‘02), an instructorteacherelementaryauthor,schoolandyogarenowned for her creative and playful teachings of yoga through story, recently opened Breathe. Read. Yoga. - a one-of-akind online children’s yoga program for schools and early childhood education Congratulationscentres. to Akhlas Nayyar (BBA ‘06) on over a decade working for Al Futtaim Group LLC., one of the top business conglomerates in Dubai, where they are happily married and raising two Sinceboys. graduating, Ronald Laffin (MEd ‘01) has been busy volunteering in addiction and counselling services and working to publish two books. Ronald also spent 20 years in Tae Kwon Do, achieving one world champion title and 12 black belts. In the fall of 2021, Cape Breton YMCA named Sabrina Vatcher (BPR ‘00) their permanentnewCEO. During the pandemic, Sabrina oversaw YMCA operations, where their expertise was vital in ensuring the organization’s services continued. After working in Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa, ‘07)McLaughlinShannon(BPR recently returned to her home province of New Brunswick and launched a new online baby and toddler boutique, Fox + Cove. 1990s In March 2022, Linda Bird (MA ‘98) retired as director of Programs and Services at the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia after 18 years of working with the organization. Previously Linda worked with the Nova Scotia Centre of Aging at team,Women’sCoachCoordinatorMSVU’sMSVUAthleticsandHeadoftheMysticsBasketball Mark Forward (BBA ‘93), was honoured as Basketball Nova Scotia’s 2022 Coach of the year at the Support 4 Sports awards night. This past June, Jennifer Bourque (BPR ‘97) held an exhibition of her conceptual photography of churches of the Acadian Shore at the Anna Leonowens Gallery in Halifax. Jennifer, also a graduate of Fine Arts from NSCAD, recently moved back to Halifax after nine years in Vancouver and currently works in the Ministerial Events division of the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Congratulations to Halifax’s new Deputy Mayor, Pam Lovelace (BAH ‘99, MEd ‘18) Pam was elected Deputy Mayor in November 2021 and she served as councillor for Hammonds-Plains/St. Margaret’s prior to her new appointment. After working for Correctional Services Canada for the past 27 years, Marla Kavalak (BA ‘91, BEd ‘93) was appointed the warden of Atlantic Institution, one of Canada›s maximum-security prisons for male offenders. In 2021 Matt Robinson (BEd ‘98) released Tangled & Cleft through Kentville’s awardwinning Gaspereau Press. The book is his sixth full-length poetry collection. Matt is an award-winning poet and counts the Grain Prose Poetry Prize, the Petra Kenney Award and The Malahat Review Long Poem Prize, among his awards.
fulfilled her dream of creating a tourism business that offers hyper-local,high-end,sustainable experiences. Her company, Ocean Playground Adventures, partners with local operators to offer unique experiences for visitors to NS who want off-thebeaten-path adventures.
on the birth of her daughter Parker Clare born in June 2021! Ashley is an Organizational Development Organizer with the Worker’s Compensation Board of NS and just completed her second term as a Board member with the MSV Alumni Association.)
Jana Mitchell (BPR ‘09) was proudly featured as part of the Chronicle Herald’s 2022 International Women’s Day promotion sharing her story of tenacity in founding and growing her medical transportation business, Wheels for the CongratulationsWise. to Ashley Stewart(Forsyth)(BSc’06)
After 15 years as Production Choir,VancouverManagerCommunicationsandoftheChamber Karen Seaboyer (BPR ‘89) is working on Vancouver Island with the Campbell River Arts Council. Her new role is multi-faceted and combines her 35 years of arts administration with musicians, visual artists, writers, and other arts
1980sLeanne
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The only one of its kind in Canada, the Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour at MSVU is a celebration of extraordinary women from all walks of life. The name of each honouree is engraved on a leaf on the wall as a lasting tribute to inspiring women who have made a difference across family, community, and profession. Today, the wall bears the names of more than 500 women. There are a limited number of leaves still available on the Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour. Purchase a leaf today to celebrate a woman who has made an impact in your life or add your name to the wall.
Online: womenswallofhonour.ca Phone: 902-457-6764 Email: kari.shannon@msvu.ca Celebrate an extraordinary woman in your life with a leaf on THE RIVA SPATZ WOMEN’S WALL OF HONOUR
Farewell and thank you! Share
The YouTube series Professionals & Coffee recently featured Ted Bravakis (BPR ‘94) for a coffee and chat. Ted is the co-founder and partner of bravacomm, a communications consulting firm that combines the communications expertise of its team with the science of well-being.
Congratulationsassociations.to Becky Hong (BBA ‘89) on her promotion to Vice President, Finance and Controller at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). Becky is an accomplished financial planner and, before joining the LCBO in 2018, was the senior Director of Projects and Planning for Shoppers Drug Mart. 1970s Robert Henman (BA ’79) is a part time faculty lecturer in Philosophy and Ethics with the Family Studies and Gerontology Department at the Mount. He’s recently published Reorienting Education and the Social Sciences: Transitioning Towards the Positive Anthropocene, at Axial Publishing, Vancouver, BC. FM
A reminder that retired MSVU faculty automatically become honourary members of the alumni family. Please reach out to us at alumni@msvu.ca with updated contact information so we can stay in touch and ensure you are included in special invites and events. FM your news! a Class Note online alumni@msvu.caalumni.msvu.caatorbyemailat
BeddowBirmingham-(BPR‘89 ), experienced PR part-timeprofessionalcommunicationsandandfaculty member in the communications department at MSVU, returns home to Cape Breton as the newly appointed CEO of the Celtic Colours Festival. Congratulations, Leanne!
2021 Retirees 1981-2021 Michael Campbell, Maintenance - Facilities Management – 40 years 1972-2021 Greg Coakley, Department of Biology – 49 years 1985-2021 Elizabeth Hicks, Department of Business Administration and Tourism – 36 years 1996-2021 Pamela Johanson, Department of Modern Languages – 25 years 1998-2021 Dianne Lindsay, Financial Services – 23 years 2008-2021 Bruce MacNeil, Facilities Management – 13 years 2001-2021 E. Lynn Power, Child Study Centre – 20 years 1989-2021 Blake Rutledge, Maintenance - Facilities Management – 32 years 1988-2021 Suzanne Seager, Department of Mathematics – 33 years 2022 Retirees 1982 - 2022 Mallika Das, Department of Business Administration and Tourism – 40 years 1982 - 2022 Glenn Landry, Maintenance – Facilities Management – 40 years 1982 - 2022 Marilyn Singer, Print Shop – 40 years 1984 - 2021 Donald Shiner, Department of Business Administration and Tourism – 37 years 1990 – 2022 Linda Isenor, Custodial Services – Facilities Management – 32 years 1998 - 2022 Jessie Oliver, Custodial Services – Facilities Management – 24 years 1999 - 2022 Debbie Beaver, Human Resources – 23 years 2001 – 2022 Sandy MacKie, Receiving and Distribution –Facilities Management – 21 years 2004 - 2022 Michael Whalen, Department of Business Administration and Tourism – 18 years
MSVU’s first in-person retirement celebration in over two 2 years was held in April of this year. Pictured are 2022 retirees, from left: Michael Whalen, Mallika Das, Marilyn Singer, Debbie Beaver and Don Shiner We are very proud to recognize those MSVU staff and faculty who celebrated their retirement in 2021 and 2022. We thank you for your dedication, and wish you a world of happiness in your retirement adventures. Welcome to the alumni family!
Folia 2022 35 ALUMNI NEWS
As part of Reunion 2021, the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association paid tribute to it’s 2021 Alumni Award winners. Congratulations to Corrine MacLellan (BPR ’96), winner of the Alumni Award for Community Service; Katie Feltmate (BPR ’19), Young Alumni of the Year recipient; and Terri Roberts (BA ’99, BEd ’02) who was recognized with the first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Alumni Legacy award.
2021 Alumni Award Winners
36 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends Folia 2022 37 HAL I F A X ST . JOHN’SDUMREBACALGARY O T T AWA TORONTO36,000 MountworldwideAlumni MSVU Alumni Regional Networks With over 36,000 Mount Alumni worldwide, we have every reason to connect, learn, share, reminisce, and keep this great institution doing what it does best for our future generations. We feel celebrating our relationship to the Mount no matter where we live or work is an integral piece for all of us, so thank you for sharing and connecting! For more information and to sign up alumni.msvu.ca/regionalnetworks JOIN A NETWORK! Mount Saint UniversityVincent@msvu_alumni @msvu_alumni@msvualumni ALUMNI NEWS
FM Corrine MacLellan Katie Feltmate Terri Roberts
Folia 2022 3938 Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends Please note that only those individuals for whom the alumni office was notified are mentioned.
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With thoughtful fellow and members of the Mount community whom have lost over the
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Dr. Lumpkin apologized on behalf of the university to survivors, their families, and their communities as well as all Indigenous Peoples for MSVU’s role in the tragedy of residential schools in Canada. The Sisters of Charity Halifax, MSVU’s founders and previous owner, had members who staffed the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia, open from 1930 to 1967, and the Cranbrook Residential School in British Columbia, open from 1890 to Referring1970.to the traumas experienced by residential school survivors, their family members, and Indigenous communities, Dr. Lumpkin said, “Theirs is an immeasurable suffering that has left a legacy for subsequent generations. MSVU is deeply sorry for our role in the tragedy of residential schools.”
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• Diane MacKinnon, DGN (’88), February 15, 2021 • Evelyn McCall, BPR (’82), November 3, 2021
• Robert Buchan, MED, MED (’94), MAP (’83), October 1, 2021 Tiffany Clarke, BA (’93), BA (’06), MED (’10), March 17, 2022 Preman Edwards, BSC (’96), BED (’98) August 21, 2020 Anne-Marie Ryan, MED (’93), January 20, 2022 2000s Joan Carmichael, MED (’08), December 15, 2021 Harold Corbett, bBSS (’09), August 6, 2020, Heidi King, MED (’08),May 18, 2021, Alexa McDonough, DumhL (’09), January 15, 2022 Community Betty Anderson, May 7, 2021 Shirley Cheong, April 23, 2021 Deborah Conter, September 9, 2021 Rosalie Courage, February 28, 2021 Richard Goldbloom, November 22, 2021 Carl Holm, December 29, 2021 Dr. Robert Lake, Winter 2022 Ross Lively, January 17, 2021 Robert (Bob) McDonald, November 18, 2021 Gerald Nelson, February 17, 2021 Terrence (Terry) Paris, September 13, 2021 Danette Robinson, November 25, 2020 Beverly Shankel, June 15, 2021 Penny Squires, March 17, 2021 Mary-Joan (Joan) Walsh, June 1, 2021 Margaret Yurkiw, March 23, 2022
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1970s Sr. Judith Rollo, BSC (’70), July 27, 2021 M. Jane Bannon, BA (’78), September 8, 2021 Gay Miriam Conrad-Bagg, CDC (’78), May 21, 2022 • Susan Doane, DOA (’77), November 5, 2020 • Donna Farrell, BSCN (’73), May 20, 2021 Shirley Fishman, BBA (’73), May 8, 2021 Margaret MacKenzie (Ferguson), MAE (’74) August 5, 2020 Margaret MacDonnell (Terry), BSCN (’74), August 25, 2020 Monica MacPhee, DOA (’79), BSA (’85), November 19, 2020 Phyllis McCulloch, BA (’70), BED (’71), June 13, 2021 Lorna McKenzie (Houlihan), BED (’78), June 28, 2021 Suzette McNevin, BEC (’72), October 16, 2021 Margaret Mullane, BA (’71), BED (’72), May 28, 2022 Brenda Sawchuk, BA (’77), March 3, 2022 Margaret Trainor, BA (’77), February 12, 2021 Shirley Vaughan, BBA (’75), DOA (’75), BED (’76), June 14, 2020 1980s Patricia Butler, BA (’85), December 28, 2021 Kathleen Driscoll, BBA (’85), December 30, 2020 Norma Fraser, BA (’89), October 16, 2021 Michelle Gailey, BSA (’80), DOA (’80), October 31, 2021 Rev. Tracey Grosse, BA (’86), MD (’92),October 22, 2020 Robin Harris (Jacques), BAD (’83), MED (’95), MED (’09), October 16, 2021 Gail Langille, BA, BED (’86), MED (’93), February 28, 2021 Roberta Lutes (Cummings), BA (’81), September 22, 2020
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• Thomas Robson, MED (’86), June 2, 2021 • Renee Snow, BA (’80), MED (’85), June 14, 2020 • Lise Wilhelmy-Steele, BA (’83), December 22. 2020
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Dr. Lumpkin also noted that MSVU’s responsibility and apology extend to actions and inactions shared by many Canadian universities including a harmful delay in addressing the exclusion of Indigenous youth from the benefits of a university education and inadequate education about the damage done to children by the residential schools.
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Catherine Martin, a member of the L’nu Advisory Circle at MSVU and presently director of Indigenous community engagement at Dalhousie University moderated the ceremony. “This is a sacred time and the apology from MSVU is a welcomed gesture towards healing through reconciliation,” she said.
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On October 20, 2021, at the wikuom on the MSVU campus, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, interim university president and vice-chancellor at the time, gathered with a group of Indigenous community representatives, including residential school survivors, First Nation community leaders, Elders, MSVU L’nu Advisory Circle members, and university representatives for a ceremony of apology and commitment.
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MSVU’s apology was accompanied by a list of commitments the university is making to Indigenous Peoples.
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“While these commitments represent progress towards a meaningful path forward, we will continue to consult, listen to, and learn from members of our Indigenous community. This is, therefore, an ongoing process that will evolve over time,” said Dr. Lumpkin. The commitments are based upon work already being undertaken and focus on a central commitment to listening, learning and enduring action.
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1990s Anna Brown, CBB (’93), September 3, 2021
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1930s Mary MacDonald (Mary Stone), ACAD (’39), BSC (’42), October 3, 2021 1940s Sr. Maureen Regan (Rose Edward), ACAD (’42), BA (’58), MAP (’67), December 27, 2020 • Sr. Mary MacIntyre (Mary Elmer), BA (’46), May 17, 2021 • Rose McGinn, ACAD (’41), BA (’78), December 31, 2020 • Terri Pothier (Monaghan), ACAD (’42), May 9, 2021 1950s Sr. Maria Sutherland (Maria Francis), BA (’53), BED (’57), MAP (’64), September 16, 2021 • Sr. Mary Lavers (Mary Jeannette), BEC (’57), BED (’65), September 6, 2020 • Dana Murray (Duggan), ACAD (’54), BSC (’60), November 6, 2021 • Glen Flemming, BA (’55), BED (’73), MBA (’79) ,June 7, 2020 • Marion Crabbe (Crabbé), BA, BED (’55), MAP (’03), February 11, 2022 • Nancy MacDonald (Fry), BA, BED (’56), MED (’80), May 22, 2020 • Anne Hallisey (Carew), BSC (’58), November 16, 2021 • Maureen Davis (Brown), BSCN (’58), March 12, 2022 1960s Sr. Helen Balch (Helen Joseph), BA (’68), June 13, 2021 • Sr. Mary Hannon (Cecilia Michael), BSC (’61), MED (’68), August 11, 2020x • Sr. Geraldine Manning (Helen Richard), BA (’62), January5, 2022 • Sr. Joan Mayer, BSC (’66), January 14, 2021 • Sr. Cynthia Noble (Carnell), BAD (’66), MED (’72), November 10, 2020 • Sr. Marguerite Robichaud (Paul Margaret), BSC (’66), BA (’71), January 12, 2020 • Sr. Maryann Sherlock (Jane Edward), BSC (’63), May 16, 2020 • Sr. Catherine Zimmer (Robert Louise), BA (’64), May 10, 2020 • Gladys Ascah (Jacques), BA, BED (’69), MED (’89), April 13, 2021 • Sheila Cardone (Robert Louise), BA (’66), BLS (’67), February 9, 2022 Linda Cruikshank (Manuel), ACAD (’65), BA (’69), BED (’70), January 14, 2022 Judith Schurman (Moseychuck), BA, BED (’66), MED (’77), February 1, 2021 • Patricia Morse (O’Connell), BSC (’63), April 19, 2021 • Linda Swinwood (Carnell), ACAD (’63), BED (’68), MED (’92), November 5, 2020
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In Memoriam
An apology and commitments to Indigenous Peoples
The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL PRIMMUM INSURANCE COMPANY It is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. in Quebec, by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in Ontario, and by TD Insurance Direct Agency Inc. in the rest of Canada. Our address: 50 Place Crémazie, 12th Floor, Montréal, Québec H2P 1B6. Due to provincial legislation, this car and recreational insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. All trade-marks are the property of their respective owners. � The TD logo and other TD trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. 8016-0120 Get a quote and see how much you could save! Go to tdinsurance.com/msvu Or call 1-888-589-5656 Feel confident with preferred rates on Home and Car Insurance. MSVU alumni could save more when they bundle their Car with Home, Condo and Tenant’s Insurance.
