Winter 2010 Campus Magazine by Wilfrid Laurier University

For Alumni & Friends

The Scene with CBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jelena Adzic

Talking dollars and sense with David Chilton Dr. Debbie Stoewen sheds light on the human-animal bond

Winter 2010

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contents

Cover Story Behind The Scene

As the host of CBC’s arts and entertainment television program, The Scene, Jelena Adzic has interviewed world figures, prizewinning authors and Hollywood celebrities.

Departments

Features

Editor’s Note

Reader Letters

President’s Corner

Alumni News

Campus News

Keeping in Touch

Calendar of Events

Flashback

On Campus

How changes to the labour market are impacting single mothers. Plus, slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Dollars and sense

Should you max out your RRSPs or pay off your mortgage? We ask author and financial guru David Chilton.

Insight into the human-animal bond

26 26

Veterinarian Dr. Debbie Stoewen uses social work skills to help pets and their families.

A seat on the edge of history

The Rev. Dr. David Pfrimmer’s faith and fortitude serve the global community.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

IgnItIng dreams, one step at a time

By making a gift to Laurier through your will, your legacy can keep the minds, spirits and hearts of our outstanding students ignited for years to come. To find out how you can take the next step toward creating exciting futures, please contact Cec Joyal at cjoyal@wlu.ca. Step up and take the lead.

Editor’s note

Put on your purple and gold

Volume 49, Number 3, Winter 2010 ISSN 0700-5105

Laurier Campus is published by the Department of Public Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 Editor: Stacey Morrison ’97 Writers: Lori Chalmers Morrison, Kevin Klein ‘04, Mallory O’Brien ‘08 Design: Erin Steed Photography: Tomasz Adamski, Dean Palmer Send address changes to: Address Updates, Development and Alumni Relations Email: alumaddress@wlu.ca Phone: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3176 Publications Mail Registration No. 40020414 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Department of Public Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 We welcome and encourage your feedback. Send letters to the editor to stmorrison@wlu.ca. We reserve the right to edit all submissions.

The year 2011 will mark two important milestones: Laurier’s 100th anniversary as an institution and the 170th birthday of the university’s namesake, Sir Wilfrid Laurier. As the seventh prime minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid was a proud Canadian nationalist, an advocate of individual liberty, and was known for his skills at conciliation. We can draw a number of parallels between the approach Sir Wilfrid used during his political career and key elements of our university’s vision and values. For example, the university’s vision promotes “…instilling the courage to engage and challenge the world in all its complexity,” and our values include “a life of purpose and citizenship” and “diversity and a culture of inclusivity.” Starting in October, Laurier will commemorate its centennial with a year of special events to celebrate the university’s past, present and future. Visit www.wlu.ca often for updates and event listings. As alumni, you are an integral part of

telling the Laurier story. With the university turning 100, it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your alma mater. Make plans to return to campus during the centennial celebrations, submit an inspiring story to www.wlu. ca/laurierinspires or consider donating photos or memorabilia from your Laurier days to the university archives (see page 40 for details). With so much going on, we want to make sure you stay up to date on alumni happenings. To this end, we have added a new calendar of events to the magazine. In each issue, a list of alumni events, news and promotions will be included on one page, making it easy to stay informed. You can find the calendar in this issue on page 39. There is much to look forward to in the coming months — get ready to celebrate!

Stacey Morrison ’97 Editor

Questions, comments, rants or raves? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at stmorrison@wlu.ca.

Laurier Campus (circ. 56,000) is published three times a year by the Department of Public Affairs. Opinions expressed in Campus do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration. Cover photography: Dean Palmer Visit us online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

DEVELOPMENTDAY 2010

Change. Lead. Thrive. featuring… featuring… Anchor of CBC’s The National, Peter Mansbridge discussing Canada and Canadians in a Changing World. Explore the national mood through key social and political issues as Peter uses humour and a dynamic stage presence to share his determination in acknowledging Canadian contributions to building a better world.

FRIDAY, FRIDAY,MAY MAY14, 14,2010 2010 TOPICS TOPICS FOR FOR THETHE DAYDAY INCLUDE: INCLUDE:

| $110per 8:30 8:30a.m.– a.m.–4:30 4:30p.m. p.m.| $110 perperson person BRICKER BRICKER ACADEMIC ACADEMIC BUILDING, BUILDING, WILFRID WILFRID LAURIER LAURIER UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY

• Financial • Financial

Management Management

This exClusive raTe Through laurier alumni inCludes:

• Leadership • Leadership

Full day of development, including keynote address and Q&A session

• Networking • Networking

with Peter Mansbridge; lunch & coffee break refreshments Invite family, friends and colleagues to join you for a full day of professional and personal development.

ToTo purchase purchase tickets tickets and and forfor complete complete event event information, information, visit: visit:

www.laurieralumni.ca/developmentday www.laurieralumni.ca/developmentday

reader letters FlASHback

Flashback

Photo: Wilfrid Laurier

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LAURIER CAMP

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Campus

I was doing some cleaning this past weekend and looked again at the Fall issue of Campus. On page 40 (Flashback) there is a picture from the 1978 Divisional Championship basketball game and a request to identify students in the photo. I recognized Bob Turbot. Bob is in the lower-left hand corner of the picture with curly blond hair, looking straight at the camera with a slight smile on his face. Hope this helps! Karen Wright (BBA ‘82)

Boar’s Head dinner The picture of the students’ Boar’s Head dinner in the Summer 2009 Campus magazine inspired my daughter Andrea (BA ’01) and myself to attend the 2009 dinner. We enjoyed the camaraderie with the undergrads and some of the organizers of this event. Congratulations and a great job by Kyle Armstrong and committee on organizing this popular event. We missed having the traditional candle-lit procession with the WLU choir singing the Boar’s Head carol Perhaps this tradition will return in 2010?

Golden Hawks football I thought you might be interested in this 1966 picture of the Golden Hawks football team preparing to load the bus for the trip to Varsity Stadium in Toronto for the College Bowl. We played St. Francis Xavier and lost 42-14. That was our only loss that year. The College Bowl was by invitation only, and we beat some pretty good schools to qualify for the championship game. I still have my WLU letterman’s jacket (and it still fits!) and the plaque that was presented to us for our participation. Richard Bosher (BA ’71)

Stuart Borden (BA ’70)

We would love to hear from you! Send your letters to stmorrison@wlu.ca

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

PRESIDENT’S corner

Celebrating the past, planning for the future

Dr. Max Blouw talks with alumni at a Research In Motion alumni event. Almost 500 Laurier graduates work for the company.

The next few years will be full of excitement and opportunity for the Laurier community. In 2011, the university will mark its 100th anniversary as an educational institution. Our Centennial Steering Committee, which includes a number of alumni, has been busy planning a year of celebratory events that will begin in fall 2010 and culminate on or near Oct. 30, 2011, the date on which the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada — to which we trace Laurier’s institutional beginnings — welcomed its first class of students a century ago. The centennial year will be a time in which we look back over the past century and celebrate the institution’s many accomplishments. It will also be a year in which we look forward to what I believe will be a bright and prosperous future for this remarkable university. Our centennial falls at a time when universities everywhere are going through a period of significant transition. A range of social, technological and economic forces are rapidly reshaping the very ways in which we teach, learn and research. At Laurier, we are committed to embracing the opportunities that exist in times of change, and we do so with a clear understanding of the university’s strengths, values and traditions. This understanding was enriched by the research and consultation done through the Envisioning Laurier initiative. Not only did this process form the basis for the university’s new statement of Values, Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles, it also helped us develop an institutional proposition — Inspiring lives of leadership and purpose — which provides us with a powerful and authentic launch pad to tell the Laurier story.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

The Envisioning Laurier research is also informing another important project — the development of a new academic plan. The goal of this plan is to identify the core principles, themes and academic domains that underscore Laurier’s uniqueness and demonstrate our excellence in the Canadian university system. The academic plan will play a central role in shaping and articulating a compelling vision for the future of Laurier. It will also guide resource allocation and hiring decisions in future. To accompany this vision, we are also reviewing the graphic elements that make up the university’s visual identity. These elements — the Laurier crest, wordmark, fonts, etc. — have not been refreshed for more than 20 years. To help us with this review, the university has engaged Scott Thornley and Company, a respected design firm whose clients include the Trudeau Foundation, Columbia University, the National Arts Centre, University College London, the Salk Institute For Biological Studies, the Royal Conservatory, and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, to name just a few. Scott Thornley and Company has reviewed the Envisioning Laurier research, as well as the academic plan, and will be consulting with alumni, students, faculty and staff prior to developing design recommendations. We will keep you informed throughout this exciting process via the Laurier website and alumni communications. The next few years will indeed be exciting for the Laurier community as we build on the success of the past century and work in the years to come to strengthen the university’s position as a leader in post-secondary education.

Dr. Max Blouw President and Vice-Chancellor Wilfrid Laurier University

Alumni news

Laurier alumni rise to the challenge

WLUAA 2009-10 Executive Honorary President Dr. Max Blouw Past President Steve Wilkie ’82, ’89 President Tom Berczi ’88, ’93 Vice-President Megan Harris ’00 Vice-President David Oates ’70 Treasurer Chris Pehlke ’00 Secretary Susan Haller ’00

Board of Directors Bruce Armstrong ’72 Scott Bebenek ’85 Siobhan Bhagwat ‘06 Arsenio Bonifacio ‘02 Thomas Cadman ‘87 Paul Dickson ‘03 Patricia Diver ‘90 Diana Dumlavwalla ‘04 Marc Henein ’04 Caitlin Howlett ‘05 Louise Kearney ‘00 Melissa Kiddie ’01 Susan Lockett ’99 Sue McGrath ’05 Kiran Nagra ‘02 Julius Olajos ‘07 Priya Persaud ’98 Marc Richardson ’95 Chris Rushforth ‘80 Steve Wilson ‘87 Rosemary Quinlan

In early 2009, the Alumni Association challenged all graduates of the last decade to re-ignite their Laurier spirit and ensure that our current and future students are given the same opportunities to learn and develop at Laurier that we enjoyed. The Young Alumni Challenge, a partnership between WLUAA and Laurier Annual Giving, saw every gift made by these alumni matched on a one-to-one basis up to a total of $25,000. With the final numbers now in, I am extremely pleased to report that more than 400 of our alumni participated in this program and our goal was reached — $50,000 was raised in support of Laurier! Thank you to all the alumni who rose to the challenge. Graduates of all decades know that the ability to adapt is key to thriving in our changing world. To help you achieve a purposeful and fulfilling life in today’s world, I invite you to join us at Laurier Alumni’s Development Day 2010: Change. Lead. Thrive on May 14. Experience a full day of personal and professional development with fellow alumni, intriguing speakers and industry leaders, including Peter Mansbridge, anchor of CBC’s The National. More information on this exciting learning and networking opportunity is available at www.laurieralumni.ca/developmentday.

Events such as this are a great way to stay involved with Laurier, and are made possible through the contributions of WLUAA board members. Board members play an integral role in alumni engagement and programming, supporting Laurier in its ongoing development, and actively contributing their expertise and leadership to the university. Each spring, we seek to fill vacancies on the WLUAA board. This issue of Campus contains information on the application process and timeline on page 38. In our ongoing commitment to consistently align the demographics of the board with those of our alumni, I encourage our alumni from the 1960s and 1970s to consider applying for these positions. Becoming a WLUAA board member is a great way to both stay connected to Laurier and give a little bit back to the institution that played such an important role in each of our lives.

Tom Berczi ’88, ‘93 President, WLUAA tberczi@wlu.ca

Board of Governors Representatives Frank Erschen ’81 Tim Martin ‘92 Lawrence Scott ’78

Senate Representatives Eric Davis ’01 David Oates ’70 John Trus ’90

Laurier graduates working at Research In Motion show off their BlackBerrys at an alumni event.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

campusnews Winter Carnival celebrates 50th anniversary

Participation sets new record For the past 50 years, Laurier students have donned their warmest clothing to participate in organized outdoor games and activities for five days in January. Similar to Orientation Week, but open to students in all years of study, Winter Carnival is meant to re-establish students’ school spirit after the December seasonal break. This year 21 teams representing almost 750 students participated in the university’s 50th Winter Carnival, setting a new record. The above-seasonal January temperatures likely helped attract students, as did some returning favourite events. Teams collect points based on their success in each event they participate in. Prizes are awarded at the end of the week, including Overall Cup Champions, Spirit Cup Champions and Activities Cup Champions. In honour of Winter Carnival’s 50th anniversary, a sixth day was added to the schedule of festivities this year

— Carnival Day. For the first time, an invitation to this daylong event, held on a Saturday, was extended to the wider community, including alumni, staff, faculty and the KitchenerWaterloo community. Carnival Day featured many events for adults and children, including a Powderpuff football tournament on Alumni Field, an inflatable village for Laurier students and kids, a Shinerama barbecue, and a human Snakes and Ladders game. The day ended with an evening Mix & Mingle event, sponsored by the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, which attracted about 350 people. Alumni spent time connecting with old friends and reminiscing about Winter Carnival events from years past. Carnival Day was so successful that program coordinators say it might be permanently incorporated into future Winter Carnival lineups.

Laurier grad is second in a row to win top honour Accounting gold

Jacob Bell, a double-degree business graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, has captured the Ontario gold medal for the highest mark in the province on the 2009 Canadian Chartered Accountants’ Uniform Evaluation (UFE). This is the second year in a row that a Laurier graduate has won this prestigious title. Bell, who works for Ernst & Young in Toronto, is the eighth Laurier graduate to earn the UFE Ontario gold medal since 1993. Last year’s Ontario gold medal went to Anna Nowak, a 2007 graduate of Laurier’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. Laurier’s School of Business & Economics accounting graduates have achieved gold more often than any other Canadian university at both the national and provincial level on the UFE exam. Written once a year, the UFE is an internationally recognized examination that qualifies chartered accountants to practice public accounting. Jacob Bell

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

campus news

Laurier scores top marks

Ranks high in annual university reports Laurier has again earned top marks in the annual Maclean’s ranking of Canadian universities, placing first in Ontario and fourth in the country among primarily undergraduate universities, and improving in a number of other key categories. Laurier placed in the top three in its category nationally for best overall, highest quality, most innovative and overall reputation. Laurier was ranked No. 1 for highest quality among primarily undergraduate universities in Ontario, and placed in the top three in its category provincially for best overall, most innovative and leaders of tomorrow. “Laurier continues to excel and show improvement in the most important categories,” said Laurier president Dr. Max Blouw. “These rankings confirm that Laurier has a welldeserved reputation among students for providing a high-quality education and an exceptional university experience.” The university also scored high marks in The Globe and Mail’s annual Canadian University Report, earning one A+, six As and an above-average rating in 25 categories. Laurier received an A+ for faculty members’ subject knowledge, and an A for most satisfied students, quality of education, class size, university atmosphere, sense of community, and sense of personal safety and security.

(l-r) Sasha Jacob, Jan Varner, Iain Klugman, Ginny Dybenko, Anthony Partipilo, Katharine Schmidt, Yvan Couture.

MBA grads honoured

Annual alumni awards recognize leadership and innovation The Laurier School of Business & Economics held its annual MBA Alumni Awards in November at a gala event in Toronto to celebrate the career and community service achievements of Laurier MBA alumni. “Laurier’s MBA graduates are leaders who add value in today’s organizations,” said Ginny Dybenko, Laurier’s dean of business and economics. “I want

to personally congratulate our award winners for their outstanding business achievements — they are an inspiration to the next generation of graduates.” The event’s theme was Inspiring Lives of Leadership and Purpose, and MBA alumnus Jeff Melanson, executive director and co-CEO of Canada’s National Ballet School, was the featured speaker.

The following alumni were honoured at the event: Outstanding Executive Leadership Award: Sasha Jacob (’03), president and CEO, Jacob Securities Inc. Outstanding Innovation & Achievement Award: Iain Klugman (’02), president and CEO, Communitech Technology Association. Outstanding CMA/MBA Alumnus Award: Anthony Partipilo (’07), vice-president: finance, Solidifi. WLU Alumni Association (WLUAA) Award of Distinction: Jan Varner (’94), CEO, United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area. Community Leadership Award: Katharine Schmidt (’97), executive director, Food Banks Canada. MBA Alumnus of the Year Award: Yvan Couture (‘89), president and CEO, Primal Fusion. Do you know a Laurier MBA graduate who deserves to be recognized? To nominate someone for a 2010 Laurier MBA Alumni Award, visit www.wlu.ca/mbagala.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

campus news

Bridget McMahon named director of Alumni Relations

changes to donor report

appointment

Wilfrid Laurier University is extremely grateful to its community of donors, whose ongoing investment in our institution plays a vital role in Laurier’s success. As such, it is important for us to notify you of a change in this year’s annual Donor Report, which is delivered in the summer issue of Campus. For several important reasons, lists of Laurier donors will no longer be included in our annual Donor Report. Instead, they will be posted on Laurier’s website. The budget challenges facing the university, our commitment to fiscal responsibility, and Laurier’s dedication to environmental sustainability led us to make this change. Moving forward, Donor Reports will focus on highlighting Laurier’s amazing donors and their inspirational stories. Should any of our valued donors have questions about this change, please contact Rob Donelson, vice-president: Development & Alumni Relations, at 519-884-0710 x.3189 or rdonelson@wlu.ca.

Bridget McMahon, a Laurier alumna who has worked in university advancement for nine years, has been appointed director of Laurier’s Alumni Relations department. McMahon (BBA ’00, MBA ‘09) brings a strong skill set, a wealth of experience and a passion for Laurier to her new position. “Bridget has a well-earned reputation in the Laurier community for innovation and collegiality,” said Rob Donelson, vice-president of Development & Alumni Relations. “She also has the skills and the experience to work effectively with staff, faculty and the alumni association to build on the strong alumni programming that already exists.” McMahon served most recently as associate director, university development, working with the School of Business and Economics on donor relations and advancement projects. Her leadership was

instrumental in strengthening existing relationships and forging new ones with alumni, staff and faculty. Previously, she served as associate director, university development, in the Student Life area, where she played a key role in the capital campaign that raised more than $1.2 million for Laurier’s Co-operative Education and Career Development Centre. As director of Alumni Relations, McMahon will lead Laurier’s alumni relations strategy, manage the Alumni Relations department and work closely with the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association’s board of directors. As well, she will lead the university’s annual giving program, merging it with her alumni relations portfolio. “I want to thank both Jennifer Casey and Roly Webster who assumed the interim director’s duties for several months each,” Donelson said. “They have my deepest respect and gratitude.”

People at Laurier Dr. Susan Cadell was named acting dean of Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work. Cadell is an associate professor in the faculty and director of the Manulife Centre for Healthy Living. She will serve as acting dean until June 2011. Dr. Lesley Cooper will serve as acting principal/ vice-president of Laurier’s Brantford campus for a term of 3.5 years, ending July 2013. Cooper was dean of Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, a position she held since 2006. She takes over from Dr. Leo Groarke, who is leaving Laurier after 26 years of service to take the post of provost/vicepresident academic at the University of Windsor.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Kathryn Elton has been appointed to the role of assistant vice-president, development. Elton will play a leadership role in raising funds to support the university’s mission and in developing relationships with a variety of constituents. She will also play a key role in preparing the university’s next major fundraising campaign. Elton enjoyed a successful career at the University of Guelph, where she most recently served as executive director of advancement, life and physical sciences. Gary Jeffries, head coach for the Golden Hawks football team, won his fourth Ontario Universities Athletics Tuffy Knight Award for coach of the year. In his 31st season with the Golden Hawks in various coaching capacities, he has posted a record of 57 wins and 14 losses as the football

team’s head coach. Ron VanMoerkerke, a former Golden Hawks player and MVP, was named the OUA volunteer coach of the year.

Michal Manson, former professor of fine arts at Laurier, passed away Feb. 5 from pneumonia. A respected painter, Manson came to Laurier as an artistin-residence in 1973, and later joined the faculty as a studio instructor of drawing and painting. Manson received Laurier’s Honorary Alumna Award in 1991, and the Hoffmann-Little Award in 2001 for excellence in teaching. Manson retired from Laurier in 2005. Former geography professor Dr. John McMurry passed away Feb. 5 at the age of 89. Considered one of Laurier’s most

campus news Women’s curling Team earns

Wins gold and silver top finishes

Three Laurier alumnae named to top-100 list Canada’s most powerful women

Wilfrid Laurier’s women’s curling team, representing Canada, claimed the gold medal at the Karuizawa International Curling championships in Japan with a 12-11 win over Sweden. The team, consisting of skip Hollie Nichol, Laura Hickey, Danielle Inglis and Hillary McDermott, advanced to the tournament after claiming its second consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in Montreal last March. The Golden Hawks advanced to the final after finishing 6-1 in round robin play and defeating Germany in the semi-final. Back in Canada, the women, skipped by Danielle Inglis, won silver at the Ontario Universities Athletics championships, advancing to the 2010 CIS championships in Alberta.

Three Laurier alumnae have been named to the Women’s Executive Network’s top-100 list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. Lynda Kitamura (BBA ’86), Kelly Murumets (MSW ’96) and Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum (MSW ’75) were recognized as leaders in their field by the organization, which annually honours female achievers in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Murumets is president and CEO of ParticipACTION, a not-for-profit company that aims to get Canadians more physically active. She was also on the 2007 Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity’s list of the most influential women in sport and physical activity. She has been involved with the not-for-profit sector for several years, working and volunteering for the Children’s Aid Society and Covenant House. Kitamura is vice-president of finance of the Americas Technology Solutions Group of Hewlett Packard. Kitamura joined Hewlett Packard in 1986, and prior to her current position held roles in finance, accounting, field administration and supply chain management. She is a member of the Financial Executives Institute and the National Council of the Financial Executives of the Conference Board of Canada. Both Murumets and Kitamura serve on the Laurier School of Business & Economics Dean’s Advisory Council. Munroe-Blum is principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University in Montreal. In addition to being the university’s top administrator since 2003, she is an accomplished scholar of epidemiology and public policy. Munroe-Blum was awarded the Order of Canada for her achievements in science, innovation and higher-education policy, and is an officer of the National Order of Quebec.

celebrated geography professors, he helped establish the graduate program in geography in 1965 and introduced resource management studies to geography at Laurier. In September 2009, the university received an anonymous $2.5million donation to establish the Dr. John McMurry Research Chair in Environmental Geography.

A ceremonial plunge marked the reopening of Laurier’s 50-metre swimming pool.

Brian Rosborough has been appointed the university’s director of government relations. In this new position, he will play a key role in raising Laurier’s profile among government decisionmakers, and he will advise the university on legislative issues affecting the university. Rosborough has almost 20 years experience working in public policy and government relations in Ontario.

Community partnerships made major renovations possible 50-metre pool reopens

The university celebrated the reopening of its 50-metre pool after completing a major five-month, $4.2-million renovation project. The pool renovations were made possible through generous donations from Laurier students, community users, the provincial and federal governments, and the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener. The key elements of the repair project included replacing the aging air-handling and de-humidification system and the curtain wall, repairing pressure-relief valves in the pool, and improving mechanical space and interior finishes, including the pool deck, walls, lighting, drains and equipment.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

CAMPUS news

New work celebrates artist’s 100th anniversary

Book paints a picture of Woldemar Neufeld

The works of local artist Woldemar Neufeld are being celebrated in a new book from Wilfrid Laurier University Press titled, Woldemar Neufeld’s Canada: A Mennonite Artist in the Canadian Landscape, 1925-1995. The book was published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the prolific artist, who was born in 1909 and died in 2002. Laurier English and film studies professor Dr. Paul Tiessen and his wife, Hildi, who teaches at Conrad Grebel University College, co-wrote the text for the book, chronicling Neufeld’s life and the influences that shaped his career. Neufeld was born into a Mennonite family in Czarist Russia, and immigrated to Canada in 1924. Although he later moved to the United States and lived there for more than 50 years, he returned many times to visit family in his hometown of Waterloo, and to paint the urban and rural landscapes of southern Ontario and beyond. During his career, Neufeld came into contact with leading Canadian artists, from Homer Watson to members of the Group of Seven. “Although in the mid-1930s he painted in the northern Ontario terrain that they had defined, he partly rejected the Group of Seven’s vision that Canada is uninhabited wilderness with little trace of humanity,” said Tiessen, who with his wife spent almost two years researching and writing about Neufeld. “He once said, ‘I reject the pines of Tom Thomson.’” While living in Canada, Neufeld attended a school for boys run by Wilfrid Laurier University, then Waterloo College. In September 1993, he returned to Laurier to celebrate the university’s acquisition of 300 of his oils, watercolours and prints. The collection has grown to about 400 pieces.

Words, once printed, have a life of their own. Carol Burnett

A student bake sale helped raise money for Haiti.

Laurier community rallies to help devastated country Helping Haiti

In Haiti’s time of need, the Laurier community came together to form Laurier Haiti Relief Aid. The group has raised more than $17,000 for the Canadian Red Cross through collection booths and donations at the Laurier Bookstores. The Wilfrid Laurier University Student Union also organized fundraising initiatives, with the money raised included in the Laurier Haiti Relief Aid total. Wilf’s restaurant donated $1 from the sale of every meal for one day in January and the Terrace Food Court followed suit. The Turret nightclub also donated all cover charges from a busy Saturday night.

Alumnus’ family donates rare Lutheran text

Book of sermons will be added to university archives The Sermons of Johann Arndt, a rare book of Lutheran sermons from 17th-century Germany, has been donated to the university archives in memory of a Laurier alumnus. Donald and Harold Gram donated the book on behalf of their brother James “Jim” Gram, who graduated from Waterloo College in 1950. He passed away in 2008. “Jim would have been most pleased that his alma mater received the book,” said Donald.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

The 1,700-page sermon book was given to Gram by Rev. Martin Toewe, a retired Lutheran minister and the brothers’ piano teacher. “There are relatively few copies of this book in the world, and even fewer in North America,” said Peter Erb, professor emeritus at Laurier and expert on Johann Arndt. “This is a wonderful addition to the university’s collected works, especially given the history of the university and our large collection of Lutheran texts.”

Jim Gram, back row right, with the Waterloo College Male Chorus in 1948.

CAMPUS news

Author Russell Wangersky wins Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction Laurier bestows literary award

Author Russell Wangersky was awarded the 2009 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for his awardwinning memoir, Burning Down the House: Fighting Fires and Losing Myself. Burning Down the House offers a portrait of a man who, through his career as a firefighter, becomes addicted to the rush of danger. In a narrative stacked with house fires, car wrecks and various other human tragedies, Wangersky portrays the emotional contingencies and lingering trauma that slowly begin to pull his life apart. Wangersky lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the editorial page editor for the daily newspaper The Telegram. Burning Down the House is his second book. The Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction was launched in 1991 and is administered by Laurier, the only university in Canada to bestow a nationally recognized literary award. The $10,000 award encourages and recognizes Canadian writers for a first or second work of creative non-fiction that includes a Canadian locale and/or significance.

Laurier alumni relations officer Deanne Larsen (BA ’05) carried the Olympic torch in Waterloo during the flame’s 45,000kilometre journey across Canada leading up to the Winter Games in Vancouver.

FORMER GOLDEN HAWK will lead international sports event

Ian Troop named CEO of 2015 Pan Am Games Ian Troop (BBA ‘81), a former Golden Hawks varsity football player and recipient of the WLUAA’s Alumnus of the Year award, has been named CEO of the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. Troop, a former food executive with ConAgra Foods and Proctor & Gamble, has stepped down from his consulting position with OMERS Private Equity to lead the project. He will oversee the $1.4-billion budget for the international event, which will also include tasks related to competition and training venue agreements with participating

HOMECOMING 2010

Ian Troop

universities, 17 municipalities and more than 50 facilities; 19,000 volunteers; construction of new facilities and upgrades to others; transportation, security and communications; and ticketing and broadcast programs. “I’m proud to be part of an extraordinary undertaking that will make a profound and lasting difference,” said Troop. “This will be an incredible international event with an unprecedented legacy for sport and for the entire community in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area.”

Mark your calendars for Homecoming 2010! Make plans to return to campus Oct. 1-3 to celebrate Homecoming with alumni and friends. For updates and information, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/ homecoming

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Oncampus

It becomes almost impossible to raise a family.

Studying single mothers Dr. Lee Caragata is researching how changes to the labour market and welfare/workfare system are impacting one of Canada’s most vulnerable groups — single mothers.  “Lone mothers have been forced into situations where it becomes almost impossible to raise a family,” says Caragata, associate professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work and principal investigator of the study, entitled Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion. The five-year research project includes investigators from five universities, as well as government and non-profit community organizations from across Canada. Caragata hopes the research will lead to policy changes and recognition that lone mothers require different types of support to make workfare work for them.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

“Workfare has forced many of these women into non-standard jobs that aren’t regulated by employment standards, are typically low-paying and come without benefits or employment insurance,” says Caragata. “Lone mothers are often no better off financially with a job than they were when they were on social assistance, and they worry about the care their children are receiving.” Yet despite these challenges, the research, which includes interviews with lone mothers on social assistance, also reveals stories of resilience. “It’s amazing how lone mothers manage,” says Caragata. “Manage is such a small word, but it’s how they manage economically, how they manage the social stigma, and how they manage the stress of raising a family.” ❖

ON campus

Improving quality of life For Dr. Quincy Almeida, research isn’t only about discovery, but also making a difference in the community. In 2005, the kinesiology and physical education professor opened the Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre (MDRC) to better understand brain function and define exercise rehabilitation strategies for people suffering from movement disorder diseases such as Parkinson’s. It is the only facility of its kind in Canada. The MDRC’s purpose is to study and uncover functions of the basal ganglia — the part of the brain associated with many movement disorders — that have previously not been considered. “We assess speech, upper limb movement and coordination, walking and balance, neuropsychological testing and, of course, exercise rehabilitation,” says Almeida.

Almeida uses a number a quantitative measurements such as hand speed, and walking characteristics, including speed, step length and step timing, to evaluate all the changes that happen as a result of rehabilitation. In order to study these kinematics, the MDRC houses state-of-the-art tools, including Optotrak 3-D movement tracking systems, as well as a computerized carpet with 60,000 sensors in its floor that measures balance, speed and dynamic changes in stability. For Almeida, improving the quality of life for those suffering from Parkinson’s disease is his main priority. “By maintaining safe movement control, more people with Parkinson’s will have the opportunity to continue gainful employment, remain in independent living situations and actively participate in all aspects of our society.” ❖

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

cover story

Behind The Scene CBC personality Jelena Adzic followed her dream and is now seeing stars Story by Mallory Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien | Photography by Dean Palmer

16 16 LAURIER LAURIERCAMPUS CAMPUSWinter Winter2010 2010

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

elevision host Jelena Adzic’s working life is timed to the minute. As the arts and entertainment reporter for The Scene on CBC, she delivers daily two- to three-minute entertainment “hits” on the CBC News Network. Through the week, she is on the air every hour from noon into the evening. When a reporter catches up with Adzic at CBC headquarters in Toronto, there is less than an hour until she is due in the studio. As she makes her way briskly to her sixth-floor cubicle, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, partially hidden by two burly bodyguards, walks past.

“Isn’t that exciting!” says Adzic with a big smile, pausing for a precious moment. She wishes she was interviewing him, but Gore is in the building for a CBC Radio program. That doesn’t mean Adzic hasn’t had her share of big-name interviews. She has spoken with world figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, authors John Irving and Deepak Chopra, and Hollywood celebrities Oprah and Brad Pitt. It’s Adzic’s job to tell their stories, but her own story is just as captivating. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Adzic moved to Canada with her family as a child. They settled in Toronto, and she spent her youth growing up in a onebedroom apartment at Jane Street and Finch Avenue. Despite their financial difficulties, her parents insisted she go to university. With the help of grants and what may have been an early sign of Adzic’s resolve, she enrolled at Laurier, studying political science and business. “Though they seem like unrelated fields for an arts journalist, they’re not,” she says. “I use the skills I learned at Laurier every day.”

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

After graduating in 1996, Adzic studied documentary film production at Humber College and then applied her skills abroad. She taught English and worked at a newspaper in Korea before moving to Finland, where she assisted on film sets and worked in corporate media relations. When she returned to Canada, she continued in media relations, counting IBM as one of her larger clients. But Adzic had always wanted to work at CBC, and the dream still lingered. The time was right to make a move. With little broadcast experience, she decided to get her feet wet as a volunteer at a local television station while continuing to work full time. When she was told all the intern positions were full, she took matters into her own hands. “I wanted to give my services for free and they didn’t want me? That’s crazy!” she says. So, she simply showed up on the station’s doorstep. With the security station overwhelmed with visitors, Adzic was mistaken for a volunteer and let inside. She made her way to the studio and was then sent to work in the audio booth. She sat down next to a producer and whispered, “Help me!” He did, and at the end of her shift she was told to come back the next day. Eventually Adzic was given the opportunity to host her very first show, a program about multiculturalism in Toronto called DiverseCity. She loved it. She went on to work with a variety of shows and networks, including reporting with TechTV, hosting for the Biography Channel and producing a career show for youth on TVO. She also travelled extensively throughout the Caribbean for a travel series on CTV. “In between I would still do media relations. It became too much, but as a generalist, I feared getting locked into one thing,” says Adzic. When she landed a hosting job for an awardwinning current affairs program on VisionTV, she realized she could earn a living working in television. By 2001, Adzic had plenty of broadcast experience, but without a formal background in journalism she didn’t know how she was going to realize her dream of becoming a CBC personality.

“

“CBC is the best at looking at cultural relations and social issues, and looking at celebrity news with a different viewpoint,” she says. “I thought of all the networks in Canada, there’s a place for me at CBC. I knew I could add a fresh voice.” She researched the network’s shows she thought she would be best suited for, and called a producer regularly — for a year. She would leave messages, updating the producer on the related work she was doing. After a year, she left a “happy anniversary” message and said she looked forward to calling the following year. “I finally got a call back,” says Adzic. “The producer said, ‘You are the most persistent pest. Come in, let’s have a talk.’” By the end of the week she was in front of the camera reviewing movies. Today, Adzic is the face of entertainment at CBC. She delivers daily entertainment updates, reviews movies every Friday for The National and other CBC evening news programs, and hosts the half-hour Weekend Scene. Adzic checks her watch. It’s time to get ready for her next on-air segment, so it’s off to makeup. Adzic says she doesn’t get nervous in front of the camera, unless there is breaking news. When word came that Michael Jackson had died, she was summoned back to the studio as she was about to leave for the day. “I had to go on air and we didn’t have any solid facts yet,” she says as a makeup artist applies her eye shadow. “We had to wing it, and two to three minutes is forever in TV time.” She uses the rest of her time in the makeup chair quietly going over her notes. The three stories she will report on, leading off with director Roman Polanski’s arrest in Switzerland, were emailed to her only a few moments earlier. They came from a member of her production team, which helps her prepare stories for each segment. Adzic is actively involved in the show’s production, searching out newsworthy stories and choosing which ones to air. She has to be involved because she doesn’t read from a prompter or a script. She only looks at her notes when the camera switches to B-roll (alternate footage).

It’s very consuming, both psychologically and time-wise.You have to be immersed in the arts culture outside of work, too. It’s 24/7.

“You don’t mind if we run, do you?” Adzic asks with a grin. There are only a few minutes until she has to be in the studio. Whether it’s because of her years of practice or natural talent, Adzic steps onto the sleek, white set looking completely relaxed. She smoothly delivers the entertainment news as technicians and crew members look on. When the cameras stop rolling, she heads back to her cubicle and begins preparing for the next segment with her team. Only 20 minutes to go until the next hit. “It’s very consuming, both psychologically and time-wise,” says Adzic. “You have to be immersed in the arts culture outside of work, too. It’s 24/7. You have to love it.” She clearly does, and speaks brightly about a schedule that would wear most people down. Since joining CBC, Adzic has reported from events such as the Toronto International Film Festival and The Academy Awards in Los Angeles. She’s interviewed almost every leading figure in film, music and literature, but mingling with the stars is not the reason Adzic loves her job. She enjoys engaging with people, and the challenge of interviewing. “There’s nothing that compares to the pleasure of making a genuine connection with someone I’m interviewing on a very human, personal level.” She says the key to a great interview is trust, which she gains by always being prepared. Her interview style takes a straightforward, conversational approach, no matter who she’s speaking with. “I treat celebrities as equals, and don’t hold them in reverence,” she says. “Sometimes you ride that

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

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EE In this clip from The Scene, host Jelena Adzic interviews rocker Alice Cooper.

“

There’s nothing that compares to the pleasure of making a genuine connection with someone I’m interviewing on a very human, personal level.

“

line, but that’s what journalists do. If it’s a legitimate question…” She has no problem asking it. Adzic asked actress Jennifer Connelly, who stars in Creation, a Charles Darwin biopic, if she would teach her own children about Darwinism. She asked rocker Alice Cooper if he has ever cheated on his wife. Engaging with celebrities without putting them on a pedestal means she is seldom star struck. “It’s very rare,” she insists. “Only because I see what the stars are like before and after the camera is rolling and it tends to demystify any grand aura.” Adzic recalls celebrities smoking indoors, being curt with assistants or insecure with makeup artists. A publicist once sent advance instructions to show only the “better side” of her client’s face on camera. “But there are several who have left me so genuinely inspired that it’s tough not to be a little bit in awe,” she says. Director Pedro Almodovar, Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, Oprah and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are a few who have left an impression. Adzic interviewed Tutu just days before former U.S. president George Bush sent troops into Iraq. “His (Tutu’s) plea for peace was very impactful, it made me realize the power of the medium to deliver a message.” But some of Adzic’s best memories are linked to the biggest names in Hollywood such as Angelina

Jolie and George Clooney. They are the most memorable simply because she never thought she would ever be interviewing them. With so many interviews on file, she recalls editing her demo reel and deleting an interview she did with actor Colin Farrell. “It was funny to me that I was weeding out Colin Farrell. It was like, ‘Wow, okay, you know you’ve made it now!’” Adzic is due back on set for her next on-air segment. As she gathers her notes and heads back to the studio, she reflects on how her dreams have come true. “My goal, even when I was still in university, was to one day be able to wake up and love the job I had,” she says. “Every day, I’m investigating and learning new facts and stories. What could be better than that?” ❖

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Dollars & Sense Author and financial guru David Chilton lives by his own advice By Lori Chalmers Morrison

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

ÂŠ 2007 Rex Magazine, Ontario, Canada

After the screen on his television went blank, David Chilton spent more than two years listening to his favourite shows instead of watching them until he finally had the problem fixed. The fate of his ailing stereo, however, was worse. He waited nine years after it fell silent, and then unceremoniously replaced it with an iPod.

FEATURE story

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Chilton isn’t cheap, and he’s not lazy. He just doesn’t get much satisfaction from “stuff.” “I live a very modest life. I always have,” he says. “I find a lot of stuff just creates more stress.” It’s this attitude that has allowed Chilton to live by his own advice, which he first shared in his popular book, The Wealthy Barber, published in 1989 — save a portion of every paycheque and live within your means. Through the guidance of a fictional barber, Chilton taught nearly two million people the basics of financial planning and became an all-time Canadian bestselling author in the process. Now, after spending the last 21 years speaking throughout North America, running his own financial company and publishing the successful Looneyspoons cookbook series, he is saying goodbye to it all to write a new book. This book will be non-fiction, but the barber’s lessons remain strong as Chilton again simplifies complex investment and financial planning information. “People battle with spending all the time,” he says. “I’m very lucky — it’s not a battle for me. I’m never even tempted.”

hilton talks about luck often. Ask him about any element of his success and he links it to some form of luck, whether it’s being lucky to have great parents, lucky timing or feeling lucky that he doesn’t have an extravagant side. Yet it was a moment when he was down on his luck that started his early interest in financial planning. When Chilton was 15, his grandmother was keen on investing. “Not in a huge way,” he says. “But just enough that she intrigued me with our conversations.”

She gave Chilton $1,000 to invest. He lost almost all of it within a year. “That’s when I started getting excited about the world of investing,” he says. As an economics student at Laurier in 1979, Chilton was so consumed by his passion for investing that he read more investment books than textbooks. “I really did an almost absurd amount of selfeducation,” he says. “I was drawn to the fact that the average person just didn’t understand financial planning at all.” He remembers professors at Laurier such as Dr. Bill Marr and Dr. Terry Levesque who had a positive impact. But he says the co-op experience was vital for learning real-world skills at a young age. Chilton was 18 and in his second year when he and friend Alex Mustakas (BA ’83), now director of Drayton Entertainment, decided they were more interested in golfing than working a conventional co-op work term. So, to fulfill their co-op requirements, they set up a simple investment company instead. Business was so good that when Mustakas went to Britain to further his studies, Chilton left Laurier to run it by himself. (He eventually completed the three credits he needed to graduate in 1995.) A few years later, he wrote the Canadian Securities Course exam, received the highest mark in the country, and became a broker. But it wasn’t the wealthy clients that interested him. “I liked dealing with the guy who was struggling to pay off his mortgage and his credit cards.” Chilton went on to set up a “neat little business” teaching high school teachers about financial planning. “I used a lot of humour and story-based teaching to relay the message,” he says. He looks back on this venture as the highlight of his career.

David Chilton by the numbers 0 the number of houses Chilton looked at before moving into his home 12 years ago. “I drove by, loved it and knocked on the door,” he says. “I told (the woman who answered) I would be interested in buying her house if she was selling it, and she said she was just about to list it.”

1 (sometimes 2) the number of meals he eats at The Daily Grill restaurant in Waterloo each day. 1 the number of phone calls it took from former Laurier president Dr. Lorna Marsden to convince Chilton to finish his Laurier degree.

2 2 4 14 200

the number of non-fiction books he reads every week. the number of honorary degrees Chilton turned down from other schools before accepting one from Laurier in 2006. the number of daily newspapers he reads. the number of times Chilton mentions how lucky he is as he describes his life and career. the number of days he spent on the road public speaking while completing his Laurier degree through distance learning.

1,500 the number of times Chilton has been asked to help publish or write someone’s book. 24

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

oday, Chilton has just returned home from one of the 30 or 40 remaining speaking engagements he has scheduled. It has been a few months since he sold his business and ended his other obligations, and he is excited about devoting his energy to writing his new book. He hopes to publish it within the year. Chilton has pushed the card table to the side and takes a rare moment to relax in the living room of his modest 1,200 square-foot country house. A large window frames the snow falling gently over the surrounding farmland, and a telescope sitting nearby hints at why he is at peace here. “I love this house,” he says. “It’s tiny, but I like that. I’ll never sell this place.” True to form, he says his basement is empty, and there’s little “stuff” to be seen, save for a pile of books. Chilton is wearing a crisply laundered shirt. He confirms a rumour that, yes, his mother still does his laundry — an arrangement he continues purely out of convenience, not because he’s frugal. And, no, he has not asked if she enjoys it, though he suspects she secretly does. The topic of family leads Chilton to the problem with spending today. “People want to have what their father and mother had, but it took them 30 years to get,” he says. “People can’t stop spending — they’re insatiable.” He says the worst part is that we’re laying the foundation for our children to become bad spenders, too. Although Chilton’s parents have little interest in personal finance, they have always lived modestly. They also follow the key advice in The Wealthy Barber: invest 10 per cent of what you earn for long-term growth by paying yourself first, and live within your means. He credits his parents’ humble lifestyle for influencing his own. “My not-spending approach to life has nothing to do with me being cheap,” says Chilton, who says he pays more attention to other people’s finances than his own.

“

When the stock market crashes, I find it more fascinating than frustrating. But when I don’t do well in my hockey pool, I’m sour.

“

But the audiences were small and he wanted to help more people. So, at 25, Chilton pulled out a card table in his parents’ basement and began writing. The Wealthy Barber was born. He self-published the book from his basement and hoped to sell 10,000 copies. In the summer of 1989, he did a few big interviews. On Boxing Day alone, he sold 23,000 copies. When over 2,000 people showed up to hear him speak in Halifax in 1990, Chilton says he knew the book was going to be successful. “I didn’t know it was going to go to 1.9 million copies in Canada, but I knew something big was going to happen.”

Pushed to admit some indulgences, Chilton says he enjoys travelling to Costa Rica. “But my passion is really following sports — anything Detroit. I still play golf a lot, I play a little bit of tennis and I coached baseball for years.” He’s also passionate about his hockey pool. “When the stock market crashes, I find it more fascinating than frustrating,” he says. “But when I don’t do well in my hockey pool, I’m sour.” After reviewing thousands of financial plans over the years, Chilton says today’s biggest hurdle is debt. “People are paying themselves first, but then they still sabotage the plan by spending beyond their means,” he says. “People don’t want one high-definition TV— they want three.” He says there’s an incentive for people to borrow because it’s easy and rates are so low. But people have gone far beyond borrowing to buy big-ticket items like cars and homes. “Now people are willing to borrow to support their lifestyle. They borrow to go on trips or to go to restaurants,” he says. “So now what you’ve got are a lot of people living false lives. People are trying to keep up with not just the Jones, but with the Trumps.” He hopes his new book will help people gain control of their finances. In this book, Chilton will explore the subtleties of investing and today’s investment products. And with his unique brand of humour, there will be observations about life that he’s learned along the way. Asked about people’s fears in the aftermath of the most recent financial crisis, Chilton says that some of the skepticism is justified. “There are products out there that are too expensive — the charges aren’t warranted by the performance,” he says. “I go into detail about that in the book. But I make it all accessible. There’s nothing in the book that the average person can’t understand.” Chilton has great insight into the average person — countless people approach him with questions about financial planning. There’s only one that tires him: “Should I max out my RRSP or pay off my mortgage?” He says it’s rare a day goes by when he isn’t asked that question. And what’s his answer? “I’m not telling you,” he smiles. We’ll just have to wait for the book. ❖

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Understanding the

human-animal

b nd Story by Stacey Morrison Photography by Dean Palmer

Veterinarian Debbie Stoewen uses Laurier social work skills to help pets and their families

was a devastating diagnosis. Boston, 8, had cancer. The radiation and chemotherapy treatments took their toll. Boston found it difficult to do the things she loved, like answering the telephone, opening doors and turning light switches on and off. When she started to limp, she could no longer help her owner, a 21-year-old woman who is disabled. The family, faced with uncertainty, relied on the veterinary team treating their Labrador retriever service dog to provide the support and services they needed to cope. Veterinarian Debbie Stoewen, a PhD candidate at the Ontario Veterinary College, is researching animal cancer care. Boston’s owners are one of 30 families she is interviewing for the study, which will help clarify the needs and expectations of clients whose animals are being treated for the disease. “Finding out a pet has cancer is emotionally traumatizing,” says Stoewen (MSW ‘05). “As vets, we can’t assume what people need when they are faced with a cancer diagnosis.

We need to understand the relationship and bond people have with their pets, and shape our services to fit their individual needs.” She offers a unique perspective on the topic. In addition to being a doctor of veterinary medicine, Stoewen is also a registered social worker. It is a rare combination — she thinks she could be the only veterinarian in the country to hold both these designations. Unlike human medicine and social work, which have been recognized as complementary disciplines for decades, there is little acknowledged link between social work and veterinary medicine. Stoewen thinks this should change. “Animals have gone from the barnyard to the backyard, to the bedroom,” she says. “We share emotions, we share food and we share activities — as society has evolved, animals have become part of our families. Veterinary medicine is no longer about just taking care of an animal’s body, it’s about taking care of the whole family.” • • • • • • • • •

As a teenager, Stoewen’s doctor advised her against a career in veterinary medicine.

“He said it was the last thing on earth I should consider because I’m allergic to everything,” she says. “Dogs, cats, horses, even the hay!” But her love of animals outweighed the medical advice. She got her first pet at 13 as a birthday gift to herself. She searched the classified section of the Toronto Star and arranged to have a purebred Irish water spaniel puppy delivered to her Toronto house. It cost her $35 of babysitting money. Her parents didn’t know until the puppy arrived. “Of course they said no, and I was in tears holding this puppy,” says Stoewen. “Then the next day it was yes, then no again.” It took a year of adjustment, but a bond formed. And Boots, who turned out to be a mixed-breed mutt, lived a happy life for 11 years. It was while walking Boots that Stoewen discovered her career path. A neighbour noticed her checking the dog’s paw and asked if she was going to be a veterinarian. “When I asked her what that was she told me it was an animal doctor,” says Stoewen. “That was a transformative moment for me. I knew straight through

Dr. Debbie Stoewen and her dog, Max, who showed up on her doorstep as a stray.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

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“Veterinary medicine is no longer about just taking care of an animal’s body, it’s about taking care of the whole family.”

to my core that’s what I was going to be. It’s like a picture memory.” She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1983 with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and went on to open her own practice, the Pioneer Pet Clinic, in Kitchener. “Animals are emotionally contagious,” she says. “They give you a sense of peace. Being around them is like getting an injection that resets you.” Stoewen shares her airy bungalow on the outskirts of Ayr, Ontario, with three dogs, two cats, two rabbits and a budgie. Dogs Chica and Nicky were adopted from the local shelter. Max, who bounds around the kitchen, showed up on her doorstep as a stray. Each nuzzles a nose under her arm for affection and is rewarded. She speaks to them in a gentle but firm voice and soon all are settled on patches of floor throughout the house, Chica at her feet. “It can be a little crazy, but once they have your heart, that’s it,” Stoewen says over a large mug of tea and cookies baked by her daughter. “There’s nothing you can do about it.” • • • • • • • • •

Stoewen has a soft spot for more than just animals. She has also fostered several children. The more she learned about the foster-care system, the more interested she became in social work. She wanted to explore the field more, and enrolled at Laurier in 2003. “My education at Laurier meant the world to me,” she says. “It was the only program I applied to and if I hadn’t been admitted I would have been devastated. I so much wanted to be part of the program — it was in me just as

veterinary medicine was, and no education has matched what I experienced at Laurier.” Stoewen says her learning experience in the university’s Faculty of Social Work was much different than what she expected. “An education in veterinary medicine 25 years ago was one of memorization and more memorization,” she says. “An education in social work was learning to think. An amazing difference! I appreciated that my social work education at Laurier was so open-minded and appreciative of diversity.” Through her studies, she explored the connection between communication, social work and veterinary medicine. She says although veterinary medicine and social sciences may seem like divergent areas of study, they have a lot in common — both are compassionate fields and helping professions. Stoewen says there is a place for social work in veterinary medicine, which has shifted from a doctor-centred approach to relationship-centred practice. Social work skills are helpful for understanding the human-animal bond, including the dark side of the connection, such as the link between family violence and animal abuse. They also help with communication, building relationships and handling the emotional needs of clients, such as the loss of a pet. “We can’t work with a pet and help a pet’s body without the client’s understanding,” she says. “The importance of communication with clients is becoming more recognized. It’s interwoven in everything veterinarians do.” There are universities in the United States that offer degrees in veterinary

social work, but at present there are no such programs in Canada. Stoewen hopes her PhD research (conducted with principal investigators Dr. Cate Dewey and Dr. Jason Coe) will help build bridges between the two professions. She also hopes to one day perform research and teach at a veterinary college, and will continue as an advocate of incorporating social work into veterinary medicine. To focus on her new career path, she recently sold her vet clinic after 22 years of small-animal care. The decision was a difficult one. “Vets form attachments to the pets that come into the clinic, but we also form attachments to the people, too.” • • • • • • • • •

Cancer claims up to one in four dogs and one in eight cats, which is why the Ontario Veterinary College is opening Canada’s first animal cancer centre in 2012. Stoewen hopes her research into cancer care will help the centre provide the best client service possible — on all levels. Boston is still fighting her cancer. Her leg was amputated and the family is hopeful. Now retired from duty, she is enjoying life as a beloved family pet. Although each story leaves an impression, Boston’s story is particularly meaningful to Stoewen. “Animals touch our lives in so many ways. The emotional ante in this family is profound, as this dog means the world to them in an immeasurable way — the bond stretches in every direction imaginable. And guess what? The young woman is studying to be a social services worker to help in the same field that’s helped her.” ❖

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

FEATURE story

A seat on the

edge of history David Pfrimmer’s faith and fortitude serve the church and the global community Story by Lori Chalmers Morrison

Photography by Tomasz Adamski

As the Rev. Dr. David Pfrimmer (BA ’73, MDiv ’77, MA ’80) walked with Pentecostal pastors in Chile during the 1988 demonstrations against then-president Augusto Pinochet, soldiers came upon them and led the apprehensive group into an alley. “It turned out they were Christians trying to protect us,” says Pfrimmer. “It took extreme courage. They were at risk themselves if they were discovered.” Pfrimmer watched people come out, despite danger and “incredible oppression,” to vote “no”

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

in the plebiscite against Pinochet’s military dictatorship. “It was the opening for a return to democracy in Chile,” he says. It’s not a role Pfrimmer could have anticipated for himself when he arrived at Waterloo Lutheran University as a student in 1969. Back then, there were 3,000 students and the school had strong religious ties. “In a lot of ways the school has changed — it has bigger faculties and bigger programs. But what

“We can all become captive by our own ideology ... Doubt is hasn’t changed is the trajectory of the university,” says Pfrimmer, principal dean at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary since 2005 and professor of Christian ethics. He says the Lutheran philosophy of serving others and serving the community has been carried through to today’s programs. “Laurier maintains an almost congenital commitment to developing students who want to make a difference for other people,” says Pfrimmer. “Those are the things that matter. The legacy you leave is the people you touch.” Pfrimmer, who also holds a doctor of ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary, has a legacy of his own. He enrolled at Laurier as an economics major, but in his fourth year felt a calling to the church. “Economics then was different than today. We learned to make a difference in the John Kenneth Galbraith tradition,” says Pfrimmer, referring to the late Canadian economist who was a proponent of liberalism and progressivism. “So it wasn’t such a big leap from economics to the church.” Pfrimmer graduated with a master’s degree in divinity from the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary in 1977 and was ordained the next year. He spent the following three years serving a parish in Kingston, Ontario, while completing his master of arts in religion and culture, and social ethics at Laurier, analyzing economic strategies to alleviate world hunger. After his master’s degree, Pfrimmer was a pastor in New Hamburg, Ontario, for three years. In 1983, he began a 22-year career in public policy advocacy work for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, taking an active international role with governments on human rights and social justice issues. He also led the successful initiative to encourage the United Nations to grant representative status to the Canadian Council of Churches as a nongovernmental organization, allowing it to

what tempers our faith and helps us to live a purposeful life.” address international issues like human rights, development and climate change. As a spokesperson for the church, Pfrimmer worked extensively with the media, taking on roles ranging from hosting a television series for Rogers Cable and speaking for welfare reform, to writing an op-ed piece about gambling in which he contended that governments were addicted to a speculative economy. He laughs about doing commentary on CBC Radio when host Andy Barrie introduced him as David Pfrimmer from “the Waterloo Lutheran Cemetery.” But for Pfrimmer, his biggest reward is being with people during profound moments and enjoying what he calls a “privileged seat on the edge of history.” In 1984, Pfrimmer was with the Dene community in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, for Pope John Paul II’s Canadian visit. He describes the thick fog that came up the Mackenzie River and prevented the Pope’s plane from landing. “It was a privileged moment for me to be with First Nations peoples and experience how they handled this disappointment with such grace and dignity,” he says. The next year, Pfrimmer joined the Canadian Council of Churches delegation travelling to El Salvador to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s martyrdom, following the archbishop’s assassination in 1980 for denouncing human rights abuses by the Salvadoran military. “In the midst of such suffering, Salvadorans were so generous,” says Pfrimmer. “We went to a refugee camp where people hosted two of us for a meal that would have cost them a month’s wages; it was humbling.”

In 1990, he met Nelson Mandela. “It was a thrill. Churches had worked for over 25 years to bring an end to apartheid — no one expected to see it end so soon,” says Pfrimmer. “There’s no way to describe it other than being very fortunate just to be present,” he says of these and other moments. It’s this perspective that Pfrimmer brings to the seminary and Laurier community. As principal dean (a role equivalent to that of a university president) at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Pfrimmer works to enrich the campus through daily chapel worships and monthly public lectures, which are open to all members of the Laurier community. Owned by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the seminary is a federated college of Laurier, which grants the seminary’s degrees. In addition to seminary programming, Pfrimmer offers the baptistery to the Laurier community as a quiet area for reflection and prayer, and has collaborated with the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union to provide a multi-faith worship centre. “There’s a vibrancy that makes us all enriched by having encountered each other,” says Pfrimmer of his years of experience working on multi-faith committees. “We can all become captive by our own ideology and need to develop the skills to ask difficult questions. Doubt is what tempers our faith and helps us to live a purposeful life.” Despite his worldly travels and significant accomplishments, Pfrimmer takes pleasure in the simple things, like canoeing, photography, walking his dog each morning and spending time at the cottage with his family. “For me there’s been no life like it and no better way to make a contribution to change the world,” says Pfrimmer. “I want people to leave Laurier and the seminary with a passion to make a difference.” ❖

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Keeping in touch

Jennifer Brickman with partner Phil Kitchen and Guivenson.

Her heart is in Haiti When news broke that a powerful earthquake had struck Haiti on January 12, Jennifer Brickman (BA ’02) received a phone call from her mother letting her know their friends in the northern region of the country were safe. Brickman, Laurier Brantford’s Bookstore supervisor, along with her parents Marg and Jim, and her partner, Phil Kitchen (BA ’02), have been making annual trips to northern Haiti to volunteer at Hôpital Bon Samaritain (HBS). They have many personal connections in the area. The family received word that HBS and the surrounding area were largely unaffected, but the sense of relief was short-lived as reports began to make clear the devastating damage around the capital of Port-Au-Prince. “My past trips to Haiti have given me a sense of how much the whole country relies on the capital for everyday things like supplies, government services and cellular networks,” said Brickman. “I just felt sick to think about the far-reaching implications this disaster would have on the entire country.” The family got involved with HBS through their church, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Stratford, Ont. Jim and Marg were on the mission committee, and were responsible for sending a bi-yearly donation to support the Haitian hospital. It was through correspondence with Joanna Hodges, who founded HBS in 1953, that they began making plans to visit the impoverished country.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Despite the damage and the potentially dangerous conditions, the entire family returned to Haiti in March. On their last visit in October 2009, Brickman and her mother were able to see the completion of Hodges House, a foster home that was built after Brickman came up with the idea on her very first visit. There are two housemothers and three children living at Hodges House: Guivenson, 6, Reese, almost 3, and Luevens, 2. Guivenson is in school, thanks to the support of the Brickman family. Reese and Luevens will join him when they reach school age. Laurier Brantford raised $625 for the facility, allowing the second housemother to be hired. The capacity of Hodges House is eight children and three housemothers. “Many of the children have physical or developmental needs that make it very difficult for them to go to school,” said Brickman. “I thought it was important that there was a place for the higher functioning children to live where they could be cared for and walked to school.” With the earthquake hitting one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world, Brickman says Haiti needs support now more than ever. “I’ve seen the poverty and I really feel for those people,” she said. “We need to do all we can to help out.” ~ By Kevin Klein

Keeping in touch

1970s Paul Smith (BSc ’75) is vice-president of sales and business planning for biotech company Axela. He has spent more than 28 years in the life-science instrumentation field, primarily focusing on protein measurement and purification. Recently, he worked abroad as director of European operations and then vice-president of European and North American sales for Ciphergen Biosystems. Paul returned to Canada in 2006 to join Axela, a biotechnology company that makes sensors for measuring protein, viruses and bacteria for life-science research and clinical diagnostics.

1980s Rhonda Wade (Dipl ’87) has earned the professional insurance designation Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute for CPCU. She completed eight courses and national exams to achieve the designation. Rhonda is an underwriter for Security Mutual Insurance Company in Ithaca, New York, and a licensed property and casualty agent and broker.

1990s Laura Cooke (BA ’92) participated in the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, competing in continued on page 35 Laura Cooke, top row, second from right.

John Estacio (BMus ’89) has made a career out of creating beautiful music. The musician recently became one of only three composers to receive commissions and a residency with the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa, a prestigious award valued at $75,000. Estacio will create three new music works for the NAC Orchestra over the next five years, and will teach students during the NAC’s annual Summer Music Institute. The NAC grants the award to three prominent Canadian contemporary composers to ensure that Canadian repertoire takes centre stage. Estacio is one of Canada’s most frequently performed and broadcasted composers, and has served as Composer in Residence for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, the Calgary Opera and Pro Coro Canada. Estacio’s CD Frenergy, the Music of John Estacio, earned him two Juno nominations and a Western Canadian Music Award. His soundtrack for the film The Secret of the Nutcracker received an Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association Award. His most recent opera, Frobisher, premiered in Calgary and Banff in 2007, and his first opera, Filumena, has been remounted five times and was filmed for television. Having recently completed a cantata for chorus and orchestra, and a sinfonietta for the Victoria Symphony, Estacio has also written for the Vancouver Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the CBC Radio Orchestra. His works have been performed by numerous Canadian and international orchestras, and his frequent performances earned him the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada’s Concert Music Award in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Estacio resides in Edmonton, Alberta, and is currently working on his third opera, Lillian Alling, with librettist John Murrell, which will be premiered by the Vancouver Opera later this year.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Young

lenge l a h C i Alumn

Kiran Nagra ‘02 - Supporte d: Area of greatest need

“I wanted to give the same grea t Laurier experience that I enjoyed to current and future Golden Hawks.”

e ‘05 Tammy & Warren Low greatest need Supported: Area of

best years rier were some of the “Our four years at Lau ch.” mu so us e of our lives, and gav

Caitlin Howlett ‘05 - Supported: Studen t Services and the WLU Studen t Publication Bursar y “I rose to the challen

ge bec benefit from the progra ause I want future students to ms and groups that I was part of.”

S S E C C U

We asked you to rise to the challenge and reconnect with Laurier, and 413 of you did. Your donations were matched by the Alumni Association and now over $50,000 will fund the areas at Laurier you feel most passionate about.

To see more stories of those who rose to the challenge, as well as the donor honour roll, please visit: www.supportlaurier.ca/youngalum

Keeping in touch the indoor volleyball, beach volleyball fours and beach volleyball pairs events, earning two silver medals and one gold medal. The Games are the world’s largest multi-sport event, attracting twice as many competitors than the Olympic Games. Angela (Shaddick) Preszcator (BA ’93) and her husband, Steve, welcomed their second son, Kiefer Steven, in October 2008. He joins big brother Lucas, 5. Tanya (Tessier) Mitchell (BA ’95) and her husband, Jeff, are happy to announce the birth of their third child, Nash, on Oct. 17, 2009. He is a little brother for Bailey and Theo. Barbara (Mestyan) Morrison (BA ’96) and Luke Morrison (BBA ’95) and are thrilled to announce the arrival of their fourth (and final!) future Golden Hawk, Heidi Lynn Morrison, on Sept. 21, 2009. She is a little sister to Cole, 9, Kate, 6, and Ben, 3.

Shannon Purves-Smith (BA ’96) and her husband, Michael (a retired Laurier music professor), along with other members of the Renaissance ensemble Greensleeves, have just released a new CD. Polish Popular Music of the XVIIc presents repertoire from a mid-17th century manuscript recently discovered inside the cover of a missal. Also featured on the album are three Laurier grads: vocalists Stephanie Kramer (BMus ’79), Jennifer Enns-Mudolo (BMus ’01) and Nathanial Wiseman (BMus ’07).

2000s Ted Girard (BA ’00), a manager at Sun Life Financial, received a promotion and was moved from Ottawa to southern Ontario in January. He will be responsible for managing 36 advisors, two managers and three staff members in the Hamilton-Burlington Sun Life Financial Centre. Laurier alumni in the area can contact him at ted.girard@sunlife.com.

Thank You Alumni Association Because of your vision and leadership in recognizing

Where in the world are you? Keeping in Touch is a great way to let your fellow alumni know what is happening in your life, from family news, to career changes, travels and personal milestones. Sending us an update makes connecting with your classmates easy. Here’s a sample: John Doe (BBA ’95) has joined Toronto law firm Smith & Smith, where he practices commercial law. John and his wife, Michelle (Brown) Doe (BA ’96), live in Mississauga with their two boys, Sam, 3, and Michael, 5. Your Keeping in Touch submission can run in length from one line to a paragraph. Feel free to share your favourite Laurier memories! We also encourage photographs (if submitted electronically, they should be 300 dpi). If possible, please include your student number with your entry. Send your update via web: www.laurieralumni.ca via email: alumaddress@wlu.ca via fax: (519) 747-2106 via phone: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3176 via mail: Kim Miller, Alumni Hall, Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Ave., W. Waterloo, ON N2L3C5

Don’t forget to update your profile online for a chance to win a $500 Homecoming package! Visit www.laurieralumni.ca for details.

that we needed to reconnect with Laurier’s young alumni, the Young Alumni Challenge was successful. Your $25,000 commitment to match gifts resulted in 413 alumni rising to the challenge.

As champions of the Laurier community, you make a difference every day.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Keeping in touch

To find out how you can save money through alumni affiliate programs, visit our website:

www.laurieralumni.ca/gradvantages

Keeping in touch Photo: flickr.com/photos/syume / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Laurier Olympians Becky Kellar (MBA ’04) won a gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver as a member of Canada’s women’s hockey team. Kellar, 35, was one of four current national team players to compete in every Olympic Games since women’s hockey was introduced (four in total, including Vancouver), winning three gold medals and one silver. With two sons — Owen was born in 2004 and Zach in 2007 — she was also one of two mothers on the team. Kellar, who plays defence, is a member of the Burlington Barracudas of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

Photo: John Biehler

John Morris (BA ’03) won an Olympic gold medal playing third for skip Kevin Martin on Canada’s men’s curling team. Morris, 31, made one triple and three double takeouts as Canada defeated Norway 6-3 in the gold medal match. Morris has won several international curling events, including a gold medal at the World Curling Championships in 2008 and a silver in 2009. He has also placed first in two Tim Hortons Briars and two World Junior Championships. When he isn’t curling, Morris is a firefighter in Chestermere, Alberta. He has also co-authored a curling-specific training manual called Fit to Curl.

Becky Kellar (#4), above, and John Morris, bottom centre, celebrate their gold medal wins with teammates.

Serving in Canada’s navy Lt.-Comdr. Mark Fletcher (BA ’75) says the success of his distinguished 38-year career in the Canadian navy can be chalked up to three key contributors: a passion for the sea, love for his country, and perhaps most importantly, a very understanding wife. “She was very tolerant during my many extended times away from home,” says Fletcher. The couple has been married for 32 years with three grown children. Fletcher joined the Canadian Forces during his first year at Laurier, and juggled naval training with his studies in the business administration program. He also found time for extracurricular activities, including “playing intramural hockey badly,” working as the business manager for Radio Laurier and holding the position of vice-president of finance with the Students’ Union in his fourth year. After graduating, Fletcher served with fleets based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Victoria/Esquimalt, British Columbia, and worked at the Canadian Forces headquarters in Ottawa. “The most rewarding part of my career was the opportunity to command men and women at sea and ashore,” he says. “I was most fortunate to serve twice as commanding officer.” One of these posts was at sea aboard HMCS Cowichan (photo above), an ex-minesweeper used for patrols along Canada’s west coast and for training officers. He was also commanding officer of HMSC Discovery, a land-based

Mark Fletcher celebrates a birthday, right.

Naval Reserve Division (also called a “stone frigate”), in Vancouver. Fletcher is currently stationed at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, where he is chief of staff of the port operations and emergency services branch. “It has been an interesting and worthwhile life serving in the navy,” he says. I’ve been to many places and have enjoyed many great experiences. I have been very fortunate.”

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Keeping in touch A p p l i c a t i o n

f o r

Board of Directors

Sylvia Kowal (MBA ’01) is working at Humber College where she is director of marketing and communications. She lives in Toronto with her three sons.

The Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) plays a vital role within the university community. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 25 elected directors. The directors hold office for a period of two years and take office on September 1, 2010. The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers from various years of graduation and faculties that demographically represent WLU's 74,000 alumni. The Alumni Association looks for people who are willing to devote their time, energy and talent to directing the affairs of the organization at WLU. If you would like to get involved with the Alumni Association, please apply at the link below.

Deadline for applications is April 30, 2010

Jeff Howald (BBA ’02) and Anitia (Wakaliuk) Howald (BMus ’02) are happy to announce the birth of their first child, Louisa Marie Howald, on Aug. 25, 2009. Jennifer (Lackey) Krebs (BBA ’02), and her husband, Kevin, welcomed their third son, Ryan James Krebs, on Oct. 28, 2009. He is a little brother for Jacob, 3, and Conner, 1.

Submit your nomination online at:

www.laurieralumni.ca/applications

We thank all applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

A p p l i c a t i o n

Cheryl Brean, bottom left, at Homecoming 2007.

f o r

Senate Representative The Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) seeks an alumnus/a to serve as one of the Association's representatives on the WLU Senate. In order to be eligible candidates must be Canadian Citizens, and cannot be WLU faculty or staff, or a member of a governing body of a degree-granting university, college or other institution of higher learning. The position is a three year term and Senate meets eight times a year in the late afternoon on the main campus at Laurier. The Alumni Association is looking for someone who is willing to devote their time, energy and talent to assisting with the WLU Senate. If you are interested please apply at the link below.

Deadline for applications is April 30, 2010

Submit your nomination online at:

www.laurieralumni.ca/applications

We thank all applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 38

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

Cheryl Brean (BA ’08) is studying corporate communications at Seneca College in Toronto. Qaseem Ludin (MA ’08) has returned to his native Afghanistan where he is working as a government policy advisor in the country’s High Office of Oversight and Anti-corruption. In this role, he works closely with the office’s director general, advising him on strategic matters. Qaseem has attended international meetings and conferences on the issues of corruption and the best practices to combat it in Afghanistan. He has written frequently on security issues in Afghanistan and also works as a liaison between the government and international organizations and donors, including the World Bank and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime.

calendar of events

Mark your calendar For a complete list of events, tickets or more information, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/events Outstanding Women of Laurier Awards

Laurier Golf Classic 2010

March 31, 2010

May 25, 2010

Celebrate Laurier’s outstanding women

Join fellow alumni at the

athletes at the annual OWL awards. The

Brantford Golf and Country

event includes a luncheon, silent auction and

Club for the 13th annual golf

remarks from keynote speaker Carole Bertuzzi

classic. Proceeds will go to the

Luciani, a “moodivator” and inspirational

Student Horizon Fund and the Golden Hawk

speaker. For ticket information, visit www.

Scholarship Fund.

laurierathletics.com/owl.

HOMECOMING 2010 Dust off your collection of purple and gold and show your Golden Hawk spirit at Homecoming 2010!

Laurier MBA Golf Tournament Hive by Janet Morton

May 28, 2010

Until April 3, 2010

Enjoy a day of golf at the Century Pines Golf

Visit Laurier’s Robert Langen

Club with alumni, faculty and staff of the Laurier

Art Gallery to view this mixed-

MBA program. Your day includes one round of

media installation by artist Janet

golf with a cart, snacks, buffet lunch and prizes.

Morton, which takes viewers on a voyage to

Early-bird ticket prices are in effect until March

understand and re-evaluate their relationship

31 and the registration deadline is May 7.

with the environment.

MBA Information Sessions

Niagara Wine Tour June 19, 2010

Ongoing

Join the Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter for a bus

Are you thinking about furthering your

trip to the Niagara region for a day of wine

education with an MBA? Learn about Laurier’s

tastings, delicious food and great company!

MBA degree and the many flexible program options. Free information sessions take place at the Waterloo and Toronto campuses. Visit www.wlu.ca/mbais for details.

Toronto FC Game

Camps for Kids

Mark your calendars for Oct. 1 – 3, 2010 and make plans to return to campus. Congratulations to the classes of 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, 1980, 1970 and 1960. It’s time to celebrate your 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 40th and 50th anniversary at Homecoming! To volunteer or for more information about this year’s celebration, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/homecoming

July – August 2010 Is your child interested in archeology or does he or she enjoy playing sports? Or do you have a budding Picasso on your hands? Laurier

Whitewater Rafting

April/May 2010 (Date TBA)

offers several fun summer camps for kids at its

July 16-18, 2010

Soccer fans unite! Hosted by the Kitchener-

Waterloo and Brantford campuses. For more

The Kitchener-Waterloo,

Waterloo and Toronto Chapters, join fellow

information or to register, visit the Camps

Toronto and Ottawa chapters

alumni for a reception and then cheer on the

for Kids web page at www.wlu.ca or http://

come together for a weekend

Toronto FC at BMO Field.

brantford.mylaurier.ca/summer-fun.

Development Day 2010: Change. Lead. Thrive. May 14, 2010 Featuring the thoughtprovoking Peter Mansbridge, internationally acclaimed news anchor, sharing his insight about Canada and Canadians in a changing world.

of whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River!

Get with the program! Update your profile. If you haven’t updated your almuni profile, here’s what you’ve been missing: • invitations to events and reunions • connect with former classmates • our online Alumni newsletter, Alma Matters

E YOUR PROF I LE DAT UP for a chance to

HOMECOMING 2010 PACKAGE

Log on to www.laurieralmni.ca and GET CONNECTED!

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

flashback

Laurier’s Brantford campus opened in 1999 with 39 students and one building. Today, nearly 2,400 students are enrolled in a dozen programs. The campus has grown to 19 buildings, which the university owns or leases. Last year marked a milestone for

Do you have a photo of your Laurier days? Email a high-resolution image

Brantford — the campus marked its 10th anniversary and graduated its 1,000th student. Next up is the opening of phase one of the

to stmorrison@wlu.ca and it could appear in Flashback.

campus’ $39-million Research and Academic Centre this fall.

do you have Papers, photographs or memorabilia from your time on campus? If so, the Laurier Archives would love to hear from you. The Laurier Archives collects and makes available papers, publications, photographs, audio-visual material and artifacts documenting all aspects of Laurier’s history. For more information, contact Julia Hendry at (519) 884-0710 x3825 or visit us online at library.wlu.ca/archives.

LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2010

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Insurance as simple as for members of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association Insurance doesn’t need to be complicated. As a member of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, you deserve – and receive – special care when you deal with TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. First, you can enjoy savings through preferred group rates. Second, you benefit from great coverage and you get the flexibility to choose the level of protection that suits your needs.1 Third, you’ll receive outstanding service. At TD Insurance Meloche Monnex our goal is to make insurance easy for you to understand, so you can choose your coverage with confidence. After all, we’ve been doing it for 60 years! Request a quote and you could

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www.melochemonnex.com/wlu TD Insurance Meloche Monnex is the trade-name of SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY who also underwrites the home and auto insurance program. The program is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada. Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. Certain conditions and restrictions may apply. *No purchase required. Contest ends on January 14, 2011. Total value of each prize is $30,000 which includes the Honda Insight EX and a $3,000 gas voucher. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Skill-testing question required. Contest organized jointly with Primmum Insurance Company and open to members, employees and other eligible people of all employer and professional and alumni groups entitled to group rates from the organizers. Complete contest rules and eligibility information available at www.melochemonnex.com. Actual prize may differ from picture shown. Honda is a trade-mark of Honda Canada Inc., who is not a participant in or a sponsor of this promotion. Meloche Monnex is a trade-mark of Meloche Monnex Inc., used under license. TD Insurance is a trade-mark of The Toronto-Dominion Bank, used under license. 1

XXX-MM8019-09 MMI.EN•wlu (8.25x9.75).indd 1

1/21/10 3:09:29 PM

Projet : Annonce MMI 2009

Province : Ontario

Client : Meloche Monnex

Publication : Laurier Campus

No de dossier : XXX-MM8019-09 MMI.EN•wlu (8.25x9.75)

Format : 8.25x9.75 Couleur : couleur

Épreuve # :1 Date de tombée : 18/01/10 Graphiste : Yannick Decosse