ALUMNI AFFAIRS
Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service: Two alumni recognized for their commitment to positive change
DAVID WALLACE (‘71)
2012
EDWARD DUNSWORTH (‘75)
2011
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Hearsay 2012
David Wallace, QC (’71) is the personification of the “Weldon Tradition,” which is one of concern, of change, and of humanity in public service. Since graduating from the Law School and returning to his hometown of New Glasgow to practise law with the firm MacIntosh, MacDonnell & MacDonald, Wallace has quietly provided over four decades of leadership to his community. Wallace’s community service runs long and deep. As a young man fresh out of law school, he began a lifetime of service to his community, donating his time, significant talents and energies to organizations such as the Kinsmen Club of New Glasgow, the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the United Way, and Pictou County Minor Baseball. Wallace is likely best known for his community service with Summer Street Industries. Formerly called the Canadian Association for the Mentally Retarded (CAMR),
Ed Dunsworth (‘75) exemplifies a spirit of generosity, and his selfless work as a volunteer and organizer has touched the lives of countless individuals—particularly children—who live in extreme poverty in Latin America. Dunsworth’s integrity, passion, and respect for the common good are evident in the long-term commitment he has made to serving some of the poorest people in the western hemisphere, in a region he now calls home. In 1975 Dunsworth graduated with his bachelor of laws and master of business administration. In 1997, he was running a successful private law practice with the firm of Leahey Nearing in Halifax when he decided to take a two-week trip to northern Nicaragua to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Dunsworth helped build brick and tin houses in a small village. He recalled: “When you are in Nova Scotia you think you know poverty…But until you actually come face to face with it, you really don’t know what it is.” The trip sparked a profound change within him. His wife, Barbara, agreed to join him for a three-year project with Habitat for Humanity International in Belize. The Dunsworths helped to establish Habitat’s pres-
Summer Street works to create enriching opportunities for people with intellectual disability and to create community awareness of the skills, talents and gifts that people with intellectual disability have to offer. In 1972, Wallace accepted the position of president of Summer Street Industries that operated the Parkdale Activity Centre. At the time, the centre provided services to 20 young adults with intellectual disability. Under Wallace’s leadership, the facility underwent several expansions and today, this facility serves 145 clients with 25 staff and 50 business partnerships in the community. Wallace is founder and chair of the Summer Street Golf Scramble, a foundation that raises funds for Summer Street Industries. He has coordinated this event for the past 15 years and has seen $1.5 million raised for the mentally challenged of Pictou County through this initiative. •
ence in Belize. Dunsworth and his family then moved to Argentina and Chile while continuing their work for Habitat. He also spent seven months on the island of Grenada with Habitat’s Disaster Response Program in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2005. Later that year, he and Barbara moved to Managua, Nicaragua to begin charitable work with an international faith-based organization called Hand in Hand Ministries (HHM). Shocked by the conditions of the public schools in the area, they turned their attention towards the huge educational deficit facing poor children in Managua. They created a scholarship program called Pathway to Change that enables children to attend private schools. As of January 2011, there were 64 children enrolled in the program who range in age from 6 to 16 years old. Dunsworth sees the potential for each of the children he helps: “The future of these young girls and boys would be uncertain at best were it not for the help of this program. Education is the most powerful weapon against poverty. Our goal is to enable many more Nicaraguans to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.” •