The Root Spring 2022

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

SPRING 2022

THE EPIC NEW ERA OF UTS

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

In Awe of Our New School I write this having just returned from the new 371 Bloor Street West, where I sat

Aaron Dantowitz ’91 PRESIDENT, UTSAA

in as a judge for the first in-house Mock Trial Tournament at our revitalized school.

I have come away in awe for two reasons: the building and the students.

First, the building. For those who have not yet had an opportunity to visit, it is as amazing as you have heard. Familiar spaces have been made modern; classrooms have materialized seemingly out of thin air; and a jaw-dropping athletic facility has been carved into the earth. The alumni community can be proud of the part we played in making this dream a reality, and not just through financial support of the Building the Future campaign. Many of our members contributed invaluable time and expertise to the project in the areas of design, project steering, campaign organization – the list goes on! I encourage you to see for yourself the spectacular results when the chance arises.

Equally as impressive as the building are the students. In true UTS fashion, the enthusiastic chaos of an early Saturday morning quickly transitioned into a serious and orderly, but fun, demonstration of dedication, preparation and courage to learn by trying new things. The participants, a mix of first-timers and more seasoned mock trial competitors, all came to the task as if they had been in the legal trenches for years.

I told them that they would fit right in with the second- and third-year law students that I work with as an instructor in the Trial Advocacy course at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Also present were the familiar legions of student organizers and helpers making it all happen, under the supervision of dedicated staff, not to mention the alumni and others who volunteered their time as judges: a reminder of the ever-supportive nature of the UTS community.

To witness UTS students doing what they do best, back in an historic space that is newly ready to support them, was inspiring. The verdict: UTS is thriving, in body and spirit.

Thanks to Robert Armstrong ’65 for notifying us that his name had been omitted from the 1910 Club in the Fall 2021 Root donor listing. We regret the omission of any donor names and have updated the donor listing. Please visit it in the Fall 2021 Root at www.utschools.ca/alumni/root.

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UNIVER SI

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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCHOOLS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 371 Bloor Street West, Room 250 Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R7

UTSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

TREASURER

HONORARY PRESIDENT

Aaron.Dantowitz@utschools.ca

Sara.Son.Hing@utschools.ca

Sara Son Hing ’97

Rosemary Evans

VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT

Aaron Dantowitz ’91 Laura Money ’81

Ian Speers ’98

Laura.Money@utschools.ca

Ian.Speers@utschools.ca

Jonathan Bitidis ’99

Adarsh Gupta ’12

REvans@utschools.ca

Garry Kollins

GKollins@utschools.ca

DIRECTORS

Phone: 416-978-3919 E-mail: alumni@utschools.ca Web: www.utschools.ca/alumni Facebook: www.fb.com/utschools Twitter and Instagram: @utschools

Jonathan.Bitidis@utschools.ca

Adarsh.Gupta@utschools.ca

Aaron Chan ’94

Geoffrey Hung ’93

Aaron.Chan@utschools.ca

David Dodds ’73

David.Dodds@utschools.ca

Anne Fleming ’85

Anne.Fleming@utschools.ca

Peter Frost ’63

Peter.Frost@utschools.ca

Geoffrey.Hung@utschools.ca

Peter Neilson ’71

Peter.Neilson@utschools.ca

Mark Opashinov ’88

Mark.Opashinov@utschools.ca

Avanti Ramachandran ’09 Avanti.Ramachandran@utschools.ca

Morgan Ring ’07

Morgan.Ring@utschools.ca

Tim Sellers ’78

Tim.Sellers@utschools.ca

Jessica Ware ’95

Jessica.Ware@utschools.ca

Bob Pampe ’63

Bob.Pampe@utschools.ca

UTS acknowledges that this school is situated on the traditional territory of many Indigenous nations including the Anishnabeg peoples of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Chippewa, as well as the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that the land is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

We are grateful to honor this land through our dedication to learning and ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

CONTENTS 8

THE EPIC NEW ERA OF UTS A community of connection creates space for a culture of inclusion

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DIPLOMACY IN DIVIDED TIMES Catherine Ivkoff ’84, Jennifer May ’86, Wendy Drukier ’86 and Jocelyn (Jodi) Kinnear ’93 serve as ambassadors for our country.

REGULAR FEATURES UTS Board Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Principal’s Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Giving Back. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 In School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alumni News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mark Your Calendars. . . . . . . . . 24

PUBLISHER

DESIGN

ON THE COVER

Martha Drake

PageWave Graphics Inc.

Board of Directors Chair Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72 and UTS Principal Rosemary Evans cut the ribbon before an audience of 100 staff in the beautiful new Fleck Atrium.

MANAGING EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

Kimberley Fehr EDITOR

Sumner & Lang

PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATION

Dewey Chang, Martha Drake, Kimberley Fehr, Emma Jenkin ’03, M4 (Grade 10) Grace, Kara Lysne-Paris

ABOVE

S6 (Grade 12) Sakti and other students practice Bollywood dancing for a number in SHOW 2022 in the new Jackman Theatre, named in honour of UTS Founder, the Honourable Henry Newton Rowell “Hal” Jackman O.C., O Ont, CD, LLD, DHL ’50.

CONTRIBUTORS

PROOFREADER

PRINTER

Morgan Ring ’07

Colour Systems Inc.

Our thanks to this issue’s contributors: Aaron Dantowitz ’91; Martha Drake; Simone Duffy ’21; Rosemary Evans; Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72; Martine Handelman Duffy ’17; Madam Justice Jill Presser ’87, P ’17, ’21; Asha Saha ’21; Karen Sumner and Warren Lang.

Published spring and fall, The Root is available to all alumni, parents and friends of UTS. The Root is also available at: www.utschools.ca/root. Contact us at alumni@utschools.ca or 416-978-3919 to update your address or to receive your copy electronically.

UTS BOARD REPORT

Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72 Board Chair, UTS

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Rosemary Evans Principal, UTS

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What a wonder it was to hear applause echoing through the school for the first time, as Principal Rosemary Evans and I cut the ribbon on our renewed building in the Fleck Atrium on April 4th. At last, we are home!

Thank you all for your extraordinary efforts. Together as a community we willed this building into being with our love and support for the school. The Project Steering Committee brought their extensive experience to bear, giving countless hours to guide the building to completion. The Building the Future Campaign Cabinet, with campaign director Martha Drake and the Advancement team, built the momentum. Architect Don Schmitt C.M. ’70 and his firm Diamond Schmitt Architects brought the vision.

Principal Rosemary Evans led the way with tireless dedication – we have been so lucky to have her as our inspired leader.

Now the impact of our renewed building is felt every day in the lives of our students.

With this foundation, students have all the space they need to learn and grow, and they are filling it with ideas, inventions, creativity, change-making and most of all, community.

Like our students, UTS strives for progress. As we hail the new era of our school, now is the time to honour our tradition of bringing a diverse range of great minds together from across the Greater Toronto Area. The challenges that lie before us are increasing inclusion and opening our doors to a greater diversity of students. We also seek to deepen relationships with the University of Toronto, as the UTS Board continues to actively develop a strategic approach for our school, and strengthen our bursary program so finances do not stand in the way.

We have stepped into the future, with a renewed building better than we ever imagined. Now we must take great strides to ensure a culture of inclusion lies at the heart of our school, as the foundation for the new era of UTS.

Our doors opened to UTS students and staff this April with a sense of transformation symbolized by grand gathering and performance spaces, warm wood interiors and a panoramic view of downtown Toronto. The feats of engineering beneath our foundations and within our walls extend and solidify our partnerships with the University of Toronto, as well as its affiliates, which include world-class educational institutions.

Resilience has been a defining trait of UTS for the 112 years of our history as a school. Built in 1910, we have undergone four major building transformations, lived through two World Wars, withstood two pandemics, endured a Great Depression and several recessions, faced the loss of our school space, and successfully renewed our vital affiliation and long-term lease with the University of Toronto. As the universe around us has evolved, so too have the people who are selected to attend UTS. Our school and our graduates have adapted and learned in the most challenging of circumstances.

The UTS of 2022 has been built to withstand an uncertain future and unpredictable times. The foundation of our new building has been crafted with values as much as raw materials. The opportunity to re-imagine the UTS environment afforded the ability to embed belonging, respect, openness, creativity and collaboration, as well as the enduring sense of UTS community into the layout and DNA of the refurbished school.

As we begin this new era, we uphold the strength of relationships built at UTS with the intentionality of a school embracing change and seeking to contribute meaningfully to a better world. Together, we have set the stage for our inspired future, built on the enduring foundation of our community.

A NEW ERA FOR UTS We’re back! The hallways at 371 Bloor are, once again, filled with the happy chatter of students. The melodic sounds of music float through the school as does the squeak of running shoes from the UTS Athletic Centre, and also the laughter of students as they gather on the Learning Stairs for lunch or engage with their fellow students and teachers in class. The energy is palpable.

I am writing this post from our beautiful, renewed school. As I walk the hallways at UTS and visit the stunning new spaces, I can’t help but think of all of you, the members of our community, who came together to make this dream a reality. Thank you for building our future. Please know that we can’t wait for you to visit to see this beautiful space for yourselves.

My hope is that you will feel comforted by the familiarity of the original 1910 terrazzo floors and staircases, the restored trophy case in honour of Al Fleming ’54 on the first floor and the 11 refurbished oak benches which, I believe, were originally installed in the 1950s. I hope that you will journey into the new wing of the building and marvel at the light passing from the third-floor skylight through the Fleck Atrium all the way down below ground level and rejoice in the state-of-the-art spaces that will propel UTS into the future. I am certain the school has not looked this good since 1910.

Indeed, the focus of UTS has been more about the people than the place. Architect Don Schmitt C.M. ’70, knows this only too well from his days as a UTS student. You can see how the student experience was at the very core of the architectural elements which are both futureforward and a tribute to the UTS tradition of merit-based education. This gem of a space is one that encourages collaborative exploration of ideas.

It provides a solid foundation to take what is the very best of UTS and carry it forward into the future for generations to come.

Thank you for your eager participation on this journey. Thanks to you, everything that is good about UTS will continue and the best is yet to come!

Martha Drake

Executive Director, Advancement

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IN SCHOOL

“We wanted to streamline how transgender students can access help informing their teachers of their new pronouns or names or how to navigate sports teams or changing for gym, because it's really intimidating for them to have to ask,” says S6 (Grade 12) Laura, an executive on the UTS Gender Equity Committee (pictured right). Laura and their fellow executives, S6s Anasofia (pictured centre) and Kismet (left), as well as executives on the UTS Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), played an instrumental role in re-drafting the Policy and Procedures on Respecting and Accommodating Transgender Students, working in tandem with UTS administration and school lawyers Borden Ladner Gervais. “I appreciate seeing how UTS culture continues to evolve,” says Anasofia. Kismet says, “This policy is an accumulation of the efforts of the Committee, the GSA and UTS to build up trans-inclusivity over time and will be a legacy for future UTS students.”

True learning is a collaboration. Math teacher Andrew Wilson was selected as a 2021 University of Chicago Outstanding Educator, thanks to a gracious nomination from Qi Zheng ’21, who is studying there.

UTS teacher Isabella Liu won the 2022 Beaumier Award for High School/CÉGEP Chemistry Teachers from the Chemical Institute of Canada. “I use chemistry as a vehicle to provide my students with opportunities to think critically and reflect on what's presented to them,” she says.

UTS Health and Physical Education Teacher Mike Didier was named Ontario University Athletics Coach of the Year for his other job: Head Coach of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues Baseball team.

Black History Month took on a new incarnation at UTS as Black Futures Month this February, symbolizing how we look to drive future progress. With two assemblies, dynamic events and workshops like a performance of Things My Foresisters Saw by Leslie McCurdy, a spoken word workshop with Desiree McKenzie, a student art exhibition and more, it was a month of learning and celebration of Black culture and achievement. The closing assembly included a question and answer session hosted by UTS Black Equity Committee Executive S6 (Grade 12) Leyat and M3 (Grade 9) Cici, with Dr. Carl James, author of Colour Matters, and UTSAA Director Dr. Jessica Ware ’95, Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History.

Artwork entitled Exploring Africa’s Past, Present, Future by M4 (Grade 10) Grace.

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In School

The Robert Street Field at the University of Toronto is back and ready for play! Joyful shouts of UTS students rang out once again as students came out early in the morning to play Ultimate Frisbee in late November. Under this field are over 150 geothermal energy boreholes extending 850 feet underground to provide green energy to a new student residence and other university buildings. The revitalization project, which was supported by UTS, means that students at our renewed school at 371 Bloor Street West can once again enjoy access to an exciting outdoor athletics space just a few minutes away, expanding the opportunities for fresh air and exercise at our new school.

The Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly was the first in-person event at our revitalized home, taking place in a hybrid format with 500 students from across Canada, the Philippines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Nearly 200 in-person delegates convened in our new multipurpose room, and at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Over 300 delegates assembled online to explore issues like equitable access to vaccines, Indigenous rights and climate change. Six Munk School graduate students primed delegates on the issues, thanks to a new partnership forged by SecretaryGeneral S6 (Grade 12) Shelby, pictured centre with the Secretariat: S6s Ella (left) and Cooper (right). Danielle Goldfarb ’93, P ’26, Andrew Ng ’03, and Eric Walsh ’90, gave inspiring keynote speeches.

Jonathan, a Grade 11 student from Milton, Ont., honed his power of speech at UTS Debate and Public Speaking Camp last summer through what UTS Principal Rosemary Evans calls “a powerful new partnership.” He was one of 120 Black youth who attended UTS virtual camps through the SummerUp initiative created by Trevor Massey and his organization, the Lifelong Leadership Institute, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education. Jonathan says, “It was important to me to exercise my mind and grow and develop a hunger and this thirst to learn more. That's definitely something that SummerUp and the Debate Camp at UTS taught me how to do.” The partnership continues this year with UTS camps Bright Lights in the Lab, I-Think and Maximum City.

For more UTS news and views, check out our website at utschools.ca.

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A community of connection creates space for a culture of inclusion

PHOTO CREDIT: Dewey Chang

The Class of 2022 in our new McIntyre Gymnasium, made possible by the support of UTS Founder Sandy McIntyre ’71 .

The Epic NEW 8

THE ROOT | SPRING 2022

ERA of UTS

By Kimberley Fehr THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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S6 (Grade 12) Layla, the Lewis House Prefect, stands in front of shiny new blue lockers, helping students find their way on their first day.

UTS Co-Captains Caleb and Emily cut the ribbon for students, with Principal Rosemary Evans.

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t was an epic day over 110 years in the making.

A once impossible-seeming dream for decades of UTS students, staff, alumni, parents, and UTS Principal Rosemary Evans and Board of Directors Chair Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72 .

Our dream of a modern, revitalized school building for UTS came true on April 5, 2022, as students crossed the threshold of our stunning, refurbished home at 371 Bloor Street West and stepped into the future.

“We came in from the foyer and the moment we raised our eyes and looked upwards toward the Fleck Atrium, we were all just in awe,” says UTS Co-Captain S6 (Grade 12) Caleb. “Honestly, I couldn’t talk for a minute, I was so blown away by the space,” says S6 (Grade 12) Layla, the Lewis House Prefect.

This is the story of our community: alumni dispersed around the country and the globe, who years and even several decades later still care enough for the transformative education

THE ROOT | SPRING 2022

they received at UTS and the friends they made to keep giving back to our school. This is a story of staff who love the school and parents who see the transformation manifest in their children, and students who take all that we give them and forge lives that make a difference. Most of all, this is the story of the future that now lies before us.

“The new building is a testament to the importance of the UTS institution to our community,” says Jim, the magnanimous leader who helped pave the way to this day.

“Our collective effort to come together and raise over $60 million in the Building the Future campaign, and to keep the Affiliation Agreement with the University of Toronto, demonstrates the important role UTS plays in society.”

Having turned 91 this year, Jim celebrates nearly 80 years of history with our school. As a young man, he loved UTS so much that when his family moved to Oshawa in the 1940s, he commuted three hours a day in his last year of high school (before Highway 401) to continue at UTS because of the friends he made, and the unparalleled calibre of the teaching, which he felt was his best chance of securing a university scholarship (and he did!).

Jim knew many alumni shared his love for UTS, so he aimed high, setting the bar for UTS Founders at $1 million, and becoming one himself. He led the Project Steering Committee in navigating the construction process. Years of effort culminated in the moment when he and UTS Principal Rosemary Evans cut the ribbon in the Fleck Atrium before an audience of 100 staff on April 4, surrounded by blue and white balloons, as they graciously thanked our community, Diamond Schmitt Architects, Eastern Construction and JLL Project Management, and each other.

“Jim, you worked magic in creating this project. This is an amazing legacy and we are all in your debt,” said Rosemary. To which Jim countered: “This would never have happened without Rosemary. We are so incredibly lucky she became Principal of UTS when she did and her leadership has brought us here, to this wonderful day we’ve all been dreaming about, at last, in our renewed school.”

As the ribbon fell to the ground, applause resonated throughout the Fleck Atrium for the first time, filling the walls of our school with appreciation for the efforts of our community and this brilliant new beginning.

The day Rosemary arrived in 2011 as a new Principal, the UTS affiliation with the University of Toronto and the home of our school on the campus were both facing uncertainty. “There are always pressing issues and I seek resolution through collaboration and bringing people together,” she says. When the Affiliation was secured in 2015, the issue became the need to raise an unprecedented $60 million for our new building, and then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now for the first time, UTS faces the future in a position of strength, with an Affiliation Agreement and a home. “The University of Toronto is the bedrock of our school, a solid foundation for all of the values we live by,” says Rosemary. “Now we are working to ensure students’ access to the school is not restricted by finances, and re-dedicating our efforts to the Bursary Program.” The renewed building is just the beginning, symbolic of the deeper changes underway as we continue to evolve our progressive school culture, and uphold our Affiliation commitment to further U of T’s mission.

A space for inclusion to take root and grow The renewed building gives UTS the space in which to do things better; it opens new possibilities, and brings us closer together. The iconic modern design by lead architect Don Schmitt C.M. ’70 and his firm Diamond Schmitt Architects, melds the old and the new into something completely different with 60,000 square feet of renovations including the preservation of the historic facade, plus 60,000 square feet of new space.

“Now we have so many more community spaces in our school, we have to intentionally plan to make these spaces inclusive,” says Rosemary.

“We are working to ensure communal space is seen as equitable space that brings people together.”

With that comes a renewed dedication to support the principles of equitable access to students from underrepresented racialized communities.

Over the last year, UTS turned to Dr. Avis Glaze, a renowned expert in education and

inclusion, who through interviews with UTS community members created a report with 59 recommendations for the future, called Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Our Shared Responsibility. The recommendations touch every facet of school life from admissions to curriculum to governance, from outreach to human resources to marketing. One of these recommendations was increasing diversity in leadership, and the school has appointed Dr. Kimberley Tavares as the new Vice Principal of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Admissions.

It’s happening “A culture of inclusion is an ongoing journey,” says Rosemary. There are signs of progress.

As Executive on the UTS Black Equity Committee, S5 (Grade 11) Leyat and M3 (Grade 9) Cici work towards two broad goals: improving the UTS experience for Black students and increasing their number. “The running joke was there could only be two Black students at UTS at the same time. When one graduated, another could come,” says Leyat. “Now we are way past two with about 10 Black students.”

Last fall, Leyat and Cici, along with several Black UTS alumni, welcomed prospective Black students at an event with the UTS Community of Support, established to provide connection and support to potential and current students and their families who are Black, Indigenous or members of other underrepresented groups.

M3 (Grade 9) Cici and S5 (Grade 11) Leyat are on the UTS Black Equity Committee Executive.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dewey Chang

U of T is the bedrock of our school

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TOP: S5 (Grade 11) Shreya, a student leader on the UTS Indigenous Solidarity Committee, in front of the restored brick from the historic school building in the Fleck Atrium.

BOTTOM: M4 (Grade 10) Mia (left) performs serial dilutions with her friends Akshita (centre) and Eesha (right) in the new and spacious Ewens Chemistry Lab, thanks to UTS Founder Peter Ewens ’79.

“There’s been a subtle culture shift in the school,” says Leyat. “People are a lot more comfortable with topics of inequality and inequity, and more sensitive to these issues. And teachers are doing a lot to incorporate anti-racism and more Black voices into their curriculum.”

Cici, who joined UTS this school year, says her experience already seems different to what she heard from her sister Daeja ’21. “I haven’t had any experience that made me feel like an outsider.

I haven’t repeatedly had to have talks with people.

Change is coming. It’s not anywhere near done, but it’s happening.”

Truth and Reconciliation Other signs of progressive change can be seen in our school's efforts on Truth and Reconciliation.

In 2015, UTS committed to honour the Truth

and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly Actions 62 to 65 that focus on education.

“In the last five years, there’s been a huge shift,” says S5 (Grade 11) Shreya, a student leader on the UTS Indigenous Solidarity Committee. When she was an F1 (Grade 7) student, she says Orange Shirt Day involved wearing an orange shirt for a group photo. This school year, Orange Shirt Day became the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada and UTS dedicated an entire assembly to Truth and Reconciliation with a residential school Survivor sharing testimony, as well as lunchtime events, a documentary screening, discussion circles and class activities. “We’ve done so much more to make this day centered around Truth and Reconciliation. That’s the clearest evidence for me that we are going somewhere good with this.”

Looking forward, Shreya says, “The new spaces offer us an opportunity to do more, with additional environments where the work can take place.” She is hoping to establish an Indigenous space at the new school, but: “the broad goal for me is for every student to leave the school with a sense of care and a cultural competency around Indigenous peoples. So much of what Reconciliation entails is people who are able to build relationships and have those meaningful, thoughtful conversations. Canada has done this injustice and Indigenous communities are advocating for their rights, and we’re supporting them in that process. Even if students aren’t going to be activists, they care enough to recognize these are important issues and will do their part to help.”

PHOTO CREDIT: M4 (Grade 10) Saachi

A home for innovation

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Beyond the social progress under way at our school, the renewed building fosters a bold culture of innovation. UTS students have always been innovators, and at last, innovation has an official home at UTS in the Lang Innovation Lab. Here students like M4s (Grade 10s) Nicole and Mia will take part in cocurriculars such as the Timeraiser Accelerator, the UTS afterschool program for aspiring tech and social entrepreneurs, where students develop business concepts and vie for the opportunity to receive mentorship and advice from alumni volunteers.

This year, Nicole and Mia won the program’s $1,000 entrepreneurial investment for their

The power of connection There’s a buzz growing in the hallways of our renewed building. As M3 (Grade 9) Sterling explored the third floor for the first time with his friends, he looked out the windows at the city skyline with wonder – there were designs on the glass. “I said, ‘What is that? It looks like atoms!’

Ms. Pitt‑Lainsbury was walking by and confirmed that they were a demonstration of VSEPR theory.”

The ceramic frit pattern, designed by Ellie Grushcow ’19, was baked onto the window to deter birds from colliding with the glass. One day soon, Sterling plans to return and identify the shapes in the molecules. It’s something he likes to think about as a science enthusiast.

Sterling has big plans for his future in our new school. Along with his partner, M3 (Grade 9) Ethan, he’s working on a science fair project

PHOTO CREDIT: Dewey Chang

aiming to create affordable clean drinking water for people around the world with a distillation circuit using lenses. He’s looking forward to using the Lang Innovation Lab as a “room where students can explore their ideas, giving students the space to innovate.” He’s also excited about woodworking – he recently helped design sets for SHOW – and fascinated by chemistry.

“Fundamentally we are all just chemical compounds and it’s just crazy to think about me as a polymer, you as a polymer and the table as a bunch of chemical compounds,” he says. “I’m just a bunch of molecules interacting with another bunch of molecules and there are somehow forces that keep me up and down and together.”

As Sterling says so eloquently, we are all just molecules, part of something larger than ourselves.

We are all connected, and our new school is living proof of the power of that connection. We are a community and at last, we are home, the future ours to create. ■

M4 (Grade 10) Nicole on the Wright Living Lane Ramp, which makes our new school accessible to people with disabilities, and was funded thanks to the generous support of UTS Founder David Wright ’89.

M3 (Grade 9) Sterling was amazed to see what looked like atoms in the glass.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dewey Chang

non-profit, Future4U, a website that plans to address a significant gap they discovered in post-secondary planning tools, where students with developmental or intellectual delays and disabilities are underserved.

“We wanted to create this website where they can see what options are available to them and open up their future,” says Nicole.

The idea emerged from their involvement in the Best Buddies program, a national organization which aims to form lasting friendships between people with intellectual or developmental disability, and those without. UTS partners with Heydon Park, a Toronto school for girls. Through this program, both Mia and Nicole became really curious about the options available for their Best Buddies after high school.

“Before Best Buddies, I never had the chance to interact with people who have disabilities,” says Mia. “And now they’ve become just like any other friend we have,” says Nicole. “They’re the same as us.”

Issues of accessibility and equity weigh on their minds. They are thrilled that our new school building is designed to be fully accessible with elevators, the accessible Withrow Auditorium and the Wright Living Lane entrance ramp, and they plan to be workout buddies in the new Ridley Centre. Nicole says, “I look forward to coming to the building every single day. I wake up excited, thinking, ‘We’re in the new school!’ The building is so bright and open and a very creative space.”

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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DIPLOMACY IN DIVIDED TIMES UTS ALUMNAE WORK TOWARD A MORE PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS AND INCLUSIVE WORLD AS CANADIAN AMBASSADORS

By Karen Sumner It doesn’t have to begin with a love of languages. It may start with a keen interest in global development. Or a desire to support human rights or democratic movements. Or specialized training that can be put to use in advancing security or international law.

Four UTS alumnae currently serving as ambassadors representing Canada’s interests abroad share all of these traits. At the same time, it’s fair to say that each began their journey toward a diplomatic career with the study of languages while at UTS. Catherine Ivkoff ’84, Canada’s Ambassador to Mongolia, embraced French, Latin and German in high school and then Russian and Mandarin after graduation. Ambassador to Brazil Jennifer May ’86 chose French and German at UTS and university and added Mandarin and Portuguese later on. Canada’s Ambassador to Spain, Wendy Drukier ’86, picked up French, Spanish and German before graduating, and Jocelyn (Jodi) Kinnear ’93, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE), studied French, Spanish, Latin and German as a UTS student and then later learned Mandarin and Bulgarian.

TOP LEFT: Canada’s Ambassador to Mongolia, Catherine Ivkoff ’84, walks through Sukhbaatar Square before the Mongolian Honor Guard to enter the State Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where she presented her credentials to then-President Battulga on December 25, 2019.

TOP RIGHT: Ambassador to Brazil Jennifer May ’86 meets with Indigenous leaders from the Wapichana nation to discuss Canadian assistance for Venezuelan refugees.

BOTTOM LEFT: Jocelyn (Jodi) Kinnear ’93, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), delivers a statement in March on behalf of 45 participating states to invoke the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism that will commission a report into human rights violations in Ukraine during the war launched by Russia.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Canada’s Ambassador to Spain, Wendy Drukier ’86, signs the official guest book of the City of Madrid after meeting with the Mayor.

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Catherine Ivkoff ’84, Jennifer May ’86, Wendy Drukier ’86, Jocelyn (Jodi) Kinnear ’93.

Each of these diplomats would be quick to say that language study is about much more than becoming fluent in several tongues. Languages are a pathway toward greater understanding of history, culture, politics, arts, economics – in short, the breadth and depth of human experience across time and around the world. With that expansive quality, they are also a pathway toward a career in foreign service.

Catherine Ivkoff wasn’t certain of that path for some time. She studied French and political science at Western University, then spent a year and a half teaching English in Prague right after the Velvet Revolution, which ended more than 40 years of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

After returning to Canada, she attended law school and then worked in a private practice to gain professional experience.

“ The sense of community at UTS made me feel like I belonged to something bigger than myself. The message I heard was that the world was not a scary place – it was a place to explore and experience.”

– JENNIFER MAY ’86

“In addition to engaging in litigation and managing some very challenging files, I also honed my negotiation, communication and strategic thinking skills,” says Catherine. “I had participated in debate and public speaking while at Western – the debating union was run by a few UTS grads – and in some Model UN Assemblies. Combine all of that with a growing interest in foreign policy and Canada’s external relations, and I made a decision to leave the private sector and enter public service.”

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Catherine joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2003. With her Russian fluency, she became an officer on Ottawa’s Russia desk in the Eastern Europe Division and then a legal officer in the United Nations, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Section. Overseas, she served in Russia as Second Secretary (Political) and in Kazakhstan as Political Counsellor. More recently, she was Deputy Director of the Economic Law Section. And then, in October 2019, she was appointed as Ambassador of Canada to Mongolia – arriving just ahead of the pandemic.

A theme of Catherine’s career has been her diplomatic postings in post-Soviet states or that region. While she promotes the diplomatic priorities established by Global Affairs Canada in all of her postings – human rights, democracy, international law, climate action, peace and security – she is particularly passionate about Canada’s feminist foreign policy.

“Women represent half of any country’s human resource wealth,” she says. “Equal opportunities for all people, regardless of gender, is the best way to ensure increased prosperity and security for all – in Canada, in Mongolia, and worldwide. In addition, the promotion and protection of human rights of LGBTQ2+ persons is a foreign policy priority for Canada, as is ending gender-based violence.”

Catherine also mentions the support for democracy as a critical priority, pointing out that threats to democracy are also threats to human rights, international law, media freedom and the fight against climate change.

Looking back, Catherine credits the “innovative environment” at UTS with broadening her awareness of global issues such as these and with cultivating an open mind, an ability to adapt and a lifelong interest in learning.

“One of the challenges of diplomatic work is trying to ‘master’ all there is to know about another country and its people,” she says. “What you can do is study, listen, communicate clearly,

“ Equal opportunities for all people, regardless of gender, is the best way to ensure increased prosperity and security for all – in Canada, in Mongolia, and worldwide.”

– CATHERINE IVKOFF ’84

think creatively and strategically, and exercise good judgment. I would say that those skills of diplomacy are fostered at UTS.” Jennifer May shares that view. Before her appointment as Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil, she had served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Canada to Germany and, in Ottawa, on assignments focused on Europe and security issues, such as Executive Director of Defense and Relations and Director of Eastern Europe and Eurasia Relations. Like Catherine, she experienced UTS as a closely bonded community where she was encouraged to grow and try new things.

“The sense of community at UTS made me feel like I belonged to something bigger than myself,” she says. “The message I heard was that the world was not a scary place – it was a place to explore and experience. Students were asked to engage with national and international issues, to adopt different viewpoints. History was my favourite subject for that, especially the debates.”

It was in Grade 11 history class that Jennifer experienced a lightbulb moment. Former teacher Michael Gendron mentioned one day that it was possible to join the foreign service and represent Canada abroad. She was immediately intrigued.

“It had never occurred to me that you could get paid to travel the world with your Canadian identity as part of your career,” she says. “I wanted to see the world and I loved my country. The idea was planted.”

After studying history, political science and German at Laval University, Jennifer had gained fluency in three languages. She then attended the University of Vienna, received training in Mandarin, and learned Portuguese. That combination has allowed her to serve her country in Bonn, Hong Kong, Beijing, Vienna, Bangkok, Berlin and, now, Brazil.

In all of her postings, Jennifer has been particularly passionate about issues related to the

rise of authoritarianism, women’s leadership and climate change. A committed environmentalist, her family has never owned a car, which has impacted how and where they live. Sometimes referred to as “that crazy Ambassador,” she cycles everywhere, as do her husband and children.

One aspect of her work that Jennifer most appreciates is being immersed in other cultures.

Her immediate points of contact are the local nationals who make up the majority of staff in a Canadian embassy.

“The first level of diplomacy is convincing your staff of your positions,” she says. “Depending on the topic, that can be easier or harder.

It’s important to understand why people hold the positions they do – inside and outside the embassy – with the goal of them moving toward your position. It’s a challenge that requires continual learning.”

TOP: Catherine Ivkoff ’84, Canada’s Ambassador to Mongolia, at the Eagle Festival in the Bayan-Ulgii province in western Mongolia.

BOTTOM: Jennifer May ’86 at her first meeting as Canada's Ambassador to Brazil with the country's President Jair Bolsonaro, pictured on the left, with an interpreter in the middle.

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

17

TOP: Ambassador to Spain Wendy Drukier ’86 presents her credentials to Felipe VI, King of Spain.

BOTTOM: Jocelyn (Jodi) Kinnear ’93 (third from right), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and her colleagues at OSCE displayed solidarity with Ukraine on May 19 for Vyshyvanka Day, which celebrates the country’s national tradition of embroidered clothing.

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Because Canada is the most chosen country for Brazilians to study abroad, Jennifer finds that everyone knows someone who has been to Canada. Another point of connection between the two countries is their tapestry of diversity and multiculturalism, including the rich contributions of Indigenous peoples and newcomers. With recent events in Canada, Jennifer has been committed to further exploring the history of residential schools.

She invited an Indigenous speaker from Canada to better educate herself and her staff.

“So much of what we do in diplomatic roles is about building understanding,” she says.

“Mutual respect and a willingness to learn are key attitudes – just as negotiation and debate are key skills. I think all of those approaches are embedded in a UTS education. It’s up to each of us to decide how to use them.”

Classmate Wendy Drukier uses them to advance Canada’s positions in Spain. A strong

THE ROOT | SPRING 2022

math, social science and language student while at UTS, Wendy studied politics and economics at Queen’s University before earning a master’s degree in international affairs at Carleton University. “I found geopolitics interesting and wanted to develop a broader perspective,” she says.

With her fluency in Spanish, Wendy gravitated toward Latin America as a region. She was also in the development stream at Carleton, which led to work at a non-governmental organization think tank on Latin America. She then transitioned to rotational work with Global Affairs, serving in Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Washington, maintaining close ties to Canada by cycling in and out of foreign and domestic positions. From 2012 to 2015, she served as Ambassador to Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. Afterwards, she held various positions in Canada at headquarters, most recently serving as the Director General for Economic Development.

While she sometimes feels the weight of representing Canada in her international postings, Wendy describes working as an ambassador as one of the greatest jobs in the world.

“You have access to the most interesting and informed people and have amazing conversations,” she says. “Your role is to transmit a Canadian perspective and Canadian interests while learning everything you can about another country. You have to understand politics, economics, trade, culture, history… and sometimes deal with sudden crises, like the kidnapping of a Canadian national or the eruption of a conflict. It’s challenging and engaging work.”

Like Catherine and Jennifer, Wendy is particularly concerned about the global rise of populism and the erosion of democracy. She is also passionate about development programs and human rights – particularly, the rights of women and minority groups.

“I am only the second woman to hold this role, and the majority of my colleagues are men,” she says. “At the same time, our Prime Minister has made gender representation in diplomacy a priority, and almost half of Canada’s top diplomats are now women. It’s great to see that progress.”

With Spain a member of the European Union and of NATO, recent events in Ukraine feel fairly close to home. Part of Wendy’s work is to collaborate with Spanish colleagues to assess the impact of the war on Spain, such as inflation, access to energy and food prices. And, like the

rest of the world, Spain continues to deal with the impact of the pandemic. Last year, her embassy was quite involved in filling and shipping vaccine orders from Spain to Canada, which required permission from the European Union.

“There are always new lessons in how interconnected the world has become,” says Wendy. “I think it’s essential for students to explore cultural, political and economic realities in other parts of the world, including human rights.

I became more interested in global issues while at UTS. Above all else, I would say it’s a school that fosters curiosity. If students are curious, they will want to learn as much as they can about their world. And if they have a global mindset, they may want to explore it personally and even seek an international career.”

Jodi Kinnear believes that throughout life, alumni continue to realize the value of what they learned at UTS. Sometimes, clarity of vision comes through the passage of time.

“I don’t mean just subject matter content,” she says. “I’m referring to the culture of learning and also of enjoying learning. That has stayed with me. I’m much more aware now than when I was a teenager of how important that kind of culture is. This kind of work requires that you relish the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and understanding.”

In her role as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the OSCE, Jodi works with 56 other participating states in what is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. The OSCE’s mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections with the aim of preventing conflict, managing crises and supporting post-conflict rehabilitation. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia represents a massive challenge to the European and world order.

“The structure of international rules and agreements allow Canada and most other countries to co-exist in peace,” says Jodi. “Russia is challenging that. It’s important for Canada to stand up for Ukraine and for the principles of the United Nations Charter, especially regarding security and peace among countries.”

Before occupying her current position at the OSCE, Jodi’s other roles included Second Secretary (Political) and Vice-Consul at the Canadian Embassy to Ethiopia, Senior Policy Advisor for Russia and Central Asia Security, Deputy Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister of International Trade, and Director of

Export Controls Policy. After earning a bachelor’s in linguistics from the University of Toronto and a master of arts in German literature from Queen’s University, Jodi lived in China for a few years before acquiring a master of public administration from Carleton University. It was at that time she decided she wanted to pursue public service.

“Languages can open doors to many career options,” she says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was in high school – or for most of my time at university. So I followed up on the amazing language studies offered at UTS and also studied literature and history to contextualize my understanding. Basically, language was my entry point into culture, geopolitics and social issues.”

In common with her fellow ambassadors, Jodi is passionate about promoting the role of women and championing diversity. The more varied the voices and perspectives engaged in any problem solving, the better the dialogue and the deeper the understanding gained across peoples and places.

She is naturally concerned about the widespread use of disinformation to narrow discourse, obscure facts and foster divisiveness.

“ Your role is to transmit a Canadian perspective and Canadian interests while learning everything you can about another country.”

– WENDY DRUKIER ’86

“I think our diversity makes Canada a stronger country,” she says. “I believe that diverse perspectives lead to better approaches when it comes to tackling the issues we face as a country and a world, like challenges to human rights or effective climate action. That diversity was a strength when I was at UTS as well. Our community was made up of students from different backgrounds and different parts of the city, which enriched all our studies, including languages.”

At UTS, Jodi, Wendy, Jennifer and Catherine learned to speak the languages of the world. They also learned the vital language of diplomacy: how to speak and how to listen, how to build bridges and close divides. In these divided times, one can travel far with that, and even as these four alumnae have shown, become an ambassador to the world. ■ THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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ALUMNI NEWS

Notes on the milestones and achievements in the lives of our alumni.

There are plenty of ways to stay in touch! www.utsconnect.ca alumni@utschools.ca @utschools @utschools / @rosemary_evans @utschools

NEWS AND MOVES He’s the Mayor of Toronto, and now named the fifth most influential Torontonian by Toronto Life magazine.

Congratulations to the Honourable John Tory O Ont ’72 .

School in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham, Michigan. Founded in 1941, Roeper is the oldest preschool through grade 12 school for gifted students in the U.S. Oliver Jerschow ’92

Congratulations to the Honourable Jill Miriam Copeland ’85, a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto, for her new appointment as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. We wish her the best in her new role.

took the helm as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Innisfil last fall, building on his previous work as Vice President, Employer and Stakeholder Relations at the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and multiple roles at the Province of Ontario.

Christopher Federico ’91 is appointed

University of British Columbia professor Kai Chan ’93 is newly appointed as a

the new Head of School at The Roeper

// The incredible story and antidiscrimination trailblazing of Dr. Irene Cybulsky ’78 were featured in Toronto Life. She was the first woman to head a cardiac surgery division in Canada. Seven years later, when she was dismissed from this role at Hamilton Health Sciences, she filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and represented herself. She left medicine and studied law.

Last year the Tribunal ruled that Cybulsky had experienced discrimination based on her gender. Now qualified as a lawyer, Cybulsky hopes her perseverance and success will inspire others to confront implicit biases and expectations that continue to disadvantage female leaders.

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Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Re-Wilding and Social-Ecological Transformation. His research seeks to find ways to transform ecosystems so they can survive and thrive amidst climate change.

She’s leading the way! Congrats to UTSAA Treasurer Sara Son Hing ’97

for being named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada for 2021 by the Women’s Executive Network in the emerging leaders category for her work at RBC as Vice President of Retail Delivery Model and Advisor Role Strategy.

Noel Semple ’98 is

running as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in Etobicoke Centre for the provincial election. He is currently a professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. As an outlet for the challenges of working in medicine during the pandemic, pediatrician Dr. Rachel Barrett ’06 joined Voices Rock Medicine, a choir of women physicians. This spring, she took part in the choir’s incredible

Alumni News

first month in Switzerland has been otherworldly!” she says.

// Pandemic pivot to politics: Mount Sinai Hospital geriatrics specialist Dr. Nathan Stall ’04 was acclaimed as the Ontario Liberal Candidate for the riding of Toronto – St. Paul’s and will be running in the provincial election, hoping to reclaim the riding for the Liberals. The pandemic and serving on the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table inspired him to make the leap. “It changed everything for me personally, seeing that I could be out there publicly advocating for something and advising, and trying to exact change and to protect vulnerable individuals,” Stall told QP Briefing. “And that’s something that I see coming out of this, the greatest opportunity for me to further that work as a public office. And that’s why I’ve decided to do this.”

performance of Fight Song on Canada’s Got Talent. In the promo for the show she spoke of her work during the pandemic: “You wake up in the morning scared… But if we don’t do it, who’s going to do it?”

Ballet dancers Cynthia Smithers ’06 and Rebecca Moranis ’16 performed together in Opera Atelier’s Angel, a breathtaking battle between good and evil set to opera that premiered virtually this fall.

Kudos to Heather Tang ’15, who leads Google Canada’s onplatform COVID-19 response initiatives, for joining the prestigious Schwarzman Scholars Class of 2023. Next fall, Heather, who is passionate about accelerating social impact through tech entrepreneurship and public policy, will be off to Schwarzman College at Beijing’s Tsinghua University for her master’s in global affairs.

Anjalee Narenthiren ’20

founded Startup Dojo, an intensive one-year program to help teens build real businesses.

It’s backed by Canadian corporations like Kinaxis, EllisDon and Fiix, and offers scholarships.

IN THE MEDIA Noah Shopsowitz ’72, P ’07, Chief

Executive and Founder of packaging and accessories brand Clikbo Labs, was featured in the Financial Post for his collaborative plunge into non-fungible tokens with artist David Krovblit, creating the Bomb Squad NFT. Part of the sales will support an anti-violence campaign.

AWARDS Dr. John Stone ’85

won a Folger Shakespeare Library fellowship for 202122 for his project, Mapping Englishlanguage Shakespeare in Print in Spain before 1810. Next year he will start another fellowship at Durham University and previously he completed one at Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library.

Nicholas HuneBrowne ’00 received

the 2022 Canadian Hillman Prize for Journalism from The Sidney Hillman Foundation for his investigative feature at The Walrus that chronicled the impact of the business of international education on the lives of international students.

When Krystyne Rusek ’93 was charged a $50 wire transfer fee by TD Bank for donating to the Ukrainian government war efforts, she spoke out and was featured on CBC News for her efforts. Now the bank and others are waiving these fees on transfers to Ukraine.

Epidemics like COVID-19 and HIV tend to move along fault lines in our society, Dr. Darrell Tan ’94, an infectious diseases physician and clinicianscientist, told TVO’s The Agenda in the fall on World AIDS Day as he discussed HIV treatment breakthroughs.

UTSAA Director and entomologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Jessica Ware ’95

Congratulations to Rachel Sava ’18 for wrapping up her undergrad at University College London with the Burnstock Prize for the Best BSc in Neuroscience, and winning the ESOP scholarship for her master’s in biotechnology at ETH Zürich. “This

shared her bug expertise on the new Netflix show with podcast host and activist Jonathan Van Ness, Getting Curious.

LITERARY The biography of the late Dr. John Reid ’31, The Captain Was a Doctor, authored by his son Jonathan Reid, THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Alumni News

book adaptation of the acclaimed Disney/Pixar movie Turning Red.

// What a non-stop trajectory for Shang-Chi superstar Simu Liu ’07! The question is not what did he do, but what didn’t he do? He won the 2021 People’s Choice Award for Action Movie Star, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings won best Action Movie. He broke stereotypes and spoke out against racism. He appeared on Sesame Street and hosted Saturday Night Live. He came eleventh on the Toronto Life 2021 list of most influential Torontonians. In March, he presented at the Oscars. This May, he hosted the Juno Awards, Canada’s biggest night in music, and released his memoir, We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story.

Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of 2022, and he was featured on one of five covers for the issue. So many amazing accomplishments, all because he found the courage to pursue his dreams. Through it all, he has kept up friendships from his UTS days.

Mark MacDonald ’91

wrote Love & Genetics: A true story of adoption, surrogacy, and the meaning of family, with his long-lost biological sister Rachel Elliott.

This is their incredible story: how Mark, who was adopted at birth, reunited with his biological mother and siblings, and how he and his wife Tina had their own biological children with gestational surrogacy and the help of his new sister Rachel. Their story was featured on BBC’s Outlook Podcast.

Geza Tatrallyay ’67

describes John’s heroism as a physician during World War II, supporting Canadian prisoners of war in Japanese labour camps, and his search for peace of mind once the war was over. It was released this year by Dundurn Press.

WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT…

you!

released his new book on Amazon in the fall, an environmental thriller for our times called Arctic Meltdown, where nations vie for jurisdiction over seabed resources and the threat of war looms.

BABY NEWS Congratulations to new parents, Lauren Sham ’06 and Justin Besant ’06, who welcomed their baby boy, Julian Besant, on June 8, 2021.

Award-winning author Lawrence Hill C.M. ’75 made his first foray into children’s books with his new novel, Beatrice and Croc Harry, the adventure of a brave and resilient Black girl’s search for identity.

Share your news with The Root by emailing alumni@utschools.ca.

(P.S. Also, please email us if your address or contact info has changed).

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Lily Quan ’87 said: “When I was

younger, I was worried that there was some kind of deadline to succeed but there isn’t.” She started writing in her forties, and wrote the middle grade

Alumni News

MILESTONE BIRTHDAY

REUNIONS

Principal Rosemary Evans delivered 85th birthday greetings to retired principal Al Fleming ’54 in September at his home. Many of Al’s former classmates, students and colleagues came together to honour Al’s milestone birthday and his seven-decade legacy of leadership and support with a donation to our Building Fund. In recognition of these gifts, the refinished trophy case in our renewed building is dedicated in Al’s honour.

UTS Board Chair Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72 and the Class of 1949 kicked

off the first week of November with a virtual reunion full of UTS memories.

Even though many years have passed, their UTS spirit is amazing!

It was 65 years strong for the Class of 1956. Thirteen class members gathered for a luncheon at the York Club in October, and another eight joined on Zoom after lunch. To thank the Class of 1956 for donating a classroom to the Building the Future campaign, UTS honoured them with a customized video including photos of the group and construction footage.

UTS Principal Rosemary Evans was on hand for the annual Class of 1967 luncheon in December, sharing their holiday cheer.

The Class of 1970 enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect virtually with their former principal Al Fleming ’54, who was the guest of honour at their December reunion. Forty members came online to kick off the festive season in style with old friends! They gathered again in March to honour classmates who, with the support of UTS, led an initiative to sponsor a Syrian family.

Rosemary and Martha Drake,

At the Class of 1956 hybrid reunion, David Flint (left) was honored by his classmates with an award presented by Steve Lowden (right).

Executive Director of Advancement, came out to help celebrate class members who played an instrumental role in the success of the Building the Future campaign.

A strong showing for the Class of 1981 at their 40th anniversary reunion – about half the class came out on a September Saturday for an outdoor event. In October, Rosemary joined the

TOP: Al Fleming '54 with his spouse, Judy. BOTTOM: The Class of 1970 kicked off the festive season in virtual style with old friends.

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Alumni News

Nine alumni volunteered for the UTSAA Speed Networking Event, and 20 more attended.

Class of 1982’s virtual reunion on a Sunday, and 25 members of the Class of 1986 reminisced virtually via Zoom. For

some it was their first time attending a class reunion, and a great chance to look back on their UTS days.

Five years already! Members of the Class of 2016 discussed their post-secondary experiences at their virtual reunion on a September Saturday. Rosemary updated them on changes at UTS and shared how our renewed building was taking shape.

In September, nearly 20 retired UTS staff shared stories of life after UTS and reminisced about their time at the school on Zoom, and it was like they never left!

EVENTS

The Annual Alumni Dinner adapted for the pandemic into two large virtual reunions on an October Saturday, celebrating classes ending in 1s and 6s.

Over 120 alumni spread across eight different countries attended. A special shoutout goes to Class of 1991 who had

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

the largest cohort with over 20 alumni present. While we couldn’t be together in person, we still made the most of it in true UTS fashion. This fall, we will be able to meet again at last!

Three Branching Out events in the fall gave UTS S6 (Grade 12) students the low-down from UTS alumni on their experiences applying to and attending university at home and abroad.

One event focused on U.S. and U.K. institutions, another solely on U.S. universities, and a third on Canadian.

Thank you to all the alumni who volunteered to share their experiences with our students!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 10 A .M . TO 2 P .M .

Return to Bloor Homecoming 317 Bloor Street West SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, RECEPTION 5:30 P .M ., DINNER AT 7 P .M .

UTSAA Annual Alumni Dinner Marriott Downtown at C.F. Toronto Eaton Centre This year’s event honours the graduation anniversaries of alumni whose grad classes end in “2” and “7.”

Visit utschools.ca/annualdinner for more information and to register.

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Interested in joining the Branching Out program to mentor senior UTS students?

Contact Rebecca Broderick for more details: rebecca.broderick@utschools.ca.

Alumni News

The Building the Future Speaker Series in October was a night to remember.

Deputy Chief Federal Prosecutor Carol Shirtliff-Hinds P ’16, ’17, ’20 and former City

of Toronto Ombudsman

Hana Dhanji ’05, CEO of Hana Dhanji Executive Coaching and the Business Development Manager for New York at University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, was the guest speaker at the UTSAA Speed Networking event, with nine alumni mentors and 20 participants taking part virtually.

Gita Alizadeh P ’15, ’17, ’20, ’22 helped UTSPA

achieve unprecedented parent giving in the Building the Future Parent Challenge, and her dedication as a Grade Rep strengthened bonds between parents, helping our community connect and flourish.

Susan Opler ’79, P ’14

spoke openly on issues near to their hearts: Exploring Equity and Justice.

Over 100 members of our community tuned in for this inspiring virtual event, moderated by Will Goldbloom ’05.

Six student groups vied for $8,500 in funding at the annual Don’s Den event in December through the UTSAA Donald Borthwick Student Activities Fund, established in honour of Don Borthwick ’54. All of the funding was awarded, serving the needs of clubs, funding events and starting exciting new initiatives at our school.

Twenty players on two teams battled it out at Varsity Arena in April for the UTSAA Annual Hockey Match.

Although everyone was a winner, the white jerseys triumphed over the blue 6 to 2. Post-game, the players, coaches and cheering sections attended a reception at the Duke of York pub.

HEARTWOOD AWARDS Created in 2016 to celebrate exceptional volunteer service by members of the UTS community, this year the UTS Heartwood Award for Volunteer Services has been awarded to five loyal volunteers.

Rimmy Kaur P ’21

provided inspiring leadership to UTSPA as Co-President and a Grade Rep, enhancing collaboration between the school and parents, and making the UTS Together and Building Avi’s Classroom campaigns a success. Her leadership and advocacy has had a profound impact on our school.

Without the efforts of Peter Neilson ’71 on

our Project Steering Committee, we would not be enjoying our new school! His governance work with UTSAA and the UTS Board of Directors has been instrumental, and his contributions to our community immeasurable.

Our community is closer together thanks to the tireless efforts of UTSAA Director Tim Sellers ’78.

From chairing the Awards Committee to planning our Annual Hockey Match and Golf Tournament, Tim goes the distance for UTS.

YOU'RE INVITED TO SEE WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER!

Saturday, September 17, 2022, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Assembly at 12 p.m.

371 Bloor Street West

UTSAA Director Jessica Ware ’95 was there for the UTS Day of Pink, Black Futures Month and more, engaging with our students, and strengthening our community with her committee work.

We are profoundly grateful for Jessica’s strong commitment to UTS. THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

25

Alumni News

IN MEMORIAM

JOHN DUFFY ’81, P ’17, ’21 1963-2022 John Duffy was a visionary strategist, city builder, author, founding partner of StrategyCorp Inc., and passionate champion of UTS. A proud alumnus, he was Vice Chair of the UTS Board of Directors from 2012 to 2021. He was an integral architect of our school’s future at 371 Bloor Street West, and played a key role in renegotiating the school’s Affiliation Agreement with the University of Toronto. His wife

Madam Justice Jill Presser ’87, P ’17, ’21 , children Martine Handelman Duffy ’17 and Simone Duffy ’21 , sister Elaine Evans ’80, and brother-in-law Kenneth Handelman ’89 also attended UTS.

John was a force in Canadian politics.

He served as a trusted advisor to Prime

Annual Alumni Dinner October 22, 5:30 p.m.

Marriott Downtown at C.F. Toronto Eaton Centre Reserve now

utschools.ca/annualdinner

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Minister Paul Martin, former Ontario Premiers Kathleen Wynne and Bob Rae P.C., C.C., O Ont P ’02 , Toronto Mayor John Tory O Ont ’72 and many others.

John was renowned for his creativity, knowledge, and brilliance as a strategist and communicator. He brought wit and flair to everything he did. These qualities served UTS well in his tireless advocacy and work for the school. They also made him a much sought-after political pundit and social commentator in print, on television and radio, and in the community. His book Fights of Our Lives: Elections, Leadership and the Making of Canada won the Shaughnessy Cohen book prize, and is still considered one of the most insightful and accessible books ever written on Canadian history and politics.

John was deeply involved in cocurricular life at the school, graduating with a UTS School Key. He was a highly successful debater and public speaker, frequently carrying the school’s banner to victory in competition. In 2014, he participated in the Duffy-Frum Scrum, a show debate raising funds for the Canadian Junior National Debate Championships.

John will be remembered for his many incredible contributions to UTS and its future. And perhaps most of all for the warm, generous, passionate and engaged way he touched the lives of so many in this community.

– Jill Presser ’87, P ’17, ’21, Martine Handelman Duffy ’17 and Simone Duffy ’21 STAN PEARL 1943-2021 As principal from 1995 to 2000, Stan Pearl brought his infectious joy, incredible kindness, and love for education to the UTS community.

He is remembered fondly by all who knew him.

A life-long educator, Stan served as a teacher and principal in the

Toronto District School Board for 30 years. At UTS, this commitment to his role as a principal continued. He implemented innovative programming such as the Eureka! Fellowship, bringing new research programs to the school, and oversaw the Preserving the Opportunity campaign, which raised $15 million for bursaries. He cared passionately for his colleagues and students and maintained many lifelong friendships.

Stan’s love for the community extended well beyond his years as principal. After his retirement, Stan was always eager to attend school and alumni events, and served on the Building the Future Campaign Cabinet. Stan’s wife, Anne Christy, has initiated a special student award fund entitled The Stanley Pearl Award Celebrating Diversity, which will annually recognize a UTS student who plays an integral part in shaping or implementing the community’s support of anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Stan was overjoyed when his granddaughters, Asha Saha ’21 and S5 (Grade 11) Mia Saha, began attending UTS. His granddaughters happily remember Stan’s frequent questions about what was happening at UTS and how his favourite teachers were doing. He loved to run into his granddaughters at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony and cheer them on at their UTS concerts, award ceremonies and graduations.

Stan is survived by his wife Anne Christy, daughters Rebecca and Jennifer, son-in-law Dip, and grandchildren Jack, Asha, Mia and Josephine who remember him lovingly and miss him dearly.

– Asha Saha ’21 REV. DR. WILLIAM PHIPPS ’59 1942-2022 The Very Reverend William Frederick (Bill) Phipps

exemplified the socially responsible global citizenship our school stands for.

Alumni News

Some called him the “prophet in a baseball cap” but he was much more than that. Bill lived a lifetime of firsts, breaking ground on social justice, and on LGBTQ2SI+ and Indigenous rights.

As a lawyer who graduated from Osgoode Law School, he helped establish the first poverty law office in Canada, before yielding to the higher calling of the church. In his early career, he became

renowned for his bold leadership, which continued throughout his life.

In 1993, he became minister at Scarboro United in Calgary. Controversy arose when Bill was elected 36th Moderator of the United Church of Canada in 1997. The Ottawa Citizen criticized his forward-thinking views on the ordination of gays, Indigenous peoples, economic justice and theology.

This sparked a national conversation about morality and role of the church.

In 1998, he issued one of the first formal apologies to Indigenous Canadians on behalf of a church, for the harms done by the 13 residential schools the United Church helped to run. He authored a book, Cause for Hope: Humanity at the Crossroads.

An avid paddler, he canoed the wilds of Algonquin Park, the Rockies and Haida Gwaii. Although he retired in 2007, he continued to travel and advocate for justice and work on climate change, never ceasing his efforts on behalf of humanity.

He leaves his beloved wife Carolyn Pogue, their children, Sarah Phipps of Toronto, Jeremy Phipps of Winnipeg and Andrea Czarnecki of Yellowknife, his sister Elda Thomas of Toronto, four grandchildren, as well as family and friends far and wide. ■

What will you do?

To designate UTS in your will or as a designation for memorial gifts, please contact Martha Drake, Executive Director, Advancement.

• 416-946-0097 Khalid Esmail ’10 JULY 28, 2021

• mdrake@utschools.ca

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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LOOKING BACK

In 1924, a proud group of UTS staff and students gathered in front of the school.

After the initial construction in 1910 (above left), the 1922-23 expansion, as reported in the 1923 Twig, featured a new wing with “nine classrooms, two art rooms, a manual training room, gymnasium, swimming pool, armories and cafeteria. In addition, there are several rooms on the top floor devoted to the mysteries of the Household Science Department of the College of Education…

“That the improved accommodations are appreciated by pupils and staff goes without saying. No mad enthusiasm for the classrooms has yet been noted among the boys. There have been several traffic jams in the new corridors, but it is not on record that the congestion has been caused by a rush to enter classes.”