Reaching - Queen's University

The real lessons of Afghanistan? • A new kind of Governor General

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Reaching out to the

world

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I S S U E # 4 , 2 0 1 0 V O L U M E 8 4 , N U M B E R 4S E RV I N G T H E Q U E E N ’ S C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 1 9 2 7

C O V E R S T O R Y

2 2 R E A C H I N G O U T TO T H E WO R L DA grand vision, an Englishcastle, and academicexcellence are in thespotlight as Queen’s daresto dream big and heightenits global presence. BY SAR A BECK, ART SCI’

2 E D I TO R ’ S N OT E B O O K

3 L ET T E R S TO T H E E D I TO R

11 F R O M T H E D E S K O F

T H E P R I N C I PA L

C A M P U S S C E N E S

12 “A body of medical knowledge” by Kirsteen MacLeod

14 “More to the Correspondence School story” by Stewart Fyfe, Arts’49, MA’55

16 “Special women and a special place” by Heather Bilkes, NSc’11

21 “Success writ large – theKingston WritersFest” by Lindy Mechefske

17 Q U I D N OV I ?

News from campus33 AT T H E B R A N C H E S

36 Q U A A P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

38 A L U M N I

B O O KSTA N D

What Disturbs our Bloodby James FitzGerald,Arts’73

40 K E E P I N G I N TO U C H

56 G R A C E ’ S G R A D S

Film director Patricia Harris Seeley,Artsci’81

56 A L U M N I S P OT L I G H T – ’ 8 0 s

Rena Upitis, Artsci’81, Law’81, MEd’8360 T H E L A ST WO R D

“A teacher of unforgettable lessons” by Charlotte Loggie, Mus’79, Ed’80,Med’87

PLUS Check out the Review’s new-lookhomepage on the Queen’s News Centreweb site for stories, photos, and othernews you won’t find anywhere else.www.alumnireview.queensu.ca.

A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T –

‘ 6 0 s

2 6 A N E W K I N D O FG O V E R N O RG E N E R A L The appointment of DavidJohnston, Law’66, asCanada’s new GovernorGeneral has been greetedwith almost universal praise.The reasons are obvious. BY HUGH WINSOR , ART S’

O P I N I O N

2 8 T H E R E A L L E S S O N SO F A F G H A N I STA N ? Serving as a militaryintelligence officer in war-torn Afghanistan combatzone was an eye-opener forthis young grad. He wassurprised by what he learnedabout himself and the realvalue of a Queen’s liberal artseducation, and about thehows and whys of the war.BY SC OT T KEMP,

ART SCI’ , MPA’

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VOLU M E 84 , NO. 4 , 2010

[email protected] ITOR

Ken Cuthbertson, Artsci’74, Law’83ED ITOR E M E R ITA

Catherine Perkins, Arts’58KEEP I NG I N TOUCH ED ITOR

Andrea Gunn, MPA’07ART D I RECTOR

Larry Harris, Queen’s Marketing andCommunicationsSTAFF CONTR I BUTORS

Liz Gorman, Sc’97 Andrew Naples, Artsci’06ASSOC IATE ED ITOR

Lindy MechefskePROOFREADER

Marjorie Bousfield, Artsci’78, Ed’04ADVERTIS I NG COOR D I NATOR

Peter Gillespie, Artsi’01Phone: (613) 533-6000 ext. 75464Email: [email protected] ITOR IAL ADVISORY BOARD

Sara Beck, Artsci’93; Jess Joss, Artsci’97;Mary Luz Mejia, Artsci’93; MarissaNelson, Artsci’99; Richard Powers,Artsci/PHE’78, MBA’83, Law’86; BruceSellery, Com’93; Sean Silcoff, Com’92.2009-2011 QU EEN’S U N IVERS ITYALU M N I ASSOC IATI ON P R ES I D ENT

Heather Black, Sc’80TH E M ISS ION OF TH E QUAA

“To reach out and foster a lifelongassociation with Queen’s, to engage our members in the life and work of the University, and to serve the alumnicommunity in all its diversity.”CANADA POST PU BLICATI ONS MAI L PERM IT #41089017

Postage paid at Kingston, ONReturn undeliverable Canadian and other addresses to the Review offices.Queen’s University 99 University Avenue Kingston, ON K7L 3N6Phone: (613) 533-2060 or 1-800-267-7837 (toll-free in Canada and U.S.)Fax: (613) 533-6828DI RECTOR, COM M U N I CATI ONS AN DPU BLIC AFFAI RS

Ellie SadinskyEXECUTIVE D I RECTOR, MARKETI NG AN DCOM M U N ICATIONS

Helena DebnamTH E QU E E N’S ALU M N I R EV I EW (circ. 109,000), published quarterly by the Department of Marketing andCommunications, Office of Advancement, is a member of the Council for theAdvancement and Support of Education.Subscriptions free to alumni, $25 cdn/year for others. Opinions expressed in the Revieware not necessarily those of Queen’s Universityor of the QUAA. ISSN # 0843-8048

■ ■ ■ E D I T O R ’ S N O T E B O O K

The rankings gameAs you may have heard, Queen’s again

has fared well in The Globe and

Mail’s annual “Canadian University Report”, scoring more “A” grades thanany other school.

The skeptic in me says that we shouldtake rankings with the proverbial grain ofsalt. Why, I wonder, does the Universityexcel in one set of rankings, while it faresless well or doesn’t appear at all in others?The latter was so in the case of The Times

Higher Education 2010 World UniversityRankings of the so-called “Top 200” universities. I confess I was surprised –and a tad disappointed – when Queen’swasn’t among the nine Canadian schoolson The Times’s list. I found this puzzling,given the University’s extensive interna-tional ties and the fact it’s the only schoolin Canada with an overseas campus – in this case the visionary Bader Interna-tional Study Centre (BISC) at Herstmon-ceux Castle in southern England. As ourcover story (“Reaching out to the world,”

p. 22) reports, the BISC has emerged asthe focal point of the University’s ever-expanding presence on the global stage.So what gives with those Times rankings?

It turns out that Queen’s didn’t re-spond to the Times’ request for informa-tion owing to significant concerns aboutmethodology. The University’s decisionnot to be “a ratings chaser,” as PrincipalDaniel Woolf recently put it, makes a lotof sense to me.

The “feel good” factor aside, at the end of the day all university rankings are a game of chance in which the peopledealing the cards – “the house” – stand to benefit the most.

Rankings issues are moneymakers forthose publications that do them. And whydo universities take part, dutifully spendingcountless hours compiling and supplyingthe data that feed the rankings machinery?The answer is that universities have be-come entangled into the business of hawk-ing their wares. Automakers sell cars;universities sell degrees. Potential studentsand their parents have become consumersof educational services.

A recent study done by researchers at

the U of Michigan confirms that rankingshave a significant impact on applicationsand admissions. That speaks volumesabout the way so too people nowadaysview post-secondary education. That, Ithink, is problematic. It’s also unfortunate.

A petition to amend the University’s Char-ter has been sent to Ottawa. The proposedamendments, which would reduce the sizeof the Board of Trustees, would also givethe University Council the flexibility to determine its size and composition.

“Parliament must approve the amend-ments to our 1912 Royal Charter that arerequired to implement these changes,” saysUniversity Secretary Georgina Moore.“The process is expected to take severalmonths, but we’re now on our way.”

The Board formally and unanimouslyendorsed the changes to its membershipat its October meeting; members of Uni-versity Council recently voted on-line infavour of proceeding.

Council members also authorized thesuspension of the election of Graduatesand Benefactors to the Board, given thatthese categories of Trustees would bephased out under the revised Charter.The number of faculty, staff, student, andUniversity Council representatives on theBoard would stay the same.

The Board plans to shrink from 44members to 25 to increase effectivenessand efficiency. It’s currently one of thelargest university boards in Canada. Reducing its size reflects a general trendamong modern charitable, not-for-profitand corporate boards.

The roles and responsibilities of boththe Board and the University Councilwould stay the same.

I N ADDITION TO H IS TWEETS AT . . .

twitter.com/queensprincipal, PRI NC I PAL

DAN I EL WOOLF has started a blog. He re-ports that his posts “will probably not bevery frequent, but sometimes one needsmore than 140 characters to say some-thing.” You can find the Principal’s blog atwww.queensu.ca/principal/index.html.

– K.C .

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L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R ■ ■ ■

BREVITY BE I NG TH E SOU L OF WIT. . .

My favourite professor was Prof.Harold W. Harkness, BA’13, BSc’15.

I don’t recall “Harkie” ever mingling withus outside of class. He was not myfavourite because he ranked high on thecongeniality scale. I don’t recall any of ourprofs being high on that scale in thosedays.

I liked him because he taught us a lot,including things that I still use to this day.I mentioned him about two weeks agowhen I was talking to a board I sit on.

I was explaining why I could get morefinancial (in this case) information onto“one page” than almost anyone else. Hark-ness used to come into class and say,“Harumph! Gentlemen . . . ! ” and then hewould launch into his lesson for the day.At the end of the class he would give usan assignment and then warn us to getthe answer back to him on one page only.“If it goes over, I won’t even read it!” hecautioned. He never varied from this.And he expected the writing and num-bers to be big enough to actually be read-able! Now that is teaching!

DOUG WHELAN, SC ‘62NEWBURY, NH

I NS P I R ATIONAL F IGU RES

My favourite teachers were Profs.George Clark, who taught me so

much on the relevance of the personal fig-ure in literature, William Thorne, who en-couraged me despite my lack of personalfactual knowledge and Douglas Babing-

ton, who defined fantasy and also sharedhis academic background in Greece. Prof.Herbert Basser, you are a beacon in mymature years. I benefited much from yourscholarship. So many others have [also]been for me like navigators over time.

These people inspired me to write andthink boldly about the past, the present,the future. I cannot actually remembermy favourite history teacher’s name, buthe was very interesting, and I listened tohim lecture in an Episcopalian church.He let me create a discourse on Cuba inour class on nonconforming religions,and during my final examination he ap-proached me in the gymnasium to tell methat I didn’t have to write the final; I wasgoing to get “accommodation.” But I wasso certain of his unusual heuristic talentsin the historical field that I wrote a verygood exam anyway.

Bravo! Such teachers! I can barelymention their names without awe.

DAN IEL S I MP SON, ARTSCI ’81CHATHAM, ON

GIVI NG TH E “WHY” TOEXPLAI N “WHAT”

It was the 1966-67 academic year – wehad full-year courses then – and being

a final-year BNSc student, Medical Physi-ology was for me a required course. It wasoffered by a series of respected profs, in-cluding Dr. Duncan Sinclair, PhD’63,LLD’00, who went on to be Dean of Medi-cine at Queen’s, and Dr. Donald Hatcher,LLD’85, who did the same at Dalhousie.But for me, Dr. Margaret (“Peg”) Sawyerwas the one who connected particularlywell with the small group of Nurses in theclass.

Because of the way the old Nursingprogram was structured, we were alreadyRNs by the time we got to final year. And

AN OPEN LETTER TO TH E QU EEN’S CO M M U N ITY

In the two months since the death of our son and brother Cameron Bruce,BSc’14, the outpouring of support from the worldwide Queen’s community has

been a great comfort to our family.Cameron’s floormates in Victoria Hall and the FRECs and frosh of Orientation

Group 21 were kind enough to sit with us and share their memories of Cameron’sshort time at Queen’s. The administration and staff of the University, includingPrincipal Woolf, Dean Kim Woodhouse of the Faculty of Engineering and AppliedScience, Dean David Saunders of the School of Business, Chaplain Brian Yealland,the staff in Student Affairs, the staff in the counseling and health services depart-ment, and others too numerous to mention, have all been kind and supportive.

The memorial service held for Cameron in Wallace Hall was a moving event,and those of his friends who spoke were both courageous and caring. We havefound strength and comfort in the words of those with whom Cameron shared hisbrief time at Queen’s.

We have heard in letters, e-mails, and phone calls from alumni and parentsaround the world, and we have been given the gift of unselfish love by classmates

and friends. The support in countless ways of the classof ’81, the class of ’14, and the parents of the class of ’14has been warm and loving.

All of this has confirmed for us that, despite its un-timely end, Cameron’s time at Queen’s was a highlightof his short life. We know in our hearts that despite theoutcome, Cameron made the right choice when hechose Queen’s, and that he would have thrived thereamong such caring and supportive people.

IA IN BRUCE , COM’81 , L INDA BRUCE , MARGOT BRUCEWESTPORT, CT

For more information, please see p. 17.

WE AS K E D YO U ABOUT YOU R FAVOU R ITE PROFESSORSAN D YO U TO LD US. . . .Re: “Who was your favourite prof?”I SSUE #3-2010 , P. 28

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during our extensive “hospital training”we had seen many examples of physiol-ogy gone wrong in our patients.

Sawyer took pains to relate how thebody worked to our nursing practice –provided the “why” to promote under-standing of “what” we were doing for patients.

When we tested our lungs against thelab spyrometers to learn about lung capac-ity, Sawyer tested hers too. She worked be-side us as we beavered away in those longFriday afternoon labs, and was as excitedabout our “discoveries” as we were.

Our connection that year was evenmore special because she was goingthrough a life crisis and some of us couldoffer something in return. We were stilltaking a few shifts at KGH where her hus-band, a well-respected chemistry profes-sor at RMC, was fighting a terminalillness. In the ultimate melding of theoryand practice, we cared for him and shetaught us the theory. I can only hope shefelt her effort with us was rewarded.

Years later, during the ice storm of ’98,I was organizing a temporary shelter atKGH for seniors’ needing care. Peg Sawyerwas one of the people we were able toshelter until her home was back on thegrid. It must have been a very confusingtime for her, as she was quite elderly bythen. When I recognized her and ac-knowledged her as a former prof, hertired eyes lit up with recognition. Newthings were beyond her grasp, but a chatabout anything related to human physiol-ogy was still clear and pleasurable.

When I look back at learning atQueen’s, I think of her.

AN N GAY, NSC ’67 , MEd ‘82KINGSTON, ON

HAN DS-DOWN FAVOU RITE

My “hands-down choice” as myfavourite professor at Queen’s was –

and still is – the late Prof. Sandy Duncan,who died in 1993. He was my first-year pro-fessor in philosophy and he changed myentire way of thinking. I have used what hetaught me ever since, both in my profes-sion and in my everyday life. Gratefulthanks to Prof. Duncan, happy memories.

PATR IC IA PRENTICE NSC ’59EAST YORK, ON

A LOVE OF LANGUAGE

Icannot look back on my years atQueen’s without remembering Mme.

Colette Tonge in the French Department. Although both fearful and in awe of

her as a first-year student, my admirationand respect for her grew only greater eachpassing year. She was the one who urgedthose of us majoring in French to lookabroad and consider spending our thirdyear of study in her magnificent home-land, France. [She was] the one whomade me believe that studying abroadwas, in fact, a possibility for even a small-town girl like me.

Although stern at first glance, she wasunfailingly fair, and praise was given asearned, bringing all the more glory forknowing it was never handed out casually.

In her, I felt a kindred spirit when itcame to the love of language and “le motjuste.”

Merci Madame. Toujours dans mespensées.

CHRISTINE (DAYES) MONTEIRO, ARTSCI ’89BOWMANVILLE, ON

TH E R ICE R I NGS

Going through Mechanical Engineer-ing in Sc’65 we had many excellent

professors. The ones who were not excel-lent still taught us well.

However, the one who stands out forme is Prof. William B. Rice. While lectur-ing, he had the habit of striding forcefullyfrom side to side along the front of theroom. At the end of each stretch, near theside wall, he would make a rather em-phatic spin and reverse his direction.Each spin was accomplished on the heelof his shoe and scratched prominent con-centric rings in the linoleum. Obviously

this effect became known as the “RiceRings Phenomenon.” Below is an illustra-tive January 1965 photo.

MERV GRAF, SC ’65OSOYOOS, BC

A M ENTOR AN D A G U I D E

My favourite professor was Dr.Kevin Munhall (Psychology). His

Psycholinguistics course inspired me tobecome a speech-language pathologist.He excelled at making the material funand interesting for all of his students, bydoing everything from showing movies ofchimpanzees learning to communicate tobringing in a model of the human larynx.

Munhall was also my undergraduatehonours thesis supervisor, and I couldnot have asked for a more helpful, ap-proachable and knowledgeable mentor.His door was always open anytime I hadquestions, and he guided me throughevery step of my project, while allowingme to take on more responsibility as Igrew and could handle more challenges. Ihave no doubt that his expertise and hisconfidence in me played a role in my be-coming the person and the professionalthat I am today.

KATR INE DOUCET, ARTSCI ‘99MONTREAL , QC

TWO WON DERFU L PRO FESSORSRe: Contents page and cover story I SSUE #3-2010 , P. 26

Both pages included a picture of twoof the best professors an undergrad-

uate student could ever have, and I waslucky enough to have been one of thosestudents. To add to this, on page 44, was apicture of Shirley Tilghman, Arts’68,DSc’02 (Hon), now President of Prince-ton University, receiving a Medal of Dis-tinction from Barnard College. Shirleywas one of those lucky undergrads as well.

The two professors in the aforemen-tioned photo were Prof. Wally Breck,Sc’50, MSc’52 (holding the balloon), andProf. Bob Wheeler, Sc’50, MSc’52, (hold-ing the microphone). They both taughtcourses in second-year inorganic chem-istry. Wally Breck was a boundless enthu-siast about everything to do withqualitative analysis. Bob Wheeler was the

The “Rice Rings Phenomenon”

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quiet guy who managed to build into hiscourse the chemistry of photographic pro-cessing (in the days before digital photog-raphy) as he was a highly skilledphotographer as well. The two men hadmarkedly different teaching styles, butthey were equally effective.

For several years, at the end of the firstterm, Breck and Wheeler did a “Christ-mas Show” for everyone in the ChemistryDepartment. It was all about sounds andlights and things that go boom in thenight – it was really the outcome that anykid with a chemistry set would dream of.

They were two wonderful teachers andtwo very remarkable people. If you couldrepublish that photograph (reproducedfrom Tricolor’67) with the acknowledge-ment of these two fine professors, I wouldbe very grateful!

H ELEN COOPER , ARTSCI ’68K INGSTON, ON

PHOTO BROUGHT BACK F ON D M EMORI ES

Iwas at Queen’s working for my gradu-ate degree between 1965 and 1971

under Prof. Wally Breck. That pictureshowed Breck and Prof. Bob Wheeler atthe famous Christmas Lecture at theChemistry Department, which was opento the public.

When I entered the graduate programI was one of the oldest grad students,after military service and industrial job inTaiwan for 10 years after completing un-dergraduate work.

Wally took me into his program andguided me along so that I could catch upand complete the work for a PhD. He wasnot only a great chemist, but a greatteacher and a wonderful human being.Our friendship lasted until he passedaway in 2001. I understand Bob Wheelerstill lives in Kingston.

After I received my degree I started to

work for CAS, A Division of the AmericanChemical Society at Columbus, Ohio,where I have remained for more than 35years. Thank you for the memories.

ED K ING, MSC ’68 , PHD’70COLUMBUS, OH

Sadly, Bob Wheeler died recently. For moreinformation, please see the In Memoriamitem on p.17 – Ed.

A QU ESTION OFI NTERPRETATION? Re: “Burying the ghosts of Armenia’s past” I SSUE #3 – 2010 , P. 59

Jane Switzer makes an unfortunateerror in judgment in her article. She

assumes and embraces as fact what thebook’s author, Keith Garebian, wrote andfeels about a subject that is clearly impor-tant to him, but just as clearly Switzerknows next to nothing about. Conse-quently, her article perpetuates as aproven “genocide” a tragic historical

incident without context or objectivitywhile the very topic remains hotly disputed to this day.

There is no denying that a tremendousamount of suffering took place in EasternAnatolia during the First World War andthat a great number of Armenians werekilled or died due to starvation and dis-ease during the forced mass relocation.What people of Turkish heritage so stren-uously object to is the Armenian activists’one-sided portrayal of the tragic events tothe world community and labelling themas “genocide,” using in some cases distor-tion or exaggeration of facts to furthertheir political agendas. While doing so,they ignore the death and massacre of agreat number of Turks at the hands of theArmenian revolutionary bands and theRussians whom they were helping behindTurkish lines.

We are not writing to try to convinceJane Switzer about whether or not theword “genocide” is applicable to the tragicand horrible events those many years ago.

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Having seen the hateful castigation ofTurkish-Canadians by the Armenian dias-pora, who often dismiss, accuse, and vil-ify as being in “denial” anyone who doesnot embrace the Armenian view as theend-all and be-all, we are writing to ex-press our disappointment at the lack ofobjectivity demonstrated by Switzer andthe Review.

There is a great deal of objective (thatis, non-Armenian and non-Turkish)socio-political, scientific, and historicalresearch and material out there regardingthe definition of the word “genocide” andhow its applicability in this case is at thevery least open to considerable dispute,and we would hope that she, as well as theReview, would seek these out.

We hope that one day Armenians andTurks will reconcile and together remem-ber their ancestors who perished almost acentury ago in that terrible war.

I LK I M H INCER , ARTSCI ’92 , BARR I E , ON

I LKE H INCER , COM’95 , K INGSTON, ON

GU I LTY, AS CHARGEDRe: “Feeling bad or badly?” I SSUE #3 , 2010 , P.7

Hesitant though I am to disagreewith Review Editor Emerita Cathy

Perkins, I think the issue is that “feel,” inthese cases, is more a to-be verb and re-quires an adjective rather than an adverb.I remember reading in something quiteauthoritative that “feel bad” was correctand have used that ever since, eventhough it sounds wrong because most say“feel badly”.

By the way, the Review editor used thephrase “a lot of people” in his comment.That is definitely incorrect! “A lot” is forbulk nouns like snow, sugar, oil, etc.“Many” is correct for countable thingslike people, rocks, cars, etc.

SANDR A MCCR U DDEN BLACK , ARTS ’58HAMILTON, ON

KU D OS TO DR. JOH N SMOLRe: “Show me the Money” I SSUE #3-2010 , P.6

Iwas dismayed to read Carey Probst’sletter in which a vitriolic tirade was

presented in an attempt to rebut points

presented in “A game of Russian roulette”(Issue #2, 2010, p.2). Then I was upliftedwith the article by John Smol (“The follyof denial”) whereby an articulate presenta-tion was made defending the main princi-ples of scientific study, particularly asthey pertain to the topic of human-in-duced climate change.

For those interested in following up inmore detail about issues that Smol raises,may I suggest reading Climate Cover-up –The Crusade to Deny Global Warming byJames Hoggan (2009). This book detailsthe arguments and tactics used by thosewishing to impugn the character of clima-tologists and related scientists who gen-uinely attempt to grapple with animmensely complex subject. Hogganpoints out a) the sources of most of thefunding for the attacks and the attemptsto hide the sources; b) the role of somegovernments in muzzling some scientificresults; c) the general lack of credible,peer-reviewed, scientific work being doneby the contrarians, most of whom are notclimatologists, let alone scientists; and d)the fundamental difference between con-sensus and unanimity.

The free weekly newsletter from theNASA website(http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/) mayalso be of interest to Review readers. Itpresents images, taken by astronauts andsatellites, of a wide variety of geographicalfeatures, periodically accompanied byglobal-scale graphics depicting variousphenomena. The site is not specificallygeared to climate change, but occasionallydelves into the topic. For instance, datademonstrate that the last decade (2000-2009) has been the warmest on record.Of course, there are many other sourcesof knowledgeable, credible and accessibleinformation available.

Some people have admonished Cana-dians for producing quadruple the percapita CO2 output of China, based on pub-lished data. However, the key point is thatthe Earth is “disinterested” in politicallyderived numbers. It operates as an essen-tially closed system and is affected, inpart, by the amount of substances emittedor emplaced in the atmosphere/hydros-phere/lithosphere, generated naturallyand by humans. Recasting the numbers il-

lustrates that China as a country pro-duces about 10 times the CO2 emissions ofCanada.

Lest we get carried away with pointingfingers, it is prudent to remind ourselvesthere is only one planet on which we canlive. All countries/governments and peo-ples are part of the problem, from thosewith numerous technological accou-trement in “developed” countries, tothose in “undeveloped” countries who aredestroying their environment in otherways, due ultimately to overpopulation.

In my view, all people must insist theirpoliticians cease the convenient, hack-neyed excuses as to why we cannot doanything until someone else does, and wemust hold them and ourselves account-able for what we do on and to this planet.Kudos, Dr. Smol!

TOM MU IR , SC ’72 , MSC ’76SUDBURY, ON

SMOL ARTICLE GRATI FYI NG

It was extremely gratifying to read Dr.John Smol’s strong article. It is rare that

highly respected and established scien-tists dare to make their opinions knownin a public forum, and unfortunatelythose who do so don’t get the deservedsupport from their peers or society atlarge. Anyone who has had even a frac-tion of John Smol’s Arctic experience hasto be puzzled by the blindness and viru-lence of climate change deniers, which Iequate to some kind of bigotry. By train-ing, scientists are sceptical about associat-ing cause and effect relationships withoutadequate, scientifically defensible data. Ifind his analogy with the past reluctanceto accept the human causes of acid rainvery powerful and useful in teaching,more pertinent than the opposition torecognizing the association of cancer withsmoking.

As a geologist with a passion for theCanadian Arctic and its people, I fullyagree with Smol’s opinions, the magni-tude of the problem for the next genera-tions and the urgency for action;education of the increasingly science-ignorant society and political leaders isprobably a most effective line of action.

MARCOS ZENT I LL I , PHD’74 HAL I FAX , NS

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:04 PM Page 6


GOOD POI NTS AN D A QU ESTION

Prof. John Smol makes some goodpoints about the climate of denial on

the subject of climate change. I hope thatMP John Baird, Artsci’92, former federalMinister of the Environment (!), read thearticle, too. Also, I am glad that Dr.Munir Sheikh, formerly the Chief Statisti-cian of Canada, has been appointed as anadjunct professor at Queen’s. Does his ap-pointment indicate what the Universitythinks of the current government?

J I M HODDER, ARTSCI ’77 , MSC ’81KETTLEBY, ON

The appointment of faculty at the Univer-sity is an apolitical process governed by acandidate’s credentials and the availabilityof a suitable position. – Ed.

H E’S PART OF “TH E I N DUSTRY”

Iagree with Carey Probst. I believe his assessment that “the real harm will come

from the lowered standard of living causedby misguided policies of the alarmists –

because of bad policy decisions.” Dr. John Smol is obviously a member

of the enormously expensive ClimateChange Industry (The Industry). Hislengthy reference about acid rain is irrele-vant and self-serving. He likes to use un-proven phrases such as “theoverwhelming majority of scientists.”

The Copenhagen conference failed be-cause of the high-spending intent of thealarmists. I recall that a budget proposalthere called for many billions of dollarsper year to cut greenhouse gas emissionsin underdeveloped countries. The Indus-try speaks loudest because they havefunds to provide the means for doing soand must continue their pursuit of moreand more funds in order to continue theirridiculous agenda. To understand what Isay, Google the name of Professor MichaelMann, a notorious, well-funded, vocal,and misguided alarmist who has been se-verely challenged from many directions.

I fully agree that climate is changingand that it is warming. I have watched the

recession of Athabasca Glacier for 60years. I understand that the glaciers inWaterton National Park disappeared com-pletely in recent years. But climate has al-ways been changing. The last ice age thatcovered many thousands of square kilo-metres with ice where we are now livingis acknowledged to have ended 11,000years ago. I quote the late Prof. Alfred W.Jolliffe, BA’29, MA’31, who taught Geologyfor many years at Queen’s: “On the geo-logical time scale, 11,000 years is like apostage stamp on top of the WashingtonMonument.”

The Cambrian Period, 400 millionyears ago, is a popular reference becausethe first significant indication of life onearth, as verified by fossil deposits, oc-curred in that period. Simple division,400 million years divided by 11,000 years,will suggest that the Cambrian periodwas 36,000 ice ages ago. I leave it to theprofessionals to confirm the actual num-ber, but there have been many ice ages.How will the alarmists panic when the

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:05 PM Page 7


climate change reverses, which it will? But not to worry, it will not be in our

lifetimes. To encourage a little thinking, Iask the alarmists if meaningful man-made climate change could have occurredbefore the Industrial Revolution, whichbegan in about 1750, or 260 years ago.That is 260 divided by 11,000 or 0.024 iceages ago. The evils caused by man in thistime frame did indeed work quickly.

World-renowned geologist RhodesFairbridge, BA’36, supported a statementby the U.S. Senate Environment Commit-tee that “man-made global warming is thegreatest hoax ever perpetrated on theAmerican people.” In this context, thetotal effect of the recent volcanic eruptionin Iceland will take years to assess, butcurrent estimates claim its effect to be or-ders of magnitude greater than man’s ef-fect on climate from the beginning oftime. Perhaps our alarmists should seekfunds to plug up every volcano with con-crete. It would be at least as effective asthe attempts they are now making.

HAR RY K . MENNA, SC ’60OTTAWA, ON

The Review received numerous critical letters in response to Dr. John Smol’s article. To read submissions by R.J. Bradshaw, Arts’58, Meaford, ON; JamesHeath, Sc’75, Raleigh, NC; Bill Korchin-ski, Sc’75, Santa Barbara, CA; David McDonald, Meds’70, Friendswod TX;Roger Pratt, MSc’66, Nelson. BC;William J. Spring, Sc’64, Burlington, ON;Malcolm Vanderburgh, Sc’57, Getzville,NY; Thorpe Watson, Sc’61, MSc’63, Trail, BC; and, W.G. Whitney, Sc’70, St. Albert, AB; please visit www.queensu.ca/news/alumnireview – Ed.

PLASTIC BAGS VERSUS PAPER BAGSRe: Letters – “Plastic bags, what irony!”I SSUE #3-2010 , P. 5

Icaught the letter from Deborah Pear-son complaining it was a gross irony

that plastic sleeves were used for mailing[the “Green themed” issue of] the Review.I think this would be a great topic for aneconomics class cost /benefit analysis onwhich product creates the bigger environ-mental footprint.

Paper bags do not come without cost tothe environment. The trees cut down nolonger contribute to the quality of our envi-ronment by taking in carbon dioxide andreleasing oxygen to our air by their processof respiration. There are the costs of cut-ting and logging and processing the paperand the resultant pollutions released. Andthen what about the glue needed, whereasthe plastic is sealed by heat?

I don’t think it is a slam dunk that weshould be using paper covers for mailing.Look at the build-up of paper in our land-fills. How long does it take to biodegrade?Maybe plastic bags that biodegrade arethe best environmental choice. Plastictechnology has changed greatly in thetime this paper/plastic debate has beenwaged. I believe the whole chain of pro-duction for plastic and paper should beexamined for the costs and the benefits,as well as the effect from their end prod-ucts in our landfills. Only then could wesettle the debate for this time, with the fullknowledge that as technology and our en-vironment change, those costs and bene-fits will again need to be reexamined.

Let us not jump to conclusions. Let usrather use our university to examine thechoices and come up with a decisionbased on the realities of 2010.

AN ITA PENFORD ALEXANDER, ARTSCI ’81HOCKESS IN , DE

Many cities, towns, and rural areas inCanada and the U.S. have recycling pro-grams that handle paper waste as well asplastic bags. However, the Review hasasked our printer to look into the availabil-ity of eco-friendly brown paper mailingwrappers of the kind used by National Geographic and some other publications.More news on that front soon. – Ed.

SOLAR-POWERED QU EEN’S?

Queen’s University has an opportu-nity to become Canada’s first “solar

campus.” By retrofitting a significantnumber of its buildings with solar panels,Queen’s can profit financially, reaffirm itscommitment to the environment, andbuild its reputation as a national leader.

Concerned students have formed theQueen’s Solar Coalition, an organizationwhich now has the support of all levels of

student government. The coalition in-cludes members from the Alma Mater Society, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, the Main CampusResidents’ Council, the Rector, Queen’sApplied Sustainability Group, and Queen’sBacking Action on Climate Change.

The Solar Coalition believes thatequipping Queen’s buildings with solarpanels is one of the most meaningful ac-tions for the environment that our schoolcould take, both politically and practi-cally. Queen’s can profit financially andacademically while further improving ourreputation as a national leader in institu-tional sustainability.

By selling electricity through Ontario’sFeed-in Tariff program, Queen’s would beguaranteed a fixed price for its energyover the next 20 years, at a rate designedto create an annual payback of between 6 and 10 per cent.

Currently, the University is preparingto issue a Request for Proposals that willask for formal bids from solar developers.In order to maximize the number of build-ings that receive solar panels, it is impor-tant that the administration be aware ofsupport from the Queen’s community. Ifyou are interested in learning more or find-ing out how alumni can become involved,please email [email protected], orvisit www.qsolar.org. Together, we canshape a new legacy for Queen’s as a na-tional leader in sustainability.

ASHLEE WOOLFSON, ARTSCI ’ 13ON BEHALF OF THE SOLAR COAL IT ION

Members of the Solar Coalition include:(back row, l-r) Jody Rempel, Artsci’11;

Ivana Zelenika, mes’11; Josh Taylor, Artsci’11;Thevishka Kanishkan, Artsci’11; Britta Allen,

Com’11, Artsci’12; Rob Andrews, Sc’09,MSc’11; (front row, l-r) Yan Yu, Artsci’11;

Lauren Long, Artsci’13; CassandraCummings, Artsci’11; Ashlee Woolfson,

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F R O M T H E D E S K O F T H E P R I N C I P A L ■ ■ ■

The case for global outreachAlthough resources are scarce, extending the University’s international horizons is not only wise,

there’s a compelling argument to be made that doing so is essential.

Internationalization is one ofthe key principles – along

with innovation, interdiscipli-narity, and imagination – ofWhere Next?, the vision state-ment that I presented to theQueen’s community last January.An advisory group includingVice-Provost (International)John Dixon and Vice-PrincipalsSteven Liss (Research) and TomHarris (Advancement), is busydeveloping an international strat-egy to align with the University’semerging Academic Plan, withour research activities and theUniversity’s emerging fundrais-ing priorities.

Why is an international strategy so im-portant when we are facing serious issuescloser to home, including continuing financial constraints and increased com-petition from other Canadian universi-ties? I believe that part of the solution foraddressing some of these current pressingchallenges will be to extend Queen’sglobal reach.

The world is incomparably smallerthan it was a generation ago. Thanks to theInternet and social media, today’s students,as international citizens, connect regularlywith people from different places and cultures.

Scholarship, too, has become trulyglobal. Our researchers are as likely to becollaborating with partners halfway acrossthe planet as with someone down the 401,or in another province. In my own re-search, for instance, I receive emails fromseveral different countries in any givenweek. Curriculum, too, continues toevolve and is increasingly accessible on-line, providing a diverse lens that shapesour perspectives differently.

At Queen’s these virtual connectionshave physical roots. An article elsewherein this Review (p. 22) describes the cre-ation of the Bader International StudyCentre (BISC), a world-renowned facility

where each year approximately 400 stu-dents from Queen’s and around the globecome to study and expand their horizons.

Establishing the BISC provided a cata-lyst for Queen’s move outward into theworld. But internationalization today en-compasses more than an internationalstudy centre.

According to a 2003 report in thePeking University Education Review, theinternationalization of higher educationcomprises the “human” exchange of stu-dents, teachers, and researchers; the ex-change and accreditation of programs,courses and degrees; and collaborative re-search projects.

While all of these activities are alreadyunder way at Queen’s – for example, 75 percent of our undergraduate business students go on an international exchange– I believe we need to move beyond ex-changes and memoranda of understand-ing at the undergrad level toward acoherent strategy involving broader part-nerships. Such agreements could include,for instance, the sharing of best practicesby staff, who may benefit from discussionswith counterparts elsewhere.

An illustration of this is the MatarikiNetwork of Universities, launched lastMay with Queen’s as one of seven found-ing members. Focusing on strong links be-

tween research and undergradu-ate teaching, partner universi-ties commit to providing richlearning, an international expe-rience for all students, andstrong stewardship through social and global responsibility.The Matariki Network has staffconnection as one of its specificgoals.

Another example is the veryactive cross-disciplinary groupof Queen’s faculty who currentlywork in research and teachingpertaining to South Asia. Wehave not promoted this as ac-tively as we should, and need to

raise our visibility in key areas. Our alumniare natural allies in this regard, and so wemay look at providing them with informa-tion and presentations on research we arecarrying out at Queen’s that directly affectsthe places in which they live.

But we are going to have to be selective.We simply cannot partner with every in-stitution with which we have contact, norcan we pursue internationalization pan-globally. While we may well have verybroad coverage in terms of individual fac-ulty and department linkages, we will needto identify several key markets – not al-ways the ones that are currently “hot” – forus to pursue with special vigour. In short,we must choose regions or countries onwhich to focus our efforts, or we risk dif-fusing our efforts “all over the map”.

Last December, while accompanyingPremier Dalton McGuinty on his “CleanTech” mission to India, I met with busi-ness and educational leaders and madesome valuable contacts for student re-cruitment, research partnerships, and newbusiness opportunities, capitalizing onQueen’s expertise. I will be back in Indiawith a delegation from the Association ofUniversities and Colleges of Canada asthis publication is printed, hopefullybringing Queen’s one step further along inour global journey. B

B Y P R I N C I PA L D A N I E L W O O L F, A R T S C I ’ 8 0

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:05 PM Page 11


A body of medical knowledgeLife, death, and learning are all part of the Human Body Donor Program

at Queen’s, reports writer KIRSTEEN MACLEOD.

these “real-world” educators soon takesover. “Each cadaver is someone’s parent orgrandparent, and there’s a whole life storyattached to each one,” Graham says. “Weteach the students to treat the cadaverswith dignity and respect. We acknowledgethe huge contribution to the training of future healthcare professionals and researchers that these people make by donating themselves to science.”

On any given school day, you can findstudents in white lab coats in theAnatomy Department examining kneejoints, or perhaps studying jars of lungsor femurs in the Anatomy Learning Cen-tre. Next door, in the morgue, is wherebodies are embalmed, and there’s also adissecting room where bodies or bodyparts are prepared for use – sometimesplastinated, for example, so they can be

handled repeatedly without damage.In the past, anatomy departments faced

a shortage of donated bodies – whichmeant that many that found their way intomedical schools were unclaimed cadaversof destitute people, or bodies stolen fromgraveyards. The Toronto Globe even re-ported in 1882 – when body-snatching wasrampant in Britain, and not unknown insouthern Ontario – that Queen’s medicalstudents had opened a grave and stolen thecorpse of a young man who had died atKingston General Hospital.

“There has been a need for bodies eversince the med school opened in 1854,”notes Graham. “And in the old days, thereweren’t enough. So maybe some of themdid come from questionable sources.”

These days, however, people actuallywill their bodies to Queen’s. Kingston

Real human bodies have been in demand as learning tools since

anatomy became integral to medical train-ing in the 19th century, says Dr. CharlesGraham, head of the Department ofAnatomy and Cell Biology.

“Students need to touch and see thehuman body in three dimensions. There’sonly so much you can learn from a text-book.” Or from models, real or electronic.

Fortunately for Queen’s, 12 to 15 gener-ous donors (most of whom are older people) bequeath their bodies each year,ensuring a steady supply of cadavers andtissues that benefit not only research, butalso the education of anatomy, life sciences, medical, nursing, and rehabilita-tion therapy students.

While a few students faint when theysee their first dead body, fascination with

■ ■ ■ C A M P U S S C E N E

Anatomy Department Head Dr. Charles Gordon (second from left), explains the workings of a human heart in a “hands-on” lesson for some of his students.

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lawyer Katherine “Cookie” Cartwright,Arts’62, Law’65, plans to do just that. A do-nation is a familiar idea, but giving yourwhole body? Cartwright explains she hasno qualms about doing so. “What good ismy body to me when I’m dead? The stu-dents may as well learn from it,” she says.

She suspects most prospective donorsshare her practical attitude. “I have nogreat altruistic motives. I don’t think it’s agenerous act at all; I won’t be using mybody anymore. Plus, it saves your heirsmoney.” She and brother John, Arts’58,gave their mother’s body to Queen’s, ac-cording to her wishes, and “never got a billfor anything!”

The rising cost of undertakers’ serviceslikely is one reason for more body dona-tions across Canada of late, but genuineinterest in medical education in generaland Queen’s students in particular isclearly a motivation. The University cov-ers the cost of transportation (timing isimportant), cremation and funeralarrangements for donors. Each year, fam-

ilies, friends, and medical students are in-vited to a ceremony to honour those whobequeathed their bodies, and the ashes areburied in a suitably marked common plotat Kingston’s Cataraqui Cemetery.

Many students attend the ceremony toshow their appreciation for a precious ed-ucational gift that no amount of moneycan buy. “I plan to attend next year,” saysDanielle Bentley, Artsci/PHE’09, who isnow working on her MSc degree.

“I’m very grateful for this resource inmy learning,” she says. “As an undergrad Icontinually referred to museum speci-mens when orienting myself three-dimensionally. Now, as a graduate studentand lab instructor, I use cadaveric mate-rial in most of my teaching.”

There’s just no substitute for hands-onlearning, she adds. “Recently, my studentshad memorized origins and insertions,but they could not visualize how the three

muscles that make up the erector spinaegroup fit together. I used one of the dis-sected cadaveric models to show them.Students were able to run their fingersalong the muscle fibres and actually feelwhere one muscle ended and the otherbegan.”

Each May, the Anatomy Departmenthosts an Open House where the curious –and prospective donors – can see how stu-dents and researchers benefit from thesegifts. “Last year, more than 200 people attended,” says Graham. “People are verycurious, fascinated by the human body –what it looks like inside – and by anythingrelated to death.” B

For more information about the HumanBody Donor Program, please contact AnitaLister, Queen’s Department of Anatomy andCell Biology, at: [email protected];613-533-2600.

While a few students faint when they see their first dead bodies,fascination with these “real-world” educators soon takes over.

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More to the correspondence school storyThe University’s correspondence program is one of the oldest and best known in North America.

STEWART FYFE , ARTS ’49 , MA’55 , recalls some little-known elements to that story.

The article “Going the distance for a de-gree,” (Issue #3-2010, p. 57) by Lindy

Mechefske described the long and hon-ourable Queen’s tradi-tion of offering creditcourses outside thephysical classroom.In Principal GeorgeGrant’s terms this wasdeveloping Queen’sown extramural serv-ice in its traditionalway through meeting

specific needs as they become apparent. However, this is only half the story.

There is also a wide range of non-creditcourses parallel to that program.

Prof. Hilda Neatby, in her 1978 historyof Queen’s – And Not to Yield, (McGill-

Queen’s Press) – described an importantearly example of this. She wrote, “A newkind of service, one that may have givenQueen’s some welcome in the businessworld, was the establishment in 1913 of ex-tension courses in commerce and bankingunder the Department of Political Science.They came under the general supervisionof Prof. O.D. Skelton, were “Open to non-matriculated students” and they “were wel-comed by the Bankers Association becausethey offered their employees “valuable op-portunities for professional advancement.”

This was followed in 1920 by corre-spondence courses for chartered account-ants and subsequently for trust officers.These were the forerunners of the Schoolof Commerce and Administration, nowQueen’s School of Business.

The University, in association with var-ious sponsors, developed the course syl-labi, authored the lessons, and processedand marked assignments and examina-tions. The servicing of these courses tookmost of the grey house that once stood at75 Union Street.

This necessitated and made possiblethe hiring of additional full- and part-timestaff, including future Vice-Principal L.G.MacPherson and a future federal Ministerof Finance Edgar Benson, Com’49, LLD’08.

Following on the heels of these earlyexperiments, a wide range of programswere initiated.

One example was the School of Naviga-tion, courses in which were taught over theChristmas break, to improve the qualifica-tions of officers on Great Lakes ships.

Stewart Fyfe

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Board of TrusteesEffective October 7, 2010, the University Council has authorized the suspension of nominations of candidatesfor election to the Board of Trustees by the Graduates (University Council Bylaw D) and the Benefactors(University Council Bylaw E) for terms to begin in June 2011.

For background please see Queen’s Board to get Smaller, Issue # 3, p. 15, and the Editor’s Notebook, p. 2 in thisissue of the Alumni Review and www.queensu.ca/secretariat/ucouncil/Charter2010/index.html

Call for Nominations University Council

Nomination Form and more details available at www.queensu.ca/secretariat/election/

Nominations close 10 December 2010 at 4:00 pm ET

University CouncilThe University Council was established by OntarioStatute in 1874. Its main responsibility is to oversee theselection of the Chancellor. It generally meets once ayear to discuss any matters relating to the well-beingand prosperity of the University. The UniversityCouncil is a composite of the Board of Trustees, Senateand an equal number of elected graduates. EachGraduate may nominate TWENTY fellow graduates forelection to the Council for a six-year term (May 2011 –May 2017). A candidate must be nominated in writing by at least THREE graduates.

GuidelinesThe future of Queen’s will be greatly influenced by the quality of those you nominate. In keeping withQueen’s commitment to diversity within its governingbodies, please consider the following guidelines whennominating a candidate. ■ The candidate’s potential to make a positive contribu-tion because of ability and experience.■ Gender equity.■ Representation by visible minorities, aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, age group, occupational group, the local community and the francophone community.■ A broad geographical distribution to maintain Queen’srole as a national and international institution.■ A strong, demonstrated interest in the well-being of universities and/or Queen’s.

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 1:25 PM Page 14


Other examples includedcourses for municipal clerksand treasurers and those formunicipal property assessors.These were developed throughthe Institute of Local Govern-ment (dissolved in 1976) andwere administered by the Extension Department. At theirpeak, the courses had about1,000 students.

The rainbow of similar offerings offered by the vari-ous academic units on campusand by Enrichment Studies isever-evolving and expanding.The Classics department hasan archeology field site in Jordan. Geog-raphy has both faculty-led courses in remote sensing and a student-led summercourse for secondary school students. Enrichment Studies in 2010 had 2,000 students in school-oriented courses (mygrandson from Orillia took a five-daycourse on music and computers). Plans

are to increase that number to 3,000 bynext year. The Music Department is in theprocess of establishing a conservatory.

In 1968, there were 10,055 students reg-istered in degree programs at Queen’s and4,515 more in non-degree courses. In the2009-2010 academic year, there were 14,111full-time undergrad students at Queen’s

and 3,257 graduate students. Inaddition, there were 4,239 part-time students (including extra-murals), post-graduate medicalstudents, and those from theTheological College and theSchool of English. I was unableto find comprehensive num-bers for non-credit courses.

The style of the University,with its Scottish roots, is to en-gage the community, and thisbrings many benefits. Societyis enriched as are the Univer-sity’s students and faculty – financially and academically –and in recruiting students and

staff, and in helping a medium-sized uni-versity with a thinly populated immediategeographic hinterland to fulfill its nationalmandate. B

Prof. Stewart Fyfe, a retired professor in theDepartment of Political Studies, lives inKingston.

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In the 1940s and 1950s, officers from Great Lakes ships tookcourses from the School of Navigation, which were offered eachyear during the Christmas break. (Does anyone recognize these

three unidentified individuals?)

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AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:06 PM Page 15



Special women and a special placeThe Ban Right Centre’s “Who Is She?” community project

celebrates and honours women who have made a difference in the lives of others.

HEATHER B I LKES , NSC ’11 , pays tribute to one such woman and to the Ban Righ Centre itself.

For me, that special “she” is my aunt –a single mom of six who raised her

children and worked long hours at unin-spiring jobs to put food on the table andthe all-important Levi’s jeans on herteenage girls. Though these responsibili-ties must have weighed heavily on her, mychildhood memories centre on an opendoor and a cheery kitchen, a pot of tea,and a listening heart.

The founders of theBan Righ Centre sub-scribed to that same wis-dom when they opted fora house rather than an of-fice, knowing that “acommunity forms morequickly, and possibly in-delibly, with a roof over-head and with a kitchenas a gathering spot.”

When I began mystudies at Queen’s Schoolof Nursing, I was an in-visible stranger overwhelmed by my fool-hardy decision to return to school at thevenerable age of 30-something, until I en-tered the doors of the Ban Righ Centreand I felt as if I had found a special place.

In the blur of those first few weeks ofclasses, when I was desperately trying tokeep all those balls in the air: my studies,my marriage, my three young boys, my ail-ing mother-in-law, and my grieving father-in-law, no money, no job. . . I tentativelyaccepted soup and began building uniquefriendships with the women of the BanRigh Centre. Then, one day I welcomedanother new woman into the fold, and realized that I belonged.

The Ban Righ Centre exists as a com-munity for all women students strugglingto achieve their dreams. Any office canoffer scholarship programs and resources,

but what matters most to me is the com-munity of support that exists at the Cen-tre every day. Only a house has a kitchen,filled with the aroma of soup made toshare, and a living room with elastic wallsthat can always stretch to accommodateone more. The staff daily make time tocongratulate, commiserate and problem-solve with each one of us; they schedule

us, encourage us andfight for us when weneed someone in ourcorner. Upstairs, tworooms tipped the scalesin favour of success forme: a small computerlab that was quiet, and,way up on the thirdfloor, a room where Icould be blissfully bymyself, – a brief breakfrom the onslaughts ofthe day.

In the here and now,most of us don’t notice what surrounds usevery day. It’s only later that we realizethose unintended moments are often themost precious pearls in our treasure boxof memories. As I wrap up my studies at

Queen’s, I dearly hope to continue to sup-port the existence of the Ban Righ Centreas I move on, blessed by the Ban Righwomen who have shared my journey. B

The Ban Righ Centre at 32 Bader Lane supports women returning to study at Queen’swith bursaries, awards, counseling, a place for quiet study and companionship, specialevents, a Speaker Series, and homemade soup. The Ban Righ Foundation was established

in 1974 by visionary women graduates ofQueen’s with a mission to support womenlearning. The Foundation’s “Who Is She?” Com-munity Project reminds us that the smallest ges-ture inspires positive change, fosters lifelongeducation and generates much needed financialassistance for students. For more information,http://banrighcentre.queensu.ca/whoisshe.asp

Her involvement with the Ban Righ Centreeased the transition and the anxietieswhen Heather Bilkes, a 30-something

single mother of three, opted to better her life by returning to school.

In the blur of thosefirst few weeks of

classes, when I wasdesperately trying to

keep all those balls inthe air . . .I tentativelyaccepted soup and

began building uniquefriendships with thewomen of the Ban

Righ Centre.

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Q U I D N O V I ? *

* B E I N G A C O M P E N D I U M O F “ W H AT ’ S N E W ” O N C A M P U S

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Nobel Prize winner honed hisskills on a Queen’s visitInternationally renowned scientist Richard Heck (left), recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, brieflyhoned his award-winning analytical skills at Queen’s. For five months in 2006, he was a visiting researcher inthe laboratory of Dr. Victor Snieckus, Bader Chair in Or-ganic Chemistry. Says Snieckus, “I’m personally thrilledsince several years ago Dick Heck, already over 80, was in our labs at Queen’s doing cobalt chemistry!” While he was on campus, Heck posed for the above photo with Snieckus.

University mourns the death of first-year student The Queen’s community continues to mourn the death of first-year studentCameron Bruce, Sc’14, the 18-year-old son of Iain Bruce, Com’81, and his wifeLinda, of Westport Connecticut.

Police believe Cameron Bruce died on the night of September 13 in an acci-dental fall from the window of his sixth-floor residence room in Victoria Hall. Apolice investigation was still on-going as this issue of the Review went to press.

“Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to Cameron’s family and friends,”said Principal Daniel Woolf. “On behalf of the University, I wish to expressdeepest sympathies for their loss.”

A crowd of several hundred students, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered inWallace Hall on October 5 for a memorial service presided over by UniversityChaplain Brian Yealland, MDiv’72.

For an open letter to the Queen’s community from Iain Bruce, Com’81, his wifeLinda, and daughter Margot, please see p. 3.

Focus on military and veterans’ healthQueen’s and rmc are working together to spearhead the development of a national research agenda to enhance the health and well-being of more than800,000 Canadian Forces personnel, veterans, and their families.

More than 250 academics and military experts from across Canada andaround the world gathered in Kingston in November for the first Military andVeterans Health Research Forum. “Canada is the only allied nato nation with-out a national research initiative in this area,” says Associate V-P ResearchSusan Marlin. “Queen’s is excited to lead capacity-building in military and vet-eran health research to improve the health outcomes of our military personnel,veterans and their families.”More than 20 universities and research institutionsattended the two-day forum, co-hosted by Queen’s and rmc. Participants included Queen’s researchers from rehabilitation therapy, psychology, Kinesiology and Health Studies, among others.”

For more info see www.queensu.ca/news/alumnireview

I N M E M O R I A M

• CAM PBELL, BARBARA, retired member of theRegistrar’s Office staff, died August 1 in Kingston, age77.

• COLEMAN, A . JOH N, DSc’93, Professor Emeritus andformer Department Head (Mathematics and Statistics),died September 30 in Kingston, age 92.

• FORREST, DR. WI LLIAM J . , Meds’63, MSc’65,Professor Emeritus (Medicine) and a former director ofthe School of Rehabilitation Therapy, died July 31 inKingston, age 78.

• MACKI N NON, MARY E . , former faculty member inEconomics in the mid-1980s, died in Montreal on July25 after a battle with cancer, age 51. (Please see p. 50for details.)

• MCCARTHY, M ICHAEL, former lecturer in Art History,1967-69, died March 1, 2010, in Dublin, Ireland, after alengthy illness, age 70.

• WH EELER, ROBERT C . , former professor in theChemistry Department, died Oct. 3 in Kingston, age 87.(For more about Prof. Wheeler, please see p.4.)

New model for competitive sports Queen’s Athletics and Recreation has implemented a new model for competitive sports.

“Just as academic programs have evolved, so have the demands of ourrecreation and competition sport programs,” said Leslie Dal Cin, Director ofAthletics & Recreation. “In the past we’ve focused on breadth of program. Thisnew model recognizes our drive for competitive success and the need to fosterand promote an environment of athletic excellence that will allow our teamsand clubs to succeed.” The new model, the final step in a three-year reviewprocess, is based on community input from surveys, town halls, focus groups,and multi-year sport data collection. It also reflects recent changes adopted byOntario University Athletics (oua) and provincial and national sporting trends.The model simplifies the current system of grouping all competitive sport op-portunities into three streams: varsity teams, varsity clubs, and recreation clubs.

For details please visit: www.gogaelsgo.com/sportmodel

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n n n Q U I D N O V I ?

Homecomingdecisionexpected soonAn estimated crowd of 1,500-2,000 gathered around Aberdeen Street on whatwould have been fall home-coming. Kingston police, supported by officers fromother Ontario forces, keptcity streets open over theSeptember 25-26 weekend.There were 255 liquor-relatedcharges laid and 95 arrests,which is fewer than in 2009.

The policing costs may be as high as $375,000. TheUniversity has declined tocontribute since the costswere incurred in policingnon-Queen’s events. Thepolicing costs may be ashigh as $375,000. The Univer-sity has declined to con-tribute since the costs wereincurred in policing non-Queen’s events. Kingston Police Chief Stephen Tannersays that while progress continues to be made, “Mypersonal preference is thatthe Homecoming not be restored as yet. I think westill have work to do.”

John Pierce, Associate v-pand Dean of Students Affairssays the University remainscommitted to continuing towork year-round with the city,residents, the ams, studentsand alumni. “The fastest wayto bring back Homecoming isfor everyone to do their partto help break the cycle ofwhat had become an annualillegal and dangerous streetparty,” says Pierce.

Principal Daniel Woolfhas said it may well take afew more years before thecycle is truly broken. He issoon expected to announcehis decision on the future ofHomecoming.

More female engineering studentsAfter spending the past few years encouraging women to apply,Queen’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has seen thenumber of female incoming students jump.“I’m pleasantly sur-prised. I think we are seeing a real trend and not a blip,” says As-sociate Dean Academic, Lynann Clapham, PhD’87.

The 2010-11 incoming engineering class is 28 per cent female,up from 23 per cent in 2008. This is one of the highest rates of female engineers among major Canadian universities.

Chemical Engineering student Maegan Fell, Sc’11, says shethinks Queen’s has more women than [many] other universitiesbecause “it’s much more of a group-working environment asopposed to being a more competitive, intimidating place.”

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Maegan Fell, Sc’11.

Queen’s Book Prizes for school studentsOne of the first things economics student Kieran Slobodin,Artsci’12, packed when he was preparing to come to Queen’s inthe fall of 2008 was his hard-cover copy of the Canadian OxfordDictionary. After all, Queen’s had sent it to him in the first place.

As a grade eight student entering Vanier Catholic SecondarySchool in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, in 2003, Kieran was the re-cipient of a Queen’s University Book Prize. The pilot program hadbeen launched that year to recognize Canadian students enteringhigh school who combined superior academic performance with

extracurricular activities,along with demonstratedleadership and citizen-ship skills. Selected bytheir principals, thesestudents received theprize to foster an ambition to pursue university studies.

Now well-thumbed,the dictionary has aplace of honour inKieran’s John DeutschCentre office, where heholds the position as Academic Affairs Com-

missioner for the Alma Mater Society. He was excited to meet University Registrar Jo-Anne Brady, who had signed the letter ofcongratulations that accompanied his prize.

“Our hope in presenting these books is that many of the recipi-ents will ultimately go on to university – and that some will eventu-ally end up at Queen’s,” Brady says. “Kieran exemplifies the type ofleadership and citizenship which the award celebrates. It’s a pleas-ure to welcome him and other Book Prize recipients to Queen’s.”

Approximately 100 Queen’s book prizes are awarded each year,administered and funded by the Office of the University Registrar.Inside each book is a tricolor card, inscribed by Principal DanielWoolf. – BY NANCY DORRANCE, ED’75

Recent namingdedicationsThe Board of Trustees has approvedthe following naming dedications:

ISABEL BADER CENTRE FOR TH E

PERFORM I NG ARTS: The GrandLobby is named in honour ofAlexander M. Jeffrey, BSc’43 (giftfrom the Estate of A.M. Jeffrey), andthe Percussion Room is named inhonour of Ross William Gordon(gift from Principal Daniel Woolfand his wife Julie Gordon-Woolf).

QU EEN’S CENTRE: The main gym-nasium is named in honour of theStudents of Queen’s University(anonymous gift), and the mainfloor Fitness Zone is named in honour of Duvernay Oil (gift fromMichael Rose, Sc’79, and SusanRidell Rose, Sc’86).

SU M M ERH I LL: The east wing ofSummerhill is now known as Benidickson House in to mark thelifetime contributions of formerChancellor Agnes Benidickson,ba’41, lld’79.

BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH STA-

TION: The Station’s operations hasbeen named in honour of retireddirector Prof. Raleigh J. Robertson(Biology).

MACKI NTOSH-CORRY HALL:

Room B400 has been named inhonour of longtime employeeLeslie Doucet, ba’06, ma’10.

Registrar Jo-Anne Brady (left) andbook prize winner Kieran Slobodin

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If the Digital Age and the demise of printhad you wondering about the future of libraries, fear not, library usage is actuallyon the increase. As well, new initiatives atQueen’s, such as services to promote theOpen Access movement, promise to ex-pand the traditional library even further, facilitating on-line distribution of scholarlyinformation to the world.

Queen’s new University Librarian,Martha Whitehead who began a three-yearterm in July, is excited about the future ofthe University library system. Says White-head, “I see the campus libraries as beingdeeply embedded in Queen’s research andacademic programs, and they are part of aglobal network that makes the discovery ofinformation and the building of knowledgeas easy as possible for everyone.”

Whitehead, who spent 19 years with theUniversity of British Columbia library sys-tem and six years as Associate Librarian atQueen’s, moved to Kingston from Vancou-ver in 2004, along with her husband andtwo daughters. She is frequently asked whyshe made the move. Initially a sabbatical inMelbourne, Australia, had opened the fam-ily’s eyes to the possibilities afforded bymove and by change. “Now we appreciatethe advantages of living in a smaller city,and we like the cultural and recreationalopportunities that Kingston and surround-ings offer,” she says.

“I’m impressed by thecalibre of the collectionshere at Queen’s in somany areas and thestrong connections our librarians have with thevarious academic disci-plines. At the same timewe have an incredible resource in our beautifulphysical spaces.”

Libraries, once consid-ered as merely places forquiet study amongst thecard catalogues, thebooks, and stacks of peri-odicals, are evolving with new technology.Increasingly, libraries are seen as commu-nity spaces centered on the research andlearning continuum. The role of librariansis also evolving. Librarians are now in-volved in everything from acquisition anddissemination of information, to curricu-lum issues, to helping students and re-searchers understand sources andmethods of inquiry.

Whitehead says that Queen’s libraries,like libraries everywhere, are makingchanges as they adjust to a new “global virtual library”. For example, Queen’s nolonger buys print copies of journals that areavailable online. The acquisitions budget ismore than 60 per cent devoted to elec-

tronic sources, and librarystaff are beginning to digi-tize collections to allow forgreater access. Electronicsources also free up muchneeded space for a grow-ing student population. Asprint acquisitions slow, li-brary usage actually contin-ues to grow.

Says Whitehead, “Useof the Library is burgeon-ing. Our success in build-ing electronic collectionsshows in statistics such asonline article downloads,which have increased fromaround half a million an-

nually in the early 2000s to more than 2.5million in recent years. For students, ourphysical libraries are still their laboratories,places they come to work with each other,or just to read, write, and think. And our librarians are in higher demand than ever,helping all kinds of researchers discoverinformation and share new knowledge,whether they’re undergraduates, graduatestudents, or faculty.

“Libraries are all about people helpingpeople share ideas, and I don’t expect thatto change any time soon.”

BY LI N DY M ECH EF S K E

For more info on Queen’s libraries visit:http://library.queensu.ca/

The changing role of libraries

Martha Whitehead, theUniversity’s new chieflibrarian, began her three-year term in July.

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THE GOLDEN MILECommemorative DVD of Queen’s 2009 Vanier Cup championship

Obtain your copy of the championship DVD package, The Golden Mile, by making a gift to the

Football Booster Club today. In recognition of your gift of $200 a year for three years, a complimentary copy of

The Golden Mile will be sent to you.

Make your gift today atwww.givetoqueens.ca/footballdvd

The Queen’s Football Club and Queen’s University thank you

for your generosity in supporting the Gaels.

For further information, please contact Brenda Forbes at 613-533-6000, ext. 75987 or [email protected]

The Golden Mile – a documentary-style feature narrated by alumnus and TSN host Rod Smith with interviews and highlights of the Gaels’ magical 2009 Vanier Cup season.

In addition, the DVD also includes each of the

Yates, Mitchell, and Vanier Cup games in their entirety.

AR issue 4 - 2010 1/11/10 3:38 PM Page 19


Eureka!Some of the fascinating research that’s underway at Queen’sBY NAN CY D O RRAN C E, ED’76

A lesson in quantum chess Researchers at the School of Computinghave developed a quantum chess gamethat throws the conventional rules ofchess out the window.

“We are bringing an element of unpre-dictability to chess,” says School of Com-puting Director Selim Akl, who recentlyauthored a paper on how to bring “quan-tum weirdness” to the traditional game.

Developed by undergraduate studentAlice Wismath, Cmp’11, the electronicgame has the same number of squaresand the same pieces as original chess.But it is nearly impossible, the researcherssay, to program a computer that couldplay the game consistently well. Thenew rules were selected from the endless possibilities suggested in Akl’spaper.

“You can throw away all the strate-gies you used before, because this is acompletely new game and it puts theplayer and the computer on equal footing,” says Akl.

Deciphering Parkinson’s DiseasePeople with Parkinson’s disease can perform automated

tasks better than people without the disease, researchers at theCentre for Neuroscience Studies have learned. Switching fromeasy to hard tasks, however, causes those with the disease significant difficulty.

The team’s findings highlight how biased Parkinson’s patients are toward performing an automated response, says PhD student Ian Cameron, lead author of the study.They also suggest that medications currently prescribed totreat the symptoms that affect motor functioning could further upset a patient’s cognitive balance.

“We often think of Parkinson’s disease as being a disor-der of motor function,” says Douglas Munoz, director of theCentre for Neuroscience Studies and a Canada ResearchChair in Neuroscience. “But the issue is that the same circuitcan affect more-cognitive functions like planning and deci-sion-making.”

New hope formelanomasufferersA rarely studied gene canslow the growth of one ofthe most deadly forms ofskin cancer, Queen’spathology researchershave discovered.

The team, led by Dr.Victor Tron, head ofPathology and MolecularMedicine, showed that increasing the level ofmiR-193b – a gene foundin human dna – inmelanoma cells decreasedtheir rate of proliferation.Unknown until 10 yearsago, miR-193b has notbeen widely studied.

“We thought the genemight be important butthe fact we got such atremendous reaction –the melanoma reallyslowed down when we added it – was startling,” says Tron.

One of the leastcommon forms of skincancer, melanomacauses 75 per cent ofall skin cancer deaths.

Shady solar power enhancedA next-generation power converter with Queen’s roots is creating heat waves in the solar industry.

Developed by Electrical and Computing Engineering professor Praveen Jain, Canada Research Chair inPower Electronics, the compact, lightweight instrument was launched recently at a North American solarconference and trade show.

Known as a microinverter, the instrument improves the overall efficiency of solar electrical systems evenin the shade. It’s ideally suited to urban rooftops, where poor sun exposure can greatly reduce the amountof energy harvested by the panels. “Photovoltaics represents the fastest-growing alternative energy technol-ogy, and demand for solar systems is growing exponentially,” says Jain, who is also ceo of the Queen’s spin-off company that is developing and marketing the converter. The technology was licensed to the start-upcompany sparq Systems by parteq Innovations, the University’s technology-transfer office.

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Director of the Queen’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies DougMunoz (left) and PhD student Ian Cameron research thecognitive effects of Parkinson’s disease

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C A M P U S S C E N E ■ ■ ■

Success writ largeGrowing ties between Queen’s and the Kingston WritersFest

underscore the Limestone City’s reputation as a literary hotspot.

B Y L I N D Y M E C H E F S K E

The Limestone City’s growing reputa-tion as a literary hot spot was under-

scored yet again as 70 authors and thou-sands of attendees – including manyQueen’s alumni, students, faculty, and staff– flocked to the 2010 Kingston Writers-Fest. Principal Daniel Woolf was instru-mental in having Queen’s provide spon-sorship support for the five-day event inexchange for allowing students to obtainfree rush tickets for many of the sessionsand workshops.

Started in 2006 by volunteers workingunder the auspices of Kingston Literacy,the Kingston Frontenac Public Library,and Indigo Books, the first WritersFestwas a modest affair, but the event hasgrown quickly. This year, more than 4,000people – a record turnout – attended the49 sessions on the schedule.

Among the notable presentations wereexcerpts from a one-woman show calledHooked, which is a collection of poeticmonologues by Prof. Carolyn Smart (Eng-lish) that deals with seven famous womenwith obsessive addictions. Gemini Award–winning actress Nicky Guadagni broughtthree of Smart’s poems to life before anoverflow crowd at adowntown Kingston ho-tel that served as homebase for the festival.

On the same eveningas the Hooked perform-ance, a very differentkind of WritersFest eventwas taking place on cam-pus. Queen’s alumnus Ja-son Gilmore, Artsci’03,Alex Jansen, a formerFilm Studies student,and two of their collaborators spent a ses-sion in conversation with Prof. ClarkeMackey, head of the Department of Filmand Media, discussing their cutting-edgegraphic novel, KENK: A Graphic Portrait,and their forthcoming animated short filmby the same title. The book and film tell

the story of notorious Torontobike thief Igor Kenk.

Another of the sessions atthis year’s WritersFest featuredProf. Robert Morrison (English),author of the critically acclaimedThe English Opium Eater: A Biography of Thomas de Quincey,in a wide-ranging conversationwith world-renowned fictionwriter Guy Gavriel Kay.

Other members of theQueen’s community who tookpart in the 2010 WritersFest wereKingston poet and novelistSteven Heighton, Artsci’85,MA’86 (who will be profiled inthe Winter 2011 issue of the Review); 2010 Queen’s Writer-in-Residence, Stuart Ross; Sen.Hugh Segal (Policy Studies); andProf. Rosemary Jolly (Englishand History).

“We’re especially gratified by our com-munity partnership with Queen’s Univer-sity. In addition to a generous donationfrom the Principal’s Office and the Officeof the Vice-Principal/Provost that allowed

us to offer all Queen’s stu-dents free rush seats,whole classes came toevents. Prof. Julie Salver-son, Artsci’78, Artsci’95,brought her ethicsclasses to the “Penprickof Conscience” event,and creative writing students were out inforce for Hooked,” Writ-ersFest Director, MerilynSimonds said.

Among the special events was “Book-mark: Bronwen Wallace.” A panel made upof writers Joanne Page, Lara Bozabalian,Artsci’99, Ed’04, and Alison Pick readwork inspired by and dedicated to poetand short story writer, Bronwen Wallace,BA’67, MA’69, who died in 1989. Kingston

mayor Harvey Rosen, Law’75, unveiled acommemorative plaque bearing the text ofWallace’s poem “Mexican Sunsets.” Theplaque, located at the corner of Princessand Clergy streets in downtown Kingston,was launched in partnership by ProjectBookmark Canada and the Kingston Writ-ersFest. This installation, the third in a se-ries called “Project Bookmark Canada,”marks the physical locations where literaryscenes are set. (Another of the bookmarks,located at the Bloor Street viaduct inToronto, celebrates the novel In the Skin ofa Lion, written by alumnus, Michael Ondaatje, MA’67.)

“Bronwen Wallace is a Kingston [liter-ary] icon whose work is admired acrossthe country,” Rosen said. “We’re proud tohost this tribute to her writing and to ourcommunity.” B

For more information about the KingstonWritersFest, visit www.kingstonwritersfest.ca/.For further information about Project Book-mark Canada visit www.projectbookmark-canada.ca.

Jason Gilmore, Artsci’03 (right), and former studentAlex Jansen, the creators of the cutting-edge graphic novel kenk, were among the authors

taking part in the 2010 WritersFest.

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Through a generousdonation from the

Principal’s Office andthe Office of the Vice-Principal/Provost, weare able to offer all

Queen’s students freerush seats. Whole

classes came to events.

AR issue 4 - 2010 1/11/10 3:38 PM Page 21


Reaching out to the

worldA grand vision,

an English castle, and academic excellence

are in the spotlight as Queen’s dares

to dream big and heighten its global presence.

B Y S A R A B E C K , A R T S C I ’ 9 3

■ ■ ■ C O V E R S T O R Y

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:07 PM Page 22

At the 1929 Convocation, newly-appointed PrincipalJames Richardson, BA’06, LLD’29, urged everyone associated

with Queen’s University “to remember that neither her name norher history indicates that she should be confined by narrow geo-graphical lines.”

At the time, Richardson was talking about transformingQueen’s from a regional university into a national one. Times havechanged. Now, Queen’s is taking on – and taking in – the world.

In Principal Daniel Woolf ’s document Where Next: Toward aUniversity Academic Plan, he states that internationalism shouldbe one of the four key principles driving Queen’s forward. Woolfwrites,“We must seek to support local and regional economic de-velopment and look beyond our location in Kingston and Canadato seek our place in the world, by providing international educa-tional experiences for our students, research collaborations forfaculty, and service beyond our national borders”.

International experience is already a vital part of the fabric ofQueen’s, with more than 1,000 students going abroad each year forperiods of three weeks or more, whether for student exchanges withpartner universities, studies at the University’s own Bader Interna-tional Study Centre (BISC) in England, independently arranged stud-ies abroad, field work, internships, or other overseas experiences.

According to Vice-Provost (International) John Dixon, sur-veys have shown that a majority of Canadian students come touniversity hoping to gain international experience during theirstudies. But across Canada fewer than three per cent of studentsactively participate in study-aboard or exchange programs. Dixonnotes that this pattern is not uniform across the country: in fact,more than 83 per cent of Commerce students at Queen’s now goabroad for at least one term of study. Queen’s also has many in-ternational students and faculty coming to Kingston as well of-fering, as the August 2010 documentImagining the Future: Toward An Aca-demic Plan for Queen’s Universitystates, “a range of experience and per-spectives [that] greatly enriches thelearning environment for all people atQueen’s (students, staff, and faculty).”

Of course, the truly extraordinarypart and a focal point of the Univer-sity’s international program is Herstmonceux Castle, the magical-looking, 15th century crenellated manor house that is home tothe BISC – the appelation that was given in July 2009 in honour ofIsabel Bader, LLD’07, and husband Alfred Bader, Sc’45, Arts’46,MSc’47, LLD’86, who donated the Castle facility to Queen’s in 1994.

A look at the BISC, nestled in the lush countryside of East Sus-sex, England, provides ample proof of the extent and nature of theQueen’s commitment to international study. Not only is Herst-monceux a breathtakingly beautiful and historic setting, it’s alsoan extraordinary overseas campus.

About 340 students attend programs at the Castle each year.Some go for their first year in Arts and Science. Others are upper-year students who are taking core and elective courses, while stillothers are studying international law. Not all students at the facilityare from Queen’s, though. The BISC is open to students from uni-


versities across Canada, as well as those in about 10 other nations,including Mexico, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, andKorea, among others. Field studies take students to such places asLondon, Paris, and Dieppe, while inexpensive airline flights allowstudents to explore Europe and Britain on their own.

The small class sizes and community atmosphere at the BISCallow for students and faculty to engage in real learning, to ex-periment with cross-disciplinary courses and new teaching andlearning styles, and for academic curiosity to flourish. What’smore, it’s a campus that now makes money for Queen’s.

The BISC, as it is colloquially known, was a visionary gift fromthe Baders, and yet, as magical as it was and is, this was a gift thatnearly disappeared.

In 1996, just three years after taking ownership of the Castle,Queen’s considered selling Herstmonceux. What saved the ISC wasnot magic, but rather a combination of determination, foresight,practical problem solving, passion, and, of course, cash. The story,untold until now, is an intriguing one.

Alfred Bader recalls that when he phoned then-Princi-pal David Smith, LLD’94, one day in 1992 to offer Herst-

monceux Castle to Queen’s, Smith paused, and then politely saidhe’d have to consider the idea. But when Kingston and the IslandsLiberal MP Peter Milliken, Arts’68, who had been visiting Eng-land, went to the Castle and gave a favourable report, Smith beganto see the possibilities. In October of 1993, Smith himself visitedthe castle. As Bader writes in volume one of his memoirs, Adven-tures of a Chemist Collector (1995), Smith “was as enchanted withthe Castle as we were.”

The agreement was made, and Bader began the process of pur-chasing the historic building for his alma mater.

Of course, enchantment was notenough. What Smith and Bader bothsaw in Herstmonceux was opportunity.Tremendous opportunity. A Queen’scampus in England would provideunique learning opportunities for stu-dents, boost the University’s nationaland international profile, and facilitateeven more relationships with universi-

ties and other organizations worldwide. Bader and Smith weren’tthe only ones who saw the Castle’s potential. Former PrincipalWilliam Leggett, LLD’04, was Vice-Principal of McGill when theHerstmonceux aquisition announcement was made. He recallspeople asking him whether McGill should have a castle, too.

Dreams, however, must be based in reality, and financial needsare very real indeed.

Opponents of the ISC worried that the building would be a financial drain. The University dipped into its endowment fundfor $10 million dollars to pay the Castle’s debts, and naysayersbegan to call it a “white elephant” and a “money pit”. Some peoplealso questioned the academic standards and the cost for tuition incomparison to the main campus. With tuition set at nearly $7,000for a 12-week term – more than double the cost of a term inKingston – questions arose whether Queen’s was taking money

Former Principal William Leggett,LLD’04, was Vice-Principal of McGillwhen the Herstmonceux aquisition

announcement was made. He recallspeople asking him whether McGill

should have a castle, too.

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n n n C O V E R S T O R Y

away from less fortunate students at home tosubsidize an overseas playground for the rich.

Then, in 1996, Queen’s and the ISC facedwhat William Leggett called “a perfect stormof circumstances.” For Queen’s, that meant abudget shortfall of $17 million.

While Leggett struggled to trim thebudget without resorting to layoffs, discon-tent understandably grew. Leggett recalls, and“Cries to ‘Get rid of it [the Castle]!’ got louderand louder.”

Selling the property seemed like an obvi-ous way to balance the budget. Herstmon-ceux may have been called the jewel in theQueen’s crown, but some thought the jewelshould be sold for the good of the kingdom. And so one day in thewinter of in 1996, Bill Leggett faced one of the most difficult de-cisions of his life. On February 29, he told the Queen’s Senate thathe was going to propose closing and selling the ISC.

What followed were two weeks of what Leggett describes as aroller coaster ride. On March 1, he presented his proposal to theBoard of Trustees, and deliberations extended into the next day.“I’m not ashamed to say that I wept at the meeting,” he says.

The financial picture looked bleak. The projected deficit wastwo million dollars annually, or $500,000 with significantly in-creased enrolment. Ending classes and running it as a conferencecentre would cost Queen’s $600,000 to $700,000 per year, andeven mothballing the facility would cost more than $500,000 peryear. As for selling it, the market for castles was limited at best.

The most Queen’s could hope to realize from any sale, real es-tate experts said, would be $10 million. Simply put, no option wasa good one. But selling the castle was the least expensive one.

Not surprisingly, the Board of Trustees’ finance committeesupported Leggett’s decision. But many others did not, especiallystudents.

“Many students spoke eloquently,” Leggett says. Some were for keeping the castle, others for selling it. Faculty

joined in the debate, which became heated at times By the end of the first day, two things were clear. The decision

couldn’t be made yet: not without more time, and more informa-tion. The next day, the Board agreed to create a task force to lookinto options. The ISC may not be viable in its current state, theyagreed, but it would stay open for now.

Leggett recalls that the reprieve sparked a flurry of activity. “Here comes the point at which I learned the greatest lesson

on human nature ever. Virtually all the voices [discussing the cas-tle] were negative. They were legion. The minute the recommen-dation was made to close it, those voices went silent. The otherthing that happened was when the nay voices went silent, the yeavoices suddenly appeared.”

Suddenly, the campus seemed galvanized, and former road-blocks began to crumble. Some departments in the Faculty of Artsand Science had long maintained that they needed to have full-year courses only, Leggett recalls. That meant that students wouldhave to either commit to two terms at the castle, or go for one

term and lose the rest of their year. “Discus-sions about what we could do to facilitate themovement of students and make it easy forstudents who wanted to study at Herstmon-ceux for a single term opened up completely,”Leggett says. “Full courses became halfcourses. Other policies across the campuschanged, too. Gradually, the mood changed.”

Alfred and Isabel Bader also helped con-siderably, donating another million dollarsand offering to cover any budgetary shortfallsfor a period of five years – something they ac-tually continued doing until 2006, when theISC climbed out of the red. “This speaks vol-umes about the Baders,” Leggett says. “They

were devastated to think we considered closing it, but were will-ing to help in spite of it all.”

By the time the Board met again at the end of November 1996,the voices of support were now the loudest on campus. New aca-demic programs for the Castle were being developed. Roadblocks,and new partnerships were being created with peer universitiesthat would send even more students to the Castle. The ISC could– and would – remain open.

At the meeting, Leggett noted that Maclean’s magazine “hadplaced Queen’s as first in quality, first in innovation and best over-all: a remarkable achievement for a University set in a small townaway from the centres of power.”

“On reflecting about possible explanations for this remarkablesuccess, he found them in Queen’s history, in its repeated willing-

ness to chart a differentcourse,” the minutes of themeeting read. “He recalledthe early decision not toconsolidate with the Uni-versity of Toronto and thedecision of the 1970s to re-sist unrestrained growth,which distinguishedQueen’s from other re-search-intensive universi-ties. These decisions

helped shape Queen’s and were vital to the future of the University.Queen’s was looked to for leadership and in a position to supply it.”And that meant being committed to internationalization.

“The ISC would not be the only element in a policy of interna-tionalization,” Leggett continued. “To be international a univer-sity must enhance support for international students, offer aninternational perspective in its courses, provide international ex-changes for students and faculty. It must also serve the world com-munity. The ISC can be a major symbol of Queen’s ability to seizeopportunities advantageously and enhance the range of internalexperiences open to students.”

In the 14 years since 1996, any controversy over the Castlehas all but ended. It’s now part of the fabric of Queen’s, well-es-

Opening the bisc was aturning point for Queen’s . . .It gave us the impetus toramp up other aspects of

our internationalprograming, such as

international exchangeagreements.

The University’s global outreach istwo-way. A growing number offoreign students – such as the 10 Botswanans who are here to study engineering – are

making their way to campus.

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tablished, and now operates in the black. Of the $10 million loantaken out to cover early costs and amortized over 40 years, only$250,000 remains outstanding. For the fall of 2010, 180 studentshave registered at the BISC, and 22 students came from non-Cana-dian institutions in 2009.

The BISC offers programs for first-year and upper-year students,as well as an international law program. The Centre operates in allfour terms throughout the year, has links withmany Canadian universities, and hosts aca-demic conferences. All courses and programsare approved by the Kingston campus, as arefaculty, who are hired from Kingston, England,and Europe. And although the fees remainhigh, many bursaries help make the BISC ac-cessible to more and more students, not justthe wealthiest.

Things have changed a great deal on maincampus, too. The Castle may be the mostmagnificent symbol of Queen’s dedication tointernationalism, but it’s hardly the only one.

Last year, 254 exchange students studied atQueen’s, representing 89 countries, and 1,120students applied for visas to study abroad.Queen’s runs two programs at Fudan Univer-sity in Shanghai, and earlier this year helped to found the MatarikiNetwork of Universities (MNU), an international network of uni-versities designed to promote linkages for both research and teach-ing. Queen’s also runs the International Educators Training Program,which offers programs for businesses, organizations, and educationalinstitutions in matters relating to international programs, includingrisk management and promoting cross-cultural sensitivity.

In fact, internationalism has expanded so much at Queen’s thatin July John Dixon’s position of Associate Vice-Principal (Acade-mic and International) was re-named and re-directed as the ViceProvost (International).

“Opening the BISC was a turning point for the University,”

Dixon says. “It gave us the impetus to ramp up other aspects ofour international programing, such as international exchangeagreements.”

He notes that “the BISC may be the jewel in the Queen’s crown,but it’s not the only gem.”

Leggett agrees. “Solving the problems of getting students tothe BISC and creating an atmosphere on campus created the op-

portunity and removed the road-blocks for students to travel touniversities around the world, andfacilitated exchanges for faculty. Ibelieve Queen’s now has the largestproportion of undergrads studyingabroad of any university inCanada,” he says.

Dixon notes that international-ism is now not just a dream, butpractically a necessity for anyworld-class university. “Our stu-dents are demanding these oppor-tunities,” he says. “We need themin order to attract the best andbrightest faculty and students.” Al-though he avoids the term global-

ization, which is fraught with debate, Dixon notes that the worldhas changed; many jobs and businesses now have an internationalcomponent, if not a focus to them, and there is much more op-portunity for mobility within careers. Having a global under-standing will give our alumni an edge, and this doesn’t just meana travel experience, Dixon says. It’s also about having an interna-tional perspective built into academic programs on the Kingstoncampus, attracting more students, staff, and faculty from othercountries, and building links with businesses and organizationsfrom around the world, he says.

Principal Daniel Woolf is, passionate about internationalism.He has stressed the need to create an Internationalization Planthat will align with the Academic Plan for the university. Theprocess of writing the plan is set to begin in the Winter term of2011. “It is exciting to have such a clear mandate,” Dixon says.

Despite all the changes, the bisc still has its critics. WhenWoolf began his “listening tours” before taking up the role of Prin-cipal in 2009, he says that some people asked him when he wouldbe getting rid of it. But Woolf is impressed by the decisions of hispredecessors, calling the late Principal David Smith a “visionary.”

Queen’s is again facing tough economic times. Woolf has beenquoted as saying that while we’ve often been asked to do more withless, perhaps we will need to consider doing less with less in orderto focus on our strengths while remaining viable. But he remainscommitted to the BISC.

“It will not be part of the less,” he asserts.And so the jewel in the Queen’s crown continues to shine. B

Note: The above is an abridged version of a longer article. To readit and the full story of how Queen’s nearly lost the Bader Interna-tional Study Centre, please see www.alumnireview.queensu.ca.

The focal point of the University’s international program, Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England,

is popular with students

Dr. Zhiyao Zhang, director of the Shanghaibased Queen’s-China Liaison Office, is one of

the University’s faces in the Far East.

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■ ■ ■ A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T – ‘ 6 0 s

A new kind of Governor General

The appointment of David Johnston, Law’66, as Canada’s new Governor General has been greeted with almost universal praise. The reasons are obvious.

B Y H U G H W I N S O R , A R T S ’ 7 3

Behind David Johnston’s “Aw Gosh!” nice-guy image andsometimes hokey love of Canada as “the most blessed coun-

try in the world, from almost any dimension you can imagine,” isa razor-sharp mind, prodigious energy, a magnetism for newideas, and an incredible record of excelling in everything he hasever pursued, ranging from academe to public service, to thehockey rink.

If it is true, as one of his former law students, Robert Pritchard(who went on to become dean of law and president of the U of T)said, that Johnston is the best prepared Gover-nor General in Canadian history, Queen’splayed a brief, but very important, part.

In the current political climate, it is quitepossible that, in addition to receiving GirlGuides, dignitaries, and diplomats at RideauHall, awarding medals, and visiting the far-flung outposts of the realm, he will be calledupon to exercise the reserve powers of a governor general to determine the fate of thegovernment of the day.

And if he does, the constitutional lawcourse he took at Queen’s from the late Bill Lederman will be topmost in his mind. John-ston told me in an interview before he wassworn in as Governor General that he hopes hewill never be confronted with a King-Byng sit-uation (when in 1926, then Governor GeneralViscount Byng refused Prime Minister W.L.Mackenzie King’s request to dissolve Parlia-ment provoking a constitutional crisis), or aconfrontation over prorogation as his prede-cessor did with Prime Minister StephenHarper. But if Johnston ever faces a constitu-tional crunch, he wishes Dean Lederman werestill around to advise him. “In his time, he was the leading con-stitutional lawyer in the country.”

Johnston came to the law school at Queen’s in the fall of 1965fresh from receiving his LLB with honours from Cambridge,which, while prestigious, did not qualify him to practice law inCanada. He chose Queen’s to get his Canadian qualifications be-cause, of all of the Ontario law schools he consulted, Queens wasprepared to give him the most credit for his Cambridge years andto allow him to get his Canadian law degree in one more year,which he did with First Class Honours in 1966.

After less than two months on campus, Johnston had so im-

pressed Dean Lederman and his colleagues that they asked him topostpone his plan to article with a Toronto law firm and join the faculty instead. Johnston agreed and taught for two years at Queen’sbefore moving to the U of T.

It was also his experience at Queen’s that triggered his interestin securities and administrative law and in the nascent field ofcomputers and the law. The latter could be said to help set thestage for much of his later career, including his 11 years as the pres-ident of Waterloo University when that university blossomed as a

leader in the high-tech world.When Johnston moved into Rideau Hall on

Oct.1 as titular head of the Government ofCanada and Commander-in-Chief, it markedthe termination of a rich journey from thatday 69 years ago, in June 1941, when he wasborn in Sudbury. In high school in Sault Ste.

Marie, he was known as much as anathlete as a student, a duality he con-tinued at Harvard, where he was cap-tain of the Harvard hockey team, wastwice named an All-American andwas inducted into the Harvard SportsHall of Fame. (Even today, he fre-quently describes an objective with themetaphor that “it is time to put the

puck in the net.”)He was scouted by the Boston Bruins, but de-

cided the more prudent course with his MagnaCum Laude degree from Harvard was to take upthe scholarship he had been offered to go to theother Cambridge, in England, to study law. Hisensuing stint at Queen’s led to 18 years as a lawprofessor at four of the leading law schools inCanada, (Queen’s, U of T, McGill, and Western,

where he was also the dean). This string was interrupted by threeterms (15 years) as president of McGill in the tense years leading upto the Québec referendum in 1995 and was followed by 11 years aspresident of the University of Waterloo.

Along the way, he wrote or co-wrote 19 books (several with thehelp of his lawyer daughters, Kathleen and Deborah), many otherchapters, conference papers, and public reports – mostly aboutcorporate, securities and communications law. Early on, hegrasped the importance of computers, and his first book, Com-puters and the Law, was “an effort to taste the new wine of tech-nology in the old bottles of law.”

After graduating from Queen’swith his law degree in 1966

(inset), David Johnston went onto a distinguished legal and

academic career that included an11-year tenure (1999-2010) as

president of the U of Waterloo.

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His over-arching philosophical pursuit has been the relation-ship between justice and the law and the obligation to change un-just law. He attributes much of this inspiration to his experienceat Queen’s, especially studying with the late Daniel Soberman,“who taught these principles with a passion.”

If, as Shakespeare wrote “there is a tide in the affairs of menwhich, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,” David Johnstoncaught the flood when he went to the University of Waterloo aspresident in 1999. The university was already known for its em-phasis on engineering, but under Johnston’s leadership it has de-veloped into a world class centre for research and innovation.

His appointment as Governor General has been greeted withunanimous acclaim, none more vociferous than that from his ad-mirers in the Kitchener-Waterloo complex, who attribute theunique blend of university, private-sector spinoffs and communityparticipation to his extraordinary powers of persuasion and col-laboration. That combination has led to $600-million investmentin new research facilities and programs there in the past decade.

His accomplishments in university law and administrationwould be considered an impressive career on their own. But theyare complemented by an extensive role in civil society and publicservice. He was a member of the Federal Government’s constitu-tional advisory committee as it struggled to come to an accom-modation with Québec, chairman of the Advisory Council to theFederal Government on the Information Highway, then chair ofthe National Broadband Task Force, and founding chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy toname just a few.

In the lead-up to the 1995 Québec referendum, he co-wrote abook, If Québec Goes; the Real Cost of Separation, and then he co-chaired the “No” committee opposed to Québec sovereignty.

His most recent bath in the public spotlight came when Prime

Minister Harper asked him to inquire into the allega-tions of improper financial dealings between Karl-heinz Schreiber, a lobbyist and arms dealer, andformer Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Johnston wascriticized for drawing the mandate of the subsequentjudicial inquiry too narrowly, but he concluded thatthe RCMP had already investigated the Airbus allega-tions and going back over that ground would expandthe judicial inquiry beyond its immediate concern.

In spite his many honours and accomplishments,Johnston retains a disarming humility and shirt-sleeved openness. Just ask his Mennonite neighboursor former students. He even participated in a rapvideo with some of them at Waterloo (but wore a tie!)

His lifelong tapestry of commitment to family,community and public service, are all now coming to-gether at Rideau Hall. As Prime Minister Harper saidat Johnston’s inaugural ceremony, the new GovernorGeneral “has been driven by the intense belief thatservice is not merely an option. It is a duty, an obliga-tion of the heart that honour compels a man to accept.”Public service runs in the family. His five daughters(two lawyers, one physician, one economist and one

Harvard PhD) are all working with government or teaching.So what can we expect from Governor General Johnston?His inaugural speech, outlining the goal of a “smart and caring”

nation ,offered a notional preview: support for families and chil-dren, reinforcement for learning and innovation, and encourage-ment of philanthropy and volunteerism. (The importance of familywas underlined when the horse-drawn landau delivered him andhis wife Sharon to the vice-regal residence after the installation cer-emony and several of his seven grandchildren also spilled out.)

It’s worth noting how often “smart”, “learning” and “innova-tion” recurred (underlined each time with a wave of his Black-berry.) Yet he becomes de facto head of state at a time when manypeople feel the government of the day is heading in the oppositedirection. Prime Minister Harper’s government has steadily down-graded evidence-based decision making in favor of credo. Inde-pendent or arms-length research and policy groups, such as theLaw Reform Commission, and the federal government’s threemajor research-granting councils, have been disbanded or finan-cially squeezed and social programs are being constrained.

So what influence will Governor General Johnston have in pro-moting his goals? His executive power is limited to protecting Par-liament and the possibility of designating or dismissing primeministers. But during our interview, he pointed to the observa-tion of Walter Bagehot, the 19th-century British constitutional au-thor, who wrote that “the sovereign, under a constitutionalmonarchy such as ours, has three rights; the right to be consulted,the right to encourage, the right to warn.”

It’s a fair bet that Johnston, with expertise stretching from thelaw to the environment to the economy, will seek to exercise allthree of those rights. The “best-prepared” governor general is thesum of his many parts and he may tread quite a different paththan his recent predecessors. B

Prior to his on October 1 official installation as Canada’s 28th Governor General, David Johnston (right), traveled to Balmoral Castle in Scotland for his first

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Serving as a military intelligence officer in a war-torn Afghanistan was an eye-opener for this young grad. He was surprised by what he learned about himself, the real value of his Queen’s liberal arts education,

and about the hows and whys of the war.

B Y S C O T T K E M P , A R T S C I ’ 0 2 , M P A ’ 0 5

So, what are you actually doing overthere?

That was the question I received mostfrequently from family and friends duringmy deployment to Afghanistan with theCanadian Forces. Not surprisingly, peoplewere curious to know how a soldier – inmy case an intelligence officer – put in thehours while serving at the Kandahar AirField.

An old friend from Queen’s was espe-cially amused when I told him that Ispent most of my time editing, usu-ally in the wee hours of the morning.My official title was Night Battle Cap-tain of the Kandahar Intelligence Fu-sion Centre (KIFC). My job was tosupervise a half-dozen intelligence an-alysts – Americans, Brits, and Cana-dians – on the overnight shift. Theywere responsible for producing adaily morning briefing on their re-spective area of our Regional Com-mand South, an area encompassingsix provinces in southern and centralAfghanistan. This area is the hotbedof the Pashtun insurgency and is oneof the most violent and volatile re-gions in the country. So, our report-ing was usually interesting, and weoften had to adapt to rapidly chang-ing circumstances on the ground. AsI was responsible for checking thequality of my analysts’ reporting, Ispent long hours poring over theirwork, editing it for accuracy, clarity,and style.

The reason my old friend found my fateso ironically amusing is that it remindedhim of our time at Queen’s and my defin-ing experience of working for The Queen’sJournal. During my time as News Editor(1996-97) and as an Assistant News Editor(1995-96) – pardon me if this sounds fa-miliar – I spent long hours reviewing thework of my reporters, editing it for accu-racy, clarity, and style, often in the weehours of the morning. So, it did seem to be

a funny coincidence that some 15 years later,my job as a professional soldier in a warzone could be so similar to my role as a vol-unteer editor of a student newspaper in thesheltered world of academia.

However, the more I think about it, themore I realize this may not have been sostrange or coincidental after all. The job ofa military intelligence officer and that of ajournalist are not so different. Both jobsobviously involve gathering information.

They also require a curious mindsetand demand a rigorous analysis offacts. Most importantly, effective pro-fessionals in both fields must havesound judgement about what is trulyrelevant and important. So, had mylife come full circle?

Certainly in a way it had. But Ithink my life came full circle in aneven more fundamental way. It was-n’t just because I was using criticalskills that I’d honed as a student jour-nalist, albeit in a more demanding en-vironment. Even more importantly,my time in Afghanistan led me to re-discover the journalist in me, and itreaffirmed the importance of the lib-eral arts ethos I absorbed at Queen’s,but that I thought I needed to putaside while serving in the military.

I enlisted in the Canadian Forcesin 2002, less than a year after the nowinfamous September 11, 2001, terror-ist attacks. The mindset I had at thetime was a simpler one, and one thatwas widely shared in society: western

■ ■ ■ O P I N I O N

Afghanistan?

realThelessons

of

Improvised explosive devices (ieds), a favourite weapon of the Taliban in Afghanistan,have claimed the lives of more than 150 Canadian

military in the past eight years and have wounded hundreds more.

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civilization had been attacked, and we hadto fight back.

That wasn’t wrong. I have no time forpacifists who believe our country, our val-ues, and our civilization are not worth de-fending. Individuals and countries havetwo choices when attacked: fight back orsubmit. And any society that would choosethe latter is not worth living in. As we allknow, we are facing a shadowy terrorist or-ganization, Al-Qaeda, whose raison d’etreis to attack the West, kill our people andoppose our democratic values of freedomand human rights. Fighting back was theonly honourable option; we did it, and wemust continue to do it. We have hunted Al-Qaeda’s leaders and operatives. We haveobliterated their training camps in theAfghan desert, which the Taliban regimehad sheltered. We have attacked Al-Qaeda’s influence andnetworks everywherein the world, and wehave achieved consid-erable success. Finally,we have also taughtpeople in Afghanistanand the Taliban thehard lesson: If you sup-port those who attackus, you will be pun-ished, too. I’m proudof how we’ve fought back, too. I’m proudto serve in the military of a country thathelped fight this battle.

In the Spring of 2003, I wrote a reflec-tive piece for the Review in which I talkedabout how joining the Canadian Forceshad opened my mind to the value of themilitary model. My experiences atQueen’s, and especially at The Queen’sJournal, in many ways had been the quin-tessential ones of a young person at a liberal arts college. I had strongly be-lieved in and had practised, self-expres-sion, and scepticism toward “TheEstablishment”, and had engaged in afree-spirited, student lifestyle.

However, some years later, after com-pleting my basic training with the Canadi-an Navy, I wrote about how I’d also come toappreciate the military values of tradition-al wisdom, authority, and, perhaps most im-portantly, order and discipline. Although Istill believed in our core Western values of

liberty and individu-ality, I no longer feltlike the irreverent student journalist ofmy youth. I’d becomea soldier, duty to mycountry was now myfirst priority. Dissentand critical reflectionstill had their place inCanadian society, cer-tainly, in universitiesand the media, butnot, I thought, in the military. Like my so-ciety immediately after 9/11, I wasn’t in amood to question; I was in a mood to fight.And, at that time, fighting back was what Ifelt both my society and I needed to do.

That was then; this is now.Almost a decade has passed since the

9/11 attacks. Our mili-taries are no longerprincipally fighting todislodge Al-Qaeda’sfoothold in CentralAsia. We are now fight-ing a localized insur-gency in southernAfghanistan while at-tempting to build a vi-able modern statethat’s capable of con-

tinuing this struggle after we leave. This isa different kind of mission and one whoseimportance to our country’s core interestswe can legitimately question. Debating theeffectiveness and wisdom of our alteredAfghan mission – which has now becomean exercise in so-called “nation-building” –is a valid and important dis-cussion in which I strongly en-courage our society to engage.Our universities and ourmedia have critical roles toplay in such a public debate.

However, I have also con-cluded that, even in my morenarrowly-defined role as a sol-dier, there’s still a need for meto think critically, independ-ently, and freely. And many ofthe questions I need to ask,even as a loyal soldier, can alsobe asked – and should also beasked – by the society I serve.

The war in Afghanistan isnot a conventional conflict. Itis a counter-insurgency opera-

tion. The goal in conven-tional warfare is simply todefeat the enemy. In thecase of a war againstglobal terrorism and itssupporters, this meansdoing the things webegan immediately after

9/11, that is, fighting terrorists and smash-ing their supporting networks. But the goalin a counter-insurgency campaign is morecomplicated. Get the enemy to stop fight-ing. Accordingly, the role of military intel-ligence in a conventional war is simpler,though not necessarily easier: Find out howthe enemy is attacking us so we can use thisknowledge to disarm and defeat him. Therole of military intelligence in counter-in-surgency is similarly more complicated:Find out why the enemy is fighting us so wecan use this knowledge to ultimately per-suade him to stop.

It has often been said that militaries tryto re-fight the previous war. That is, theyassume, often wrongly, that the methodsof their last successful engagement willalso work in the latest conflict. Military in-telligence has been guilty of this same fal-lacy in Afghanistan. Western militarieshave devoted many resources to trying tokill “bad guys,” disarm explosives, and

The author (middle) relaxing with colleagues at theKandahar Air Field (kaf) cafeteria. (By the way, all the

drinks are non-alcoholic. No alcohol is sold at kaf).

I became a journalist toask why. I became a

soldier to fight evil. It neveroccurred to me that theseproverbial diverging roadswould meet. But they did –

and perhaps that’s reallynot so surprising.

Lieutenant (Navy) Scott Kempin uniform and (below) as

he looked during his student days at Queen’s.

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disrupt insurgent staging grounds. Theproblem is that they have not devoted suf-ficient resources to understanding the peo-ple of Afghanistan by looking at suchthings as local economics, agriculture, de-velopment, demographics, politics, envi-ronment, and infrastructure. This was theconclusion of U.S. Major-General MichaelFlynn, Chief of all Allied military intelli-gence in Afghanistan, who published a crit-ical examination of his own militaryintelligence apparatus. (Fixing Intel: A Blue-print for Making Intelligence Relevant inAfghanistan, published January 2010, avail-able at: http://cnas.org/node/3924)

Most notably, Flynn’s paper actually pre-scribed that military intelligence personnelshould conduct themselves as journalists do.If they are to wage an effective counter-in-surgency campaign, soldiers will have tolearn to understand the people ofAfghanistan, embed themselves at the grass-roots level, ask poignant questions and re-port this information without fear or favour.

For me, this represented a stunningvindication of my pre-military career andprompted the realization that liberal artsvalues apply to soldiers just as much asthey apply to journalists. I became a jour-nalist to ask why. I became a soldier tofight evil. It never occurred to me thatthese proverbial diverging roads wouldmeet. But they did – and perhaps that’s really not so surprising.

For me, and for thisage, defending Westerncivilization against evilmeans protecting thevalues of the Enlighten-ment – reason, liberty,and individual rights –against what The Econ-omist magazine awayback in 1843 termed,“an unworthy, timid ig-norance obstructingour progress.” Granted,Al-Qaeda isn’t timid,but it is cowardly, andit certainly represents unprogressive ignorance.

My real lesson from my experience inAfghanistan is that there is always a needto think critically, independently, andfreely in anything you do – from obviousexamples such as journalism to not-so-obvious examples like serving your coun-try in war. I urge my fellow Queen’salumni to take up this challenge. Doingso will bring the value of your liberal artseducation to whatever you do. Even morefundamentally, it will also help advance,however incrementally, the values of ourcivilization and help create a world inwhich ignorance and cowardice do notprevail. To this end, as alumni we mustalso do our part to ensure that Queen’s re-mains a bastion of reason, liberty, and

critical thought. Do notallow any form of re-pression – whether it bepolitical correctness,corporate greed, biggovernment, religiousextremism, radical ide-ologies, or anything else– to extinguish this vitalspark. We need a uni-versity that teaches ourfuture citizens – jour-nalists and intelligenceofficers and everyoneelse – to ask why.

It is a tragic contradiction that theword Taliban is the plural form of Talib,which comes from the Arabic word for“one who is seeking knowledge.” This, ofcourse, represents a linguistic perversionof Orwellian proportions. Ironically, theAfghan Taliban militia originated amongstudents who had been educated in Pak-istani madrassas, religious schools thatoften impart a narrow, radicalized versionof Islam. However, these so-called stu-dents were not seekers of knowledge be-cause they already believed they hadfound the ultimate truth and were pre-pared to impose it upon their society bymurderous force. Rather than being criti-cal thinkers whose inquiry would advancefreedom of thought, they became blindfollowers of a worldview that aims to ex-tinguish any freedom of thought. The Tal-iban are, in fact, the very antithesis of trueknowledge seekers. However, their incon-gruous name actually does the world afavour, as it illustrates their fundamentalweakness, namely that any group as close-minded as the Taliban will ultimately berepelled and undermined by critical think-ing. It is their greatest fear, and it is ourbest weapon.

And so, thanks to the twisted mean-ings of an Arabic word, my life lessonfrom Afghanistan can be summed up insix words: Fight the Taliban, be a Talib. B

Lt(N) Scott Kemp, Artsci’02, MPA’05, is aformer News Editor of The Queen’s Journaland has served as an officer in the Cana-dian Naval Reserve since 2002. He is nowan intelligence analyst in Ottawa for the Canadian Department of National Defence.

Canadian soldiers from Stabilization A Company, part of the Kandahar ProvincialReconstruction Team, conduct a “presence patrol” in Kandahar city.

It is a tragiccontradiction that theword Taliban is theplural form of Talib,

which comes from theArabic word for ‘one

who is seekingknowledge.’ This, ofcourse, represents a

linguistic perversion ofOrwellian proportions.

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AR issue 4 - 2010 1/11/10 3:38 PM Page 30


B U L L E T I N B O A R D ■ ■ ■

Seeking reminiscences ofPadre LavertyPadre Laverty served as Queen’s Chaplainfrom 1947 to 1983. His daughter, LeaRutherford, Arts’70, is seeking storiesabout his life and career that she can sharewith her father. If you have a fond mem-ory of the Padre that you would like toshare, please send it to [email protected]. Stories already sub-mitted have been compiled in an albumwith photos of Padre Laverty at Queen’sand have been sent to the family.

At the Agnes Etherington . . .The following events areamong those scheduled for theAgnes Etherington Art Centrein coming weeks:

N O V E M B E R

ARTB ITES: “Curating, Conserving, andCollecting” is the theme for this fall’s edition of our informal art appreciationcourse. Join our director, curators and alocal conservator to explore these topics inour exhibitions, led by Public Programs Officer Pat Sullivan. Contact the Art Centreto register. November 11, 18, 25 @ 7-8 pm.

ART CENTRE TOU R

Community Docents give free guidedtours of current Art Centre exhibitions.(Admission to the Agnes is free for all onThursdays.) November 18 @ 12:15-1 pm.SEN IORS’ PROGRAM: TOU R AN D TEA

Jan Allen, Chief Curator/Curator of Contemporary Art, gives a short intro-duction to the exhibition New Canadiana,followed by a docent-led guided tour. Teaand conversation follow. Contact the ArtCentre to register. November 24.

D E C E M B E R

ART CENTRE TOU R

Community Docents give guided tours ofcurrent exhibitions. (Tours are free and admission is free for all on Thursdays.)December 16 @ 12:15-1 pm.

O N G O I N G

“New Canadiana: The Chancellor Richard-son Memorial Fund and Art as Social History”, August 21 – December 5.

Good months for this Queen’s rower Elizabeth “Buzzy” McCord, Artsci/PHE’07, and her teammates on the Canadian RowingTeam spend most of their time on the water, but now they want to be on bulletin boardsand refrigerators across Canada. “WE ROW – The Women of Canadian Rowing” is a 2011calendar featuring Canada’s top female rowers, who hope to compete at the 2012 Olympicsin London, England. Proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go to the athletes fortraining and living expenses. Elizabeth McCord appears in the photos for March and Sep-tember. Calendars are $20 each (including tax) and can be ordered online atwww.werow.ca.

ANNUAL APPEAL 10-11

Did you know Queen’s students are…

Discovering

Nurturing

Exploring

Making a difference�� Queen’s�

www.givetoqueens.ca

Elizabeth McCord appears in the calendar photos for March and September.

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AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 32


A T T H E B R A N C H E S

Awards, cheering, and some sad news

News from our Branches far and wide

University info sessions for alumni parentsIn September, the Queen’s University Alumni Association partnered with the Queen’sUndergraduate Admission office to offer information sessions to alumni in four cities.

In a session called, “University Admissions: What your child can expect”, AssociateUniversity Registrar Stuart Pinchin, Artsci’78, and Admission Coordinator Kevin duManoir, Artsci’04, gave alumni parents a broad overview of the university applicationprocess in Ontario.

While the Queen’s experience was used as an example, the presentation focused ongeneral topics to help parents and students prepare for the process of applying to anyuniversity.

This program was piloted in Toronto in 2008 and has been expanding ever since.This year, in addition to a downtown Toronto event, the information sessions were of-fered to alumni in Kingston, Ottawa, and Mississauga, Ontario.

Learn more about the Queen’s Undergraduate Admission office, and applying to Queen’stoday at queensu.ca/admission.

Atlanta Branch at Turner FieldBranch President Dave Osby, Sc’86, andCarolyn Serra, Com’92, director of theAtlanta Braves Museum and Hall ofFame, hosted local alumni at TurnerField to see the Braves take on the St.Louis Cardinals on September 10.

More than 50 alumni and friends, in-cluding Canadian Consul GeneralStephen Brereton, Artsci’74, and his wifeCarolyn attended the day-long event. Inaddition to the game, the day included atour of the Braves Museum and Hall ofFame, and a concert by MontgomeryGentry.

Barry Stewart receives JohnsonAwardBarry Stewart,Sc’64, receivedthe 2010 JohnsonAward from theCalgary Branchon October 28.

He was recognized for his leadershipin building a socially responsible energysector, his commitment to Calgary andto Queen’s, and his service to Canada.

Barry’s career has spanned more than40 years with various oil companiessuch as Imperial Oil, Petro-Canada, andSuncor Energy. He was the foundingchair of the Centre for Affordable Waterand Sanitation Technology, a Calgary-based not-for-profit engineering firmthat has helped more than three millionpeople in developing countries over thepast nine years.

David Brown, BA’76, LLB’79It is with great sadnessthat we announce thesudden passing ofNiagara BranchPresident, David Brown, on October 7. A former president of the Alma MaterSociety (1978-79), a Justice of the Peace,mentor, passionate sailor, musician, andstoryteller, David will be greatly missedby his many Queen’s friends.

Cheering on the Gaels in LondonThe revitalized London, Ontario, Branch hosted its first event on October 2. Alumnicame out to Western’s TD Waterhouse Stadium to cheer on the football Gaels in amatch-up against the Mustangs (which the Gaels unfortunately lost). Branch presidentDanielle Vanhie, Artsci’09, is looking forward to hosting her second event—a pubnight on November 18. Attending the football game were (seated, left to right): ChrisCampbell, Sc’92, MBA’98; Danielle Vanhie; Doug Dittmer, Meds’81; Lauren De Meester,MSc’10; Joey; Garrett Rodman, Artsci’05; Christine Cavers, Artsci’77, Ed’90; Bob Swart-man, Sc’53, MSc’60; George Cranton, Artsci’63, MSc’65, PhD’68; (standing left to right)Mel Atkins, Artsci’04; Mark Whitley, Artsci’84; and Pat De Meester, NMBA’05.

WELCOM E TO N EW BRANCH LEADERSMonica Dingle, Com’02, MontrealIan Lipchak, Sc’03, Peace River Region, bcErin McFarlane, Artsci/phe’04, Brussels,

Belgium

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 33


n n n A T T H E B R A N C H E S

NOVEM BER 30 • Behind the Scenes Tour at Queen’s Park. Explorethe “Pink Palace” from behind the scenes on a tour with theHonourable Steve Peters, Speaker of the Legislature. 6:30 pm.Details at events.queensu.ca or email Kathy Owen, Arts’67,[email protected].

U S A

ARIZONA

DECEM BER 2 • Monthly Pub Night. SunUp Brewing Company, 322 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix. 6 pm. Details at events.queensu.ca.

DECEM BER 4 • Annual Holiday Celebration. Come and celebrate theholiday season in Phoenix with Queen’s friends and their familiesand enjoy dinner and holiday cheer hosted by Mercedes Ballem.MA’79, and Jacques Giard. For more information, [email protected].

JAN UARY 6 • Monthly Pub Night. SunUp Brewing Company, 322 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix. 6 pm. Details at events.queensu.ca.

FEBRUARY 3 • Monthly Pub Night at SunUp Brewing Company.

FEBRUARY 2011 • A visit to Tucson including lunch makes this theperfect outing to visit with alumni living in the southern part ofArizona. Visit events.queensu.ca for details or [email protected].

WI NTER/SPR I NG • We are currently planning our winter and springactivities, so let us know your suggestions for future events. Visitalumni.queensu.ca/arizona or [email protected].

SNOWBI RDS • Please join us while you are wintering in Arizona. Welook forward to welcoming all Queen’s alumni and their familieswho are living in (or visiting) Arizona.

PORTLAN D, OR

DECEM BER 2 • Monthly Pub Night at Bridgeport Brewing Company,1313 NW Marshall, 6:30 pm. Contact Matthew Ginn, Sc’96, [email protected] for details.

JAN UARY 6 • Monthly Pub Night. Bridgeport Brewing Company.

FEBRUARY 3 • Monthly Pub Night. Bridgeport Brewing Company.

C A L E N D A R O F U P C O M I N G E V E N T SA LI ST OF U PCOM I NG EVENTS I N CANADA, TH E U.S . , AN D AROU N D TH E WORLD

C A N A D A

KI N GSTON, ON

JAN UARY 18 • Senior’s luncheon at the Donald Gordon ConferenceCentre. Details at events.queensu.ca.

JAN UARY • Trivia Night. Details at events.queensu.ca.

B RO CKVI LLE , ON

NOVEM BER 27 • Welcome the Queen’s Bands when they march inthe Santa Claus Parade at 2 pm. We will host a post-paradereception downstairs at St. John’s United Church, Park and KingStreets. Donations of food are welcome. Contact Cheryl Johnston,Artsci’01, Branch president, at 613-342-8688 or [email protected].

OTTAWA

D ECEM BE R 7 • Supper Club at El Meson, 94 Beechwood Ave. ToRSVP or for more information, email Sarah Langstaff, PhD’98, [email protected].

D ECEM BE R 16 • Monthly Pub Night at D’Arcy McGee’s (Sparks Streetat Elgin), 8 pm. Join your fellow Queen’s alumni for what’s rapidlybecoming a Holiday Season tradition. Email Wyler Pang, Sc’99, [email protected] for more information.

JAN UARY 13 • Back by popular demand: War Art Tour at theCanadian War Museum, hosted by Queen’s alumna LauraBrandon, MA’92. Visit events.queensu.ca for details or [email protected].

JAN UARY 20 • Monthly Pub Night. Visit events.queensu.ca for detailsor email [email protected].

F EBR UARY 1 • Supper Club. Visit events.queensu.ca for details oremail [email protected].

CON N ECT • For updated infomation and more details, check out thenew Ottawa Branch web site at alumni.queensu.ca/ottawa.

TO RONTO

NOVEM BE R 18 • 56th Annual John OrrAward Dinner. Join us as we paytribute to Chaplain Brian Yealland,MDiv’72. Windsor Arms Hotel, 18 St.Thomas St., 6 pm. Details atjohnorr.queensutoalumni.com.

NOVEM BE R 18 • Official John OrrAfter-Party. Join us for the onlyofficial after-party at the PeridotResto Lounge, 81 Bloor St. E. 9:30 pm. Visit queenstoalumni.comor email [email protected] more info.

ARE YOU ON TH E L IST?

Get details about these and other events near you by email.

Get on the list and stay up-to-date.

Email [email protected] or call 1.800.267.7837.

Chaplain Brian Yealland

AN

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MPA

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AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 34

Display yourQueen’s prideOrder Online:http://alumni.queensu.ca/merchandisefor our full selection of Queen’s alumni merchandise.

OR contact Alumni Relations with your name, address, daytime phone number,MasterCard or Visa or American Express number and expiry date, along withitem(s), size and colour.

Phone: 1.800.267.7837 (toll free in Canada and U.S.)

Fax: 613.533.6871 Email: [email protected]

or write to: Alumni MerchandiseAlumni RelationsSummerhill, Queen’s UniversityKingston, Ontario K7L 3N6

1

2

3

45

Product Information

1 Gold metal frameRed or blue double mat with gold inlay

2 Walnut finished wood frameRed or blue double mat with gold inlay

3 Satin cherry finished wood frameRed or blue double mat with gold inlayAlso available as a double frame (for 2 diplomas)

4 Mahogany finished wood frameCream mat with tricolour inlay

5 Diplomat satin finished wood frameRed or blue triple mat with gold inlayor, with red or blue suede mat withgold wood fillet.

All frames available in 11”x 14” Diplomasize, 8”x 10” Photo size, and 5”x 7” Photosize. Custom orders accepted.

Solid Maple Heritage Lamp, madewith solid maple hardwoods and a laserengraved seal. Black parchment shadewith gold trim. Stands 27" tall.

Armchair, solid maple with Queen’scoat of arms laser engraved on crown.Black lacquer finish with cherry stained arms and crown, and gold trim.Personalized message can be laserengraved on the crown for an addi-tional charge.

Assorted products in the officialQueen’s tartan, including scarves, ties and fabric.

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 35


■ ■ ■ Q U A A P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

It’s all about communityThere’s a lot more to the Queen’s experience than just a quality education –

the sense of community, for one thing.

B Y H E A T H E R B L A C K , S C ’ 8 0

As I embark upon my second year asPresident of the Queen’s University

alumni Association (QUAA) and my sixthyear on the QUAA Board, I remain proudof the University from which I receivedmy degree and have fond memories of mytime on campus.

While I was at Queen’s, it was my world– a microcosm of the “real” world. The re-alization that life has both happy and sadevents and that it is not always easy or faircan be difficult to accept. I experiencedthe challenging coming-of-age processwithin the strong and supportive Queen’scommunity. I wouldn’t have wanted to doit anywhere else. I believe our students oncampus today know that they, too, are partof this strong and supportive community.

My ties to the Queen’s communityhave played an important in my life. In theearly days after graduation, I was sur-rounded in Toronto by my friends fromschool. We continued to hang out to-gether. We joined gyms, went to ballgames, and entertained each other in ourfirst “adult homes”.

As I got older, other Queen’s alumni Imet at work or through friends became

friends, too. One of those friends, as Ihave written about before, encouraged meto join the QUAA Board. Another becamemy boss. A few have gone on road tripswith me. All have continued to enrich mylife in so many ways.

Being active on the QUAA Board, Ihave enlarged my circle to include currentstudents, some Queen’s parents, recentgrads, professors, other staff members,and, of course, fellow Board members. Icontinue to be challenged and supportedby my Queen’s community, and I feel priv-ileged to count many fellow Queen’s gradsamong my closest friends.

Extending and strengthening a broaderQueen’s community remains one of theQUAA’s key objectives. In that spirit, the

Queen’s��uMay 27-29, 2011

From Astronomy to Zoology, this weekend offers something for everyone!

Enjoy close interaction with Queen’s experts, and hear about their latest research.

Experience hands-on learning in a fun, relaxed setting!

Choose a full weekend package, a day pass, or selections from the à la carte menu.

Celebrating a special occasion or milestone? Give the gift of learning with a Queen’s MiniU gift certificate.

No Queen’s experience required!

See the programme at www.queensu.ca/alumniFor more information email [email protected] call 1.800.267.7837

Extending and strengthening a broader Queen’s community

remains one of the quaa’s key objectives. In that spirit,

the Board has refreshed its theme for the year . . .

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 36


Board has refreshed itstheme for the year to Con-necting 2.0 – another kick atthe same can, some mightsay, or an encouragement toalumni to interact, com-ment, and collaborate (inthe spirit of Web 2.0!). Weintend to reach out in a fewdifferent ways as we strive toenhance and make moremeaningful the alumni con-nection to the Universityand campus events.

Please let us know howwe are doing as we extend our AlumniCard distribution, continue our Thank-You Calling Campaign, hold our secondSummerhill Society reception, and en-hance our web pages.

There’s one especially important alumnievent that I would like to mention here.Our annual Alumni Assembly, was held onthe weekend of October 22-23. Alumnigathered on campus to connect, teach, net-

work, explore, learn, and celebrate their in-volvement with the QUAA and with theiralma mater. We also discussed ways to fur-ther develop and sustain our Branch net-work, viewed presentations on variouscampus activities and enjoyed our annualbreakfast with the Principal, which is al-ways informative and well-attended.

Our Gala Awards event, a celebrationof the Queen’s community, was held on

Saturday night. Some ofour most distinguishedalumni were honored. Forthe names of our awardwinners, please see page 32.

I encourage you to con-sider joining us in Kingstonnext fall, to take the oppor-tunity to reconnect with fel-low alumni wherever andwhenever possible, and tocelebrate the contributionsthe Queen’s communitycontinues to make toCanada and in the world.

I’m proud to be a Queen’s grad and tobe part of the Queen’s community, and Ihope you are, too. I look forward to seeingand meeting you at a Queen’s event in thecoming months or to hearing from you. Ialways welcome the opportunity to speakwith alumni at the Queen’s and QUAAevents that I attend, and I enjoy receivingemails at [email protected] Gheill! B

QUAA president Heather Black

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Because some of your best friendshipswere made outside of the classroom

M ay 2 7 – 2 9 , 2 0 1 1

Interested in planning a reunion? Contact us at

[email protected] or 1.800.267.7837

See www.queensu.ca/alumnifor the schedule of group and class reunion

plans for 2011

�

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:08 PM Page 37


n n n A L U M N I B O O K S T A N D

B O O K S H E L F

The secrets that lie within usToronto author James FitzGerald,

Arts’72, doesn’t believe the adage that“What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

The author of the critically acclaimednew book What Disturbs Our Bloodlearned early on that what you don’t knowcan hurt and can be self-defining. In hisown case, it was a family secret about men-tal illness that threatened to destroy him.

James is the scion of one of Toronto’smost prominent medical families. His fa-ther, Jack, was a high-profile physicianwho opened Toronto’s first allergy clinic.FitzGerald’s grandfather, Gerry, foundedtwo of Canada’s best-known public healthinstitutions – the School of Hygiene at theU of T and Connaught Laboratories – andworked alongside Frederick Banting andCharles Best as they discovered insulin.

The FitzGeralds lived what seemed tobe the charmed life of Toronto’s WASP elite.Young James and his brother and sisterwanted for nothing, at least materially. Yetthere was trouble in paradise. The author,now 60, told the Review, “I slowly becameas attuned to what my family wasn’t talk-ing about as to what they were.”

The truth was that both Gerry and JackFitzGerald were deeply troubled men. Thedemon of depression lived within them, areality that James alludes to in the title ofhis book, which comes from a line inWilliam Butler Yeats’s poem The Wheel(“. . .what disturbs our blood/ Is but itslonging for the tomb.”)

James was painfully aware that JackFitzGerald had suffered a nervous break-down in 1966, botched two suicide attempts,and lived out his life sedated and under psy-chiatric care, before dying in 1992.

Meanwhile, the son had his own

demons to wrestle with. He bombed out infirst year at Queen’s. When he was allowedto return for a second year, a Film Studiescourse taught by Prof. Peter Harcourtchanged his life, opening his eyes to hisown creative potential. James completed athree-year BA, did a one-year graduate pro-gram in Journalism at Western, and thenworked as a reporter for 19 years. However,like his mother before him, he was a frus-trated artist.

When James became a freelance writerin 1992 he began writing about what reallymattered to him. One such topic was thedirty secrets of life behind the closed doorsat Upper Canada College (UCC), which hehad attended in his youth, as had his fatherbefore him. James’s explosive 1994 book,Old Boys: The Powerful Legacy of UpperCanada College, prompted some formerstudents to come forward with allegationsof sexual abuse suffered at the school. This,in turn, led to the criminal convictions ofsome former teachers and prompted a suc-

cessful multi-million-dollar class actionlaw suit against UCC.

Next, James began delving into his owntroubled life. He explains that people werealways asking him why he hadn’t “mademore” of himself. He had puzzled over thesame thing, wondering why it was that he

seemed to “cultivate mediocrity.”Yet his gut instinct told him therewas a reason, one even he didn’tunderstand. It was only when he re-searched his own genealogy that hecame to understand what it was:Mental illness ran in the family.

James uncovered the secret hisstiff-upper-lip parents had nevershared with him or his siblings:

Gerry FitzGerald had killed himself in 1940. Determined to avoid the same dark fate

that had befallen both his father and grand-father (and a paternal great-uncle), Jamesnot only confronted his personal demons,he wrote about them. His journey of self-discovery took 15 long years to complete,but he now says all of the effort was worthit. The fruit of his labours is a remarkablebook that has won critical plaudits – re-viewer Steve Noyes of The National Posthas hailed it as “a fascinating, multi-layeredhistory of 20th-century medicine and a pas-sionate inquiry into a family’s tragedies” –and the book has been shortlisted for the2010 Writers Trust Non-Fiction Award,which carries with it a $25,000 cash prize.

However, whether he wins or loses thatcontest, James FitzGerald feels he has already won. As he recently told a Globeand Mail reporter, “If I hadn’t . . . done thisbook, I think I’d have drunk myself tooblivion or had ‘an accident’. Or maybe I’dhave faded into a lethargic stupor.” – K.C

Ian Burgham, Arts’73 (the Grand Prize win-ner in of the Review’s 2005 Well-Versed poetrycontest), has written his third book of poetry,The Grammar of Distance (Tightrope Books,$16.95). Ian is an adjunct Assistant Professor inthe Department of Family Medicine atQueen’s.

Ian Blumer, Meds’81, has his sixth book out: DiabetesCookbook for Canadians forDummies (John Wiley & Sons,$29.99). The book, co-authoredwith Cynthia Payne, includesmore than 100 recipes to help

food-lovers manage their diabetes.

Richard Cumyn, Artsci‘81,Ed‘84, has published hissixth book of fiction, TheYoung in Their Country andOther Stories (Enfield & Wizenty, $29.95). The youngoccupy a territory of theirown, a foreign land inacces-

Author James FitzGerald

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AR issue 4 - 2010 1/11/10 3:39 PM Page 38


n n n A L U M N I B O O K S T A N D

B O O K S H E L F

The secrets that lie within usToronto author James FitzGerald,

Arts’72, doesn’t believe the adage that“What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

The author of the critically acclaimednew book What Disturbs Our Bloodlearned early on that what you don’t knowcan hurt and can be self-defining. In hisown case, it was a family secret about men-tal illness that threatened to destroy him.

James is the scion of one of Toronto’smost prominent medical families. His fa-ther, Jack, was a high-profile physicianwho opened Toronto’s first allergy clinic.FitzGerald’s grandfather, Gerry, foundedtwo of Canada’s best-known public healthinstitutions – the School of Hygiene at theU of T and Connaught Laboratories – andworked alongside Frederick Banting andCharles Best as they discovered insulin.

The FitzGeralds lived what seemed tobe the charmed life of Toronto’s WASP elite.Young James and his brother and sisterwanted for nothing, at least materially. Yetthere was trouble in paradise. The author,now 60, told the Review, “I slowly becameas attuned to what my family wasn’t talk-ing about as to what they were.”

The truth was that both Gerry and JackFitzGerald were deeply troubled men. Thedemon of depression lived within them, areality that James alludes to in the title ofhis book, which comes from a line inWilliam Butler Yeats’s poem The Wheel(“. . .what disturbs our blood/ Is but itslonging for the tomb.”)

James was painfully aware that JackFitzGerald had suffered a nervous break-down in 1966, botched two suicide attempts,and lived out his life sedated and under psy-chiatric care, before dying in 1992.

Meanwhile, the son had his own

demons to wrestle with. He bombed out infirst year at Queen’s. When he was allowedto return for a second year, a Film Studiescourse taught by Prof. Peter Harcourtchanged his life, opening his eyes to hisown creative potential. James completed athree-year BA, did a one-year graduate pro-gram in Journalism at Western, and thenworked as a reporter for 19 years. However,like his mother before him, he was a frus-trated artist.

When James became a freelance writerin 1992 he began writing about what reallymattered to him. One such topic was thedirty secrets of life behind the closed doorsat Upper Canada College (UCC), which hehad attended in his youth, as had his fatherbefore him. James’s explosive 1994 book,Old Boys: The Powerful Legacy of UpperCanada College, prompted some formerstudents to come forward with allegationsof sexual abuse suffered at the school. This,in turn, led to the criminal convictions ofsome former teachers and prompted a suc-

cessful multi-million-dollar class actionlaw suit against UCC.

Next, James began delving into his owntroubled life. He explains that people werealways asking him why he hadn’t “mademore” of himself. He had puzzled over thesame thing, wondering why it was that he

seemed to “cultivate mediocrity.”Yet his gut instinct told him therewas a reason, one even he didn’tunderstand. It was only when he re-searched his own genealogy that hecame to understand what it was:Mental illness ran in the family.

James uncovered the secret hisstiff-upper-lip parents had nevershared with him or his siblings:

Gerry FitzGerald had killed himself in 1940. Determined to avoid the same dark fate

that had befallen both his father and grand-father (and a paternal great-uncle), Jamesnot only confronted his personal demons,he wrote about them. His journey of self-discovery took 15 long years to complete,but he now says all of the effort was worthit. The fruit of his labours is a remarkablebook that has won critical plaudits – re-viewer Steve Noyes of The National Posthas hailed it as “a fascinating, multi-layeredhistory of 20th-century medicine and a pas-sionate inquiry into a family’s tragedies” –and the book has been shortlisted for the2010 Writers Trust Non-Fiction Award,which carries with it a $25,000 cash prize.

However, whether he wins or loses thatcontest, James FitzGerald feels he has already won. As he recently told a Globeand Mail reporter, “If I hadn’t . . . done thisbook, I think I’d have drunk myself tooblivion or had ‘an accident’. Or maybe I’dhave faded into a lethargic stupor.” – K.C

Ian Burgham, Arts’73 (the Grand Prize win-ner in of the Review’s 2005 Well-Versed poetrycontest), has written his third book of poetry,The Grammar of Distance (Tightrope Books,$16.95). Ian is an adjunct Assistant Professor inthe Department of Family Medicine atQueen’s.

Ian Blumer, Meds’81, has his sixth book out: DiabetesCookbook for Canadians forDummies (John Wiley & Sons,$29.99). The book, co-authoredwith Cynthia Payne, includesmore than 100 recipes to help

food-lovers manage their diabetes.

Richard Cumyn, Artsci‘81,Ed‘84, has published hissixth book of fiction, TheYoung in Their Country andOther Stories (Enfield & Wizenty, $29.95). The youngoccupy a territory of theirown, a foreign land inacces-

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sible to nostalgia and regret, he writes. Inthese 13 stories, an assortment of exotic fledglings sends tremors through the founda-tions of the established world. For example,on the fringe of the Alberta tar sands, foursummer students interrupt a once-famousartist’s retreat from society, and a naive jobseeker shakes a frustrated insurance companyemployee out of selfish, middle-aged compla-cency.

Neil Dukas, Artsci’83, haswritten his second book onHawaiian military history,A Pocket Guide to The Battleof Nu‘uanu 1795 (MutualPublishing, U.S. $9.95). In1795, a great battle wasfought on the Island of

O‘ahu between the forces of Kalanikupule and Kamehameha. If Nu‘uanu had not turnedout as it did, Hawai‘i might never have beenbrought into permanent union and the archi-pelago would have advanced along very differ-ent lines. This guide to the battlefield includeshistorical background, maps, photos, and suggested vantage points. and an overview ofkey events. www.battleofnuuanu.net.

Toronto writer HeatherFraser, MA’89, is the authorof The History of the PeanutAllergy Epidemic (McMasterUniversity Innovation Press,$19.99). Heather, the motherof a peanut-allergic child, re-searched the appearance and

development of peanut allergies.

Matthew Hendley, Artsci’89, is a co-editor ofImagining Globalization: Language, Identitiesand Boundaries (Palgrave Macmillan, $103).This collection gives voice to the peoples andgroups impacted by globalization as they seekto negotiate their identities, language use andboundaries within a larger global context. Inaddition to co-editing the book, Matthew co-wrote the introduction and contributed thechapter, “Citizens or Consumers? – BritishConservative Political Propaganda towardWomen in Two World Wars.” Matthew is Asso-ciate Professor of History at suny College atOneonta, New York.

Marlyn Horsdal, Arts’64, has written her firstnovel, Sweetness from Ashes (Brindle & Glass,$19.95). When Sheila, Jenny and Chris decideto respect a deceased relative’s wishes and re-turn the ashes to the family farm, they begin ajourney that takes them from their present-day lives in Vancouver to a deeper discovery oftheir roots and the family’s past.

Sam Lightstone, Sc’91, isthe author of Making It Big in Software: Get the Job.Work the Org. Become Great(Prentice Hall, $24.99). Thebook discusses making theschool-to-work transition, advancing in a software com-

pany, and being an entrepreneur. He includesinterviews with well-known people in thecomputer industry, from Apple’s Steve Wozniak to Google’s Marissa Mayer. Sam is a program director for ibm Canada.

Ian Macdonald, Arts’49,has released The StarWeekly at War (Thistle Express, $80) – a collectionof magazine covers, ads,stories, and photos fromthe Canadian tabloid magazine from 1939 to 1945.

Published by the Toronto Star, the now-defunct Star Weekly was Canada’s mostwidely read publication in its day – reflectingCanadian events and issues the way Life magazine did for contemporary America.

Mary E. Martin, Law’71, has written herfourth novel, The Drawing Lesson (iUniverse,$19.95). The book, the first in a trilogy, exploresthe world of art and a clash between two famous artists. Mary’s previous works, The Osgoode Trilogy, were novels of legal sus-pense inspired by her own law practice.

Hugh Reid, Ed’73, has written The Natureand Uses of Eighteenth Century Book Sub-scription Lists (The Edwin Mellen Press, $65).The book examines the role of 18th-centurybook subscription lists and how the study ofthem may shed much light on the book trade,book buyers, and readers, and on the cultureof literacy (e.g. the number of female sub-scribers increased as the century progressed).The author teaches in the English Departmentat Carleton University in Ottawa.

Iain Reid, Artsci’04, has writ-ten One Bird’s Choice (Houseof Anansi Press, $29.95). Thememoir’s subtitle is “A Year inthe Life of an Overeducated,Underemployed Twenty-Something Who Moves BackHome,” referring to Iain’s

yearlong stay on his parents’ farm.

Don Schweitzer, MDiv’82, has written his second book, Contemporary Christologies(Fortress Press $29). The book is an introduc-tion to the work of 15 leading modern Protes-tant and Catholic theologians of our day,including the late Dorothee Soelle, Jon Sobrino,Rosemary Radford Ruether and Douglas John

Hall. The chapters explore the social context ofeach thinker and the voice of each on the per-son and work of Jesus Christ in the environ-ment of the contemporary world.

Jean Snook, MA’77, hastranslated into English GertJonke’s novel Der ferneKlang, now available as TheDistant Sound (DalkeyArchive Press, $14.95). A com-poser who has given upcomposing becomes increas-

ingly fixated on capturing a mysterious, eerie,distant sound that he soon equates with allthe things he desires most: the perfectwoman, the perfect city, and the perfect workof art. One reviewer called the novel “a darkand dense barrage of riffs and arias, as if theauthor tried to pour a free-jazz opera into themold of a 300-page novel.” Originally pub-lished in German in 1979, this work of experi-mental fiction is the second volume of atrilogy. Jean won the 2009 Austrian CulturalForum’s Translation Prize for her translation ofthe book. Jean was profiled in Issue #4-2009of the Alumni Review.

Rena B. Upitis, Artsci’81,Law’81, MEd’82, formerDean of Education atQueen’s and currently Professor of Arts Educationin the Faculty, has writtenRaising a School: Founda-tions for School Architec-

ture (Wintergeen Studios Press, $24.95). Theauthor says that if we take seriously the notionthat school buildings present students withpowerful messages about what society values,then school architecture needs to be radicallyre-thought. For 150 years now, she says,schools have been built without adequatelight, good furniture, inviting entryways, andgreen spaces. Schools that are aestheticallyand environmentally deficient sap the life outof students and teachers alike. This provoca-tive book makes the argument that school ar-chitecture, even more than curriculum,delineates what students will learn at school.(For more information on Rena Upitis, pleasesee p. 57.)

Words That Start With B(Scholastic Canada, $8.99),the debut Young Adult novelby Vikki VanSickle,Artsci’05, tells the story ofClarissa, who hopes thatgrade seven will finally be heryear to shine, but finds that

nothing goes as planned. Vikki writes aboutbooks for children and young adults athttp://vikkivansickle.wordpress.com.

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News from classmates and friends

• S E N D N O T E S T O :[email protected]

• U P D A T E A D D R E S S :[email protected]

• P H O N E :1-800-267-7837 EXT.33280

• O N L I N E E D I T I O N :www.alumnireview.queensu.ca

Unless otherwise indicated, dates in“Keeping in Touch” are year 2010.

KEEPING IN TOUCH NOTESQueen’s Alumni ReviewQueen’s University99 University AvenueKingston, ON K7L 3N6

K I C K I N G O F F A W I N N I N G S E A S O N

to 1959H O N O U R S

M A R C E L L U S ( O R M S B Y )In June, Catherine (Ormsby) Marcellus,Arts’43, received an honorary doctorate fromthe University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). Shewas honoured for her dedication to nurturingthe intellectual and cultural climate of hercommunity, Mission, BC, where she and herhusband Jim, Meds’46, have lived since 1947.In the 1960s, Catherine was co-founder of alocal Great Books program, through whichparticipants could discuss major works of lit-erature. Almost 50 years later, the group is stillgoing strong. In the mid-1970s, Catherineworked with a citizens’ group to convert theempty Mission Hospital into a communityservices building. This was the first tri-levelcommunity services building in Canada. Inthe 1980s, she was a founding member of the

The Queen’s Football Club inducted new members into the Hall of Fame at a dinner in October. Among this year’s inductees was the Vanier Cup winning team of 1968. Pictured here in this 1968 photo, Coach Frank Tindall looks on as Dr. Bill Campbell, MD’23 (and Captain of the 1923 team),holds the ball for a ceremonial kick-off by Canadian Football Hall of Famer and well-known sportswriter, Mike Rodden, BA 1914.

K E E P I N G I N T O U C H

Lifetime Learning Centre Society, whose man-date is to provide educational programing forthe intellectually curious of all ages. She advo-cated for a more significant university pres-ence in the community by actively supportingand campaigning for what became the Her-itage Park Centre, a facility that houses a sec-ondary school, a community theatre, and theUFV Mission campus. She continues to advo-cate for more university programing and pres-ence in her community.

F A M I L Y N E W S

G A L A S S O - E L L I O T T On June 4, Pat and Jan Galasso celebrated 50years of marriage, surrounded by family andfriends in Kingston, where they have livedsince Pat retired as a professor in the Facultyof Human Kinetics, University of Windsor. Itwas a real Queen’s event, complete with an OilThigh prior to blowing out the candles on their

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cake, which was decorated in red, gold andblue. Shown here are (l-r) Min (Jarrett) Elliott,Arts/PHE’55, Barb (Elliott) Black,Artsci/PHE’82, honorees Jan (Elliott) Galasso,Arts’59,PHE’60, and Pat Galasso,Arts/PHE’55, Linda Galasso, Artsci/PHE’86,Kari Galasso, Artsci/PHE’83, Nan (Elliott)Farwell, Arts/PHE’60, and former Gaels foot-ball coach Doug Hargreaves, Arts’55.

N O T E S

V A L L E R YThe Queen’s Master’s thesisof Hubert Vallery BA’41,MA’42, has been donated tothe Truth and ReconciliationCommission of Canada byHubert’s son, Doug Vallery,

Arts’73. The thesis, “A History of Indian Edu-cation in Canada” was added to the nationalarchives of materials on Canadian residentialschools for Aboriginal people. The Commis-sion was set up to examine operations in theschools, which operated from the 1870s to1996. (You can read more about the Commis-sion’s work at www.trc.ca.) Doug writes, “It isinteresting to note that such a dated piece ofhistorical research would be able to assist inthe benchmarking of ‘references available’ andstudent registration numbers in day and resi-dential schools almost 70 years later.” The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, the Chairof the Commission, thanked Doug for his donation of his father’s thesis, saying it was “aheartening reminder of the goodwill that ex-ists among many Canadians for the work thatthe Commission is undertaking.” He went onto say, “I understand that your father servedour country both as a soldier and as a teacher.You should be proud that his academic workwill become part of the national record.” Aftercompleting his Master’s degree in History, Hubert Vallery enlisted with the Hastings andPrince Edward Regiment and went overseas.He spent 16 months in Prisoner of War campbefore returning to Canada and beginning his35-year career in public education.

D E A T H S

A L L A NAlexander Arthur Allan, BA’46, BCom’47,died peacefully with his family by his side onSept. 29. Cherished husband to Kathryn for 59years; beloved father to Barb and Bev; lovinggrandfather of four. Alex worked at MooreCorporation for 47 years. His career took himfrom Canada to the U.S. to England, and then

Tribute to Dr. Charles SorbieEveryone who knew Charles Sorbie remembers a man whose en-thusiasm for life was extraordinary. A world-renowned orthopedicsurgeon with a passion for education, his many interests flour-ished in the Queen’s environment. Infinitely kind, generous andwise, he was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend andmentor.

Charlie was born in Hamilton, Scotland, the youngest of sixchildren. After graduating in Medicine at Glasgow University in1953, he trained in general surgery and orthopedics and becamea Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In Glas-gow he met the love of his life, Dr. Janet Wynne-Edwards. Theywere married in 1957 and had three daughters in Scotland. For atime they lived in Boston, where he was a Harvard Fellow in Or-thopedic Surgery. As Janet was born in Montreal and had family inKingston, they visited and came to love Canada.

Charlie accepted a Queen’s faculty post as Assistant Professor in the Department of Ortho-pedic Surgery in 1965, embarking on a remarkable career. He became Head of OrthopedicSurgery in 1967, full professor in 1973, and was Head of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief ofKingston General and Hotel Dieu Hospitals from 1984 to 1994. An ambitious innovator, Charlieestablished the Bioengineering Unit, now known as the Human Mobility Centre, where he developed the Sorbie-Questor elbow replacement and other devices. He served as Presidentof the Canadian Orthopedic Association and its Research Society. Then-Dean Duncan Sinclairwrote that “Nobody has set a higher personal standard of hard, unstinting and productivework for the benefit of his colleagues, patients, hospitals and University.” He is fondly remem-bered by generations of students he taught over the 45 years he was at Queen’s.

Charlie was President of the International Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology(SICOT) 1996-1999 and developed SICOT Training Centers around the world. For the past 12years, he headed the SICOT Education Committee and SICOT Foundation. He was a giftedspeaker with an exceptional sense of humour and lectured in more than 50 countries. His international colleagues lament the loss of “one of Orthopedics’ greatest educators” and describe him as “a true knight of excellence”. At a meeting of the Queen’s Senate in June,Dean of Medicine David Walker read in his tribute that “Dr. Sorbie’s efforts had contributedsignificantly to Canadian academic surgery’s international reputation.” A SICOT scholarship isbeing created in his name.

Charlie’s passion for the arts was well known. He had a vast knowledge of poetry, opera,theatre and classical music, which he shared with zest. To hear him recount an hilarious story,recite Shakespeare or play harmonica was pure delight. Charlie also loved to write and for thepast 10 years penned a monthly column of current or historical interest for the American jour-nal Orthopedics. These Blue Notes reflected his diverse interests and personal insight.

Family and friends were dear to him, and he greatly enjoyed life in Kingston. He and Janetwere married for 53 happy years. Janet (MSc’69) also had a rewarding career and was Profes-sor and Head of the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s from 1986 to 1991. Charliewas very close to his three daughters, Pamela, Artsci’80, Meds’84, Alison, Artsci’82, and Valerie, and his eight grandchildren. At Convocation in June 2009, Charlie hooded his eldestgrandchild, Jacqueline Stone, Artsci/PHE’09. Beautiful memories include annual summergatherings in Martha’s Vineyard and weekends at the lovely cottage Charlie built on LittleCranberry Lake.

Although Charlie retired from surgery in his early 70s, he continued to run busy clinics andenjoy his international activities. He played golf and was still an enthusiastic skier at age 78.This year’s annual trip with Janet and friends brought him to Big White Ski Resort nearKelowna, BC, where he tragically died after colliding with a snowboarder. Charlie was trulyone in a million. He will be profoundly missed by his family, friends and colleagues. A seminarroom in the new Queen’s School of Medicine will be dedicated in his honour.

– DR. PAM ELA STON E, ARTSC I ’80 , M EDS’84

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back to Toronto where he had started. In1993, Alex and Kathy retired to Tucson, AZ,where they spent many happy years travelingand enjoying friends, the warm weather, golf,and painting. They returned to Toronto in2008. During his time in Arizona, Alex was adocent at the Kitt Peak Observatory and was

an active member of the Kiwanis Club serv-ing his adopted community. Through his career and in retirement, Alex traveled theworld: Canada, U.S., South America, Europe,the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, but endedhis life back in his native Canada with hisfamily.

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A N D R E S S Gerald Andress, BA’44, died inWelland, ON, on Sept. 29, in his96th year. Predeceased by hiswife, Eleanor, and his son-in-law David Warrilow. Beloved fa-

ther of Joyce Warrilow, Artsci’64, MSc’67.Sadly missed by many friends and family, in-cluding his nieces and nephews, and threegrandchildren and eight great-grandchildrenin England. Gerald was a respected teacherwho contributed greatly to his local community.

B E A C H E YRaymond Beachey, BA’48, died July 10 inEngland, aged 94. He was an author, an histo-rian, and a member of the Royal Historical So-ciety. He began his career as an Africanscholar, rising to the position of Head of His-tory and Dean of Arts at Makerere Universityin Uganda before transferring to the Univer-sity of London. Returning to Canada, hejoined the History department at UWO in1969, retiring in 1980. His research on the history of East Africa received internationalacclaim. His books included The Warrior Mul-lah and A History of East Africa, 1592-1902.

B L A N C H A E RMarcel Corneille Blanchaer, BA’45, MD’46,Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba,died July 12 in Winnipeg. Predeceased by hisfirst wife, Fay. Survived by his wife and bestfriend, Audrey, his children, Susan and Carl,five grandchildren, and two great-grandchil-dren. He came to Queen’s in 1939 to study bio-chemistry. In 1942, he also enrolled in thenewly accelerated medical course offered toprovide doctors for the armed forces in WWII.In 1947, he was appointed a Markle Scholar innutrition research in the Faculty of Medicineat the University of Manitoba. From 1964 to1972, he was Head of the Department of Bio-chemistry. He continued teaching until his re-tirement in 1989, and was named ProfessorEmeritus in 1991. His research areas in clinicalchemistry and muscle metabolism resulted inmore than 60 publications. He was best knownas an innovative teacher. He developed numer-ous computer-based tutorials in biochemistrythat received international acclaim. This workwas acknowledged by the university’s Saunder-son Award for Excellence in Teaching and theEducation Excellence Award of the CanadianSociety of Clinical Chemists.

C O N L O NMary O. Conlon, BA’54, MA’57, died April 18in Brielle, NJ. She used her 1958 Marty Memo-rial Scholarship to complete her PhD at Columbia University, and taught there beforebeginning an extended career as the first female economist hired by Mobil Corporation,New York City. She was the first woman eligi-ble to eat in the executive dining room. Marywas an active member and former president ofthe QUAA Branch in New York City. Strong inher Catholic faith, Mary was also one of thefirst lay delegates to the Diocesan Synod of theArchdiocese of New York and became lifelongfriends with a group of people she met at theCatholic Alumnae Association during her firstyears in New York City. Going out of herapartment on Sutton Place in Manhattan,Mary would spend evenings assisting thehomeless and serving on the parish council ofher local church. She retired to the JerseyShore 22 years ago and joined VISTA (Volun-teers in Service to America) in 1990-91. Shecontinued volunteering at the FoodBank ofMonmouth and Ocean Counties, producingits newsletter, press releases and promotionalmaterials for fundraising events. In 2001 rockstar Jon Bon Jovi presented Mary with the“Real Hero Award” for her work at the FoodBank. Mary, the Conlon family genealogist,traced ancestors to Ireland and France. Shewas former treasurer of the Jersey Shore But-ton Society and a member of the Jersey ShoreButton Club and National Button Society, forwhich she produced a booklet on The Historyof New Jersey Studio-Button Makers. Mary issurvived by her brothers Robert Conlon, Sc’58(Tate) and Rev. James Conlon, two nieces, twonephews and three grandnieces.

F U R N I V A LGeorge Mitchell Furnival,MA’35, CM, FRSC, died July29 in Calgary. Dearlybeloved father, grandfatherand great-grandfather. Beginning his career as a

field geologist in 1927, he had a long and illus-trious career as a petroleum and mining con-sultant. As Director of Mines for the Provinceof Manitoba (1946-47), he drafted theprovince’s first comprehensive petroleum leg-islation and founded the Manitoba GeologicalSurvey. He was the author, in 1946, of Geologi-cal Survey of Canada Memoir 242, a standarduniversity reference text. For 28 years, heserved Standard Oil of California (Chevron).Teams under his direction made significantpetroleum discoveries in Canada, Trinidad,and Colombia. As Vice-President Explorationand director of various subsidiaries of thecompany, he oversaw offshore seismic anddrilling programs worldwide. He establishedhis own consulting practice in Calgary in1971. Later in his career, he worked in seniorroles for Brascan Resources, Western Mines,

A L U M N I N O T E S – T O 1 9 5 9

Daniel Soberman was one of law school foundersDaniel A. Soberman, Professor Emeritus (Law), LLD’08, died July 17 inKingston. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, MA’63; children David,Sc’81, MBA’83, Julia, Artsci’85, Law’89, and Gail, Sc’87; and four grand-children. He is also survived by his brother Richard.

Daniel was one of three founders (along with Stuart Ryan, LLD’91,and J.A. Corry, LLD’70) of the Queen’s Faculty of Law in 1957. His firstcourses were in Property and Contracts. He was also responsible forsetting up the law library. In a 1994 Alumni Review article about the faculty’s early days, Dr.Ryan wrote about his colleague’s indispensible work: “I wouldn’t have survived the first yearwithout . . .the constant support I received from Dan…Whenever I found myself at loss Iturned to him. He never failed me then or later.”

Daniel became Dean of the Faculty of Law in 1967, a position he held for 10 years. Underhis leadership, the Faculty established new initiatives including the Master of Laws Program,Queen’s Legal Aid, and the Queen’s Law Journal. He was a revered professor at the Faculty,where he taught until his retirement in 2001, at the age of 71. His students and colleaguesknew him as a man of integrity and civility, and as an enthusiastic and effective teacher. Hewas also a renowned legal scholar, specializing in both constitutional and corporate law. His1964 book The Law and Business Administration in Canada (co-authored with J.E. Smyth) isused in universities across Canada, and is now in its 12th edition.

Keenly interested in academic freedom and university governance, Daniel wrote an influ-ential study on tenure for the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), tracing itslegal basis. In 1997, CAUT awarded him the Milner Memorial Award for outstanding contribu-tions to academic freedom. A well-respected arbitrator and mediator in labour and humanrights matters, he also served on both the Ontario and the Canadian Human Rights Commis-sions. In 1993, he received a Distinguished Service Award from Queen’s for his outstandingcontributions to university life. In 2008, he received an Honorary Doctorate in recognition ofhis many contributions to Queen’s and the Faculty of Law.

A memorial service, attended by Governor General David Johnston, Law’66, was held atGrant Hall on October 17. Daniel was remembered as a wonderful husband, father, professor,and friend to generations of his colleagues and students. Longtime teaching colleague andfriend Don Carter, Arts’63, Law’66, said it well when he noted, “Dan Soberman is a personwho touched the lives of so many people for the better.” – AN DREA GU N N, M PA’07

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and Lathwell Resources. He received the Orderof Canada in 1982 in recognition of his initia-tives leading to the discovery of new resources.Other honours included the Petroleum Soci-ety’s Distinguished Service Award, the SelwynG. Blaylock Gold Medal from the CanadianInstitute of Mining and Metallurgy, the QueenElizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, Fellowshipin the Royal Society of Canada, and the Al-berta Centennial Medal.

H A L M ESulo E. Halme, BSc’44, diedMarch 31 in Baie D’Urfé, QC,in his 91st year. He leaves be-hind his wife of 62 years, Jean,and his children Dianne

Robinson, Com’70, Donald, and John, and hisgrandchildren Sarah, Rebecca, Lilian and Alex.Predeceased by his brother Toivo, BSc’38. Sulogrew up in Nipigon, ON, with parents whohad emigrated from Finland. His time atQueen’s was important to him, and he enjoyedhis class reunions. He worked primarily forMontreal Engineering Co., and with it traveledaround the world. In South America, helearned Spanish, his third language. He tookthe family along when he was posted to Indiafor several years. His final posting was PapuaNew Guinea. He passed on his love of the out-

A L U M N I N O T E S – T O 1 9 5 9

doors to his family with many camping andfishing trips and a cottage in the Laurentians.In his later years he was devoted to caring for Jean, who has Alzheimer’s, andmoved back to Montreal from Bath, ON, to benear family. He was always cheerful and willbe missed by many friends and especially by his family.

H A R T ( H A W )J. Leonor (Haw) Hart, BA’57, died July 6 inHamilton, ON. Predeceased by her parents,Eleanor and Leonard Haw, BSc’24, and her sis-ter, Sharon McNabb, BA’53. Deeply missed byher children Alan, Artsci’84, Law’84 (Jacque-line Garrity, Artsci’83, Law’85), Jocelyn,Artsci’83, Tim, and Paul, and eight grandchil-dren. In 1957, Leonor received the TricolorAward for her outstanding contributions tocampus life. She was also President of Levanaand editor of the Tricolor yearbook. Whileraising her children, Leonor worked as aneconomist for the Ontario government and asa systems analyst for the Royal Bank inToronto. Throughout her life, she cultivatedand shared her passion for gardening and gar-den design. She will be remembered for hersense of humour, her love of family, her com-mitment to her principles, and her desire tohelp, nurture, and support others.

H A Y N E SJ. Paul Haynes, BCom’58, died March 20 inOakville, ON. He leaves his wife of 50 years,Jean (Chamberlain) Haynes, Com’60, sons, J.Paul Jr. and Peter, and four grandchildren.After attending Harvard Law school, Paul set-tled in Oakville, where he co-founded and wasPresident of Tax Time Services Ltd., with Jeanas the company’s secretary-treasurer. For atime, he was concurrently Director of Finance,JP Haynes & Associates, Orangeville.

H O W ERobert Carleton Howe, BSc’55, died May 25at home among family in Simcoe, ON. Cher-ished husband of Shirley and loving father ofBrian, Nancy, and Terry, Sc’92. Bob spent hiscareer at Ontario Hydro. He enjoyed tennis,squash, golf, curling, and bridge.

K E L LYAlexander Gordon Kelly, BSc’58, died Aug.19 in Oakville, ON, a month after his 75thbirthday. Survived by Maxine, his loving wifeof 48 years; children Scott, (Susan (Sbrolla),Artsci’92), and Shannon, Artsci’93 (RiccardoStampatori); and six grandchildren who werethe joy of his life. Alex worked for the OntarioMinistry of Transportation from graduationuntil his retirement in 1992. He served inmany positions, including as Assistant Deputy

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Minister. He then worked in Hanoi, Vietnamas a consultant for ND Lea Consultants Ltd.for two years, followed by stints in India andSri Lanka. After retiring, he and Maxine trav-eled extensively across the four corners of theglobe. Alex enjoyed the adventure of it all. Heloved his golf and curling. A devoted Queen’salumnus, he and Maxine donated to Queen’sannually and attended the Sc’58 reunion everyfive years. He will be sorely missed by his fam-ily and friends, including Queen’s friends An-drew McConnell, Sc’58 (Marlene) and DennisMoyer, Sc’64 (Joanna, Arts’65), who served aspallbearers and gave touching tributes at Alex’smemorial service.

K E L LYMajor (Ret’d) Jeffrey Burritt Kelly, BA’51,died on Aug. 7 in his 87th year. He enlisted in1942 and served overseas with the 1st Cana-dian Parachute Battalion, a branch of theBritish 6th Airborne Division. On March 24,1945, he participated in the Rhine Jump, codename “Operation Varsity” , called the biggestand most successful airborne operation in history. Post-war, he came to Queen’s, graduat-ing in 1951. He re-joined the Army and foughtin Korea with the 1st Battalion RCR 1952-1953. He also served with the ICCS (the UNPeacekeeping Force) in Vietnam, 1973. In hisown words, Jeff was “a career soldier whoproudly served Canada and her Queen.” Hewas predeceased by his wife, Anna IsabelleCameron, and his brother Murray. Jeff wasthe loving father of Ritchie, Artsci’77 (JohnLawrence, Sc’75), Peter, Burritt (Kim), andRobert; grandfather of Wynne, Ben, Sc’07,MSc’10 (Rachel), and Mary Lawrence, and Jeffrey and Michael Kelly.

N I C K S O N ( S H A W )Jessie May (Shaw) Nickson, BCom’40, diedJune 5 in Ottawa after a defiant battle withALS. A stay-at-home mom during the earlyyears of her marriage, May was elected to Ottawa City Council in 1954. She was the firstwoman elected as an alderman on Ottawa CityCouncil, resigning after two terms in order toaccompany her husband and children to Can-berra, Australia. The family enjoyed four yearsand many adventures there before returning toOttawa, where May had a successful careerwith Statistics Canada. Following her retire-ment, May and her husband Rex traveled extensively, often as volunteers with the Cana-dian International Development Agency. Shealso remained active with the Ottawa Councilof Women and National Council of Women ofCanada. “Granny May” was the anchor in herfamily and was very influential in the lives ofher children and grandchildren. She taught allof her grandchildren to dive and to water-ski.She enjoyed playing cards, debating politics,and was never one to miss “happy hour” onthe verandah. May was competitive and veryproud of her independence. Diagnosed withALS at the age of 89, she faced challenges to

A L U M N I N O T E S – T O 1 9 5 9

Small county, big impactIt took Royce MacGillivray, Arts’59, almost three decades of research to produce his magnumopus, the 777-page Dictionary of Glengarry Biography. The book, which builds on his earlierworks chronicling other aspects of pioneering Glengarry County, is an invaluable source of in-formation for historians, genealogists, and area residents alike.

Glengarry is known for military heroes (including Glengarry Highlanders and the King’sRoyal Regiment), for brave Loyalist settlers, and for both the Catholic and Presbyterian faithsthat dared challenge the Anglican establishment, but Glengarry’s geography is less known,tucked as it is into the rolling hills behind Cornwall, ON, north of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Be-cause of Queen’s Scottish roots and the calibre of students “sent down” from Glengarry, it hasbeen said that the history of the two is inextricably linked – and MacGillivray’s book under-scores that fact.

Says Royce, “What was most surprising to me, even though it was always assumed thatGlengarry’s achievements were exceptional – especially when you consider its small popula-tion – is that Glengarry’s collective achievement is even greater than expected.”

Royce was a natural to write about these achievements. After all, he was born in Alexan-dria, ON, in the heart of the county, and he attended Glengarry District High School beforecoming to Queen’s in 1955. He went on to earn his PhD at Harvard in 1965 and then spenthis 30-year academic career as Professor of History at the University of Waterloo. When he re-tired in 1996, Royce moved to England. It was there that he began working in earnest on theDictionary of Glengarry Biography.

Although he had been compiling the research for many years prior, writing, fact-checking,and revising the book still took Royce the better part of 14 painstaking years. He wrote everyone of the 1,600 biographical sketches in the book, 185,000 words in total. That in itself is an

unusual feat, since most dictionaries of biography are written bymultiple authors, with an editor presiding.

Glengarry’s legacy is an astonishing one for such a small ruralcounty. Some of the many famous people whose biographiesappear in the Dictionary include William Lyon MacKenzie King,LLD 1919, who was Member of Parliament for Glengarry in the1920s before serving as Prime Minister, 1921-30 and 1935-48;George Samuel Horace Barton, Minister of Agriculture during theGreat Depression; and W. Clifford Clark, BA 1910, MA 1912,Queen’s Commerce professor, Deputy Minister of Finance (alsoduring the Great Depression), and the founder, with O.D. Skel-ton, of Canada’s public service; Rev. Alexander Macdonnell, first

Catholic Bishop of Kingston (the first English diocese in North America); George Sanfield Macdonald, first Premier of Ontario: a surprising number of National Hockey League players;novelist Ralph Connor; Sir Edward Peacock, MA 1894, LLD’41, a most distinguished Queen’sgrad who became a well-known British financier; plus a multitude of famous entrepreneurs,including J.D. McArthur and others of North America’s best- known railway builders.

As Royce notes, “A great many Glengarrians became famous in the early 1900s as railwaybuilders and contractors and terrific entrepreneurs. But Glengarry achievement fell off sharplypre-WWI, when American railway building came to an end. Glengarrians seemed to flourish inthe American Wild West.” But then, they’d had experience in what had been not long before“the Canadian Wild West.”

Royce found the time he spent researching and writing the book, which became practi-cally a full-time endeavor, to be “pleasant detective work.” He did the bulk of his researchfrom England, but to North America once or twice a year. His major sources of informationwere personal interviews, libraries, municipal records, and archives, including Queen’sArchives. The Dictionary covers the 230-year period from 1770 to 2000. The criteria for inclu-sion were that individuals must have spent some part of their lives in Glengarry or had an important link to the county.

Paul Banfield, MA’85, was one of the Queen’s archivists who worked with Royce over theyears, answering his queries about individuals who had both Glengarry and Queen’s connec-tions. “This book was a labour of love for Royce, and I know from my interaction with him thathe was meticulous in his research and would always double-check references and source ma-terial,” he notes. “This work will be an indispensable tool for anyone who is tracing their fam-ily and Queen’s roots in Eastern Ontario.” – L I N DY M ECH EFSKE

The Dictionary of Glengarry Biography, published by the Glengarry Historical Society in 2010,is available for $95 at www.glengarryhistoricalsociety.com.

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her mobility with fierce determination. Sheembraced new communication technologiesand looked forward each day to emails andonline visits from friends and family, evenafter the disease had stolen her voice. May waspredeceased by her husband Rex in 1997. Sheis survived by her sister Muriel Williams, herdevoted companion George Reynolds, herchildren Paul, Sc’71 (Mirna), Vicky, andDaphne, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

N O O N A NDaniel Edward Noonan, BA’48, died in Victo-ria, BC, on January 18. He is survived by hiswife, Frances, children Sarah and Michael, andthree grandsons. Daniel grew up in Kingston;his father was William Noonan, BSc1915. Heis survived by his sister, Mary E. (Molly)McLean, Arts’45. During WWII, Danielserved as a flying instructor and fighter pilotin the RCAF. He was awarded the Dis-tringuished Flying Cross. After completing hisstudies at Queen’s, he received his BDiv fromTrinity College, and became an ordained Anglican priest. He retired from St. John’sChurch in Victoria in 1986. He was keenly in-terested in peace and justice issues.

P A R D Y ( S T E R L I N G )Ruth Aileen (Sterling) Pardy, BA’44, diedJune 13 in Kingston. Predeceased by her hus-band, William J. Pardy, BSc’44. Also prede-ceased by her parents Aileen and JohnSterling, BSc’21, and her brother, Pilot OfficerDonald Sterling, BSc’43, who was killed on active service in 1942. Ruth is survived by herthree sons – David, Arts’71, John, andStephen, Com’81. Loving grandmother ofAmanda, NSc’98, and Sarah, Rehab’98,MSc’04. Ruth was a patron of the Agnes Ether-ington Art Centre at Queen’s, a longtimemember of the University Women’s Club inMontreal and Kingston, and a lifetime mem-ber of the Kingston General Hospital Women’sAuxiliary. She was a member of the LambtonGolf and Country Club in Toronto and theCataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston.

P E A R C EJesse Arthur Pearce, BA’38, MA’40, died Aug.1 in Collingwood, ON, in his 96th year, and onthe date of his 71st wedding anniversary. He issurvived by his wife Jean (Elsie Jean Cliff),Arts’39, his children Jo-Ann Gramlich (Tom),Bruce (Rona), and Margaret Palujanskas(Tony), three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. During WWII, Jesse worked asa research scientist for the National ResearchCouncil. Later, he worked as a chemist in pri-vate industry, researching the areas of foodsafety and packaging. Jesse wrote more than100 articles for professional and technicaljournals. He was listed in American Men ofScience and Who’s Who in the Midwest. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth IICoronation Medal for his community

three brothers to serve overseas in WWII.While stationed in England he courted andmarried Barbara, the stationmaster’s daughter.At Queen’s, Paul received a Tricolor Award in1949-50. He was also the 1950 editor of theTricolor yearbook. He had a diverse career inthe public service, culminating as Public Serv-ice Commissioner of the Yukon. Paul was aprolific writer, a social advocate and humanist,familiar to editorial readers of The KingstonWhig-Standard, and author of two books:Faith, Reason and Common Sense and MyCanada. In the latter book, he described hisstudent days. “During my third year atQueen’s, Don Warren and I wrote the librettofor Dr. Graham George’s opera Evangeline. Iproduced it; Dr. George conducted; ArnoldEdinburgh directed. Barb joined a group mak-ing costumes and (with others) dyed them in acopper ‘boiler’ on the stove in our small apart-ment, at the corner of Division and Clergy.Our opera played for three nights in the ball-room of the old LaSalle Hotel (on Bagot St.).…After four years at Queen’s, most of it spentin the New Arts Building and the Douglas Library, I graduated with a second-class hon-ours degree, and membership in the TricolorSociety. Not bad for a farm kid from Larkspur,who failed Grade XII and, after four years inthe army, was still waiting to get his first lance-corporal stripe.” In Paul’s memory, donationsto Queen’s would be appreciated by the family.

R O B E R T S O NLloyd Charles Robertson, BSc’59, died Jan. 12in Kitchener, ON. His memory will be cher-ished by his adoring wife of 49 years, DorothyHelen (Denard), their sons, Kevin (Linda),Darrell (Tonia) and Jeffery, his dear sister,Marion Louise Jenkins (Richard Dale), hisbeloved grandsons, Henri and Lucas, andnieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws, friendsand colleagues. Lloyd started his career withBall Brothers Construction in Kitchener, ON.Later, he was a partner of Lingwood/Robert-son Architects/Engineers, with whom he builtnumerous structures in the Kitchener-Water-loo area. In the 1970s, he set up his ownhome-based consulting business. He tookgreat pride in his designs of a number ofKitchener buildings, including the provincialcourt house and the old Kitchener City Hall.His last building design, in 2004, was for thegraduate apartments of St. Paul’s UniversityCollege. Working from home allowed Lloydthe freedom to spend time with his family andto travel. He explored much of Canada (in-cluding the Yukon) and the U.S. on his HondaGold Wing motorcycle. Lloyd was very activein his community, serving on a number ofboards and on his church council.

S C A N L O NJohn E. Scanlon, MD’58, died at home inChaumont, NY, on July 24. He was a Fellow ofthe American Academy of Ophthalmology

A L U M N I N O T E S – T O 1 9 5 9

contributions. After retirement in 1979, hespent many years enjoying his tree farm out-side Honeywood, ON.

P E S C O DJohn Edward “Jack” Pescod, BSc’48½, PEng,died in Cornwall, ON, on June 14, with hisfamily by his side. He will be lovingly remem-bered by his wife Barbara and children David(Rose Anne), Michael (Megan), and AnnePetroff, Artsci’75, Ed’75 (John). Jack was privi-leged to enjoy time with his super grandchil-dren – Laura, Jaimee, Mackenzie, Tori,Suzanne, Bobby and Peter – as they grew up.He is also survived by his brother Stuart(Eleanor) of Belleville. Predeceased by his par-ents, Harold and Clara (Hartle) Pescod, andhis brother Wallace. John served as a pilot inthe RCAF during World War II. He was em-ployed as an engineer by Domtar for 38 yearsand served for 18 years as an alderman onCornwall City Council.

R A M E L L AAmilcare Ramella, BSc’45, MSc’46, died June27 in Welland, ON. After completing his Mas-ter’s degree at Queen’s, Amilcare moved to theU.S. He joined Mobil Oil as a chemical engi-neer in its Process Development department,where he was credited with several patentedinventions. During his time with Mobil, hetraveled to many of their refineries in LatinAmerica, the Middle East, Indonesia, Australiaand Europe, where he was a valued ‘problemsolver.’ He spent most of his adult life living inWoodbury, NJ. After retirement, he returnedto live in Welland, a city he always loved. Hewas an almost daily visitor to the Welland Li-brary, where he “surfed the net,” keeping trackof his friends in Woodbury and looking up ar-ticles on politics and finance. Amilcare was akind, caring, compassionate person with aninquiring mind. He was a good example to hisfamily. He was interested in their lives andsupported their endeavours as they progressedthrough school, university and marriages.Throughout his lifetime, he loved and caredfor several cats, all of them named “Chippy.”He was a devout Catholic, attending mass fre-quently. He will be sadly missed by all whoknew him.

R O D D I C KPaul Monroe Roddick, BA’50,died Aug. 9 in Kingston, ON.Predeceased by his wife Bar-bara and daughter Jackie,BA’69; by his parents Aaron,BA 1906, and Annie May; and

by brothers Dougall and John and sisters Luraand Jean. Beloved father of Paul, David, Bar-bara Kemme, Daphne Arsenault (David) andMichael (Michele) and daughter-in-law JennyTrapnell. Cherished grandfather of 11. Paulenjoyed a fulfilling and truly Canadian life –growing up on an Alberta homestead duringthe Depression and volunteering with his

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and an ophthalmologistin Watertown from 1962until his retirement in1991. He served as med-ical director of the Com-munity AlcoholismCenter, as president ofthe medical staff atMercy Hospital, as chief

of Ophthalmology at Mercy Hospital and theHouse of the Good Samaritan, Watertown,and as a volunteer physician-ophthalmologistfor Remote Area Medical (RAM of Canadaand RAM USA). His RAM service extended toGuyana, South America, Tanzania, and Ban-deh Aceh, Indonesia, as well as to underservedareas of the southern and western U.S. From1991 to 2001 he was a mentor-in-residence atQueen’s. He served on the University Council(2004-2010), and was class vice-president ofMeds’58. Predeceased by his first wife, Betty,in 1998, John is survived by his wife Sally, twochildren, three grandchildren, and manymembers of his extended family.

S C O T TA. Gordon Scott, BCom’51, died in his 84thyear on Sept 13 in Oakville, ON. Cherishedhusband for 60 years of Doreen (Pranschke),Arts’48; loving father of Frank, Christine,Artsci’76, and Paul, Sc’81; and doting grandfa-ther to James, Jenny, Julie and Jackie. Queen’sfriends and fellow Stone Frigate residents willremember Gord for his rapier wit and sharpintellect. Both served him well through lifeand a long career with BA/Gulf/PetroCanadain Information Technology. Memories sent [email protected] would be gratefullyreceived by his family.

S M E L K OJoe Smelko, BSc’54, MSc’56, died with hisfamily by his side on July 10 in Cornwall, ON,aged 79. Joe, along with George Miller, JoelMazer, and Jim Smeltzer, made up the “fear-some foursome” in Engineering ChemistrySc’54. Joe had a very successful career as a re-search engineering chemist, working into his78th year. He has several container closure

patents to his name. Known forinnovation in both work andlife, Joe was an engineer to thevery end. While undergoingchemotherapy treatments, itwas not unusual for a nurse or

doctor to ask if by any chance he was an engi-neer when Joe would pull out his folder ofgraphs and diagrams. He would laugh quietlyand respond with a smile that Yes, as a matterof fact, he was. He is survived by his first wife,Liz McDonald, Arts’54, children Mary,Artsci’78, Ed’79, Joey, Sc’79, Lee Ann,Artsci’85, and Mark, Sc’85. Joe is also survivedby two grandchildren, Scotti and Carli, who juststarted her first year at Queen’s this September.Joe’s brother Albert is his sole surviving sibling.

S M I L E YRobert Kennedy “R.K.” Smiley, MD’46, diedin Ottawa on June 22. Predeceased by his wifeLawrie. Devoted father of three and grandfa-ther of four. R.K. was Emeritus Professor ofMedicine at the U of Ottawa. He was admiredas a gifted teacher, an astute clinician, an in-sightful and compassionate doctor, and an un-yielding administrator whoforever remainedtrue to his principles. He had a long and fruit-ful career at Ottawa, including three terms asHead of Medicine. He was instrumental in thebuilding of patient-care clinical services andteaching facilities at the university. He mod-ernized hemophilia care, launching studiesthat proved, for the first time, the feasibility ofhome care, thus liberating patients from fre-quent hospital visits. In 1971, as the first Presi-dent of the Canadian Hematology Society, hebegan the process that transformed a privatelyoperated transfusion service to a nationwide,publicly funded blood program.

S P I T T L E John Arthur “Jack” Spittle, BSc’50, PEng,died in Niagara Falls, ON, on May 27. Sur-vived by his loving wife of 57 years, Brenda,son Rod, daughter Nancy and their families.At Queen’s, Jack was a member of the golf andfootball teams. He worked for Niagara Collegefor 26 years, retiring in 1990. He remained an

avid golfer, and was a co-founder of the Willo-Dell Golf Club. He was always extremelyproud to be a Queen’s-educated engineer.

T H O M P S O N Trevor James Guy Thompson,MD’50, died at home inKingston, ON, surrounded byhis loving family, on Sept. 7, aged85. Beloved husband of 55 years

to Patricia O’Meara. Loving and proud fatherof Ivan (Brenda), Mark (Bernadette), Sean,Artsci’83 (Karen), Philip (Mary Helen) andDavid (Jenifir). Proud grandfather of 16 andgreat-grandfather of two. Dear brother of Eliz-abeth, Anne Louise and Bruce and prede-ceased by his sister Jane. After studyingTropical Medicine in Portugal and earning adiploma from the Institute of Tropical Medi-cine, Trevor worked as a medical missionaryfor six years in Kenya. Back in Canada, he hada thriving family practice in British Columbiaand then in Ontario (King ston and KGH). Hehad a full and rewarding life, enjoying his fam-ily and his church. He was a life member andPaul Harris Fellow of Rotary International andan Associate Member of Kin Canada. He willbe deeply missed by his family, many friendsand colleagues.

T R A Y N E RJohn Hampson Trayner, BSc’56, died May 26in Winchester, ON. Throughout his career, heworked for Casco in Cardinal, retiring in 1994.He loved the outdoors, was an avid fisherman,and also a dedicated family man who greatlyenjoyed his five grandchildren. Survived by hisloving wife Doris, three children, and fivegrandchildren, and by his brother William andsister Helen.

V A R C O ERobert F. Varcoe, BA’53, BSc’58, died Jan. 23in Ottawa. Robert was the son of former fed-eral Deputy Minister of Justice Frederick PercyVarcoe, LLD’57. Also predeceased by hisbrother John, BCom’53.

W E B S T E RIan Campbell Webster, BSc’57, died inBrockville, ON, on July 12. Dear son of the lateAgnes and Arthur A. Webster, BSc’20. Cher-ished companion and best friend of SandraUrban. Loving father of Scott, Lynne Abele,and Dawn Songui. Proud grandfather of six.Dear brother of Charles, Sc’43 (Anna), Hubert, Arts’53, MA’54 (Constance, Arts’53),Heather Humphries, Arts’62, and Monica,Arts’59. Also remembered by many nieces,nephews and friends.

1960sH O N O U R S

M O R T O NEarle C. Morton, Sc’66, has been inductedinto the American Society of Agricultural and

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A golden celebrationMembers of Meds’63 and theirwives gathered in CarryingPlace, ON, this summer to cele-brate the 50th wedding anniver-sary of classmate Bob Vaughanand his wife Lois. Pictured hereare Don and Bev Pringle, Herband Gayle Hayes, Arthur andMary Moody, Bob and Lois Vaughan, Joan and Dave Skene, Pat and John Taylor, Linda and BalMount. Also in attendance were John and Ann McKinney and Merv and Marie Connery.

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Biological Engineers as a Fellow. He was hon-oured for his outstanding accomplishments inthe development of agricultural machineryproducts and for his leadership in the writingand implementation of safety standards for the agricultural industry. Earle is productsafety manager at AGCO Corporation inOakville, ON, where he is responsible forproduct safety and standards compliance over-sight for all wheeled tractors sold by AGCO inNorth America.

W E A V E RIn June, John Weaver, Arts’69, received theFrançois-Xavier Garneau Medal from theCanadian Historical Association. Given everyfive years for the most outstanding contribu-tion to historical studies by a Canadian, theaward for 2003-2008 recognized John’s bookThe Great Land Rush and the Making of theModern World, 1650-1900. The award panelcalled the book “a path-breaking work ofglobal history, offering exceptional insightsinto the formation of modern nations and atti-tudes.” Currently, John writes on NewZealand’s social and medical history. Usingcoroners’ inquests from Australia and NewZealand, his most recent book is A Sadly Trou-bled History: The Meanings of Suicide in theModern Age. He is Messecar Professor of His-tory at McMaster University.

I N T H E N E W S

W E L L A RIn June, Barry Wellar, Arts’64, was profiled inthe Ottawa Citizen in the article “Roadsscholar takes stand for pedestrian safety,” anaccount of his post-academic career as anurban transportation consultant. He is oftencalled upon as an expert witness in court casesinvolving urban planning and traffic flow.Barry is an Emeritus Professor of Geography atthe University of Ottawa.

J O B N E W S

A N N I SPeter Annis, Arts’68, Law’71, has been ap-pointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Jus-tice of Ontario (Ottawa). Prior to hisappointment, he was a sole practitioner in

Ottawa and chaired the Canadian Artists andProducers Professional Relations Tribunal.

N O T E S

A L L A NJames Allan, MSc’63, has been appointed toForum Uranium Corporation’s AdvisoryBoard. Jim will counsel Forum on new rareearth acquisition opportunities and advise onthe upcoming exploration program on its Nutaaq rare earth discovery in Nunavut.

D E A T H S

B A L LPhyllis Ball, BA’62, died in Ottawa on June 7.Dear sister of Joyce Fels (Robert, Sc’51), andWayne (Louise). Predeceased by her sisterJune Gillett. Much-loved aunt and great-aunt.Growing up in the Depression and throughwartime made it essential for Phyl to get herteacher certificate after high school and getright down to work to support herself. Want-ing more, she enrolled at Queen’s. She tookfour years of correspondence courses andthree years of summer school to obtain herBA. Phyl then explored the world, literally. Shegot her pilot’s licence and flew her own plane.She bought a professional telescope withwhich to explore the universe. She traveled ex-tensively (Britain, Europe, the Middle East,and South America) with three great friendswhom she met at Queen’s Summer School. She

was also a great teacher and was proud toknow that she taught more than 1,000 childrento read and write during her career at Glad-stone Public School in Cornwall, ON.

L O N GEdmond A. Long, BSc’68, died suddenly onAug. 9, aged 66. He was predeceased by hiswife, Susan Cheshire, BA’47, four years earlier.Ed had a successful career as a chemical engi-neer that took him across Canada and fromthe UAE to Kazakhstan, in positions up toGeneral Manager and Vice President. Survivedby his children, Vanessa, Sc’96, and Darryl,Sc’98.

F O R R E S TWilliam James Forrest, MD’63, MSc’65, Pro-fessor Emeritus of Anatomy, Queen’s Faculty ofMedicine, died July 31 in Kingston. Devotedand deeply loved husband of Marilyn Castle.He will be greatly missed by his three children:Jeffrey, Artsci’89 (Nadia); Jane Keevil,Artsci’89, Ed’90 (Dave, Sc’90); and Alison Begora, Artsci’93, Ed’94 (Andrew). Beloved“grandpa” of six. A faithful member of the BayPark Baptist Church, he was a man of integrity,grace and compassion.

1970sH O N O U R S

D A H L B YThe CanadianEconomics Asso-ciation awardedBev Dahlby,MA’74, the 2010Doug Purvis Memorial Prizefor his article

“Once on the Lips, Forever on the Hips: ABenefit-Cost Analysis of Fiscal Stimulus inOECD Countries.” The $10,000 prize, one ofthe most prestigious in economic policy, isgiven by the Purvis Foundation to the authorof “a highly significant, written contribution toCanadian economic policy.” The award was

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 6 0 s

Queen’s paddlersIn August, this group of Queen’s grads took afive-day canoe trip in Wabakimi Park in North-western Ontario. Pictured here (seated) are:Paul Blanchard, Arts’70, Law’75, GeorgeThomson, Arts’63, Law’65, Barb McIsaac,Law’73, Janet Bradley, Arts’73, Law’75, JeffreySimpson, Arts’71, Judy Beaman, Arts’72,Law’75, Cathy Aitken, Law’73, and Nick Busing, Meds’72. Wendy Bryans, Arts’72, andEd McIsaac, Arts’73 are standing.


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Lakeside reunion These ’66 to ’68 alumni held their annual Queen’s reunion at the Johnstoncottage on Papineau Lake, ON, in Sep-tember. In the back row: Bob Zacour,Jamie Johnston, Bonnie (Cox) Zacour,Bruce McNeely, Gord McCay, Judy(Ritchie) Martin, Robb Martin, Maureen(Roberts) McCay, David Baldock, Sheila(Dymond) Fawcett, Barry Fawcett. Inthe front row: Donna (Carson) McNeely(Carson), Nancy Baldock, Joy (Ritchie)Johnston.


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established in 1994 in memory of DougPurvis, a distinguished Professor of Econom-ics at Queen’s who died in an accident whilevacationing. Bev is Professor of Economics atthe U of Alberta and Fellow in Residence atthe C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto. You canread his winning article at http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/backgrounder_121.pdf. Photo: awardwinner Bev Dahlby (left) with Jaime Purvis,Artsci’95, president of the Purvis Foundation.

S I R E T TMark Sirett, Mus’75, was honoured recentlyby the Association of Canadian Choral Com-munities (ACCC). He received the 2010 awardfor Outstanding Choral Work for his composi-tion The Stars Point the Way, based on a poemby Wendy Jean Maclean, Arstci’77, MDiv’97.The work was commissioned by the CantilonChoirs of Edmonton. The Cantabile Choirs ofKingston, under the artistic direction of Dr.Sirett, received an ACCC award for Outstand-ing Choral Event for their 2009 concert BrownEagle, Black Raven, a celebration of aboriginalmusical traditions. Appearing in the concertwas Nukariik, the Inuit throat-singing sistersKathy and Karin Kettler, Ed’98.

J O B N E W S

A N N I SPeter Annis, Law’71. See 1960s Job News.

B A R B A R E EIn September, Howard Barbaree, PhD’74, be-came Interim Vice-President of Research andAcademics for the Mental Health Centre atPenetanguishene (MHCP). After working asthe clinical director of the Centre for Addic-tion and Mental Health (CAMH) Law andMental Health Program in Toronto for morethan ten years, he was recently named thatprogram’s Provincial Projects Director. He willcontinue in this role while working part-timefor both MHCP and CAMH. Howard beganhis academic career at Queen’s, where he

taught in the departments of Psychology, Psy-chiatry, and Urology.

B E C KStewart Beck, Artsci/Phe’75, MBA’79, hasbeen appointed Canadian High Commissionerto India, with concurrent accreditation as Am-bassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan. Prior tothis appointment, he was Consul General ofCanada in San Francisco.

C O L L I N SIn August, David B. Collins,Artsci’75, was appointedCanadian High Commissionerto Kenya, Uganda andRwanda; Ambassador to Bu-rundi, Eritrea and Somalia;

and Permanent Representative to the UN Or-ganizations based in Nairobi. This is his fourthtour as a head of mission. His previous tourswere in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova(1998-2000), Pakistan (2005-2008), andMalaysia (2008-2010). He has served exten-sively overseas in other locations including theU.S., Poland, Turkey, NATO, and Korea. Davidis joined in Nairobi by his wife Jacquie, a pae-diatric occupational therapist. Their adult sonNicholas is a serving army officer in Canada.David takes over the Kenyan post from RossHynes, MPA’80.

F I N L A YRoger Finlay, Mus’78, Ed’79, retired from hiscareer as a high school music teacher in June.Over the last 31 years, he has taught inFreeport, Bahamas, in Stettler, AB, and atLasalle S.S. in Sudbury, ON. He won the PrimeMinister’s Award for Community Service andthe Excellence in Teaching Award from theRainbow District School Board in Sudbury. Hewrote and adapted more than 40 compositionsfor the Music Department and created manyscripts for his Drama classes. He spent the lastseven years as Program Leader for the Arts at

Lasalle. Roger now has a new career, teachingTheatre in Education at Laurentian Univer-sity’s Theatre Department. He is also writingand teaching a new two-year course in MusicalTheatre, starting this winter. Roger is the prin-cipal double bass player for the North BaySymphony. He has also played with the SaultSte. Marie, Timmins, and Sudbury symphonies.

M A C V E I G HJ. Garfield MacVeigh, Sc’72, is President andCEO of Constantine Metal Resources Ltd., anexploration stage company engaged in the exploration and development of a polymetallicmassive sulphide exploration property inAlaska. A founding member and former Presi-dent and CEO of Rubicon Minerals Corpora-tion, Garfield is currently a director and VicePresident of Exploration for Paragon MineralsCorporation, a Newfoundland-focused com-pany that was formed through the spinout ofRubicon’s Newfoundland property assets.

T Y R R E L LD. Lorne Tyrrell, PhD’72, OC, was recentlynamed founding Director of the Li Ka ShingInstitute of Virology at the University of Alberta. Dr. Tyrrell was instrumental in thedevelopment of the first licensed oral antiviraltherapy for hepatitis B virus. He has receivednumerous awards in recognition of his work,including the Prix Galien Canada, the GoldMedal of the Canadian Liver Foundation, theFrederic Newton Gisborne Starr Award of theCanadian Medical Association, and the princi-pal award of the Manning Innovation Awards.He was named an Officer of the Order ofCanada in 2002.

F A M I L Y N E W S

A B B O T TJohn Abbott, Com’72, and his wife Laurie

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 7 0 s

Letters from the pastIn October, an article in an Orillia, ON,newspaper told the story of a man whohad been looking for the owner of a silverbox of letters and mementos that hefound in a house slated for demolition.The man kept the box for two years be-fore turning to the newspaper to help findits rightful owner. The box containedmore than 40 letters written from ScottBurwell to Karen Odendahl between1973 and 1976. The last letter in the boxmentioned how glad Scott was that Karenwould be moving to Kingston, where hewas a student at Queen’s. After the storyran, Scott Burwell, Artsci’77, Meds’81,was inundated with emails from friends.The box of letters has now been returnedto Scott and his wife of 33 years, Karen(Odendahl) Burwell, Artsci’77, Ed’78.


Victoria Hall friendsfor 40 yearsIn August, these Victoria Hall alumnae gath-ered at a cottage on PEI to celebrate 40years of friendship. Pictured here are BevMoir, NSc’74, Ginny (Macken) Ross,Arts’73, Joni (Murray) Mustard, Arts’73,Ed’74, Mandy (Taylor) Thomson, Artsci’74,Sue (Butler) Woeller, Arts’73, Ed’75, andJoan (New) Decarie, Arts’73, Ed’74. “Always in our hearts,” writes Sue, “areclassmates Jo Eades, BNSc’75, and Maryann(McIlmurray) Porter, BA’73.”

The eight friends met in the fall of 1970,when Sue was a proctor on 2E at Vic Hall and the others were starting their first year. TheirEast Coast reunion was filled with story-telling and a few toasts to their Queen’s days.


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(Gauchie), Arts’71, sent usgreetings from Cape Hornwith this photo taken thissummer. On their three-week cruise, they visitedBrazil, Argentina,Uruguay, the Falkland Is-lands, Antarctica and

Chile. They also welcomed their first grand-child, Katharina Marie Leeb, who lives withher parents in Aberdeen, Scotland. John isnow heading up his own management consult-ing company and Laurie still teaches part-timeat Alberta Bible College.

D E A T H S

K O S K IRoderick William “Rick” Koski, BA’74, ofWhitecourt, AB, died on June 11, after a briefillness. Rick will always be loved and remem-bered by his mom, Roseanna, Arts’52, and hissisters, Victoria “Tori” Jantzi, Artsci’75(David), Diana Robertson (Bill), andKatharine Koski (David MacDonald). Prede-ceased by his dad, George William “Bill”Koski, BA’53, BA/PHE’54, in 1992. Rick playedfootball for the Golden Gaels. After receivinghis history degree from Queen’s, he studiedlaw at the University of Alberta. He opened hisown law practice in Whitecourt, a communitythat captured Rick’s heart. He became involvedin community activities and pursued his pas-sions for theatre, music, golfing, and football.He cheered with unbridled enthusiasm whenQueen’s won the Vanier Cup in 2009. Rickfound his true passion and calling when hewent to work for Wellspring Family Resourceand Crisis Centre, where he mentored chal-lenged youth. He was proud to have had theprivilege of taking two of them to the SpecialOlympics. His recent work as a program man-ager with the E.C.H.O. Society (EmpoweringCitizens for Health and Opportunity) allowedhim to continue helping people with disabili-ties. Rick was an invaluable “go-to” guy whowill be missed by all who knew him.

M A C K E N Z I EMarilynn “Lynn” MacKenzie, Dip.OT’71,OT’74, died at home in Kingston on July 12.She had been a member of the 1971 Queen’strack and field team. In recent years, after finally getting a serious illness under controlwith what she called a “miracle drug,” she wasthrilled to purchase a motorcycle. Though shehad only one ride on it – home from thedealer’s – she shared her photos of her accom-plishment with many friends.

R U S S E L LSusan Jessie Russell, BEd’70,died peacefully at home onAug. 4 in Maple Ridge,BC, with her devoted friendand caregiver Rosalina Men-

doza by her side. Dearly beloved daughter of

the late Cy and Betty Russell; loving sister toRoberta Hamilton, Queen’s Professor Emeri-tus, Sociology/Women’s Studies (Geoff Smith,Professor Emeritus, History/ PHE), and JimRussell (Judy Mosoff); dear aunt to Joe, Sue,Jessica, Adam, Ben and Leah; great-aunt toSam, Amelia and Ayo. Before coming toQueen’s, Susan earned a BA and MA at Car-leton University. She later earned her PhD at Uof T. After graduating from Carleton, she wenton a solo tour of Europe, the Soviet Union,and the U.K. On her return, she taught for twoyears at the Ottawa New School. Then for 14years, she taught in the Dept. of Sociology andAnthropology at Concordia University. Herscholarly articles on gender and education andliving with multiple sclerosis are widely cited.She also wrote short stories, and a collection ofher stories was published for friends under thetitle Black Cat. (Her story “Black Cat” was firstpublished in the feminist literary journalRoom of One’s Own.) In the first years after herdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1975, shetried many treatment possibilities, traveling,sometimes with her mother, to the U.S.,

Greece, and within Canada. She never thoughtof herself as courageous, but those who knewher knew better. Susan was a true and loyalfriend to many for as long as her illness per-mitted and a good listener to the end.

1980sC O M M I T M E N T S

D R U M M O N DOn August 7, Lesley Drummond, BFA’82,Ed’85, married Brady McCrindle in acasual family-focused ceremony in their back-yard in Lindsay, ON. They celebrated withfriends that evening, then whiskey-tasted theirway through castles in Scotland for a two-week honeymoon. Lesley is currently Head ofArts at I.E. Weldon S.S. in Lindsay and can bereached by friends at [email protected].

J O B N E W S

B R O N KBob Bronk, Sc’82, is the new National Cam-paign Officer for World Vision Canada. He

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 7 0 s

She refused to be cowedWhen Dianne Dowling, Ed’76, retired after 32 years of elementary school teaching, shethought she would finally have time to relax and enjoy life. To keep busy she could help herhusband, Peter, with their dairy farm on Howe Island and she was about to become the presi-dent of their local of the National Farmers Union.

Then the Farmer’s Union heard about the federal government’s decision to close prisonfarm operations at penitentiaries across the country. The Harper government said that thefarms were not cost-effective and did little to rehabilitate or train prisoners in useful skills.

“To say that farming does not teach useful skills shows an appalling ignorance of whatfarm work involves,” said Dianne. “Besides specific skills such as equipment operation andmaintenance, inmates learned teamwork, problem-solving, taking responsibility and experi-enced the rehabilitation of working with animals.”

Many people in Kingston and elsewhere objected to the closings, arguing that the farmsprovided low-cost, quality food to feed the prison population. They also said that prisonerswho had been in the program had a very low recidivism rate. Moreover, having the prisonfarms in the area helped to support local farming businesses and the dairy herd at the Fron-tenac Institution was one of the finest Holstein bloodlines in Canada. Very soon the farmerswere joined by a coalition of social organizations, political parties, and hundreds of local citi-zens all of whom were well aware of the value of the prison farm program.

Dianne and fellow McArthur College grad Jeff Peters, Ed’75, found themselves amongthose organizing rallies and trips to Ottawa, speaking to parliamentary committees and pressconferences, and offering ideas to enhance the farms’ viability.

In August, hundreds of protesters gathered at the main entrance of the Frontenac Institu-tion on Bath Road for two days, attempting to prevent the removal of the dairy herd from thelocal prison farm. In all, 24 people were arrested from the many who offered themselves forarrest, but the cows were moved to an auction house.

Still this group of protesters will not back off. They have managed, with the help of the On-tario Public Research Group at Queen’s, to form a co-operative and purchase some of the cat-tle. These cows are now being boarded with local dairy herds in hopes the federalgovernment will restart the prison farm program.

“We lost a battle, but we intend to win the war,” Dianne said. “This issue mobilized hun-dreds of people who care about social justice, the environment, our community and whereour country is headed. Many of those people will continue to be active in local and politicalmatters.” – STEWART REN FREW

For more on the Save Our Prison Farms campaign visit www.saveourprisonfarms.ca.


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will be directing a new cam-paign to reduce malnutrition inpregnant women and infants inAfrica and Asia. He can bereached at [email protected].

C A L D W E L L S T - O N G EIn August, Paula Caldwell St-Onge, Artsci’87,became Canadian Consul General in Dallas,TX. Previously, she was Senior Trade Com-missioner at Canada’s embassy in Mexico City.

C R O S S M A NSusan Crossman, Artsci’82,writes, edits and consults onbusiness communication is-sues through CrossmanCommunications, an organi-zation she created years agowhen, she writes, “energy

and enthusiasm overcame logic and commonsense. Fortunately, I am still having fun creat-ing web content, corporate profiles, speechesand other custom documentation in a world ofgrowing opportunity and endless detail.” Oldfriends and fellow alumni are invited to dropher a line at [email protected].

D I C K I EJohn Dickie, Artsci’89, Meds’91, is now Department Chief and Medical Director, –Surgical Services, for Lakeridge Health inBowmanville, ON. Previously, he was a staffthoracic surgeon at Toronto East General

Hospital. He also lectures for the Dept. of Sur-gery, Division of Thoracic Surgery at U of T.

F R A N K L I NDavid Franklin, Artsci’84, isthe new director of the Cleve-land Museum of Art. Previ-ously, he was the deputydirector of the NationalGallery of Canada. David is

an internationally respected scholar of ItalianRenaissance and Baroque art. In 1995, he re-ceived the Eric Mitchell Prize, one of the mostprestigious awards given to art historians, forhis publication Rosso in Italy: The Italian Career of Rosso Fiorentino. This volume alsowas awarded the Yale University Press Governor’s Award for the most outstandingbook published by an author under the age of40. In 2009, the Italian government gave himthe Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Soli-darieta Italiana (Knight of the Order of theStar of Italian Solidarity), the country’s highesthonour for non-Italians, awarded to those whodemonstrate exceptional service that furthersItalian culture.

H O L TAlison Holt, Artsci’87, a former assistant editor of the Review, is now Senior Counseland Managing Director, Communications, forThe Offord Group, a Toronto-based consult-ing company specializing in the charitable sec-tor. Alison is developing the communicationsand marketing consultancy, and providesfundraising counsel.

H Y N E SRoss Hynes, MPA’80, is the new CanadianHigh Commissioner to Pakistan. Previously,Ross was the High Commissioner to Kenya, apost in which he has been succeeded by fellowQueen’sman David Collins, Artsci’75.

J O H N S T O N T U R N E RCynthia Johnston Turner,Mus’85, Ed’86, has been pro-moted to Associate Professor ofMusic with tenure at CornellUniversity in Ithaca, NY, whereshe is Director of Wind Ensem-

bles. She received her Doctorate of Music Artsin Conducting at the Eastman School in 2004.

M c I S A A CSusan McIsaac, Artsci’85, is the new Presidentand CEO of United Way Toronto. Susan hasbeen with the agency for 12 years, most recently as Chief Development Officer.

N E A T B YPierre Neatby, Artsci’85, is now Vice-Presi-dent, Sales and Marketing, for Avalon RareMetals Inc., a Canadian mineral explorationand development company.

S C H E F F M A NChristopher D. Scheffman, Artsci’84, with hisfamily, completed two years of service at theU.S. Consulate General, Ciudad Juarez, Mex-ico, on April 30. After nine weeks of financialmanagement and leadership training in Arlington, VA, Chris and family (Carmen andchildren, Sofie, almost 7, and Matthew, 5,) re-ported to the U.S. Embassy, San Jose, CostaRica, on August 9 for a three-year assignmentin the administrative section. Friends mayreach them at [email protected].

S W I N T O N ( W O R N I G )Andrea (Wornig) Swinton, Artsci’85, hasbeen named Executive Director, Ontario Re-gion, for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societyof Canada. Previously, Andrea was the ActingExecutive Director for ProAction Cops &Kids, a charity dedicated to improving thelives of at-risk kids in the Greater Torontoarea; and the Director, Fund Development andMarketing, for the Canadian Psychiatric Re-search Foundation. She can be reached at [email protected].

T H E O D O R E S C UDan Theodorescu, Meds’86,is the new director of theUniversity of Colorado Can-cer Center. A urologist andbladder cancer researcher,his research focus has beento look for biomarkers and

new drugs that can lead to customized, tar-geted treatments for patients with bladder can-cer. Previously, Dan was the director of thePaul Mellon Urologic Cancer Institute at theUniversity of Virginia.

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 8 0 s

Dr. Mary Elizabeth MacKinnonMary Elizabeth MacKinnon, Artsci’80, died July 25 after a strugglewith cancer at the age of 51. During her last months, Mary continued tolive as she always had, with plucky resolve and a “glass half-full” attitude. She refused to allow her illness, and its grim prognosis, todampen her spirits.

The youngest of four siblings, Mary is survived and missed by hermother, Marion MacKinnon, Arts ’43, (former University Councillor), herbrothers James (Professor and Head of the Queen’s Economics Depart-ment) and Donald, Artsci’79, and her sister Joan, Artsci’73, their spouses, and her manynieces and nephews. Although she had no children of her own, “Aunt Mary” was wonderfullygood with children. Memorial services at McGill (where Mary was Professor of Economics and,from 2006 to 2009, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts) and in Ottawa were well-attendedby her many friends from McGill, Queen’s, and other parts of the country.

Mary was a classmate of mine at Queen’s, where we took several courses together in thelate 1970s, and she was a good friend. Both of us received Commonwealth Scholarships tostudy at Oxford in 1980, and we belonged to adjoining colleges. We were in reasonably frequent contact between 1984, when I left Oxford, and the time of her illness and death.During Mary’s time at Oxford, where she wrote a thesis in Economic History, Mary actively participated in netball and in the then-fledgling Women’s Ice Hockey team (which did noteven have a practice rink within 50 miles for its first few years). On completing her D.Phil. atNuffield College, Oxford, she returned to Queen’s as an Assistant Professor of Economics, butleft in 1989 to accept a position at McGill. A widely respected economic historian, she alsomade significant contributions to administration and the improvement of campus life atMcGill, most notably the reclamation of a patch of waste ground and its conversion into a courtyard. – PR I NC I PAL DAN I EL WOOLF, ARTSC I ’80

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F A M I L Y N E W S

W A T K I N ( P R O V A N )Maureen (Provan) Watkin, ConEd’80, retiredfrom teaching with the Ottawa CatholicSchool Board in December 2009. Her hus-band, Brigadier-General (Ret’d) KennethWatkin, Law’80, LLM’90, OMM, CD, QC, retired after four years as Judge Advocate Gen-eral for the Canadian Forces and 33 years ofmilitary service. Ken has been appointed anObserver to an Israeli Independent PublicCommission investigating the 31 May 2010Gaza Flotilla Incident. Upon completion ofthose duties, Ken and Maureen will be movingto Newport, RI, where Ken will be the CharlesH. Stockton Professor of International Law atthe United States Naval War College. DaughterEmily followed family tradition by enrolling in Arts and Science at Queen’s in September,following sisters Jessica, Artsci’08, and Allison,Artsci’10.

W A T S O NJayne Watson,Artsci’82,MPA’83, amember ofQueen’s

Board of Trustees, hosted a dinner this summerfor her daughter, Olivia Froislie, and some ofOlivia’s friends who are all members of theQueen’s Class of 2014. Olivia is also the grand-daughter of Bev Watson, Sc’50. In this photo,from left to right: Olivia Froislie, Sonja Moroz,Ariana Emond, Caroline Mierins, SarahStothart and Sophie Kaufmanis.

N O T E S

B R O W N S T O N EJustice Harvey Brownstone,Law’80, has a new enterprise.Following the success of his2009 book Tug of War, he nowhosts an online TV talk show,

Family Matters. Like his book, the show dealswith issues relating to family law, the justicesystem, relationships, parenting, and the well-being of children. Justice Brownstone inter-views guests from the legal community andanswers family law questions from viewers.This is the first talk show ever hosted by a sit-ting judge. www.familymatterstv.com

G O S S E L I NThis summer, Maj.-Gen. Daniel Gosselin,MPA’87, retired as Commander of the Cana-dian Defence Academy in Kingston. He is pur-suing a doctorate in military history atQueen’s, where he is researching civil-militaryrelations and command at the strategic andoperational levels of war.

T C H E G U SRobert Tchegus, Law’86, was named to thePayments in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory

her loving family. Cathy’s passion for the artswas the source of her abundant creativity. As Culture Liaison Advisor at the Ontario Min-istry of Culture, Cathy was involved in the ren-aissance of the Royal Ontario Museum and theArt Gallery of Ontario. Prior to moving toToronto, Cathy spent many years in Kingston,where she worked at the Elizabeth Fry Societyand Kingston and District Immigrant Services.An accomplished painter, printmaker, andsculptor, Cathy loved Kingston and embracedthe arts while living there. She was involved in the Kingston Artists Association and the inaugural Kingston Film Festival.

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 8 0 s

Panel for a three-year term. The panel advisesthe Minister of Public Works and GovernmentServices when a taxing authority disagreeswith the property value, property dimension,or effective rate applicable to any federal prop-erty, or claims that a payment should be sup-plemented under the act. Robert practises lawwith Cunningham, Swan in Kingston.

D E A T H S

C I A V A R E L L ACatherine Ann Ciaverella, BFA’87, BEd’88,died in Toronto on June 6, surrounded by

A different kind of playbookJohn Corrigan, Artsci’83, Ed’84, spent much of his sparetime at Queen’s on the football field, where he played re-ceiver and safety for the Golden Gaels. Although hethought of himself as a jock back then, he majored indrama. Nowadays, John is an elementary school teacherin his native Kingston and is still a huge sports fan, buthis life has come full circle. Using his degree in drama ina way he never really expected, John has two plays to hiscredit, with a third in the works.

The odd thing is that this quietly charming man withan offbeat sense of humour during his student days hadno aspirations to become a playwright.

When he walked a few blocks from home to Queen’sin the fall of 1979, he’d never set foot on a stage. “I justthought studying drama would be interesting,” John said. “And it was.”

His return to the theatre world had a surprising start. When his younger son was 15, hewanted to audition for a local play. To provide moral support, John also auditioned. Ironically,John got a part and his son did not. John found the acting and rehearsals interesting and gotto thinking about writing a play. He took a look at a manuscript he had started writing and re-alized it might be a better play than a novel. About the same time, he heard about the Play-writing Competition at Queen’s named for Queen’s grad, benefactor and playwright HermanVoaden, BA’23. “I investigated and found out that there were only 60 days until the deadline,”said John.

Against all odds, he managed to restyle what he had written, complete his first play, TheMollycoddlers, and submit his work in time to meet the tight deadline for the competition. Tohis delight and surprise, the play was chosen as one of the finalists in the Voaden competition.

Aside from writing several articles for The Kingston Whig-Standard and a short story abouthis Great Aunt Margaret’s wake that he entered in a provincial teachers’ federation writingcontest – which he won! – John had no professional writing experience. How did he work upthe nerve to write a play in fewer than 60 days and to submit it to a major national writingcompetition? “Ignorance has been bliss my whole life,” he laughs.

With a bit of advice and some help from his classmate and theatre professional KathrynMacKay, Artsci’82, Ed’84, and her husband, Greg Wanless, Arts’68, Artsci’82, founder andArtistic Director of the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, ON, The Mollycoddlersended up on stage at the Playhouse, where it enjoyed good reviews and a successful summerrun during the 2009 season. Then, with MacKay and David Archibald, John co-authored a sec-ond play, Up The River, based on The Wind in the Willows. That production was staged thissummer – again at the Thousand Islands Playhouse and again to enthusiastic reviews.

With The Mollycoddlers and Up The River to his credit, John is now busy working on athird play, a farce that’s set on an island and features a group of people trying to make a get-away. He’s also happily pursuing his first career, teaching a grade one/two split class for theAlgonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, but he admits, 30 years after he waswriting those essays and exams about other plays and playwrights, that he’s “dreaming aboutretiring early to write full-time.”

It seems that for this jock-turned-playwright, his drama degree proved to be so muchmore than just “interesting”. – LI N DY M ECH EF S K E

C R E A T I V E M I N D S

Former football Gael and teacher-turned-playwright John Corrigan

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thrilled to have a best buddy. Godfather TomDurcan, Artsci’04, Law’07, is already teachingJude and Harry the Oil Thigh. Rebecca and herboys live in Toronto and can be reached [email protected].

F E W S O N / D U N N Kelly Dunn, Artsci’97, MA’98, and Dave Few-son, Artsci’97, MA’98, Ed’00, welcomeddaughter Eleanor Kelly Dunn Fewson on April23. Brothers Atticus, 5, and Quinn, 3, are soexcited to have a little sister! Kelly is on mater-nity leave from her job as a teacher with theToronto District School Board. Dave is a vice-principal with the same school board. Theylive in Markham, ON.

M O L S O NJeff Molson, Sc’90, andAndrea Myers are de-lighted to announce thebirth of their first child,Leila Sirena, who madeher appearance eagerly

ahead of schedule on June 18 in Ottawa. Leilais the first grandchild for Gloria Sorge andJohn Myers and the third grandchild for JeanMolson. Leila has some family in Kingston, in-cluding her cousin Alex Burnett, Sc’12, andher Aunt Jenny Molson, Meds’88, an assistantprofessor of Family Medicine. Jeff continues toenjoy his role as Program Manager at Chip-works. He can be reached at [email protected].

S E L L E R YBruce Sellery, Com’93, andhis partner, Dennis Garnhum,are pleased to announce thearrival of their daughter,Abby Sellery. She was bornDec. 17, 2009, in Red Deer,AB. Abby, Bruce and Dennislive in Calgary.

J O B N E W S

B H A L L AAmrita Bhalla, Artsci’97, MIR’98, is now theExecutive Vice President, Human Resources,

for The Oberoi Group,which runs hotels in India,Indonesia, Mauritius, Egypt,and Saudi Arabia. Amrita,working out of the NewDelhi corporate office, over-sees the company’s global

human resources function. Previously, she wasDirector, Recruitment and Development, forFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Toronto.

B R O O K ERoy Brooke, Artsci’92, is the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP) Coordina-tor in Kigali, Rwanda. Roy works with the UNand the Rwandan government on environ-mental programs and initiatives. Roy has alsoserved with the United Nations humanitarianagency in Geneva, where, amongst otherthings, he worked with numerous govern-ments to help strengthen their ability to dealwith environmental emergencies. That jobtook him to some countries fairly far off thetourist grid, including Iran, Yemen and theIvory Coast. In Canada, Roy served as SeniorPolicy Advisor to Canada’s federal Environ-ment Minister and, before that, to the Ministerof Fisheries and Oceans. He also launched andled a federal government initiative to supportand encourage corporate social responsibility.He lives in Geneva, Switzerland, with his wifeSara and son Nathan. See Births, above.

D I C K I EJohn Dickie, Meds’91. See 1980s Job News.

F R I S O NMark Frison, MIR’96, is the new President ofAssiniboine Community College in Brandon,MB. He was previously President and CEO ofGreat Plains College in Swift Current, SK.

K A Y EJanice Kaye, Artsci’92, is now a post-doctoralfellow and instructor of Image Arts in theRadio and Television Arts program at RyersonU in Toronto. She writes, “I taught Writing forTelevision last semester and this semester I’mteaching Film Theory and Canadian NationalCinema at Ryerson. I spearheaded an onlinescreenwriter survey, and the paper I wrotewith my supervisor, Charles H. Davis, PhD,will soon be published in the Journal of Screen-writing, an online U.K. journal. The article iscalled “If It Ain’t on the Page, It Ain’t on theStage: Screenwriting, National Specificity andthe English-Canadian Feature Film.”

R O L P HBrad Rolph, MA’90, is now Vice-President ofCharles Rivers Associates, based in theToronto office. He is one of Canada’s leadingtransfer pricing advisors and has helped multi-national companies prepare for and defend avariety of intercompany transactions across di-verse industries. Previously, he was a Partnerand the Chief Economist of the NationalTransfer Pricing Group at Deloitte & Touche.

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 9 0 s

Working together for young women’s healthThree Queen’s alumnae are helping young womenmake healthy life choices through their work withThe Pink Tulip Foundation. Susan (Keating) MacDonald, NSc’83, Leslie White, Artsci’82, andLesley Morison, Com’79, all sit on the board ofthe Toronto-based foundation, which promotesbreast cancer prevention among girls through education about healthy lifestyle choices. “Well into our third year of working together on theboard,” says Susan, the board chair, “we realized that we brought the spirit of Queen’s to thetable. We each bring a mix of skills and determination to see that our vision for the Founda-tion become a reality.” For more on the good work Susan, Leslie, and Lesley are doing, pleas evisit www.queensu .ca /news/alumnireview. – A.G.

A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T

Susan (l), Leslie (middle), and Lesley (r)

H A R TPeter David Hart, BA’85, died July 22 in St.John’s, NL, in the company of family andfriends. He was Canada Research Chair ofIrish Studies and Professor of History at Me-morial U. Peter was the author of a number ofbooks, including the award-winning The IRAand its Enemies: Violence and Community inCork, 1916-1923. He also was a book reviewerfor The Globe and Mail and The Irish Times.Peter is survived by his partner of many years,Robin Whitaker, his parents Anne and DavidHart, PhD’65, and siblings Stephen and Susan.

L E V E S Q U EAnne Marie Levesque, LLB’84, died July 7 inCornwall, ON, with her family by her side. Shewas 62. Survived by her husband, Claude De-lorme, and sons Mark and Guy. She had herown law practice in Cornwall. She served as adirector of the Stormont, Dundas and Glen-garry Legal Clinic, and was also a member ofthe French-language services of CommunityLiving Stormont County.

1990sB I R T H S

B R O O K ERoy Brooke, Artsci’92, and Sara Bjorkquist welcomed Nathan William, born Aug. 1 in Geneva, Switzerland.

D O L L I N GJennifer Dolling, Law’99,and Mark Hogan are thrilledto announce the arrival oftheir son, Bryce Fionn Hogan,on Aug. 24 in Toronto.

D U R C A NRebecca Durcan, Artsci’97,and Shane Smith are proud toannounce the arrival of theirsecond son, Jude PatrickBryon Smith, on Aug. 16,2008. Big brother Harry is

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F A M I L Y N E W S

A N D E R S O N( S E I E R )Susen (Seier)Anderson,Artsci ‘93,Ed’94, and herhusband Jamieare the proud

parents of four little girls: Sierra (born May2002), Jenna (born March 2004), Hailey (bornAugust 2006) and Reese (born October 2008).Sue is taking a few years off from teachingwhile she “enjoys the craziness of life with fourdrama queens!”

L A R O Q U E / S T I M A CAdrienne Larocque, PhD’93, and Jim Stimac,PhD’91, have returned to North America after12 years living in Asia. Jim retired fromChevron Geothermal in Indonesia to take up a new position as Senior Geologist with GeoGlobal Energy in Santa Rosa, CA. Adrienne, who was teaching Science at inter-national schools in Jakarta, hopes to return toteaching Earth Science at the college level.Their children, Cameron, 12, and Samira, 9,are adjusting well to their new life in the U.S.

N O T E S

1 9 9 1 G R A D SCalling '91 alumni from all faculties! Join usMay 27-29, 2011, to celebrate your 20th re-union. Mark the weekend in your calendar!For information, contact Bill Campbell,Artsci’91, at [email protected],Peter Meyers, Com’91, at [email protected], or Dave McDonnell, Sc ’91, [email protected].

L A W R E N C EJohn Lawrence, Mus’91, chairs the organizingcommittee for the first-ever Online Confer-ence for Music Therapy (OCMT2011) plannedfor March, 2011. For more information aboutthe conference, visit onlineconference4mt.wordpress.com. John would also love to hearfrom Queen’s friends. Email [email protected] is also on Twitter @JLisaMT.

P A T T E R S O NChris Patterson,Artsci’96, has releasedhis first album forkids, Small Potatoes.The album is availableon ITunes and on

www.maplemusic.com. The album includes 10original songs and three covers. Chris writes,“I had multiple incentives to do the album –two of which were my now-18-month-oldtwins. I tried a few songs out on them in uteroand was writing and recording before and aftertheir arrival. I wanted the album as a gift tothem.” Chris is also one-third of the musicalgroup The Arrogant Worms (with Trevor

Strong, Artsci’92, and Mike McCormick,Sc’85, MSc’93). The Arrogant Worms, a popu-lar band even in their campus days, celebratetheir 20th anniversary in 2011.

W E I / A B H Y A N K A RJo-yi Wei, Sc’94, and Neil Abhyankar,Artsci’97, opened up their Calgary home forthe eighth Calgary Queen’s Geology Reunionin early October. 33 local alumni and friendsattended, along with Dr. Bob Dalrymple, pasthead of the Department of Geology and Geo-logical Sciences, and Roger Smith, chair of theQueen’s Geology Council.

2000sB I R T H S

J O R G E N S E N ( H A R W O O D )Shannon (Harwood),Artsci’04, Ed’05, andNiels Jorgensen areproud to announce thearrival of Joshua LarsJorgensen, in Decem-ber, 2009. His laugh

and smile continue to make each day specialfor his parents.

J O S H IMala Joshi, Artsci’00, and Mark Lomaga an-nounce the arrival of Jaya Alexandra Lomaga,born on July 19 (also her mother’s birthday) inNorth York, ON. The family lives in Toronto,where Mala is an intellectual property litigator

with Ridout & Maybee LLP and Mark prac-tises dermatology.

K E Y S / T R U M A N Carrie Truman, Com’00, andBen Keys, Artsci/PHE’00, areproud to announce the birthof Rebecca Jane Keys, bornMay 31 in North York, ON.Rebecca is also welcomed

with love by her big sister Natalie.

M I N N S / L O C K I N G T O NMeghan Lockington-Minns, Sc’02, and BrianMinns, Sc’01, welcomedAdelyn Elizabeth Locking-ton Minns on May 31, 2009.Some of Adelyn’s proud

aunts and uncles who will encourage her to goto Queen’s include Laurie Lockington-Wong,Sc’92, Arnold Wong, Sc’92, and Owen Minns,Artsci’97, Artsci’04. The happy family can bereached at [email protected].

S A V A R D /A M O SErin (Amos),Artsci’04, andChristopherSavard, NSc’03,welcomed their

third child, Graham Douglas, on Sept. 26,2009. The family lives in Ancaster, ON. Chrisis a Nurse Practitioner, and Erin is enjoyingbeing at home with the children.

C O M M I T M E N T S

B R I G L I O / D O U G L A SMeredith Briglio, Sc’05,wed Michael Douglas,Com’03, on July 10 inToronto. More than 30Queen’s alumni were in attendance, includingmembers of the wedding

party – Brianne Harrington, Artsci’05, Julie

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 9 0 s

How three Commies took to farming –downtownWith a mantra that “food and eating uniteus all,” three young business school grad-uates decided to do a little urban unitingof their own through gardening. The result is a business called Young UrbanFarmers (YUF), founded in Toronto byfriends Nancy Huynh, Com’08, MA’11,Chris Wong, Com’07, and Jing Loh,Com’07, in the spring of 2009.

Toronto writer Mary Luz Mejia, Artsci’93, recently spoke with Nancy, Chris and Jing abouttheir business. You can read her report by visiting www.queensu.ca/news/alumnireview.

T A K I N G C A R E O F B U S I N E S S

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Beach, SC. All of Elizabeth’s siblings areQueen’s alumni. Thecouple live in Toronto,where Elizabethteaches for TD Securi-ties, and David works

for Spirit of Math, a school for gifted students.

L O C K I N G T O N / M I N N SMeghan Lockington, Sc’02, and Brian Minns,

Sc’01, were married on Dec.29, 2005, in Burlington, ON.Queen’s grads in the wed-ding party included OwenMinns, Artsci’97, Artsci’04,Laurie Lockington-Wong, Sc’92, Robin Doolittle, Sc’01,

and Mitchell Gorman, Sc’01. Many otheralumni were in attendance, and the weddingceremony itself was officiated by Rev. DonParsons, MDiv’68. Brian and Meghan cur-rently live in Toronto, where Brian works inthe financial industry. Meghan is an elementaryteacher in Markham. They are enjoying life, andhaving fun with Adelyn! See Births above.

M a c N I V E N /L O S O SLaura Mac-Niven,Artsci’05,Ed’06, marriedCraig Losos,

Artsci’05, on May 29 in Gananoque, ON.Laura and Craig met in first year at Queen’s.Relatives in attendance included the bride’sgrandfather, William H. Gray, Com’40,Arts’41, uncle Ian Gray, Artsci’78, aunt CariGray, Artsci’89, cousin Jeff Bigelow, Artsci’08,aunt Barbara Gray Bigelow, Artsci’76, andbrother Ian MacNiven, Artsci’06.

R E I DOn Aug. 20, Anastasia Reid,Artsci’05, Ed 06, marriedGrant Ferguson in Toronto.In attendance were class-mates Rebecca Roach,Artsci’04, Ed’06, Robert

Bickford, Artsci’05, Marisa Moreland, BFA’05,and Erin Doupe, Artsci’03, Ed’ 04. Grant is alawyer with Stieber-Berlach and Anastasia is ahigh school English teacher with the TorontoDistrict School Board.

V E L A S C OKatherine Velasco,Artsci’04, wasmarried toBryanRutherford inAlexandria,VA, on Aug.14. In atten-dance were

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 0 0 s

Singularity grad’s “global issue” is clean water for allThis summer, Dr. Julielynn Wong, Meds’05, went back to school.She was one of 80 people who took part in Singularity University’sgraduate studies program in California. Singularity University bringstogether professionals from different disciplines to find innovativeways to address global issues. “I wanted to fuse clinical medicine,exponential technologies, public health strategies, traditional andnew media, and entrepreneurship to create and implement inno-vative solutions that address global health issues,” says Julielynn.

She brought an impressive set of skills to the program. In justfive years since attaining her Queen’s medical degree, she hasused a Frank Knox Fellowship to study at the Harvard School of Public Health, where sheearned her Master of Public Health degree. She went on to do her residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She was the first student recipient of the Canadian Medical Association’s Award for Young Leaders for her contributions to preventive medicine. She has also conducted research at NASA and the Inter-national Space University and has lectured to the United Nations on the utilization of spacetechnologies for disease surveillance.

Her classmates at Singularity U. this summer had equally impressive credentials. The onething they all had in common? “We all want to have a positive impact on a billion people.”

Julielynn chose to work with a team on issues of clean water. “2.6 billion people don’thave access to basic sanitation,” she says. “One billion people don’t have access to cleandrinking water. It’s only going to get worse. By 2020, that number may be 5.5 billion.”

Three groups explored the problem from different angles. The first tackled the desalinationof salt water, since 97 percent of the world’s water is saline. “John F. Kennedy once said thatcreating a means for cheap desalination would change the world; [nearly 50 years later] we’vegot to the moon, but we haven’t yet conquered salt water.” The team combined three tech-nologies – nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and solar energy – to come up with a potentialprocess for affordable and environmentally sustainable desalination.

The second group examined the potential of synthetic biology to detect and resolve majorwater contaminants. “There’s stuff in water that we don’t know about, like chemicals, pharma-ceuticals. Environmental medicine is very challenging.” This group updated the idea of “a canary in a coal mine” in a biosensor that could test water for various pollutants in a way thatwould be human-focused rather than contaminant-focused. The sensor could signal, for in-stance, whether a contaminant was interacting with the human liver, even if one couldn’t yetidentify the specific pollutant. The third group examined the possibility of an intelligent webplatform with which to share data and water technologies on a global scale.

Creating new solutions to old problems is one thing: bringing them to life is another.Julielynn’s group presented its clean water strategies to funders at a venture-capital pitch session set up by Singularity University. “A number of people are very excited about the ideaswe developed,” she says. She has now taken a sabbatical year so she can assist with takingthese projects further, and making clean, affordable water available globally.

– AN DREA GU N N, M PA’07

A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T – 2 0 0 0 s

Dr. Julielynn Wong

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Filion, Artsci’05, the groom’s brother and bestman Adam Douglas, Artsci/PHE’05, JohnnyTeolis, Artsci’03, Michael Fishbein, Artsci’01,and Taylor Raborn, Artsci’04. Meredith andMichael’s Queen’s family members – Donna(Coon) Douglas, Arts’73, Murray Douglas,Com’72, and Whitney Briglio, Artsci ’07 –joined the rest of the alumni, led by Meredith’sQueen’s Bands friends, in an Oil Thigh at thereception. Michael and Meredith currently re-side in London, U.K.

F R E I T A GJutta Ellen Freitag,Artsci’00, marriedMichael H. Peel inBelleville, ON, on Sept. 4.

In attendance were Silja Freitag, Artsci’01, Ver-ena Freitag, Sc’02, David Bozzi, Artsci’03, andErica Hyland, Sc’97.

G R O V E SMichael “Grover” Groves, MSc’07, (Queen’sCheerleading) and Kristen Read celebratedtheir engagement at a garden party inKingston on Aug. 14 with family and friends(including several Queen’s alumni) in atten-dance. The couple will marry in the spring of2012 in Kelowna, BC.

L E E / C R A U S E NElizabeth Lee, Artsci’04, Ed’05, and DavidCrausen, Ed’05, married on July 10 inKingston. They honeymooned in Myrtle

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Andrea Catley, Tatiana Lazdins, Jatin Mistry,Lauren Spudowski, and Vanessa Toye, allSc’04, and Jason Rosinski, Sc’00.

D A V E Y Scott Davey, Mus’01See 2010 Commitments.

J O B N E W S

D E M I G U E LMarissa de Miguel, Artsci’07, received herMaster’s degree in Global Communicationsfrom the London School of Economics. Shenow works for Sid Lee, a creative servicesagency, and lives in Amsterdam, handlingglobal strategies, when not returning to Montreal for holidays or traveling in Europe.

F E R N A N D E SRemy Fernandes, MBA’08, is now Presidentand CEO of Hydro One Brampton. Previously,he was vice-president of engineering and oper-ations of the Ontario company.

K E N D A L LJames Kendall, MEng’08, is President andCEO of Excalibur Resources Ltd., a juniormining exploration company with propertiesin Ontario and BC.

K I MSam Kim, Artsci/PHE’05, a long-time mem-ber of the Canadian Armed Forces, is now afirefighter with Fire & Emergency Services inMarkham, ON. This summer, Sam wasawarded the Canadian Forces Decoration(CD) for 12 years of service with good con-duct. He continues to serve part-time as aparatrooper with the Queen’s Own Rifles ofCanada, based in Toronto.

L A N E Bridget Lane, Sc’05, is now a mortgage brokerwith TMG–Brokers For Life in Vancouver.

S I N A S A CLorissa Sinasac, Artsci’00, is an Englishteacher at Midhurst Rother College, a second-ary school in the heart of the South DownsNational Park in West Sussex, UK.

T E L K AStephan C. Telka, Artsci’05, is a consultantwith Ascentum, Inc., an Ottawa public partici-pation and engagement firm. The companyspecializes in helping clients engage theirstakeholders and Canadians at large in the mostpressing public policy decisions of the day.

U P A LHinna Upal, Artsci’02, hasjoined Pierce Atwood LLP asan associate in the firm’s Lit-igation Practice Group. Shewill work in the firm’s Provi-dence, RI, and Boston, MA,

offices. Hinna recently completed a clerkshipwith the Hon. William E. Smith of the UnitedStates District Court for the District of Rhode

Island, during which she assisted Judge Smithin teaching Federal Practice and Procedure atRoger Williams University School of Law. Previously, she served as an associate attorneywith Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman, andDicker LLP in Boston.

N O T E S

W O O D C O C KLisa Woodcock, Artsci’04, writes, “Although

I’ve gone to workfor the U ofGuelph, my tri-colour spirit hasn’t faded.This picture isfrom the Gaels

vs. Gryphons game at Guelph’s Alumni Sta-dium on Sept.18. Although the Gaels did notwin, we enjoyed the beautiful weather and at

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 1 0 s

A dream come trueBack in his native Tanzania, a high school geography lesson about thefar-off Canadian Shield caught the imagination of Frank Ngenzi,Sc’14. A few years later, it played a role in his decision to move toCanada. Yet even then Frank never imagined that one day he wouldone day be studying for an engineering degree at a Canadian univer-sity that is situated so close to the foot of the Canadian Shield, orthat he would be the 2010 recipient of the Sc’48½ Mature StudentBursary.

Frank hopes he can do justice to being chosen as this year’s Bursary winner. “I’ll keep it short and sweet,” he said when he met

Sc’48½ class members and previous Mature Student Bursary award winners at the class’s an-nual reunion in September. “Four years down the track, I expect I’ll know a lot more and havea lot more to say. I hope that I can make you proud of choosing me for this award.”

The road to Queen’s has been a long and circuitous one for Frank. He grew up in his native Tanzania and during the 1990s lost both of his parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic thatwas sweeping through Africa. “My father was a miner, and that has factored into my decisionto study Mining Engineering at Queen’s,” Frank explained.

After the loss of his parents, Frank and his three younger siblings went to live with theiraunt, Monica Mbega, who was raising her own family of three children, as well as five ofFrank’s cousins, also AIDS orphans.

Frank describes his beloved Aunt Monica as the “Oprah” of his family. “Unlike Oprah, shedidn’t have a lot of money, but that didn’t stop her from giving and doing,” he said. “Sheraised 30 orphans in total, and she went on to do her Master’s Degree in the U.K., and to be-come a Member of Parliament in Tanzania.”

She also encouraged the 12 family members she was raising to stay in school as long aspossible. With his Aunt Monica’s support and encouragement, Frank completed high schooland went on to do his “A Levels” – the Advanced Level courses that are required for universityentrance in some Commonwealth countries, including Tanzania. After graduation, and fulfill-ing his mandatory service obligations to his country, Frank remembered that inspiring geogra-phy lesson about the Canadian Shield, and applied for a visa to move to Canada.

He emigrated in 2002, settling in Toronto, and two years later got married there. Frankthen spent seven years working as a labourer, while also studying in his spare time to earn hisOntario secondary school graduation certificate. Yet even during these difficult years he con-tinued helping to support his family back in Tanzania, and in March 2008, Frank and his wifeWilma celebrated the birth of their first son, Eldon. Unfortunately, Frank got laid off from hisjob in December 2008. However, rather than feel sorry for himself, he used the downtime toupgrade his credentials, graduating from community college the following year with a certifi-cate in Information Technology. He also continued to dream of furthering his education bystudying engineering at university.

When Frank chanced to hear about the Sc’48½ Mature Student Bursary, he applied andwas stunned to learn that he had been chosen as the 2010 recipient of the award, which isvalued at $68,000 over four years of study and is one of the most generous student awards ofits kind in the country.

As if he didn’t have enough incentive to work hard and to do well in his studies, just a fewdays before Frank arrived on campus in September, he and his wife welcomed their secondson, Jaydon. That occurrence, happy though it was, served as a timely reminder of how muchwinning the Sc’48½ Mature Student Bursary means to Frank. “I’m grateful not just for thisscholarship, but also for the opportunity the Class of Sc’48½ and Canada have given me,” he said. – BY LI N DY M ECH EF S K E

S C ’ 4 8 ½ M A T U R E S T U D E N T B U R S A R Y W I N N E R

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Hurst, Meds’79. Congratulations came fromvarious Queen’s alumni relatives including A.Britton Smith, LLD’09, Graham Hurst,Artsci’82, Judy Keenan Hurst, Artsci’82, AnnO’Hara, Arts’52, and Devon Trahan, Artsci’09.

C O M M I T M E N T S

W A I N M A N / D A V E Y Maryanne Wainman, Artsci’10, and Scott

Davey, Mus’01, are happy to announce theirengagement. Maryanne and Scott first be-came friends while working on a communitytheatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar.The following summer, they started takingsalsa dance classes together. Four and a halfyears later, although they are far from beingsalsa-dance experts, they are still very muchin love.


least one Oil Thigh.” Lisa is the former Devel-opment Officer at the Queen’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Joining herat the game were Deborah Powell,Artsci/PHE’99, Nancy Roulston, Artsci’06,and Amy McPhedran, Meds’01.

2010sF A M I L Y N E W S

H U R S TThree generations of Queen’s alumni attendedthe graduation of Andrew and Jonathan Hurst,both Meds’10. Pictured here are Jonathan (l)and Andrew (r) with their grandmother Cyn-thia (Smith) Hurst, Arts’49, and father David

A L U M N I N O T E S – ‘ 1 0 s

A woman in the director’s chair G R A C E ’ S G R A D S

A unique learning experience for bright students in grades6 to 11. Study an academic topic of interest in depth, meetother students, and get a taste of university life at Queen’s.

BEYONDthe classroomBEYOND

the everydayBEYOND

expectations

esu.queensu.ca

Patricia Harris Seeley, Artsci’81, dreamedof working in film from a very young age, butshe always felt it was an unreachable dream.

“We grew up on a farm outside of Sarnia,Ontario, with a TV with one channel and rab-bit ears. It just never seemed attainable!” shesays.

Now the Gemini-nominated documen-tary TV director has a message for anyonetrying to break into film and television: “Justdon’t give up. It’s all about never giving up.”

After graduation, Patricia settled into lifeas a freelance writer, wife and mother in Cal-gary, writing for national magazines and au-thoring the children’s book Portus Potter WasLoose! (Doubleday). After her family movedto St. Albert, outside of Edmonton, she re-

ceived a grant to direct her first film, Farmer.Her perseverance was truly rewarded whenshe got accepted into The Banff Centre’sprestigious Women in the Director’s ChairWorkshops. “I’d never gone to a film school.I’d only done one short film,” she explains.“But I applied four times. They’d never hadanyone apply that many times so they de-cided to let me in!”

That course helped launch her career.“Program producer Carol Whiteman is so en-couraging of women directors. After that, I received a BravoFACT! grant to direct Super-hero Wannabe.” The 2004 film, which Patri-cia wrote and directed, won Best Film at theSeven Minute Film Festival, and was screenedat festivals across Canada and internationally

before playing on Bravo! She has justcompleted her fourth short film, AGood Knight Story, a medieval filmfor BravoFACT!

Recently Patricia was nominatedfor the prestigious 2010 GeminiAward for Best Direction inLifestyle/Practical Information Seriesfor the series X-Weighted, which fol-lows thirteen unique families and isalso nominated for a Gemini for“Best Human Interest Series.” Theseries is produced by Anaid Produc-tions, which has been lauded asone of the top 100 most influentialcompanies in the world by Re-alScreen, and has been featured on

the Oprah Winfrey Show. Patricia loves directing episodes for the

lifestyle documentary series, mainly becauseof the element of surprise. “I love how thestories evolve – you don’t know what’s goingto happen in the end,” she says. “It’s not likedrama where you have scripts. Every scene islike Christmas where you’re unwrappingthese presents you never expected – andsometimes they aren’t exactly what youwanted! But you have to go with the flow.”

The series has been an emotional jour-ney for everyone involved. “I’m torn betweenbeing protective of these families, and know-ing I’m supposed to share their story,” shesays. “They’re opening their homes to us andgiving us such a gift: to help us learn abouttheir families so people in the audience cansee themselves and come to an “Aha!” mo-ment themselves.”

Patricia has learned it’s usually best tostand back and watch things unfold. “It’svery draining, because you end up feeling forthe family members. And sometimes youhave to bite your tongue. But you have to letthem discover it themselves, so the audiencecan discover it, too.”

Season five of X-Weighted premieredacross Canada this autumn on Slice.

– HEATHER GRACE STEWART, ARTS ’95

This article has been abridged; for the fullversion please visit www.queensu.ca/news/alumnireview.

DO

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Patricia Harris Seeley directing a scene during the Women in the Director's Chair Workshop.

KIT - issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:24 PM Page 56


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AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:09 PM Page 57


Where green and education mergeWintergreen Studios is no ordinary educational retreat, but then founder Rena Upitis is no ordinary educator.

B Y L I N D Y M E C H E F S K E

It was April 10, 2007, and Prof. Rena Upitis, Artsci’81, Law’81, MEd’82, was

standing on a busy street corner in down-town Chicago. That is when the mind-numbing reality of being one of 17,000delegates at the international educators’conference hit her. She had spent four daysentombed in air-tight skyscrapers. It hadbeen raining incessantly. She had watchedspring being delivered to the Windy Cityby large trucks that carried loads of mulchand the fully grown tulips that wereplanted in city’s concrete-box flower beds.

The former dean of the Faculty of Ed-ucation still recalls the moment ofepiphany she had as she thought about allof this. She knew what she had – andwanted – to do: build an off-the-grid, en-vironmentally focused, educational re-treat, a year-round facility that wouldconnect the land and its inhabitants.

A week after returning home, Upitishad come up with a name for her ruraleco-retreat: “Wintergreen.” It was an ap-propriate moniker. After all, wintergreengrows on her land, and as Upitis explains,“Educational, sustainable, green, off-grid,connected to theland – these werethe things that mat-tered to me.”

By June of 2007,she had contractedwith a local farmer to grow the straw sheplanned to bale and use to build her re-treat. By September, she had hired a lawyerand had recruited a five-member board ofdirectors that included herself, SerenaManson, Ed’02; Ann Patteson, Med’00,PhD’05; Helen Turnbull, Artsci’76, Ed’77;and Katharine Smithrim, Ed’80. Next Upitis drew up plans for the building andhad her 205-acre parcel of land rezonedfrom rural to community institutional.

She had purchased the property backin 1990. This rock-ribbed chunk of theCanadian Shield was originally farmed byan Irish settler named Patrick Nolan.

Upitis built adjacent to the footprint of theold Nolan homestead, which she wishedto preserve and honour. She knew thatNolan had done his homework in hischoice of a house location, and she wantedto take advantage of his knowledge in herchoice of a building site.

When construction of WintergreenStudios began in 2008, Upitis involvedherself in every aspect of the project –from design through construction. Shetruly is a Renaissance woman.

A mother of three, Upitis is also anartist, a musician, aHarvard PhD gradu-ate, an accomplishedbuilder and renova-tor, a cheerful opti-mist, and an arts

educator who believes no education iscomplete unless you have put your handto building something meaningful, suchas a cabin in the woods.

By the time she dreamt up her eco-retreat, Upitis had renovated a stone housein Yarker, Ontario, and she had designedand built three guest cabins on the Winter-green property. She carried many of the con-struction supplies, including timber and 135of the bags of concrete and mortar used inthe construction, on her shoulders a milethrough the woods to the building site. “I’vebeen building for the better part of 20 years,”Upitis says, “I’ve got carpenter’s arms!”

Building Wintergreen without a con-ventional on-line power source, required in-genuity. The post-and-beam constructionwith its straw-bale insulation necessitatedplastered walls. The labour costs in plaster-ing by hand, without the use of power tools,were exorbitant. And the dirt road leadinginto the site meant that seven small trucks,rather than one big one, had to be used todeliver concrete for the floors. The list ofpossible problems seemed insurmountable.

Upitis enlisted an army of volunteersages seven to 83 – including, most notably,The Anglin Group and Camel’s Back Con-struction – and she did as much of thework herself as she could. By December2008, her vision had become reality. Win-tergreen is today a going concern, playinghost to a wide variety of educationalevents, retreats, and workshops. Upitis haseven branched out and has started a smallprint-on-demand publishing house, Win-tergreen Studios Press.

Every effort has been made to respectthe environment at the centre while main-taining the highest standards of comfortand aesthetics. Says Upitis, “Here at Wintergreen, everyone’s actions have animpact, and the whole is truly greater thanthe sum of the parts.” B

For more information about Wintergreen Studios, please visit www.wintergreenstudios.com/.

Rena Upitis’s eco-friendly, non-profit wilderness educational retreat, Wintergreen Studios, is located in the hilly countryside an hour’s drive north of Kingston.

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Educational, sustainable,green, off-grid, connected tothe land – these were the

things that mattered to me.

■ ■ ■ A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T – 8 0 ’ s

AR issue 4 - 2010 1/11/10 3:39 PM Page 58

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At Coca-Cola,we understandthe importanceof improving

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to the library system, studentemployment opportunities, and

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funding sourceon campus.

AR issue 4 - 2010 27/10/10 12:09 PM Page 59


A teacher of unforgettable lessonsMusic professor Denise (Narcisse-Mair) Bishop was a demanding teacher, who gave new meaning to the phrase “a whole new level” of knowledge.

B Y C H A R L O T T E ( S P A F F O R D ) L O G G I E , M U S ’ 7 9 , E D ’ 8 0 , M E d ’ 8 7

In response to the article “The making ofthose memorable professors” (Issue #3-

2010, p. 26) I would like to pay tribute toone of Queen’s most unique and memo-rable professors: the late Denise (Narcisse-Mair) Bishop, who taught at Queen’s from1972 to 1980.

I was one of the many students who en-countered Denise both in and out of theclassroom, and throughout it all, she re-mains one of the primary influences in myown work as a choir director and a teacher.

I first met Denise in the fall of 1974when as a green, young, first-year studentin the Bachelor of Music program, Ijoined the Choral Ensemble. I had beensinging all of my life, in church and schoolchoirs in Kingston, and was a senior pianostudent of the locally renowned and ex-ceptionally talented Lois Rich. I thought Iwas quite familiar with learning difficultmusic and performing, and that theChoral Ensemble would be a “little break”from the very demanding music courses Iwas taking. However, at the first rehearsal,I learned how little about choral singing Ireally knew. Denise gave new meaning to

the idea of “a whole new level” and I knewI was going to be working harder than Iever had in my life.

In the classroom, Denise was an exem-plary teacher. She was always excitedabout the subject matter, lively and stimu-lating in discussion, and quick to encour-age and listen to individual concerns. Inher Choral Conducting class, I rememberbeing one of the first people brave enoughto get up and try conducting the class as achoir. In elegant, plummy tones, Denisecongratulated me on “not being a wimp”!I knew that was high praise indeed fromher. In the course, “Music in the Schools”she was eager to share her ideas aboutteaching music to little ones, and, seatedon the floor playing rhythm instrumentswith six-year-olds, she provided us withgreat model lessons and ideas that I stilluse today in the classroom.

My most memorable time with Denisecame during the Choral Ensemble’s trip toEurope in the spring of 1978. In the spaceof three weeks, we traveled from Amster-dam to Budapest, singing in churches andcommunity venues all along the way. At

the end of it all, relaxing in her hotel roomafter we had won the final competition inHungary, she said, “You’re now equippedto sing with the best choirs around” and Iknew she meant every word.

The calibre of choral singing that waspresent at Queen’s under her directorship,was at a professional level, and we weretrained and honed in the crucible of herexacting tutelage.

Denise was a fierce musician and thiswas reflected in her teaching and directing.Everything we learned and performed hadto be at the highest level possible. It was thisquality of excellence that defined every-thing we did with her and is still the meas-ure of how I believe good teachers alwaysoperate.

After five years in the Choral Ensem-ble (I split my fourth year into two years inorder to work and help with the cost of tu-ition) I felt that I had come a long way.

On the European tour, those of us whohad grown to be strong assistants and logistical helpers also grew to be Denise’sfriends. None of us who knew her will everforget her: the distinctive British-accentedvoice that could take on the Jamaican drawlwithout warning, the unmistakable clip-clop of high heels announcing her arrivalin exotic and (to us) very chic ensembles.But what I hope we will remember most isthe way she instilled in us the absolute loveof music, her singular focus on excellence,and those traits of good teaching that shemodeled in all her work.

Every time I lift my hands to conductmy church choir, or watch young childrenenjoying the power of choral singing, or goabout my discussions with beginningteachers on how to engage and interact inthe classroom, I will remember Denise. B

The above is an abridged version of alonger article, which can be read atwww.queensu.ca/news/alumnireview. Formore fond reminiscences of favourite profs,please see the Letters pages of this issue.

■ ■ ■ L A S T W O R D

Issue #3-2010 of the Review included news of the June 8 death of Music professor Denise (Narcisse-Mair) Bishop.

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Reaching - Queen's University

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