A summer of starlings: students benefit from summer research opportunity

Summer student researcher Gabi Armstrong says her starling research focuses on the nests they use to raise their young. She is examining the materials they incorporate into their nests, including natural (e.g., feathers, greenery, sticks, etc.) and anthropogenic materials (e.g., human-made materials) like garbage. 

Alyssa Wells (shown here steadying the ladder for Armstrong) credits a fourth-year biology course with Dr. Barber as the reason she fell in love with the field of behavioural ecology. She was fascinated with how researchers create observational studies to find out information based on the choices that organisms make to survive and find mating success.

Over the years the research has progressed really well according to Armstrong. It has answered many questions involving paternal investment and mate choice among the starlings along with other research questions involving ectoparasites, urbanization and much more.

Wells (left) is focusing her research on how brood condition and parental investment influence mate fidelity within the starling population.

Both students credited the opportunity to do hands-on fieldwork as an important part of why they were excited to participate in this research project.

The beautiful birdcalls of starlings are a fixture of the Saint Mary’s University campus. The more than 40 starling nest boxes across campus are part of a research project led by Dr. Colleen Barber. The boxes were erected almost two decades ago and have provided research opportunities for numerous students and field assistants. This photo gallery shows Saint Mary’s students Gabi Armstrong and Alyssa Wells checking on the starling boxes and shares some insight into their roles as student researchers.

Additional reading

• The sounds of starlings: SMU team gets to the heart of how they mate

Saint Mary’s University exceeds goal and timeline for greenhouse gas reduction

The Saint Mary's University Quad

Rendering of what will become North America's North America’s tallest solar-integrated building, the Saint Mary's Loyola Residence.

New Vanier Plant Condensing Boilers

Saint Mary's Campus

Saint Mary’s University has achieved its 2025 target for greenhouse gas reduction three years early.   

“Sustainability is an institutional pillar for Saint Mary’s University,” says President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Using a sustainability lens in our operations allows us to find efficiencies and opportunities to address financial uncertainties while reducing our environmental footprint. I am proud to share that Saint Mary’s University has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in excess of 40 percent, putting us on a strong footing to meet or exceed the provincial goal of a 53 percent reduction by 2030.”  

Saint Mary’s exceeded its 40 percent reduction by 2025 goal through a series of projects that finished this year.  

“This achievement comes from the forward-thinking and consciousness of many faculty and staff members over the years, the efforts of facilities management and the support of key university executives such as President Summerby-Murray,” says Dennis Gillis, Senior Director of Facilities Management at Saint Mary’s. “We are exceeding our emissions reduction goal, and with innovative projects such as North America’s tallest solar-integrated building Saint Mary’s is taking a leadership role in the post-secondary sector towards a more sustainable future.”  

Fundamental changes that support emissions reduction include: 

• replacing the steam heating plant with a high-efficiency hot water plant; 

• switching from oil to natural gas for heating; 

• using compact fluorescent lights; 

• replacing less efficient lights with LED lights; and 

• increases in Nova Scotia Power’s energy blend from renewable sources.   

From 2005 to 2019, the university's overall emissions reduction was 36.8 percent. In 2021, a conversion from steam to hot water for the university’s central heating plant increased the total emissions reduction to over 40 percent. Further emissions reductions are on the way from the upcoming solar-integrated project at the university’s Loyola residence, the incorporation of solar panels at the Sobeys Inspiration Hub currently under construction, and other forthcoming solar and green energy projects.  
 
All targets and goals use 2005 as the baseline year per the provincial government’s Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act.  

Saint Mary’s University Moves Ellucian Banner to the Cloud

In a world where change is constant and expected, Saint Mary’s University is positioned for growth and innovation by going to the cloud.  Cloud computing or “the move to the cloud” with the Ellucian Banner ERP system was successfully and seamlessly completed in March 2022, and paves the way for modern, secure, and adaptable services for SMU students, researchers, academics, administrators, and community, from any location on the globe.          

Saint Mary’s University is only the second institution in the country to move all Ellucian Banner-related data and products to the cloud.   

“Building on its strong tradition of accessibility and community engagement, Saint Mary’s is a leading example for institutions on the path to digital transformation. Now live in the cloud with Banner, Saint Mary’s has added flexibility and agility to meet the evolving needs of its community, with a modern experience that today’s users expect and deserve,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian. “We are proud to partner with Saint Mary’s and honoured to support its students and staff through this significant development in their journey.”  

“Moving our data and supports to the cloud is the smart decision” says Michelle Benoit, Vice-President, Finance and Administration. “This move gives us significantly enhanced security, better integration, and facilitates our ability to better meet the needs of those we serve in our global community.”    

This bold move is part of the strategic investments in information technology first announced in 2021 when the university signaled a multi-year digital transformation.

“The future requires that we continue to innovate,” says Dr. Malcolm Butler, Vice-President Academic and Research. “Befitting a university with global reach, we will be able offer global access to university services and supports anywhere in the world with access to the internet.”  

In upcoming phases, as additional software and tools are added, the online experience will evolve and resemble the App Store where students, faculty and staff can access any university services they need on any device.  A single point of entry or sign-on will make it easier for users to find courses, marks, registration documents, online academic advising, and even health and wellness services.  

Cyber security has been greatly enhanced as the new hosting environment is SAS 70 compliant, achieving the highest standards, and all data is now fully encrypted.

“With global cybersecurity threats on the rise, it was imperative we make this move to the cloud as it provides a greatly enhanced secure environment,” says Todd Williams, Chief Information Officer, Saint Mary’s University.     

While there are obvious gains for students, the entire university community benefits from cloud-hosted systems and tools, as IT staff can leave the safe storage of data and the upkeep of servers to others and concentrate on higher-value services for faculty, staff, students and administrators alike.   

Saint Mary’s University Signs Charter on Black Inclusion and Fighting Anti-Black Racism

Members of the President's Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism (L-R): Dr. Ehab Elsharkawi, Franklyn Southwell, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, Dr. Tatjana Takseva, Brady Paul, Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, Natalia Storr, Deborah Brothers-Scott, Raymond Sewell

Action towards equity and diversity

Saint Mary's University has signed onto the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion In Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities.  

Deborah Brothers-Scott, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, and Dr. Rohini Bannerjee

Created with input and collaboration from students, faculty, staff, relevant organizations and Black political and civic leaders, the charter reflects the post-secondary sector's shared recognition of the realities of anti-Black racism. It provides a concrete path forward to address these and create a more inclusive future. The charter follows four overarching principles: black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality, and accountability.  

"The President's Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism took a unique, deliberate and thoughtful approach to our signing and support of the Scarborough Charter," says Deborah Brothers-Scott, Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness at Saint Mary's University and Chair of the committee. "We consulted with various areas of the university, such as the Saint Mary's University Students' Association, Student Affairs and Services, People and Culture and faculty. The charter was presented to the university's senate and has been endorsed by the board of governors."  
 
Saint Mary's has already begun to implement some of the following actions, with all expected to be complete within the next year. The university:  

• has appointed Dr. Rohini Bannerjee as the Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence, with responsibility and accountability for diversity excellence, to work with the Associate Vice-President of People and Culture and the Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness, to add focus on academic elements

• will establish a Black Caucus consisting of Black faculty and staff

• will utilize disaggregated data to make data informed decisions on Black representation and inclusion

• will develop and implement a diversity excellence cohort hiring strategy to increase and retain Black and Indigenous faculty and staff

The President’s Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism played an instrumental role in reviewing the charter in association with the Anti-Racism Action Plan. The committee includes:  

• Deborah Brothers-Scott, Chair (Director, Diversity Inclusion and Wellness)

• Dr. Robert Summerby Murray (President and Vice-Chancellor)

• Tom Brophy (Senior Director of Student Affairs & Services)

• Raymond Sewell (Faculty of Arts)

• Dr. Naja Attig (Sobey School of Business)

• Dr. Ehab Elsharkawi (Faculty of Science)

• Dr. Tatjana Takseva (Faculty of Arts and Chairperson, Saint Mary’s University Academic Senate)

• Dr. Rohini Bannerjee (AVP Diversity Excellence)

• Franklyn Southwell (President, SMUSA)

• Kyle Cook (Vice President - Academic & Advocacy, SMUSA)

• Brady Paul (Indigenous Student Advisor)

• Natalia Storr (Student/Alumni representative)

Download the Charter

The consultative approach that the university's committee took was applauded by Dr. Adelle Blackett, Canada Research Chair at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, who was the principal drafter of the charter. 

"As a member of the Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee members for the national dialogues, I am proud that Saint Mary's University has signed onto the Scarborough Charter," says Saint Mary's President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. "As an institution, we are committed to systemic change, change we will see through this charter."  

Work on the Charter began in October 2020, when universities, colleges and other partners came together in conversation on how to meaningfully address anti-Black racism and Black inclusion. From there, the Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee (IIAC) for the National Dialogues and Action began drafting the charter, drawing from the input received from members of the community and sector. Further consultations on the drafted charter took place from March to June 2021, in which partners from Canadian universities and colleges took part in shaping the principles, actions and accountability measures contained within. 

Signatories of the Scarborough Charter are following through on the promises made by universities and colleges in the summer of 2020 and by partner institutions at the October 2020 National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities. Signatories are committing to meaningful, concrete action to address anti-Black racism and to promote Black inclusion.

Related

• Media release: Saint Mary’s joins universities nationwide to take action on anti-Black racism 

• Dr. Rohini Bannerjee appointed as Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence at Saint Mary’s University 

• About the Scarborough Charter  

• Download a copy of the Charter  

Leading the Way to Greener Energy: Retrofit Project Creates North America’s Tallest Solar-Integrated Building

A rendering of the Loyola Residence retrofitted with building-integrated photovoltaics.

The tallest solar integrated building in North America will be at Saint Mary’s University on the completion of a new project at the Loyola residence building. 

“Universities are at the forefront of producing green energy and related research. We are essential partners in the fight against climate change,” says Saint Mary's University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “With this new initiative, we are building on our history of projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce green energy. Saint Mary's will be a leader in North America in producing solar energy through building-integrated photovoltaics.” 

Saint Mary’s is working with Mitrex, a Toronto-based manufacturer of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). BIPV are solar power generating products or systems that are seamlessly integrated into a building’s envelope and part of building components such as façades, roofs or windows. This project will transform an exterior wall of the Loyola residence with an integrated solar façade solution, the tallest and largest BIPV micro-grid application in North America. The implementation of the project will be done by DSRA Architects, Dillon Consulting, and BMR Structural Engineering, with construction overseen by the EllisDon Corporation and Grey Cardinal Management Inc.. 

“As this project began, we knew that a portion of the external envelope on the university’s Loyola residence needed to be replaced,” says Dennis Gillis, Senior Director of Facilities Management at Saint Mary’s. “We decided to go bolder than a traditional envelope refurbishment. We saw the opportunity to create a green energy retrofit project in Atlantic Canada, an exemplar to other organizations of what is possible when we think outside the box, as we all work to reduce our carbon footprint.” 

Instead of simply replacing and repairing the pre-cast panel façade, this project will install aluminum panels with integrated solar photovoltaics from top to bottom on the south side of the Loyola residence facing Gorsebrook Avenue. This installation will create clean energy for the campus, approximately 100,000 kWh annually, further reducing the university’s greenhouse gas emissions and moving Saint Mary’s further along the path to net-zero.  

This project represents an $8.5 million dollar investment by Saint Mary’s University in green energy.  

What’s in a name? For the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek Mi’kmaw Place Names Project, a Lot

Student researchers Matt Meuse-Dallien, Kachina Sack, and Peter Christmas holding Mi’kmaw place names project poster.

For many people, names give a sense of belonging and community. Beginning fourteen years ago, the Ta'n Weji-sqalia'tiek Mi'kmaw Place Names Digital Atlas and Website Project has expanded into a unique resource with over 800 place names and has featured 30 research positions for Mi'kmaw youth and student researchers over that time.  The project marks another way of bringing to life the profound relationship Mi’kmaq have with the ancient landscape of Mi’kma’ki.  

“The naming of places in Mi'kma'ki was always very logical and descriptive, so our people would know where they were at all times,” recounts the late Elder Gregory Johnson in the short film ‘The Nature of Place Names’ which is featured on the homepage of the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek website.

The project now has a new look and feel, making it easier for users to engage with this unique history and ancient landscape. With help from Membertou Geomatics, the web-based map includes new enhanced sound bites and video clips of Elders sharing their lived experiences on the land. Users can explore numerous Mi’kmaw place names, learn place-name etymology and engage with the rich language of the Mi’kmaq. The new logo design and colour scheme reflect the importance of history and the land, and artworks by Mi’kmaw artists Alan Sylliboy and Gerald Gloade, are featured throughout the site and Elder's videos.

“Our instructions were to build a high-end website that would deliver the data through audio, video and a mapping infrastructure, which was completed in 2015,” states the committees Mi’kmaw Co-chair and Project Director, Tim Bernard of Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre. With this new refresh, the project has expanded and covers more areas than ever before.  

Project Lead, Dr. Trudy Sable of Saint Mary’s University, began to supervise the project when she was approached by Mr. Bernard and Rob Ferguson of Parks Canada. Through community-based focus groups, interviews, surveys, and discussions with numerous experts, the project has been driven by the vision of the Mi’kmaw communities, and the expressed needs of numerous institutional representatives for an inclusive and scholarly resource. 

Student researchers join archaeologist and project mentor Roger Lewis, archaeologist Rob Ferguson, and Project Lead, Trudy Sable on canoe trip to explore the Sɨkɨpne'katik (Shubenacadie) River, a pre-contact, Mi’kmaw traditional travel route.

“I have been deeply privileged to work with the many Elders, Mi’kmaw scholars, leaders, and community members who have contributed their time and knowledge to making the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek website and digital atlas happen,” says Dr. Sable. “Hearing the voices of Mi’kmaq who lived throughout Mi’kma’ki wakes me up to the deeply rooted and powerful reality of their relationship to this landscape.”

“I am grateful for their generosity in sharing their personal histories and knowledge, much of which has been invisible in the rendering of history,” recounts Dr. Sable. “The student researchers inspired me as they learned to research the place names and hear the Elders' stories and then carry this knowledge forward in the new roles they take on in their lives. I feel confident that the website will continue to expand and educate many people in new perspectives and ways of knowing the landscapes we all inhabit.”

A core component of the project has been to ensure the capacity building of Mi'kmaw youth. Since 2010, the project has offered numerous research positions for Mi'kmaw youth and student researchers to learn from Elders, and Mi’kmaw scholars and leaders. In these positions, the students have been trained in map interviewing and protocol, video editing, database set-up and entry, language training, and conducting archival research.  

“During my Atlantic Canadian Studies MA degree at Saint Mary’s University, I was hired to work as a research assistant for the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek: Mi’kmaw Place Names Project. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed,” says Raymond Sewell, previously a student researcher for the project, now an assistant professor at Saint Mary’s.  

“Dr. Trudy Sable, Dr. Bernie Francis, and Roger Lewis taught me valuable research skills. I worked with other students on this project that I now count as friends, each of us working in different fields. We all shared a fulfilling work experience. We were able to meet and interview L’nu Elders, travel to various sites, have canoe excursions, and work with various organizations like the Nova Scotia Museum,” recounts Mr. Sewell. “I had a great time learning place-name etymology. I was responsible for entering different orthographies into the database, and that engagement with my language was an excellent experience. I am now an English professor, and I use the website in my class to teach students the importance of land and language.” 

Both the website and digital atlas have become integral to developing educational programming, enhancing Mi'kmaw tourism, and promoting cultural awareness about the Mi'kmaq.

“The Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek digital atlas and website is an essential resource for our work in archaeological and cultural landscape studies,” says Dr. Jonathon Fowler, archaeologist and professor in the Anthropology department at Saint Mary’s. “I use it regularly in my research and teaching, and, truth be told, it is so interesting I often explore it just for fun. It contains incredible insights and not a few surprises.” 

Since 2015, the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre has taken on the responsibility of stewarding and caring for the data, which is safely stored at the Membertou Datacentre, and overseeing the transfer of the project from SMU to the Nation. With help from Membertou Geomatics, the web-based map has undergone a functionality refresh making it easier for users to explore the significant history of the Mi’kmaq and the unique landscape of Mi’kma’ki.  

“Our engagement within our Mi’kmaw communities in 2007-08 was extensive and at that time we were told, very clearly, to go deep and dig down and collect this vast but quickly disappearing knowledge from this generation of Elders that still carry the language and still hold the knowledge,” says Mr. Bernard. “We’re very fortunate to have built this relationship with SMU and Dr. Sable. They understood that the information and data needed to be protected and retained by the Nation, for the Nation.”  

Initiated in 2008 by the Mi'kmaq - Nova Scotia - Canada Tripartite Forum, Culture and Heritage Committee, the project grew to include numerous other partners and funders. There has been close to $1M invested to protect and share this data through the creation of the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek website and digital atlas.  

To learn more about this ongoing project and explore the new look and feel of the map and site, visit Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek Mi’kmaw Place Names Digital Atlas.

Saint Mary’s Art Gallery opens its doors to “Phase Variations”

Lou Sheppard

After two years of limited operations due to the pandemic, the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery is thrilled to announce “Phase Variations,” a new, in-person installation by interdisciplinary contemporary artist Lou Sheppard.

Sheppard is a transmasculine Nova Scotian artist and rising star in the art world, with works that have been shortlisted for the prestigious Sobey Art Award.

With its keen focus on contemporary art and interest in supporting Canadian and local artists, the Art Gallery offers an opportunity for visitors to step outside of their daily lives to learn and discover something new—something the community has undoubtedly missed during COVID-19 restrictions.

“It is an honour to be the first show back in the gallery space, and I hope that students, staff, faculty and the community feel welcomed back into the space,” says Sheppard. “It is a place to shift perspectives, feel uncertain, be challenged, learn and feel differently.”

“It is a place to shift perspectives, feel uncertain, be challenged, learn and feel differently.”

— Lou Sheppard

“Phase Variations” aims to rediscover and celebrate queer history in Atlantic Canada, a history often overlooked, excluded and erased. Created by Sheppard and curated by Robin Metcalfe, former director and curator of the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, the project pulls from Metcalfe’s archive of queer history in Atlantic Canada. The archive of materials includes photographs, newspapers and other communications associated with the queer experience from the 1970s to the present.

“I visited Robin Metcalfe’s archives to draw out fragments, which I used as poetic points of entry into the works in the exhibition,” says Sheppard. “For example, the video piece, ‘Send Them All to Sable Island,’ is based on an offhand remark by a Halifax area mayor in the 80s in reference to people with AIDS. In the video work, I imagined Sable Island as a queer commune or hospice by overlaying fragments of queer conversations that I drew from Metcalfe’s archives. In front of the video work are ten sets of sheets, each of which have been slept on by queer friends.”

The show’s title is borrowed from the biological process whereby bacteria adapt to rapidly changing environments. It is also a nod to a musical term that refers to developing out-of-sync sounds waves resulting in a strumming effect – repeated musical passages in a slightly altered form. These terms inspired Sheppard’s interpretation of the selection of archived materials to represent the forgotten history of the queer community in a positive way.

“When you walk into the space, you don’t feel the darkness surrounding being queer in the ’70s,” says Pam Corell, Assistant Curator at the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery. “Lou does an excellent job bringing his positive outlook on life to create a celebratory aspect to such a dark period for the queer community.”

In addition to the exhibit, visitors can view some of the inspiration materials from the archive in the Reading Room. Created by Sheppard, these materials were curated by Undine Foulds, the Halifax Young Curator for the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery.

This is the second year the gallery has hosted a Halifax Young Curator, an internship for emerging or young curators who live or explore barriers to the contemporary art sector.

“I hope people can experience a sense of queer history in the space,” says Sheppard. “We’re living in a time where queer identity is very visible and can be publicly celebrated, but that hasn’t always been the case. It is important to know who worked for the freedoms we have today.”

“Phase Variations” runs until April 17. The gallery is currently operating from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

The Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery was established in 1971 and was the first purpose-built university art gallery in Halifax. Built to National Gallery of Canada Standards, it focuses on contemporary art.

Celebrating African Heritage Month at Saint Mary’s

February’s freezing temperatures and pandemic restrictions won’t put a damper on African Heritage Month celebrations at Saint Mary’s.  

From online guest speakers to recommended readings to an African film festival, the Office of Diversity Excellence at Saint Mary’s—together with a committee of staff, faculty and representatives from SMUSA—have prepared several events and resources for the Saint Mary’s community. 

Celebrated in Nova Scotia as African Heritage Month and nationally as Black History Month, the month is “an important opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate all the ways that Black Canadians and those who identify as members of African diasporas have contributed to Canada’s history and culture,” says Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, Associate Vice-President of the newly-formed Office of Diversity Excellence at Saint Mary’s. 

To help mark the significance of the month, the tri-colour Pan-African flag has been raised in front of McNally. The red, black and green flag was created in 1920 to represent the people of the African Diaspora. 

“We’re excited this year to continue celebrating Black and African heritage excellence well beyond February,” adds Dr. Bannerjee. “We are not confined to these 28 days but instead will attempt to uphold the 2022 theme of February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day as a catalyst for dialogue.”  

See the list below for events and resources

Events

Plumes of Power: An Evening with Senator Donald H. Oliver

Tuesday, February 1 
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

In partnership with Nimbus publishing, Saint Mary’s University is pleased to present an evening with the Honourable Donald H. Oliver CM ONS QC LLD’13. A tireless champion for diversity, pluralism, fairness and equality, he was the first black male to sit in the Senate and the second black Canadian appointed to the chamber. Senator Oliver continues to connect with the African-Canadian community to provide encouragement, advice, guidance and mentoring particularly to youth, to help them overcome the ravages of racism in Canada today.

Ignition Program: BIPOC Entrepreneurs  

The Ignition Program offers weekly programming to students on entrepreneurial topics. The program provides student with $20 per session they attend when they register for the program, or join using the below link, just for fun! 

In February, the Ignition Program is hosting virtual events featuring Black and Indigenous local entrepreneur panellists, who will share their stories, challenges and successes with aspiring entrepreneurs.   

February 14 – Black Entrepreneurship Panel: 5 p.m. AST to 6:30 p.m. AST

Join SMUEC as we host four incredible Black entrepreneurs as they share their unique entrepreneurial stories, the challenges and stigmas of entrepreneurship, and how their resiliency and perseverance helped to navigate through a difficult career.  

Panelists: 

• Princess Octavious, Owner/Operator, P3 Hair and Beauty Supplies

• Holly Adams, CEO, Hollydrops

• Tiffani Young, Owner, Natural Butter Bar

February 18 – Indigenous Entrepreneurship Panel:  12 p.m. AST to 1 p.m. AST  
Join SMUEC as we host four incredible Indigenous entrepreneurs as they share their unique entrepreneurial stories, the challenges and stigmas of entrepreneurship, and how their resiliency and perseverance helped to navigate through a difficult career.  

Black Representation in Health: Why Seeing YOU Matters

Thursday, February 17 12 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

An Office of Diversity Excellence virtual event

Join Kelly Carrington, RMT and Dr. Akila Whiley, MD who will share their experience as Black healthcare providers and discuss the importance of mentorship and representation in the field.

Kemet Udjat: An African Film Festival 

February 28 – March 4, 2022 

The 2022 edition of the Kemet Udjat Film Festival (KUFF) at Saint Mary’s will run virtually from February 28 to March 4, in remembrance of Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop and Sidney Poitier.

KUFF 2022 is presented by Dr. Jean-Blaise Samou, Assistant Professor of Francophone and Intercultural Studies in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics. Loosely translated, the name Kemet Udjat indicates “the eye of Africa” and refers to a different perspective on African heritage.

Learn more and register to watch the films! 

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Resources and related links

Lynn Jones

• In recognition of African Heritage Month, the University Archives has curated a display of materials from the recently digitized Africville Files of The Lynn Jones African Canadian & Diaspora Heritage Collection. Dr. Lynn Jones has spent her lifetime working in civil rights and social justice struggles in Halifax, Canada and internationally. Along the way, she collected thousands of unique materials documenting Black life, including photographs, news clippings, reports, and numerous other materials. Read more about this “living collection,” and how it came to be, here.

• The Patrick Power Library has also put on display a large number of print and e-books from its collection for African Heritage Month. All books can be borrowed by the SMU community. Visit the Saint Mary’s University Library Blog to see the virtual displays. In-person displays can be viewed on the ground floor of the Library starting February 4.  

Irish President Honours Bridget Brownlow for Peace Education Impact

Bridget Brownlow

Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) also attended the ceremony.

President Michael D. Higgins with Bridget Brownlow.

Bridget Brownlow met Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins for the first time this week, as the recipient of one of his highest honours. She was the only Canadian among 11 people who received his 2021 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.

Brownlow was the sole winner in the award’s “Peace, Reconciliation & Development” category, in recognition of her work with the Northern Ireland / North of Ireland Peace Education and Conflict Resolution Program. The ceremony took place December 2 at Áras an Uachtaráin, the President’s official residence in Dublin. Other Irish dignitaries present were Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Simon Coveney, T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence.

“I was so grateful to represent Saint Mary’s and Canada,” says Brownlow, who is President of Peaceful Schools International, Saint Mary’s Conflict Resolution Advisor and a part-time faculty member. “Many strategic connections were solidified as a result of meeting these senior government officials, which will further support our programs in Ireland and elsewhere going forward.”

Mr. Coveney called the award recipients “some of the finest members of our global family, our diaspora,” in an October 22 announcement. “In the ever-changing world we live in, this remarkable group of individuals have been a constant beacon for Ireland and the values we hold dear.” 

Now in its 18th year, the Peace Education Program is a partnership between Saint Mary’s and Peaceful Schools International. SMU students help to facilitate peace education and conflict resolution workshops with children in elementary schools overseas, and here in Nova Scotia. The program has grown to include conflict management and peace education training, and has established partnerships with colleagues at Yale University and Queen’s University, Belfast.

Brownlow heads to Belfast next to facilitate in-person training with members of the Orange Order, Loyalist and Republican youth, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Sinn Fein and a cross-community workshop with teachers and parents. Throughout the pandemic, she has continued to offer weekly training sessions overseas virtually.

“The long-term strategy is to continue building on the existing capacity for managing conflict and promoting peace education, which are essential features of the peace process. The fundamental principle of Peaceful Schools International is to ’teach peace’ at the youngest age possible, although it remains possible at any age,” she says.

Planning is underway for the program’s next trip to Northern Ireland, scheduled for late April 2022. For updates, follow Peaceful Schools International on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and SMU’s Peace Education / Conflict Resolution Society on Instagram and Twitter.   

SMU Community Surpasses Giving Tuesday Goal

Giving Tuesday Goal surpassed again this year!

On November 30, Saint Mary’s alumni, faculty, staff and friends worked together to raise more than $27,000 to support the Student Wellness Fund and promote food security for SMU students this Giving Tuesday.

Thanks to the generosity of the J & W Murphy Foundation and a top-up by the Saint Mary’s Alumni Association, all individual gifts were matched. Gifts and the matching funds will directly impact students through initiatives such as the on-campus Community Food Room, the Enactus Saint Mary’s Square Roots vegetable bundle program, as well as provide care packages for students not able to travel home this holiday season.  
 
A huge thanks to the Saint Mary’s community for making this Giving Tuesday one of the most successful ever. Thank you for helping keep our students fed, learning and thriving.

Creating the Space for Inspiration

Board members, students, faculty, staff and alumni all gathered to welcome the newly elected Minister of Advanced Education, the Honourable Brian Wong, and top donors to Saint Mary’s. Over 100 people gathered safely to learn more about two new buildings under construction, the Sobeys Inspiration Hub and The Exchange.

At the heart of the new additions is the Sobeys Inspiration Hub, a 43,000 sq. ft. glass and steel building, that will house the Saint Mary’s Entrepreneurship Centre, the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services, maker spaces, research and innovation labs, and project studios.

Members of the community spoke proudly about the university’s track record in creating entrepreneurs, many of them current students and recent graduates. Students mingled and took photos with donors including Marsha Sobey. The Sobey family are important donors to the university over several decades; their legacy and ongoing support for the institution was singled out by several speakers including Board Chair Larry Freeman and President Rob Summerby-Murray. Sobeys Incorporated is contributing $5 million, part of the $18 million Sobey Gift to Saint Mary’s from the Sobey family, Sobey Foundation and Sobeys Inc., the largest donation in the university’s history.

George and Dorothy Isaacs, along with Derek Isaacs on Live Stream, attended in recognition of the $2.5 million donation from the estate of Anne and Albert Isaacs DipENG’55.  A student gathering space, named the Anne J. and Albert T. Isaacs Commons, is at the center of The Exchange.

The event was emceed by Leah Skerry BComm’09 and Entrepreneur-in-Residence with remarks by Enactus Co-President Kritika Gurung. The new buildings will open in 2023.

Hockey for everyone: Huskies host Canadian Blind Hockey for fun practice

You could tell from the sounds of rattling ball bearings and children’s laughter in the Dauphinee Centre on Wednesday afternoon that this wasn’t a usual practice for members of the Saint Mary’s Huskies men’s hockey team.

The Huskies hosted Canadian Blind Hockey for their annual Learn to Skate and Try Blind Hockey program on Nov. 24. Nearly 20 participants, between the ages of two to over 30, took to the Dauphinee Centre ice to skate, pass, shoot and have some fun with the Huskies.

“We haven’t been able to get on the ice in a while because of COVID, so we partnered with Saint Mary’s to bring blind hockey to the Dauphinee Centre, and to show kids young and old what blind hockey is all about,” explained Kelly Serbu, President of Canadian Blind Hockey, and the captain of the Canadian Blind Hockey National Team.

Serbu is a former Saint Mary’s Hockey player who was diagnosed with Stargardt, a hereditary eye disease during his second year with the team and continued playing after being declared legally blind.

Now he’s on a mission to spread awareness of blind hockey, and make the sport accessible to everyone, even those who are partially sighted and blind.

Blind hockey is much like traditional hockey with a few key differences, most notably the noisy puck.

“We play with a larger puck, it’s a metal puck, about 5.5 inches across the top and has eight ball bearings inside of it. People like me, who are partially sighted can track the puck on the ice by seeing it, but also by hearing it,” says Serbu. “The only other differences are the nets are one foot shorter, the goalies are totally blind, and wear blindfolds, and before you score a goal you have to complete a pass in the offensive zone. Other than that, it’s just like regular hockey.”

Some of the young hockey players say blind hockey has created a community and taught them some valuable life lessons.

“Just because you’re disabled, doesn’t mean you can’t play sports. They’ve tried to adapt many sports for everyone to be able to play,” said Carter Ryan, who has been playing hockey for three years.

“I came out to have a lot of fun with the community of blind hockey. Since I was like four years old, this has been a supportive group, like a family kind of. Not only just in hockey, but in anything you’re doing, they’re very supportive and always there for you,” said Mary Ellen MacEachen.

According to the Huskies head coach, his players were also inspired.

“This is part of our culture, we’ve been involved in Move for Inclusion, Motionball, Ronald McDonald House. So for our players, it’s very rewarding for them, they know they get a lot and they’ve been given a lot growing up, so it’s very rewarding to see them giving back,” said Huskies interim head coach Tyler Naugler. “We didn’t tell them to come, we told them about the event and we had almost everyone of our guys who didn’t have a class commitment today stay, so it’s a very rewarding experience for everybody.”

After a fun session on the ice, the group had a pizza party lunch and were given a tour of the Huskies facilities. It was an afternoon full of smiles, laughs, and inspiring messages.