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Another successful South Shore Tour for the Sobey School of Business

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Top business students from Saint Mary’s University recently met with business leaders from Nova Scotia’s South Shore to discuss opportunities for collaboration and employment.

Thirty-nine students from Sobey School’s graduate business programs toured Lunenburg and Bridgewater on Friday, Sept. 28, visiting 22 companies and attending information sessions. The businesses met with students and had the opportunity to see how an innovative intern or new graduate could help their bottom line or grow their business. 

“This tour is a direct expression of our commitment to making an impact on the prosperity of this province,” said Dr. Harjeet Bhabra, dean of the Sobey School of Business. “At the same time, it helps our students build the ability to recognize opportunities that they otherwise might miss. And it helps connect the work of the university with more of the province.”

The businesses taking part in the tour include:

  • Aqualitas

  • ABCO

  • CO3 & Mashup Labs

  • Freemans Lumber

  • Hawboldt Industries

  • Heart to Hand

  • Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering (LIFE)

  • Michelin

  • Ocean Gear

  • Old Town Boat Works

  • Petite Riviere Winery

  • Port Mersey Commercial Park

  • Pro-Oceanus

  • RPS Composites

  • Sattlers Stained Glass

  • South Shore Tourism Co-op

  • Stelia

  • Terra Beata

  • Van Dyk’s Health Juice Products Ltd.

  • Westcote Pottery

“The South Shore Corporate Tour reveals the opportunities available in Queens County and along the South Shore through our innovative businesses and the superb lifestyle we enjoy,” said David Dagley, Mayor of Region of Queens Municipality. “We are pleased to welcome them to the South Shore, and proud to showcase our community.”

The Saint Mary’s students involved come from Sobey School graduate programs including the Master of Business Administration (MBA); the Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and the Master of Finance.

The South Shore Tour is an initiative between South Shore businesses and Saint Mary’s University. The tour is coordinated by the Graduate Career Services office of the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s, and is in its second year.

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Fall 2018 Convocation Photo Review

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October is Mi’kmaq History Month

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October is Mi’kmaq History Month in Nova Scotia. Mi’kmaq History Month builds awareness of Mi’kmaq history and heritage, and celebrates Mi’kmaq culture.

In 1993, Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Mi’kmaw culture and heritage.

October 1, Treaty Day, marks the beginning of Mi'kmaq History Month. There are a variety of events occurring this month on campus and all across Nova Scotia.

Here are some of the events taking place on campus:

  • A tour at the art gallery of #callresponse on Wednesday, October 3 at 12 p.m.

  • The SMU Indigenous Blanket Exercise on Friday, October 5 at 10 a.m.

  • The Mi'kmaq Flag Raising taking place on Thursday, October 11 at 12 p.m.

For more information on events taking place across campus, visit the SMU events calendar.

The complete list of events occurring across Nova Scotia can be found on the Mi’kmaq History Month events calendar. More information on the month can be found here.

Saint Mary’s celebrates business and research excellence at fall convocation

At this fall’s convocation ceremony, Saint Mary’s University celebrates the exceptional business accomplishments of our newest honorary degree recipient along with the recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Research.

A mentor for a generation of entrepreneurs, Dr. Rustum Southwell believes in the power of entrepreneurship to build a stronger province. Originally from the island of St. Kitts, Dr. Southwell has called Nova Scotia home for more than four decades. As one of Nova Scotia’s first Black franchise operators, he understands the challenges of starting a business. In those challenges, he saw an opportunity to help others.

“It is a great honour for me to be selected for and offered the degree of Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, by Saint Mary’s University,” said Dr. Southwell. “I would not be where I am today without the hard work and collective impact of the Black Business Initiative team. This recognition from Saint Mary’s serves as confirmation and validation that our efforts at the BBI are not going unnoticed and that we are making a difference in the community.”

As the first and founding Chief Executive Officer of the Black Business Initiative (BBI), Dr. Southwell dedicated almost two decades of his life to helping new entrepreneurs.  He has helped develop the entrepreneurial culture we see in Halifax and Nova Scotia today. During this time, he contributed to the creation hundreds of businesses and more than 800 jobs. Dr. Southwell is currently adding even more to his legacy with BBI, in his current role as interim CEO.

“Dr. Southwell is known for his dedication to aspiring entrepreneurs and his business mentorship,” said Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “At Saint Mary’s, we share his commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in Nova Scotia. It is with great pleasure that we present Dr. Southwell with the highest honour that we can bestow, an honorary degree.”

The President’s Award for Excellence in Research will also be awarded at this fall’s convocation. This annual award was established in 1989 and honours outstanding research conducted by a full-time faculty member.

The 2018 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Research is Dr. Renée Hulan, Professor of English Language and Literature.

Dr. Hulan is an internationally recognized expert in Canadian literature and culture. She is a scholar deeply involved in innovative and timely research initiatives related to scholarship on the North or the Arctic. Letters in support of her nominations, submitted by some of the leading scholars working in the field of Canadian Studies in Canada, and researchers working outside Canada, highlighted not only significant accomplishments but also the breadth of expertise and the innovative investigations which cross many disciplinary boundaries.

Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor of Psychology at Saint Mary’s, will the keynote speaker at Saturday’s afternoon convocation. Known for offering students interactive, hands-on learning experiences, and for his commitment to the Saint Mary’s community, Dr. Bourgeois is the 2018 recipient of the Reverend William A. Stewart, S.J., Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Convocation takes place this Friday, Sept. 28, and Saturday, Sept. 29.

Honorary Degree: Dr. Rustum Southwell

S. I. Rustum Southwell, Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa
Entrepreneur, Community Builder and Leader, Mentor

A mentor for a generation of entrepreneurs, Dr. Rustum Southwell believes in the power of entrepreneurship to build a stronger province. Originally from the island of St. Kitts, Dr. Southwell has called Nova Scotia home for more than four decades. As one of Nova Scotia’s first Black franchise operators, he understands the challenges of starting a business. In those challenges, he saw an opportunity to help others.

Honorary degree recipient Dr. Rustum Southwell

Honorary degree recipient Dr. Rustum Southwell

 As the first and founding Chief Executive Officer of the Black Business Initiative (BBI), Dr. Southwell dedicated almost two decades of his life to helping new entrepreneurs. He has helped develop the entrepreneurial culture we see in Halifax and Nova Scotia today. During this time, he contributed to the creation hundreds of businesses and more than 800 jobs. Dr. Southwell is currently adding even more to his legacy with BBI, in his current role as interim CEO.

 The first chair of Hope Blooms, Dr. Southwell has also been co-chair of the African Heritage Month Committee and vice-chair of the Caribbean Association of Nova Scotia. He has worked closely with the Black Cultural Society and was a member of the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children Strategic Planning Workgroup. Dr. Southwell has served on the boards of the United Way of Halifax, the Waterfront Development Corporation, and the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society Board of Directors and is currently on the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) for his second time.  

An experienced and innovative administrator, Dr. Southwell has significant expertise in strategic planning, business and entrepreneurial development and corporate governance. He understands and champions the importance of entrepreneurship in building stronger, more vibrant communities.

Visit the Convocation page for more information about this ceremony.

Cast your vote for the One World Alumni Awards Gala!

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The award-winning One World Alumni Awards are fast approaching! The gala is presented by TD Insurance and designed to align with the strategic priorities of Saint Mary’s University. Students and alumni of Saint Mary’s are making meaningful impact in their communities, be it on campus or all over the world, which speaks to our strategic priority of value and values, emphasizing the Santamarian values of student leadership, social responsibility, and cultural diversity.

The intentional reinvigoration of our Latin motto, Age Quod Agis, meaning “do what you do” has become a call to action to our entire Santamarian community. The One World Alumni Awards strive to recognize these efforts.

One World Alumni Awards Gala

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Doors: 6:00pm

Gala Reception: 6:30-8:30pm

Purchase Tickets for the 2018 One World Alumni Awards Gala

2018 Student Society Award

Two Saint Mary's student societies, Enactus Saint Mary’s and SMU Habitat for Humanity, have been selected as finalists for the 2018 One World Alumni Award. One of these societies will receive the $7,500 One World Award to support their charitable work throughout the academic year. The runner-up receives $1,000. See below for videos on the two charities nominated this year!

Uploaded by SMU Halifax on 2018-08-29.



2018 Charity Award

Two charities, Adsum for Women & Children and FEED Nova Scotia, have been selected as finalists for the 2018 One World Alumni Award. One of these organizations will receive the $7,500 One World Award to support their charitable mission. The runner-up receives $1,000. See below for videos on the two charities nominated this year!

To cast your vote for both the Student Society Award and the Charity Award of your choice, visit the One World Alumni Awards page. Voting is open daily until September 28, 2018! The award recipient will be announced at the One World Alumni Awards Gala on October 11, 2018 at Saint Mary's University.  

New "SMU Cafe" launches Monday, Sept. 17

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To help young Canadians prepare for the future of work, RBC Future Launch and Ten Thousand Coffees have partnered to increase access to alumni networking and mentoring for students at seven post-secondary institutions across Canada.

Saint Mary’s is the only Atlantic Canadian school participating in upcoming launch of Ten Thousand Coffees initiative. Ten Thousand Coffees works with more than 200 leading organizations around the world to connect the students and alumni and provide meaningful mentorship and networking opportunities at Saint Mary’s and beyond. Learn more at: www.tenthousandcoffees.com

Phase one of the partnership, which officially starts September 17, will launch at the following post-secondary institutions:

  • George Brown College – Centre for Business

  • McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management

  • Saint Mary's University – All Faculties

  • University of Calgary – Schulich School of Engineering

  • University of Guelph – College of Business and Economics

  • University of Lethbridge – All Faculties

  • University of Victoria – Gustavson School of Business

  • University of Victoria – Faculty of Social Sciences

  • University of Victoria – Faculty of Engineering

These schools are providing their alumni and students with the opportunity to join their private communities on Ten Thousand Coffees. Alumni and students will get matches to meet for a “coffee” based on career goals, skills and interests. Whether it’s career advice, job shadowing, or a mentoring chat - participants can get matched based on what interests them most. Students and alumni will be matched based on their career goals and will be provided with simple, step-by-step instructions on how to network effectively.

In addition, Ten Thousand Coffees provides LinkedIn certificates to help participants in their job search and support them during professional development discussion. Students can also include their participation in the program to their co-curricular record, which when combined with their academic transcript, complements their resume and helps youth articulate their skills to potential employers.

We hope that many of our alumni, faculty and staff will be among the first to join this exciting new networking initiative! 

Questions? Contact Chantal Caissie, Alumni Officer, at chantal.caissie@smu.ca

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Saint Mary’s students make their first venture capital investment in international travel start-up

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Saint Mary’s University’s Venture Grade Fund, a student-raised and led venture capital fund, is making its first investment, $15,000 to travel start-up Trip Ninja.

Trip Ninja is a travel-planning software for use by online travel retailers such as Expedia or Priceline. When retail customers are booking plane trips to several different places, Trip Ninja helps online travel retailers find the best price. This multi-destination platform finds the best way to book the trip, whether travellers are flexible in their route or if they need to visit destinations in a particular order.

“It has been great working with Saint Mary’s University’s Venture Grade Fund, and seeing the confidence they have in our product,” said Trip Ninja Co-Founder, Andres Collart. “Saint Mary’s has helped us through reviewing aspects of our business with their MBA students who have a firm grasp on entrepreneurship and innovation. It’s been great working with an organization who is committed to helping start-ups and entrepreneurs have success.” 

The Saint Mary’s University Venture Grade Fund is a student-raised and run venture capital fund and the first student-raised venture capital investment fund in Canada in which the students raise the capital. Their fund is operating at about $200,000 currently.

The team seems to have chosen well as the fledgling travel tech company has attracted notable local, national and international investors, including East Valley Ventures, Innovacorp and other investors experienced in the travel industry. Innovacorp is also a supporter of Saint Mary’s University’s Venture Grade Fund’s assessment of Trip Ninja, and provided Venture Grade with half the capital required for their investment.

The team’s faculty advisor and mentor is venture capital expert and SMU professor, Dr. Ellen Farrell.

“This is a win-win-win situation,” said Farrell. “Venture Grade’s donors and partners like Innovacorp get to offer students an unparalleled experiential education experience, the students get the benefit of raising the capital and conducting due diligence, and the start-up spends the investment thus supporting their business.”

Should the company experience a successful exit, meaning if they are purchased for a large sum, the investors, including Venture Grade, will receive a payout scaled to the purchase. Any returns made on Venture Grade’s investments are returned to Venture Grade, the student fund.

The fund was started by students of Dr. Ellen Farrell at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University in fall 2016, with a connection to Silicon Valley’s C100 group, Boston’s Canadian Entrepreneurs in New England, and initial support from Innovacorp. It has expanded to include members at other Atlantic universities including Acadia University, Dalhousie University, and Memorial University.

“Sobey School of Business and Saint Mary’s University are proud to offer students the opportunity to experience the risks and rewards of investing,” said Dr. Harjeet Bhabra, dean of the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University.

“With the School’s strengths in finance and entrepreneurship, the Venture Grade Fund could only have been created here. We’re proud to continue making an impact on our region and on the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Saint Mary’s researcher receives Inuit Cultural Repatriation Award

2018 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Awards and Feast, Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre, Inuvik NWT. Pictured from the left are Nancy Hurn (Anglican Archives), Deanna Marie Jacobson, (Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre / ICRC), Natan Obed, (President of ITK),…

2018 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Awards and Feast, Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre, Inuvik NWT. Pictured from the left are Nancy Hurn (Anglican Archives), Deanna Marie Jacobson, (Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre / ICRC), Natan Obed, (President of ITK), Val Marie Johnson (Saint Mary’s University), Ethel-Jean Gruben (ICRC).

Saint Mary’s University researcher Dr. Val Marie Johnson’s collaborative work to repatriate copies of Inuit cultural and historical materials is being recognized by the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) with the ITK’s 2018 Inuit Cultural Repatriation Award.

The Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre (ICRC), together with the Anglican Church General Synod Archives and Dr. Johnson received the award earlier this month. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have taken steps to repatriate Inuit intellectual or cultural property or other items that hold significance for their people.  

"It is a deep honour to have Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami recognize the collaboration among myself, the ICRC team, descendants of Shingle Point School students and staff, other community members, and the Archives team, on repatriating to the Settlement Region documentation of the living history of residential schools,” said Dr. Johnson.

They received the award for repatriating copies of archival materials from St. John’s Eskimo Residential School at Shingle Point, Yukon, and related materials. Shingle Point is an Inuvialuit whaling and fishing site that today forms part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Area. The Anglican Church opened St. John’s School in 1929 with 14 students. Enrollment peaked in 1934 with 44 students. The school closed in 1936 when a new residential school opened in Aklavik,  Northwest Territories.

Since June 2017, Johnson has worked with ICRC staff, elders and descendants of students and staff to repatriate copies of photos, artwork, student letters, and language materials collected by Anglican missionaries and held in the Anglican Church Archives in Toronto. The materials will soon be available at the ICRC, digitally, and through publication.

“Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is pleased to see these organizations and individuals recognized for the dedication and personal sacrifice each has given for the wellbeing of the Inuvialuit and others, as well as promoting our culture amongst others,” said Duane Smith, Chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

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SMU doctoral student one of 10 winners in national policy challenge

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Congratulations to Chris Walker, doctoral candidate in the International Development Studies Department at Saint Mary's University, who is one of 10 winners of a national foreign policy challenge. 

The Global Affairs Canada / SSHRC 2018 International Policy Ideas Challenge invites Canadian graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and researchers to propose solutions to emerging international policy challenges faced by Canada.

Chris proposed a policy brief that will analyze the foreign policy implications of using trilateral partnerships through South-South Cooperation (as opposed to the traditional bilateral Northern-to-Southern countries aid model) as a potential approach to international development. A unique example of a trilateral arrangement combined North American resources with Cuban personnel to overcome the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The competition winners have several months to develop their ideas into policy briefs, which will then be presented to Government of Canada officials in a special day-long symposium in Ottawa later this fall. 

Chris Walker is a Canadian Institutes for Health Research doctoral candidate. His research focused on international development policy, South-South cooperation, bilateral medical agreements, global health, medical education, health systems evaluation and policy, the political economy of health and development, as well as modes of health care capacitation for rural, poor and marginalized populations.

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The Dauphinee Centre construction on track

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A rendering of The Dauphinee Centre.

A rendering of The Dauphinee Centre.

Excitement is building as work continues on The Dauphinee Centre, the new arena at Saint Mary’s that will feature an NHL-sized ice surface and accommodate more than 1200 fans.

With the arena design 95% complete and construction progressing well, the $14.8 million facility is on track to open in time for the 2019 hockey season. This fall, neighbours can expect to see the large, precast concrete walls (about 85 pieces in total) go up on the build site. Work is now underway on the foundations to support the walls and on the underground water and electrical services. 

When completed, the centre will feature an upper-level warming room with an attached fan room overlooking the ice surface, a pedway link to the Homburg Centre for Health & Wellness, and men’s and women’s varsity dressing rooms that are equal to the best junior hockey facilities in the country. These enhancements to the project were made possible by a generous gift of $2 million from local entrepreneurs Glen and Nancy Holmes, parents of two current Saint Mary’s students. Glen and Nancy Holmes are the owners of Pseudio, Samuel & Co and Envy.

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Award-winning Square Roots food bundle program partners with Hellmann’s

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Square Roots bundles. 

Square Roots bundles. 

The award-winning Square Roots food bundle program is partnering with Hellmann’s to help combat food insecurity across Nova Scotia.

“At Hellmann’s, we believe that food is too good to be wasted,” said Andria Prada, Senior Assistant Brand Manager at Hellmann’s. “Square Roots fights issues of food waste and food insecurity at both farms and restaurants. They redirect perfectly good food that would be thrown away, into the hands of communities. Hellmann’s is proud to support Square Roots.”

Launched in November 2016, Square Roots fights food insecurity, food deserts and food waste in Nova Scotia through a monthly, affordable and healthy food bundle service. The food bundles cost $5 and $10 each and feature 10 pounds of fruits and vegetables sourced locally from the Annapolis Valley. There is also a $60, three-month bundle where members can purchase a bundle for themselves and a family in need.

“For two years in a row, the Square Roots bundle program has won the Hellmann’s Food Security Challenge, which opened the door to this partnership,” said Becca Watts, Square Roots bundle program manager. “We are proud to announce that all future bundles will feature a recipe book and coupon for a free Hellmann’s product. We want to thank them for their support as we fight food insecurity in Nova Scotia.”

The August bundle includes corn, cucumbers, apples, potatoes, carrots and a recipe book and free product coupon.

There are currently ten franchises throughout Nova Scotia, and the program continues to look towards expansion by finding community champions to bring Square Roots to their community.

Square Roots is an Enactus Saint Mary’s social enterprise. With over 100 students, Enactus Saint Mary’s currently operates eight projects and social enterprises and one process. These range from consulting with entrepreneurs on the autism spectrum, to forming food-based social enterprises, to operating a computer literacy program for young people. Enactus Saint Mary’s is proud to partner with the Saint Mary's University Entrepreneurship Centre to offer its programs.

For more information about Square Roots, pick-up locations or to order a bundle, visit www.squarerootsfood.ca .