Immigration reformer and advocate to receive honorary degree from Saint Mary’s University

An immigration reformer and advocate will receive the highest honour Saint Mary's University can bestow, an honorary degree, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020.

The university is recognizing the achievement, dedication and life's work of Gerry Mills, the former Executive Director of Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS).

Gerry Mills

"Saint Mary's University understands the importance of intercultural learning, and the advantages global perspectives bring to our university, province and country," said Saint Mary's University President Robert Summerby-Murray. "We are proud to honour Gerry Mills for her decades of commitment to supporting newcomers to Canada and for her work in shaping immigration to Nova Scotia. It is with great pleasure that we welcome her to the Santamarian family."

Born in Gravesend, England, Gerry Mills’s lifelong dedication to supporting newcomers and immigrants comes from her own experience moving to Canada in 1986. Despite knowing the language, it was a startling culture shock. Initially drawn to a career in teaching after earning a degree in German and English from Hull University in England, her own immigration story changed her plans. Mills would begin volunteering in literacy training and teaching part-time in English as a Second Language, but this quickly became a career. Within six months, Mills was the Executive Director of the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre.

“We are proud to honour Gerry Mills for her decades of commitment to supporting newcomers to Canada and for her work in shaping immigration to Nova Scotia. It is with great pleasure that we welcome her to the Santamarian family.”

— Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President of Saint Mary's University

Recognizing the benefits that a merger between the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre and the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) could bring for immigrants, Mills led this process with MISA Executive Director Claudette Legault to create the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. Mills regards this merger, bringing two of the city's most critical immigrant program associations together, as one of her most significant accomplishments. Mills was also crucial to the settling of thousands of Syrian refugees to Nova Scotia; another moment she considers one of the most important of her career.

"In receiving this honour, I want to stress the importance of and express thanks to all of my colleagues for their support, dedication and commitment to helping newcomers to Nova Scotia," said honorary degree recipient Gerry Mills. "None of this would have been possible without you."

• Full biography for January 2020 honorary degree recipient Gerry Mills.

Honorary Degree: Gerry Mills

Gerry Mills

Gerry Mills
Immigration reformer and advocate  

Born in Gravesend, England, Gerry Mills's lifelong dedication to supporting newcomers and immigrants comes from her own experience moving to Canada in 1986. Despite knowing the language, it was a startling culture shock. This experience would shape her passion and inform her understanding as she would go on to guide thousands of immigrants to their new home in Nova Scotia as the Executive Director of Immigrant Services Associations of Nova Scotia (ISANS) for 30 years. 

Initially drawn to a career in teaching after earning a degree in German and English from Hull University in England, her own immigration story changed her plans. Gerry would begin volunteering in literacy training and teaching part-time in English as a Second Language, but this quickly became a career. Within six months, Gerry was the Executive Director of the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre – the start of a long and inspirational career in supporting immigrants to Nova Scotia.

Always stretching beyond her comfort zone, throughout her career, Gerry has been willing to face new challenges, initiating partnerships and working collaboratively to support the immigration and settlement of newcomers to the province. Recognizing the benefits that a merger between the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre and the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) could bring, Gerry led this process with MISA Executive Director Claudette Legault to create Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia - ISANS. They not only made it work; they made it thrive. With their client-focused approach, they created an organization with lasting impacts on our province and beyond. ISANS now employs 300+ employees and is regarded both nationally and internationally as a leader for innovative and effective immigrant settlement services. The impact of ISANS is evident as immigrant retention has tripled since the year 2000, and Nova Scotia is now ready and able to effectively and appropriately support immigrants and refugees.

Gerry regards this merger, bringing two of the city's most critical immigrant program associations together, as one of her most significant accomplishments. Gerry was also incredibly vital to the settling of thousands of Syrian refugees to Nova Scotia; another moment she considers one of the most important of her career. 

In addition to her career at ISANS, Gerry was also active in the field of adult education, including five years teaching at Saint Mary's University. Well respected within her field, Gerry's opinions and insight have often been sought by others. Gerry has participated extensively in provincial, regional and national boards, committees and working groups on immigration, language and settlement, chairing many of them and addressing politicians and policymakers on various issues.  

An outspoken advocate for change, Gerry has been a champion for immigrants, refugees and accessibility to services for decades. Her impact as a leader in Nova Scotia will be felt for decades to come. Nova Scotia is a better and more diverse community due to the work of Gerry Mills.

SMU researcher’s groundbreaking earthworm study on recent cover of Science Magazine

Dr. Erin Cameron, a researcher in the department of Environmental Science, has published a paper in the prestigious Science Magazine on her work studying the global diversity and biogeography of earthworms.

The study had two main findings: that local species richness (the number of earthworm species at a site) was higher in temperate regions of the world compared to tropical areas, and that climate is the strongest driver of earthworm diversity. This suggests that future climate change could significantly alter earthworm communities worldwide, threatening the many functions they provide.

“Having her research recognized by such a prestigious scientific publication is a testament to Dr. Cameron’s innovative work in the field of environmental science,” said Dr. Lori Francis, acting Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s University. “The huge scope of her collaboration with such a large international group of scientists is impressive, and this work will allow further collaborations with other leaders in this field and answer important questions about effects of global climate change on earthworm communities.”

“Having her research recognized by such a prestigious scientific publication is a testament to Dr. Cameron’s innovative work in the field of environmental science.”

— Dr. Lori Francis, acting Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s University

Dr. Cameron and her German collaborator Prof. Nico Eisenhauer were the senior authors on the paper, with their postdoc Dr. Helen Phillips as the lead author. The research, based at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig University in Germany, used research compiled from 140 researchers from across the globe to create the largest earthworm dataset worldwide, encompassing 6928 sites in 57 countries.

First conceived in 2014 at a global earthworm conference after a workshop discussing questions concerning diversity patterns of earthworms, this report has been years in the making. The researchers looked at questions about what factors drive global patterns of earthworm diversity: soil properties such as pH and the organic carbon content of soil, or habitat cover, or climate: i.e. temperature and precipitation. Dr. Cameron had previously looked at earthworm distributions in the boreal forest of northern Alberta, and was intrigued by earthworms found further north than expected.

Earthworms substantially shape the way ecosystems function: their burrowing creates holes, mixes soil components and they eat organic debris. By doing so, they drive a wide range of ecosystem services, including nutrient provision, water infiltration and run-off, carbon storage, climate mitigation and seed dispersal.

“Earthworms are ecosystem engineers; they are species with a large impact on the structure of ecosystems,” said Dr. Cameron. “While the impact of earthworms on their local ecosystems is fairly well known, until now there has been no research or data on the distribution of earthworms at a global scale.”

“A surprising result of this study was that the biodiversity patterns in above-ground organisms do not match those of soil organisms, with a greater local diversity found in more temperate climates compared with tropical locations,” Dr. Cameron explained. “As typically the highest number of species in a local area is found in the tropics, this result was not expected, however we suspect that the total number of earthworms across the tropics is still higher than other regions due to dissimilarity among sites.”

“This is a seminal accomplishment in climate change research which Dr. Cameron has achieved so early in her professional career, with this being the first time Saint Mary’s research has been featured on the cover of Science Magazine,” said Dr. Adam Sarty, Saint Mary’s University’s Associate Vice-President Research.  “Her ability to lead this large international collaborative project, and provide a truly global perspective, makes us excited to see where her next projects will lead as she joins the growing team of Saint Mary’s University researchers focusing attention on the impacts of, and responses to, the effects of climate change.”

The research also found that the biggest driver of diversity in earthworm communities was climate, namely precipitation and temperature. “These organisms are an important part of our ecosystem, and below-ground biodiversity must be considered when considering the effects of climate change on our ecosystems,” said Dr. Cameron.

The study and its resulting comprehensive global map used as much data on earthworm diversity, abundance and biomass as possible. Future stages of this work will project earthworm diversity levels in the future.

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Dr. Erin Cameron is an assistant professor in the Environmental Science department at Saint Mary’s University. Her research examines effects of global change on species distributions, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. She uses a combination of field observations, experiments, citizen science, molecular approaches, data synthesis, and modelling to assess global change impacts across spatial and temporal scales. Dr. Cameron was recently awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant with a Northern Research Supplement.

Students engage panel on need for peace education

Do we have an ethical obligation to engage schools in peace education? This was the guiding question for a panel discussion at Saint Mary’s when educators from Nova Scotia public schools met with Peaceful Schools International’s Youth Consultant Committee to discuss the need for conflict resolution and peace education programs for Nova Scotian youth.

The panel was organized as part of a Faculty of Education course taught by Prof. Bridget Brownlow entitled Peace Education: International Perspectives and Practice, where the 38 students enrolled in this year’s class examine the themes of peace education and conflict resolution in a global context. In addition to their academic studies, students work towards a Certificate in Conflict Resolution, designed to help them develop the perspectives and skills required to navigate and manage interpersonal conflict.

Having spent this semester investigating peace education initiatives around the globe, reflecting on personal experiences of conflict, and building the skills to resolve disputes, students in Prof. Brownlow’s class had the opportunity to exchange ideas with students and educators from local schools. Five members from the Youth Consultant Committee, all of whom attend Oxford School, were joined by Calvin Scott, the African Nova Scotian Student Support worker for Halifax West High School and Heather Morse, a retired principal with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board to reflect on the need for conflict resolution and peace education.

Calvin Scott suggested peace education could be a powerful tool to support African Nova Scotian students facing discrimination in the public school system. Helping them navigate the daily realities of racism was, he said, “not only an ethical, but a moral obligation.”

Heather Morse, who reflected on her experiences developing elementary school curricula that incorporated many of the principles of peace education, described the challenges of having to compete with the requirements of the core curriculum. Despite the lack of time and resources for peace education, she said the ideas shared by the Youth Consultant Committee were reason for hope. “I am so impressed by the insight and awareness around conflict resolution we heard today, both from the youth committee and from Prof. Brownlow’s class,” she said.

Brendan Kohls, a student in the class, suggested that conflict resolution skills are often dismissed as being “something kids intuitively pick up along the way. But most don’t. These are real skills, and we all need to learn them.” His classmate, Elaine Brickell Sands, reflected that “it’s hard for most people to take that first step. But in this class, we explore ways to build connections among people from different backgrounds, such as race, religion, gender and so on. I’ve learned that active listening and asking open questions are a great way to draw out our commonalities and overcome our differences.”

This panel discussion builds on Saint Mary’s long history of developing expertise in peace education, established chiefly under the leadership of Dr. Hetty van Gurp, the founding director of Peaceful Schools International and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education. The Halifax-based organization, which supports schools that have made a commitment to “creating and maintaining a culture of peace,” now has more than 200 partner institutions around the world.

Prof. Brownlow, the Conflict Resolution Advisor for Saint Mary’s and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education, is also the president of Peaceful Schools International. Each year, members of the organization — in partnership with the SMU Conflict Resolution Society — travel to elementary schools around Northern Ireland to facilitate conflict resolution workshops for children affected by sectarian division.

“Working with my students this semester has been such an honour,” said Prof. Brownlow at the end of class. ”A good number of them are varsity athletes with very busy practice and game schedules. Yet they come each week with insightful reflections on how the things we learn in class have an impact on their lives outside the classroom. What more could I ask for?”

Brandon Ihanza, a member of the football team, had the final word. After commenting on how many of his teammates have benefited from developing perspectives on conflict resolution this semester, he said “…so, on behalf of the football team, I’d like to thank you for bringing us all into your class, and for providing us such a positive learning environment.”

Saint Mary's student wins YMCA Peace Medal

SMU student Trayvone Clayton - here with the Hon. Mayann Francis, BA'72, LLD'12 — won one of three 2019 YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth Peace Medals. (Photo credit: YMCA Greater Halifax/Dartmouth)

This article by Amy Brierley, journalism student at the University of King’s College, was originally written for and published on The Signal. Re-published with permission. Follow Amy on Twitter: @amybrierley

With his community beside him, Trayvone Clayton pushes for peace

Trayvone Clayton is being recognized for his work to create a thriving, more vibrant community — but he says he isn’t doing it alone.

On Tuesday morning, Clayton stepped onto the stage at Halifax’s Pier 21 to accept one of three 2019 YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth Peace Medals.

“I had to go to school in a suit and everyone was putting me on their Snapchat and social media,” Clayton says, laughing, recounting his friends’ enthusiastic reactions to his win in an interview this week.

When Clayton, 21, first found out he won the award, he was in shock. “I was thankful, but I didn’t really know what to say,” he says. “But I can’t take full credit.”

He says friends Kate Macdonald, DeRico Symonds, Shevy Price, dad Marcus James, and many others in his community have been there with him all the way.

“I have a lot of support behind my back and it’s a great feeling to have that.”

For 31 years, the YMCA has honoured people who have made exceptional contributions to peace building in their communities with the YMCA Peace Medal.

Clayton joined other award winners across the country on Monday in being recognized for their work in, “building and rebuilding conditions of fairness, inclusion, empathy, security, and respect for diversity,” according to the YMCA’s website.

Clayton — a third-year criminology student at Saint Mary’s University, athlete, youth mentor and community organizer — says he’s been there for his community for as long as he can remember.

It was earlier this year, while attending the National Black Canadians Summit in Ottawa, though, that he began to see and speak out about how his experience of discrimination in Halifax reflects larger, systemic racism in Canada.

Through supporting youth in his community to follow their dreams and changing the systems that take those dreams from them, Clayton is making waves in Halifax and beyond.

“My community, Uniacke Square, has always been discriminated against, judged, there’s always been barriers in front of us,” says Clayton.

“I want the kids coming up to be able to do what they feel they can do and have faith in their vision and be able to see that they can be a lawyer, they can be a doctor, they can be a judge, they can be whatever they want to be.”

Amanda Rose, development co-ordinator at YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth and Clayton’s nominator, says she has seen first-hand the impact Clayton’s advocacy has had on Halifax.

“He is a very strong advocate and role model for African Nova Scotian youth in Halifax, and youth in general,” she says. “He’s very passionate about supporting young leaders in our communities and he does that by being a young leader himself.”

THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP

Last year, one of Clayton’s beloved mentors, the late Wade Smith, received the YMCA Peace Medal. Clayton says this made winning the award that much more special.

“He was a mentor, he was a leader, a true community leader,” says Clayton.

He texted Smith’s wife soon after his win. “I just said thank you for everything, this is clearly all happening for a reason and she said, ‘trust me Tray, he’s up there smiling with all teeth right now.’”

This support is what gives Clayton hope — hope that’s sometimes hard to muster with the loss he has experienced through anti-black violence committed against his friends, family and black communities. And it’s the kind of support he wants to offer other young people.

“It’s definitely a long road ahead, change doesn’t come with a blink of an eye or in one day,” says Clayton.

At a recent community conversation about street checks, Clayton says he stood up to share what was heavy on his chest.

He says he asked the panelists to recognize that black communities have been calling attention to racism in policing for years. Now, he says, government and police must be the ones to reach out to remedy the injustice and mistrust caused by anti-black racism.

Clayton says speaking up in moments that can seem incredibly difficult is crucial to building peaceful communities.

“When kids see me doing the things I’m doing, they’re like ‘oh OK, well I can do it,’” he said. “We have to break down these barriers and break down these walls.”

AMY BRIERLEY

Amy is a journalism student at the University of King's College. She calls Antigonish N.S.--and more recently, Halifax-- home. She cares a lot about communities and the things that make them fair, just and thriving for everyone.

Two SMU honourees for Royal Society of Canada

Two Saint Mary’s faculty members were honoured in Ottawa recently, during the Royal Society of Canada’s annual Celebration of Excellence and Engagement..

Dr. S. Karly Kehoe

Dr. S. Karly Kehoe, Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities at Saint Mary’s, has served on the Royal Society’s national executive and Atlantic region steering committee for several years.

At the event, she became Vice-President of its College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and will advance next year to become President.

The Royal Society of Canada also recognized Dr. R. Blake Brown for outstanding scholarship, naming him a member of its College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. His membership was announced in September but he was officially inducted into the College on Nov. 22.

Dr. Blake Brown

A history professor and Graduate Coordinator for Atlantic Canada Studies, Dr. Brown is one of Canada’s leading legal historians whose research tackles vital questions in the history of law and public policy.

The Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary’s now has five scholars associated with the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Peter Twohig, Associate Dean of Arts, and Dr. Gavin Fridell, Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies, became members of the College of New Scholars in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Dr. John Reid, Professor Emeritus of History and Atlantic Canada Studies, was elected in 2004 as a Fellow of the Society’s Academy of the Arts and Humanities.

National recognition for Saint Mary’s geographer

Dr. Danika van Proosdij, whose research aims to help coastal habitats adapt to climate change, has just been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).

“I’m really honoured and grateful for the nomination,” says the Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. She was inducted to the esteemed organization during its College of Fellows Annual Dinner and 90th-anniversary celebration, held November 21 in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

She joins two other geographers from Saint Mary’s who were previously elected as Fellows: Professor Emeritus Dr. Hugh Millward and the university’s President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. Having three Fellows here “speaks to the strength and depth of our program, and our commitment to the discipline as a whole,” says Dr. van Proosdij.

Dr. van Proosdij working at the Converse site.

Just a few days after the gala ceremony, she was back out in the wetlands on a site visit to the Converse Marsh Managed Realignment Site, near Amherst.

She and the Saint Mary’s-based TransCoastal Adaptations team hosted the November 26 visit for a progress update to stakeholders on the five-year “Making Room for Wetlands” project, funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Coastal Restoration Fund.

The team has been working collaboratively with Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture, CBWES Inc. and other partners in an effort to restore salt marshes in several areas. For coastal communities, salt marshes form the first line of defence against rising sea levels and storm surge, so restoring these ecosystems aims to help protect communities and coastal infrastructure. Work started a year ago at the Converse site, where sections of the old dyke were removed and realigned to allow tidal flow back into the area. Monitoring data collected by staff and students over the summer indicates that 15.4 hectares of salt marsh have been restored and the site is recovering well.

Saint Mary’s is a key player in the Atlantic region’s growing interdisciplinary hub for coastal adaptation research. In another project, “Making Room for Movement”, funded by NRCAN, Dr. van Proosdij and SMU students are exploring the social science element and working closely with Dalhousie’s School of Planning and its School of Resource and Environmental Management. Collaborating with other Saint Mary’s departments is also proving very beneficial.

“As we’re restoring some of these landscapes, a real added benefit has been the inclusion of archaeology,” says Dr. van Proosdij. “Getting an understanding of the historical use of that land helps to inform our restoration design, and to form better connection and communication with rights holders as well as stakeholders. It’s fascinating to be working on a landscape and looking at the juxtaposition between modern techniques and old techniques, and the value of the voices of those who have come before.”

Locker-room talk: Dr. Cheryl MacDonald on men’s hockey culture

For Dr. Cheryl MacDonald, “locker-room talk” is more than just a part of sports. Dr. MacDonald is a post-doctorate researcher at Saint Mary’s University. Her research looks at the attitudes and behaviours of men’s ice hockey players and the impact they have on homophobia, gender and sexuality.

Dr. Cheryl MacDonald was featured on CTV News.

In late November, the SMU Centre for the Study of Sport and Health invited Dr. MacDonald to give the final presentation of the centre’s fall speaker series. She spoke to a group at the Homberg Centre about her research on men’s hockey culture. She talked about issues such as toxic masculinity, sexism and homophobia. She says that while progress is being made with younger generations of hockey players, there is still work to be done.

“What has been consistently happening in my work, whether it’s my research or my activism, is that I go in talking about homophobia or LGBTQ+ issues and leave talking about sexism. Every single time it amazes me that, for some reason, this is still a problem,” she says.

Dr. MacDonald also spoke on divisiveness within hockey; something that she says can be seen clearly after the firing of Don Cherry earlier in November.

“I don’t think we have a [singular] hockey community anymore. I think we have a bunch of small ones because not everyone can get along within it,” she says. “A lot of the most meaningful education comes from just talking to people and understanding them and, in the hockey community right now, I’m seeing a lot of people who are simply not taking the time to do that.”

Dr. MacDonald wrapped up by questioning how sexism, toxic masculinity and homophobia can continue to be addressed within a community that is becoming increasingly divided.

“In the midst of all of these divisions and disagreements, and where it is so easy to just shut down and shut one another out, how are we supposed to educate male youth ice hockey players?”

The fall speaker series was put on by the Saint Mary’s Centre for the Study of Sport and Health during November. The three-part series focused on hockey and topics included sport science, sport photography, and gender and sexuality education in sports.

Saint Mary’s researcher contributes to UN fishery and climate meetings

Dr. Tony Charles (2nd from left) participates in a panel at the UN’s International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability in Rome.

The work of a Saint Mary’s professor is reaching the global stage via two international United Nations symposiums.

Dr. Tony Charles, who teaches in both the School of the Environment and the Sobey School of Business, was recently invited to speak on the future of global and regional fisheries at the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability. The event was held in Rome at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

The conference examined how decisions are made around all aspects of the fishery, with the aim to develop high-level policy on the role, value and sustainability of fisheries in the 21st century.

“My focus is on how fishing communities can do better in the future, how they can have healthier, better lives through conserving their local resources and environment,” says Dr. Charles.

“That’s been my interest for all my career here at Saint Mary’s, is how to make natural resources sustainable while providing livelihoods for people,” said Charles.

The topic is a timely one. Fisheries are linked with many of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals not just the health of the ocean, but ending poverty, food security, gender equality, climate change.

“There’s been a philosophy that government has to control fishing people or they will go crazy and catch too much fish. But what I and many others have been documenting over the years is that if you let the fishers operate as local communities, all around the world, what you see is that they actually conserve the fish.”

‘It turns out if you just let local communities take action themselves, and give them support for doing that, it’s very impressive what they can accomplish.”

Another project led by Charles is also being taken to the international stage. His publication Addressing the Climate Change and Poverty Nexus looks at the links between poverty reduction efforts and climate change action and will be presented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization at COP 25 this week in Madrid. “It’s kind of a tool kit to the countries of the world on how to make poverty reduction come together with climate action, and vice versa,” says Charles.

Learn more:

International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability

Community Conservation Research Network

Canada’s national defence within the global context

Left to right: Dr. Marc Doucet, Chair of Political Science; Associate Deputy Minister Gordon Venner; Dr. Margaret MacDonald, Dean of Arts; and Political Science Professor Dr. Alexandra Dobrowolsky

An undergraduate education can provide a very helpful foundation for careers in federal government, students heard recently from one of Canada’s top defence advisors.

“The things you’re studying here are going to be really important,” said Associate Deputy Minister Gordon Venner of the Department of National Defence. “We’re going to need a lot of people with the right skills.”

Speaking to a packed lecture hall at Saint Mary’s on November 21, Mr. Venner also explained that recruitment is an ongoing priority for National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Service personnel and civilian employees are tasked with implementing government decisions related to the defence of Canadian interests at home and abroad.

An education in political science, public policy, geography, business, international relations, communications, science or environmental studies can be helpful, to name just a few areas, and so are the abilities to speak other languages and a greater understanding of other cultures, he said.

Mr. Venner’s lecture was mainly focused on the topic, “Understanding Canada’s defence policy within the evolving global security environment”. He was in Halifax to attend the 11th Halifax International Security Forum, but took time out before the conference to speak to students at Saint Mary’s. The lecture was hosted by the Department of Political Science, but was open to students in all disciplines.

Dr. Marc Doucet, Chair of Political Science, said it was a unique opportunity to hear from such a high-level civil servant.

"It is always valuable for students to hear how the topics discussed in class or course readings, in this case the policy-making process that led to Canada's new defence policy, is described by government officials directly involved," said Dr. Doucet.

Mr. Venner was appointed Associate Deputy Minister in 2017, after several years of serving as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy for National Defence. Previously, he held a number of senior positions with Global Affairs Canada. His regional areas of responsibility have included the Middle East and North Africa and his work has covered issues related to the G8, APEC and the OECD. Mr. Venner was also Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Foreign and Defence Policy in the Privy Council Office. He served as Canadian Ambassador to Iran (2004-2006) and Counsellor at the Canadian Mission to the European Union (1996-2000).

Mr. Venner holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Three Saint Mary's Huskies inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

The 2019 Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame inductees. Front row (left to right) Henry Boutilier; Justine Colley-Leger and Roger Caulfield. Back row (left to right): Suzanne Muir: Jackie Barrett; Jody Shelley; and Morgan Williams of Cole Harbour. Photo courtesy of the NSSHF, credit: Nick Pearce.

On the evening of Friday, November 15, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame inducted three exceptional former student-athletes from Saint Mary’s University.

Taking place at the Halifax Convention Centre, five athletes and two builders were celebrated for their outstanding contributions to Nova Scotia sport. 

The inductees include arguably Nova Scotia’s greatest female basketball and soccer players in Justine Colley-Leger BComm’14 and Suzanne Muir BComm’93, and the first-ever Special Olympics athlete to be inducted, powerlifter and Special Olympian Jackie Barrett BComm’98. 

Also inducted were Mooseheads legend and former NHL player Jody Shelley and the record-holder for the most caps as a Canadian rugby scrum-half, Morgan Williams. In the builder category, long-time Little League coach, baseball manager and community hero Henry Boutilier, along with international basketball official and mentor Roger Caulfield. 

Justine Colley-Leger BComm’14

Justine Colley-Leger is the all-time leading scorer in the history of CIS women’s basketball. Her impressive play earned her two CIS National Player of the Year awards, and she led the Saint Mary’s Huskies to four consecutive AUS championships and CIS silver and bronze medals. She was also a two-time AUS MVP, four-time All-Canadian and five-time AUS first-team All-Star while playing more than 40 games with the Canadian national team.

Jackie Barrett BComm’98

 A force to be reckoned with in the sport of powerlifting, Jackie Barrett dominated Canadian Special Olympics powerlifting competitions throughout his career. Barrett won 20 gold medals, and he has represented Canada well at the World Special Olympics competition with an incredible 13 first-place finishes. In his final year of competition (2015), he set three Special Olympics world records, lifting 277.5 kg, 297.5 kg and 697.5 kg in the squat, deadlift and triple combination events, respectively. In the same year, he also became the first Special Olympics athlete to be nominated for the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete.

Suzanne Muir BComm’93

Suzanne Muir was named AUS Rookie of the Year during her time playing with the Saint Mary’s Huskies women’s soccer team. Her standout skills also earned her two AUS MVP awards, five-time AUS All-Star status and two-time All-Canadian honours. Twice named Athlete of the Year at Saint Mary’s University, Muir went on to play with Canada’s national women’s team from 1992 to 1999. She played with the national team at the 1995 and 1999 World Cups. She was inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sport Hall of Fame in 2014.

Saint Mary’s University welcomes new Chair of the Board of Governors

Saint Mary’s University is proud to welcome Lawrence (Larry) Freeman, Q.C., as the new Chair of the Saint Mary's University Board of Governors.

A well-known Halifax lawyer, Freeman has dedicated much of his time and expertise to organizations in Nova Scotia. He has provided countless hours of public service and has been involved with numerous causes and associations that help to improve the lives of Nova Scotians.

“It is an honour for me to be elected Chair of the Board of Governors of Saint Mary’s University,” said Freeman. “To be a part of the next phase of this institution’s future is both a gift and a responsibility that I cherish. I look forward to working with the board and senior leadership to continue to grow the university and empower future generations of Santamarians.”

Freeman has a strong commitment to community and is involved in a variety of local and national organizations and charities. In addition to his role with the Saint Mary’s University Board of Governors, Freeman is a member of the Community Leadership Advisory Council, and a board member of the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Among his accolades, Freeman was named Queen’s Counsel in 2002.  

“Saint Mary’s University is proud to welcome Larry Freeman as our new Board Chair,” said Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Larry brings a wealth of experience to the position and has shown a strong commitment to the values of our university. I want to thank him for his continuing dedication to our institution.”

Freeman joined the Saint Mary’s University Board of Governors in 2008 and has previously served as Vice-Chair.

Freeman is a partner with Atlantic Canada’s first and largest regional law firm, Stewart McKelvey, one of the 20 largest law firms in Canada. Freeman has been providing counsel to clients for more than 40 years in the areas of banking and financing, commercial lending and corporate and business law, as well as commercial real estate acquisitions, sales and leasing. He has been involved in project financing, both inside and outside of Canada. A graduate of Dalhousie University, Freeman received his Bachelor of Commerce in 1970 and his Bachelor of Laws in 1973.

Retiring Chair Karen Oldfield Q.C., ICD.D, has contributed significantly to the university during her more than 22 years of service on the Saint Mary’s University Board of Governors. A loyal and dedicated Santamarian (BA’82), Oldfield was elected Chair of the Board of Governors in 2016. The University is grateful to Oldfield for all she has done during her tenure.