Celebrating Mi'kmaq History Month at Saint Mary's

October is Mi’kmaq History Month! All month long, communities across Nova Scotia hosts activities, educational sessions and events that showcase the Mi’kmaq history. Nova Scotia are encouraged to attend events and increase their knowledge of Mi’kmaq culture, history and heritage.

Mi’kmaq History Month Committee, lead in the interim by the The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, draws on the expertise of representatives from the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq communities and organizations, as well as the Federal and Provincial governments.

See the list below for events and resources

Events

On-Campus Mawio'mi

Sunday, October 2
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Our Wikewiku's (October) Kick-off Mawio'mi was on Sunday, October 2nd, from 11 am-3 pm, in the Homburg Gym to celebrate Treaty Day and kick off Mi'kmaq History Month! Everyone was welcome, and we encouraged you to wear orange for residential school survivors, victims, and their descendants. Please keep in mind this is a drug and alcohol-free event as it is a sacred gathering. Students, faculty, and alumni were welcome to wear their regalia and join us on the dance arena when instructed by the Master of Ceremonies, Aaron Prosper.

Check out images from the event!

Free Film Screening: Is the Crown at War with us?

Friday, October 21
1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Join us for a free screening and discussion of Alanis Obomsawin’s film, Is the Crown at War with Us?, documenting the 2000 Mi’kmaw fishery crisis in Burnt Church, NB.

Resources and related links:

The Patrick Power Library will display a collection of books and videos for learning more about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Mi’kmaq History Month. These collections are available online and in-person, and all items on display can be borrowed. The in-person display will include an interactive element that asks people to reflect on the meaning of truth and reconciliation. All are welcome to participate!

Saint Mary’s Indigenous Community

Mi’kmaq History Month

Faculty of Arts appoints Dr. Kirrily Freeman as Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning

Dr. Kirrily Freeman (centre) with MA (History) student Naomi Kent (left) and Pam Corell of the SMU University Art Gallery (right).

The Faculty of Arts is very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kirrily Freeman as its first Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning. The appointment is for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2025, says Dr. Mary Ingraham, Dean of Arts.  

“This position will assist us in recruitment and outreach to schools and community organizations, as well as support and enhance experiential learning opportunities for our students,” Ingraham says.

In her new role, Freeman will provide leadership and support to departments and programs in developing, expanding and promoting outreach programs and experiential learning opportunities.  

“This new position is very exciting,” says the history professor. “This is an opportunity to build on our strengths as a Faculty in community engaged research, teaching and service. I’m really looking forward to supporting my colleagues in their outreach work, bringing a range of experiential learning opportunities to our students, and fostering community partnerships for the Faculty of Arts.”

Freeman brings a depth of experience to this work, having served for seven years as Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair, an annual event involving partnerships with schools, government departments and cultural organizations across the province.  

She forged a new memorandum of understanding between the Faculty of Arts and the Association of Nova Scotia Museums (ANSM), which is building museum studies programming and research internships for Saint Mary’s students. She and students in a pilot Museum Fundamentals and Decolonizing Collections course were involved in community consultations across the province this summer as part of ANSM’s “Unlocking Community Museum Collections” digitization strategy.

In another recent project, Freeman collaborated with community leaders in creating a tribute to the No. 2 Construction Company, Canada’s “Black Battalion” in the First World War, which was a highlight in this summer’s Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

“Universities have a duty to serve the communities of which we are a part. Our professors and students in the Faculty of Arts are a great resource, and in turn we can learn so much from engagement and partnership with communities. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to help the Faculty of Arts enhance its efforts in this area,” she says.  

An historian of modern Europe, Freeman focuses on the cultural history of western Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in her teaching and research. Her publications include The Town of Vichy and the Politics of Identity: Stigma, Victimhood & Decline (Palgrave Pivot, 2022), Reading the Postwar Future: Textual Turning Points from 1944 (Bloomsbury, 2019), and Bronzes to Bullets: Vichy and the Destruction of French Public Statuary, 1941-1944 (Stanford, 2009). She recently created two interactive web-based story maps, The Destruction of Bronze Statues in the Second World War and The Destruction of Church Bells in the Second World War.

Photo: Dr. Kirrily Freeman (centre) with MA (History) student Naomi Kent (left) and Pam Corell of the SMU University Art Gallery (right).

Saint Mary’s research into sustainable agriculture and more efficient 3D modeling receives federal funding

The Science Building at Saint Mary’s University.

Research into sustainable agriculture and more data-efficient 3D modeling will benefit from newly announced federal funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

Funding for biology researcher Dr. David Chiasson will allow him to explore sustainable agriculture practices in a project titled “Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume plants.”  

Dr. David Chiasson

“A central goal of sustainable agricultural practice is to provide nutritious food and plant products while minimizing the impact on the environment,” says Dr. Chiasson. “Legume plants such as beans, alfalfa, and clover are a key component of sustainable agriculture since they do not require nitrogen fertilizer for growth. This unique group of plants forms a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria called rhizobia. Rhizobia can convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into nitrogen fertilizer for the plant in a process termed nitrogen fixation. This association therefore reduces the need for applied nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.”

The production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers consumes vast quantities of fossil fuels, and their application leads to negative environmental outcomes such as greenhouse gas emissions and contaminated water resources. Coupled with the rising price of fertilizers, farmers are increasingly turning to legumes as a sustainable means of adding nitrogen to the soil.  

“The long-term goal of this project is to increase the productivity of legume plants,” explains Dr. Chiasson. “This research will provide the knowledge base for strategies aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the agricultural sector while increasing the productivity of our crops. An improved understanding of the nitrogen-fixation symbiosis is both timely and essential as we move towards a future of more environmentally responsible farming practices in Canada.”

Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri, a researcher in the mathematics and computing science department, received funding for a project titled “Research Infrastructure for Large-scale 3D Geometry Acquisition and Modeling.”  

“The CFI fund will be used to set up the lab and purchase research equipment including an AI server, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanner and high-performance workstations capable of acquiring and processing large-scale three-dimensional data,” says Dr. Poovvancheri.

Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri

Current practices in city modeling include acquiring raw measurements of the physical world using LiDAR sensors and turning the sensor data into three dimensional meshes. Large-scale meshes created in this manner normally contain trillions of triangles, putting a huge burden on rendering, data transfer and storage of applications. Furthermore, most of the reconstructed meshes lack geometric details and therefore do not represent a good choice for 3D navigation, and AR/VR.  

“High fidelity digital representations of cities are essential for modern-day applications such as urban planning, 3D navigation, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR),” explains Dr. Poovvancheri. “This project aims at bridging existing gaps in urban modeling pipeline by developing an AI (Artificial Intelligence) driven urban modeling software ecosystem consisting of algorithms, tools, and data for creating lightweight and highly detailed 3D urban models.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced more than $64 million to support 251 research infrastructure projects at 40 universities across Canada.

Competition to solve freshwater issues begins in Atlantic Canada

Field sampling is an important part of the work Environmental Science students do in classes and in research work with professors. Photo Credit: Dr. Linda Campbell

A competition to solve Atlantic Canadian water issues through technology, innovation and entrepreneurship begins this week. The competition is organized by AquaAction in partnership with Saint Mary’s University. 

“We are excited to bring the AquaHacking Challenge back to Atlantic Canada,” says Dr. Anne-Pascale Richardson, AquaHacking Challenge Program Manager at AquaAction. “AquaAction’s mission is to restore freshwater health in North America. We do this by engaging with local communities to empower talented young innovators and support them as they work to improve freshwater in their region. The first Atlantic Canada AquaHacking Challenge was a great success, and we look forward to this year’s competition.” 

Atlantic Canada is home to a spectacular system of dynamic freshwater and marine environments. Water is core to ecosystems and communities across the region. The Atlantic Canada AquaHacking Challenge brings students, developers, designers, scientists, programmers, engineers, technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs together to form interdisciplinary teams to tackle different freshwater challenges facing these important ecosystems. 

The issues they’ll be focusing on are:  

1. Innovations for alteration projects in Lakes and Rivers
   Water Issue Leader: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change - Water Branch

2. Affordable Automated Water Quality Monitoring
   Water Issue Leader: Eastern Charlotte Waterways Inc.

3. Saltwater Intrusion
   Water Issue Leader: Clean Foundation’s Clean Coasts team

4. Aquatic Invasive species
   Water Issue Leader: Coastal Action

5. Green Infrastructure (Stormwater Prevention)
   Water Issue Leader: ACAP Saint John

“AquaHacking is the type of interdisciplinary competition that allows students and young people to apply their knowledge to practical, real-world situations,” says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC). “We are proud to partner with AquaAction to bring this great competition back to Atlantic Canada.” 

Participants should have an interest in problem solving, collaborating with students from various faculties and applying innovative solutions to bring impactful change to communities in the Atlantic region. They are required to be between 18-35 years of age, a resident of Canada within the Atlantic region and enrolled in a post-secondary institution or be a recent graduate. The entire team doesn’t need to be residing in the Atlantic region, but the majority of the team should be within the Atlantic region.  

“Our students are excited and ready to challenge the freshwater issues facing Atlantic Canada,” says Adam Khamis, the Project Coordinator of Skills, Development and Training with SMUEC. “This competition is a dynamic blend of entrepreneurship, social action and science that offers students a unique opportunity to work with people in areas they may not otherwise have discovered.”  

After working on their pitches for nine months, all teams will have the opportunity to pitch their solution during the AquaHacking semi-final event. The top teams are selected from these pitches to go on to phase two of the program.  These finalists receive $2,000 to support the continuation of their work as they refine their solution in preparation for their pitch at the AquaHacking finale. All five finalist teams are winners, receiving kick-start business training, leadership training, a spot in a local incubator, Lavery Lawyers credits and seed funding based on their final ranking. 

For more information about the challenge, how to participate and the great partners that support the competition, visit https://aquaaction.org/challenge/atlantic-canada-2022-23/.  

About AquaAction 

AquaAction is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the health of freshwater by engaging young innovators in solutions creation and supporting the activation of their technologies. Its flagship program is the AquaHacking Challenge, a tech innovation competition which aims to engage university students in developing new solutions to water issues. Recently AquaAction developed the AquaHacking alumni and AquaEntrepreneur Québec. Across Canada, 36 water technology startups have emerged from the Challenge. AquaAction was established by the De Gaspé Beaubien Foundation in 2015, is powered by the RBC Foundation since 2018, accelerated by Ovivo since 2017 and supported by several partners including IBM Canada, Lavery Lawyers, and Mitacs. 

Celebrating UN International Day of Peace at Saint Mary's

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed worldwide on September 21. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace. Achieving true peace requires that all of the societies and their members feel as though they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.

The 2022 theme for the International Day of Peace is “End racism. Build peace.” Saint Mary’s University invites students, faculty and the community to work towards a world without racism or racial discrimination. We hope to see a world of peace, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Several units on campus worked together to prepare events to mark this day. See the list below for events and resources.

Poetry and Peace

Kimberly M. King, RSCJ, Director of Barat Spirituality Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.   

Patrick Power Library 
Room LI135 
9:30–10:30 a.m. 

Join Kimberly M. King, RSCJ, Director of Barat Spirituality Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her keen passion for language and its possibilities makes her a translator, as well as a writer of the blog of poetry and essays for the last fifteen years. At one time a teacher of literature and religion as well as being a librarian, Kim has also recently hosted the podcast For the Sake Of.

Progress and Possibilities for Peace: 
Youth perspectives from Northern Ireland to Nova Scotia and beyond

Presented by Peaceful Schools International 
Virtual Conference 
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. 

Register at: psiconferences@gmail.com 

Making Peace

Atrium 340 
2:30–4 p.m. 

Join us for this panel discussion about how we all have a role to play in fostering peace. Moderated by Dr. Rohini Bannerjee and featuring guests: 

• Dr. Catherine Baillie Abidi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University with over 20 years of peacebuilding, violence prevention, and humanitarian experience. 

• Shahrzad, a graduate student from Iran in the Faculty of Education at Saint Mary’s University, certified meditation teacher and reiki specialist. 

• Renée Babin, Saint Mary’s University alumni and an MPA/JD candidate at Dalhousie University, is actively involved in entrepreneurship with the aspiration to spread knowledge and provide equitable practices. 

Film screening: Peace by Chocolate
Scotiabank Theatre 
6:30 p.m. 

Based on Tareq Hadad family’s true story, Jonathan Keijser’s narrative feature debut encompasses the themes of immigration, refugees from a war-torn country, the power of food to bring people together and the “Canadian Dream” of growing a small business, one PEACE of chocolate at a time.  

Trailer: https://peacebychocolate.ca/blogs/news/our-movie-trailer-officially-released

SMU to observe National Day of Mourning

Dear Members of the Saint Mary’s University community,
 
Yesterday, the federal government announced that Monday, September 19, 2022, will be a federal holiday and a National Day of Mourning in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service. The Nova Scotia Government also announced that Nova Scotia will mark Monday as a provincial holiday. This means that government offices, public schools and regulated child care will be closed.

In keeping with the announcements by both levels of government, Saint Mary’s University will be curtailing services on campus and cancelling classes and labs. Please see the detailed list below.
 

• There will be no classes, seminars, tutorials and labs including on-campus, remote, dual and hybrid.

• Administrative offices and most services will be closed.

• For employees, this day will be treated as a holiday in accordance with collective agreements; if you have any questions about how this closure affects you, please contact your manager or People and Culture (Human Resources). 

• Food Services for residence students will be available; The Dockside, C-Store and Hey Chef will be operational with regular hours as food service options.

• The Patrick Power Library will be open with reduced hours and the Global Atrium will be available as a study space.

• The  O'Donnell Hennessey Student Centre building will be open but offices and services will be closed. The Health Clinic will be closed and appointments will be rebooked.

• The Homburg Centre for Health & Wellness will operate on reduced hours.

Sincerely,
 
Dr. Madine VanderPlaat
Interim Vice-President, Academic & Research
 
Michelle Benoit
Vice-President, Finance & Administration

Dr. Madine VanderPlaat Appointed Interim Vice-President, Academic and Research

Dr. Madine VanderPlaat

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce that Dr. Madine VanderPlaat has been appointed as Interim Vice-President, Academic and Research.

“Dr. VanderPlaat brings considerable experience and institutional knowledge and is a strong voice for teaching excellence and research accomplishment,” says Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice Chancellor. “Her understanding of the university and the trust and confidence she engenders in the university community will be definite assets in the conduct of her duties. I have no doubt that Dr. VanderPlaat will succeed in this new role.”

Madine VanderPlaat is a Professor of Sociology whose research focus is on marginalized populations, citizen participation, social inclusion and community resilience. She has extensive experience working in multidisciplinary, inter-sectoral research environments at both the national and international level. Dr. VanderPlaat has served on a wide range of university and Senate committees including the University Appointments, Review and Budget Committees and the Senate Curriculum, Regulations, Academic Integrity and Academic Planning Committees.  Her administrative experience at Saint Mary’s includes Chair of Sociology & Criminology, Associate Dean of Arts, Acting Dean of Arts, Associate Vice-President, Academic and Enrolment Management and Acting Vice-President, Academic and Research.  She was the Chair of Senate 2017-2019 and is currently the Academic Discipline Officer.

Dr. VanderPlaat’s mandate is to focus on enrolment growth, curricular and teaching innovation, and supporting the strengthening of the university’s research capacities. She began her two-year term on September 7, 2022.

Fostering opportunities with Black Student Advisor Bria Symonds

Fostering opportunities with Black Student Advisor Bria Symonds 

Meet Bria Symonds, a new face on campus and Saint Mary’s University’s new Black Student Advisor*. Appointed to her role in July 2022, Symonds comes to SMU with experience and education in social work, community engagement and activism, and will bring these strengths to her new position. 

As Black Student Advisor, Symonds will provide support to African Nova Scotian and Black students and the Saint Mary’s community. 

“Black Students need to be heard, seen and reflected on campus, and within the institution,” says Symonds. “I see the gaps for Black students and what they may experience. I am excited to close those gaps and create a stronger community for all.” 

Symonds hails from Cherry Brook/Lake Loon, a historical Black community in the Preston Township of Nova Scotia and identifies as an Indigenous/Black female. She hopes to connect her greater community to the Saint Mary’s community, allowing Black students to have a better sense of home, to thrive at Saint Mary’s and to develop careers in Nova Scotia. 

Roles such as the Black Student Advisor and the Indigenous Student Advisor at Saint Mary’s are important because they provide culturally relevant services to specific student populations, says Deborah Brothers-Scott, Director, Diversity Inclusion and Wellness. These two roles can also benefit from working collaboratively together when and where possible, she says, but the responsibility for supporting the academic success of Black students extends beyond these advisors. 

“You can be invited into a space and still not feel welcome,” says Brothers-Scott of Black students within a university environment. “Bria will need the support of all members of the SMU community to come together and provide that inclusive space of belonging for Black students. We all have a role to play.” 

Current student Itai Kuwodza agrees Symonds will need the support of Saint Mary’s community members to enact change. 

“The greatest asset will be the people ready to meet with her and meaningfully support her ideas and perspectives,” she says. 

Symonds’ role also brings necessary representation in the room where decisions are being made, says Kuwodza, placing an advocate for the rights and experiences of students of colour such as herself at the table. “Bria is opening doors and starting needed conversations and challenging the institution to make the university experience a satisfying journey for all enrolled.” 

Symonds, who aims to share the stories of Black faculty within the community and successfully bring Black students the support they need, looks forward to connecting with the Saint Mary’s community.  

“I want Black students to have as many opportunities, connections and good experiences as possible,” says Symonds. “I am eager to be the support system they need, be accessible for them, and help amplify their voices.” 

Learn more about support on campus for African Descended/Black students: smu.ca/blackstudent 

*February 2023 update: The Black Student Advisor position is currently vacant and is actively being recruited for. In the interim, Student Affairs and Services has a wide variety of supports and services available to all students.

Celebrating excellence: Dr. Danika van Proosdij elected as a new Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada

Dr. Danika van Proosdij

Saint Mary’s University is proud to share that Dr. Danika van Proosdij has been elected as one of the new Fellows by The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its members.  

“Being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada is an incredible honour. It should come as no surprise to anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Danika that her outstanding contributions to her field of research are being recognized,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research, and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Saint Mary’s University. 

Dr. van Proosdij is the Director of TransCoastal Adaptations: Centre for Nature-Based Solutions and a professor with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s. Dr. van Proosdij is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and is studying how coastal systems respond to natural and human drivers of change and is leveraging this understanding to integrate nature-based adaptation options in the protection of coastal communities. She has over 25 years of applied ecosystem-based coastal adaptation projects and vulnerability assessments in Canada and abroad.  

One hundred and two new Fellows have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievements. Recognition by the RSC for career achievement is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. 

On Friday, November 25, 2022, the RSC will welcome the 2022 class of new Fellows and new Members of the RSC College and present awards for outstanding research and scholarly achievement. The ceremonies will be held in person in Calgary, Alberta.  

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences and The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and the larger society, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world. 

SMU Huskies Esports is taking shape

A student plays Rocket League in the new home of SMU Huskies Esports, the Esports Arena.

SMU Huskies Esports is taking shape at Saint Mary's University. Student-athletes are preparing, and identification camps will take place this month to establish the teams and Esports available for competition.   

"I think it's great," says Audrie Yue Min Au, a 3rd-year student majoring in Computing and Information Systems at Saint Mary's. "Esports, as an industry, has a level of organization and viewership that is comparable to that of traditional sports like football and basketball. So why not treat it like other sports? It also has the added bonus of being accessible to new players because anyone who has a laptop can play games online and join a community." 

Enterprise Information Technology and the Department of Athletics and Recreation are collaborating on Huskies Esports. There will be two streams available to students: recreational and competitive. The recreational stream will feature drop-in play sessions, tournaments, and other activities. The competitive stream is being established this fall. It will see our Huskies compete against other colleges and universities in games such as the vehicular-based, rocket-powered soccer game, Rocket League, and the team-based multiplayer online fantasy battle arena, League of Legends. For both streams, their home base on campus is the new Esports Arena at the heart of campus in the McNally East basement, ME009. 

"Esports offers students a unique opportunity to get involved, whether recreationally or competitively, within a growing industry and community," says Connor Miller BComm'16, Coach of the League of Legends competitive team. "Bringing Esports to campus is an excellent idea. I am excited to be a part of it, to give back to my university and help build a positive culture around Esports at Saint Mary's." 

Esports means competitive video games. It is sometimes referred to as 'competitive gaming', 'pro gaming', or 'egaming'. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, with athletes competing individually or as teams. This can be through structured leagues including varsity college, university associations, competitive circuits, or tournament play for the purpose of entertainment, prizes, or money. 

Esports has seen a considerable surge in popularity and professionalism in recent years and is a billion-dollar global industry. Over 23 million Canadians play video games, with an average player age of 34 years old. Canada’s video game industry has grown into one of the largest and most successful in the world, with more than 900 active video game studios. The video game industry adds $4.5 billion annually to Canada’s GDP. As a business and art form, the industry is an emerging academic study and research area.   

Identification camps take place this month for the competitive stream and are as follows:  

• Friday, Sept. 16 – League of Legends  

• Monday, Sept. 19 – Rocket League 

• Thursday, Sept. 22 . – Apex Legends 

• Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Valorant 

More details on the I.D. camps will come shortly.  

For those interested in getting involved as a student-athlete, coach or team staff and need more information, reach out via email at esports@smu.ca.  

Santamarian Ceremony 2022

Student signing the register

Students watching ceremony

President Rob Summerby-Murray speaking

SMUSA VP Advocacy, Kyle Cooke, speaking

SMUSA President, Isobel Tyler, speaking

SMU Alumni, Stéphanie Mrad, speaking

Student signing the register

President Summerby-Murray playing the piano

Student signing the register

All of the attendees

New students receiving a SMU t-shirt

Saint Mary’s University students kicked off Welcome Weeks with the annual Santamarian Ceremony on September 6. University members hosted the event for new students, an opportunity to share the core values of Saint Mary’s and those of a Santamarian: academic integrity, the pursuit of knowledge, responsiveness to community needs, openness to change, and concerns for a just and civil society. 

“This word, ‘Santamarian’, holds a much deeper significance than simply describing someone who attends Saint Mary’s,” says President Rob Summerby-Murray. “Instead, ‘Santamarian’ stands for a distinct way of being, acting and striving to embody a set of collective values.”  

The ceremony involves signing the register of students, which officially begins their journey of intellectual and personal growth at Saint Mary’s. The ceremony represents the university’s bold vision and commitment to the SMUcommunity, Halifax, Nova Scotia and the world.  

“We are known as student leaders. We are known as people who care about others and put it into action,” says SMUSA president Isobel Tyler. “We are known as global citizens. But you don’t have to wait to graduate to be known as a Santamarian. That starts today.” 

Pioneering N.S. filmmaker Margaret Perry focus of three-night event series with FIN, N.S. Archive

Margaret Perry

The career work of pioneering Nova Scotia filmmaker Margaret Perry is being showcased with a digital release, artist interventions, and three nights of events from the Atlantic International Film Festival, the Nova Scotia Archives and a team led by a Saint Mary's University researcher.

"Margaret Perry is one of the most influential yet unknown people in Nova Scotia in the 20th century. Her promotional films about the province offer us a glimpse into how Nova Scotia saw itself in the 40s, 50s and 60s, or at least how the government wanted others to see the province," says Saint Mary's University Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh, and the lead organizer behind the events. "Although these are technically government films, they are also documentaries and artist-made works. Perry's influence can be felt in all her films. She was very interested in highlighting women's labour, cooperative labour, and how things were done or made. The films reflect her interests and understanding of Nova Scotia."

The event series, Activating an Archive: Margaret Perry and the Nova Scotia Film Bureau, mark the digital release of the career work of Margaret Perry, one of Canada's most important and least-known woman filmmakers and early film bureaucrats.

The events are:

• Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

  • A reception at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia.

• Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at 6:10 p.m.

  • A sample screening of Perry’s work in film and a Q&A at FIN, the Atlantic International Film Festival.

• Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at 7 p.m.

  • A talk by Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh at the Halifax Central Library, discussing the collection, the process of digitizing/activating it (and some related ethical complexities), and the discovery of materials that shed new light on Perry’s artistic development and filmmaking practice. 

Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh

Starting out in New Brunswick as a wartime projectionist where she taught herself to make short films about everyday life, Perry went to Ottawa to work with John Grierson at the National Film Board of Canada. In 1945, Perry moved to Halifax to become Director of the Nova Scotia Film Bureau, where between 1945-1969 she made and oversaw the production of over fifty promotional films that depicted Nova Scotia as a tourist destination, an industrial and agricultural centre, and a complex site of cultural heritage.

"For a long time, this collection has been ignored, often without being seen, on charges of being boring government film,” says Dr. VanderBurgh. “In reframing and animating this collection as artist-made works, we're reconsidering the significance of these films, what they remember, and some of the ethical considerations and responsibilities of activating the collection in Nova Scotia today."

More information about Margaret Perry and the Nova Scotia Film Bureau Films and the research of Dr. Vanderburgh and her research team.