The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island is proud to partner with the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance and the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society (FHS) to co-host the eighth International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health (ISAAH 2018). The 2018 event will be held at the Prince Edward Island Convention Centre from September 2 to 6 in beautiful Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.

The 2018 edition marks the thirtieth anniversary of the event, with the inaugural International Fish Health Conference having been held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1988. The ISAAH occurs once every four years, and since 1994, has developed into a much-anticipated meeting of fish health professionals.

Dr. David Groman, past President of the FHS, Section Head for Aquatic Diagnostic Services at the AVC, and local chair of the 2018 Conference, said all groups involved are excited to be hosting this event on PEI.

“It’s a little-known fact that PEI has the highest number of fish health professionals per capita and per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. The PEI fish health community is proud to be playing host to this prestigious international aquatic animal health meeting,” said Groman.

Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing sector for animal food production. Rory Francis, executive director of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, said PEI is an ideal location for the ISAAH 2018.

“Prince Edward Island is home to more than 30 organizations and leading-edge companies involved in aquaculture production, health and nutrition product development, and contract services. PEI researchers, including the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Aquatic Epidemiology and Canada Research Chairs in Integrated Health Research for Sustainable Aquaculture and Epi-informatics at the Atlantic Veterinary College, provide support and innovative solutions for the global aquaculture industry. I know that delegates will be impressed by our people and our infrastructure,” said Francis.

The ISAAH typically attracts 300–400 fish health professionals from around the world and is the preeminent international meeting of fish health professionals. The 2018 meeting promises to provide a unique opportunity for rapid exchange of information on a global scale. For more information about the conference and how you can get involved, visit www.isaah2018.com.

The Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, established in 1986, is committed to improving the health and welfare of animals and humans through education, research and service. The College is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and is recognized by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom. AVC is recognized globally for its innovative research and expertise in aquatic animal health, veterinary epidemiology, comparative biomedical sciences, clinical medicine, animal welfare, infectious disease, and public health.

The Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster is the location of choice for companies engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of bioactive-based human, animal, and fish health and nutrition products. The PEI Bioscience Cluster consists of over 50 companies, several major research institutions, and over 1500 employees. The PEI BioAlliance facilitates the growth of the industry in the province, providing specialized programs and services for business incubation, commercialization support services, partnering, and conference and workshop planning and execution.

The National Day of Mourning, or Workers’ Mourning Day, originated in Canada in 1984 and is now observed annually in over 100 countries on April 28.

On this day, all levels of government, workplaces, workers, and community members honour the memory, pay respect to, and show support for those who have been adversely affected by serious incidents in workplaces that have resulted in fatalities or life-changing injuries or illnesses. The National Day of Mourning raises awareness and renews the commitment of all parties to ensure safe and healthy workplaces exist to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Every worker has the right to return home safe and sound at the end of each workday. 

Recent Canadian workers compensation statistics tell us:

• there were 852 workplace deaths including four workers from 15–19 years of age, and eleven workers from 20–24 years of age.
• there were 232,629 claims for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease, including 8,155 from young workers from 15–19 years of age.

These numbers do not include everyone directly affected by these workplace tragedies. Each worker death (and injury/illness) impacts loved ones, families, friends, and co-workers for the rest of their lives.

The PEI Federation of Labour will host a National Day of Mourning Ceremony in Memorial Hall at the Confederation Centre of the Arts beginning at 7:00 pm on April 28, 2017 for those that would like to show their support.

In observance of the National Day of Mourning, the University of Prince Edward Island will lower its flags to half-mast.

Do you want a career tailored to your interests?  One where earning potential is unlimited?  Do you want to stay right here on Prince Edward Island? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the second annual UPEI Entrepreneurship Boot Camp on May 8, 9, and 10 might be an opportunity for you.

The boot camp is a relaxed event designed for UPEI graduating students, recent graduates and current students-- regardless of their area of study --that promises to be filled with inspiration and advice from people who are living the entrepreneurial dream every day. The program is packed with entrepreneurs sharing their stories on achieving success and how you can too. The two and a half days of programming will include interactive sessions and local tours aimed to spark new ideas and potential uses for innovation. 

Last year, sixteen people took part in the inaugural boot camp and now more than ten from the group are pursuing their entrepreneurial goals.

Register for the 2017 boot camp by texting your email address and the title BOOT CAMP to 902-394-2536.  There is no cost for UPEI graduating students, current students, or alumni to attend.

The University of Prince Edward Island announced today Darrell Glenn will be the next coach of the Panther men’s basketball team.

Originally from Ontario, Glenn played for the Panthers from 1988 to 1994 and was a member of the 1988–89 AUS championship team. He earned his BA from UPEI in 1994 and his BEd from the University of Toronto in 2000.

“I am very excited to announce that former UPEI Panther, Darrell Glenn, will be the new head coach of the UPEI Men’s Basketball team,” said Chris Huggan, director of UPEI Athletics and Recreation. “Darrell brings a wealth of basketball coaching experience and has had proven success with every program he has worked with.”

Most recently at Seneca College as head coach, Glenn is also the former head coach of the Humber College men’s basketball team, winning regional and provincial titles in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009. He has coached the National Team Junior Academy, the Ontario Centre of Performance team, and the Ontario under-15 provincial team. He is the former assistant coach of Canada’s team for the FIBA America Qualifier, which won a bronze medal in Uruguay. He picked up bronze medals as the assistant coach of Canada’s World University Games team and the Canadian under-21 team.

“After twenty-plus years away, basketball has once again brought Koren and I back to PEI,” said Glenn. “As the newly appointed head coach of the men's basketball program at UPEI, I look forward to not only working tirelessly on campus, but I also hope to contribute to the development of basketball across the Island.”

Glenn was named the CCAA Coach of the Year for 2009–10 and is a three-time OCAA Conference Coach of the Year. He begins his contract with UPEI on July 1, 2017.

The AVC Wildlife Service released a beautiful barred owl on Tuesday, April 25, at Macphail Woods in Orwell, PEI. The emaciated and injured owl was found by Jim Martell in his yard in Charlottetown on March 4. Mr. Martell captured the owl in a blanket and brought it to the AVC.

A physical examination revealed a severe injury to the owl’s left eye. After the bird was stabilized and had gained weight, Dr. Helene VanDoninck, of the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Brookfield, Nova Scotia, performed surgery on March 21, removing the injured eye. The owl recovered from surgery very well and spent a few weeks with falconer Jamie Stride to prepare for its release.

Even with only one eye, owls can hunt in their natural environment. The birds have multiple adaptations that make them efficient predators, including silent flight, acute directional hearing, highly light-sensitive three-dimensional vision, and the ability to turn their heads left and right up to 270 degrees and almost upside down.

Click here to watch a video of the release created by Eric Edward, Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project.

Ten UPEI students will have the learning experience of a lifetime in Italy, thanks to the Saint Dunstan's University (SDU) Board of Governors.

From May 6-27, the students will participate in a course, “Rome: Christianity and Culture,” in Rome itself. Planned and organized through the Saint Dunstan’s Institute of Christianity and Culture, the course will be led by Dr. Robert Dennis, SDU Visiting Scholar, and Dr. Joe Velaidum, associate professor of religious studies. The students will be based in Rome, but they will have the opportunity to visit Pompeii, Assisi, Florence, and Siena.

“The course has tremendous depth and breadth: among its priorities is the historical development of Christianity as it emerged into Roman society and culture”, says Dennis. “We will examine history, art, and philosophy from early Christianity through contemporary times in the age of Francis.”

A rigorous vetting process was undertaken to select the ten students who are benefiting from what could be considered as a $5,000 scholarship. “Each participant is impressive. Four of the students also hold prestigious SDU Scholarships, and all ten of them have significant academic achievement in the Catholic Studies program,” notes Dennis. “They come from diverse courses of study including Arts, Business, and Science.”

The Saint Dunstan’s Institute of Christianity and Culture will cover the cost of flights, insurance, on-the-ground transportation, accommodations, guided tours, and entrance fees at historical and cultural sites. Students are expected to cover the cost of their own meals and to pay for the course and textbooks.

“For the last few months, we’ve been meeting as a group in preparation for the trip. It’s pretty incredible,” says third-year student Lorelei Kenny. “If we were in PEI, we’d have to cover those costs anyway. So there really isn’t any extra cost for the student, but there will be so many extra benefits when it comes to taking this class.”

The main textbook, created specifically for this class, is an e-text designed for the 21st-century learner. It includes all of the required readings, along with maps, logistical information, and short videos that cover all of the relevant historical background information for the course. The other required text is Roman Walks, which will allow students to “wander and wonder” in the Eternal City during self-guided learning time.

“UPEI has made a strong commitment to experiential learning in its strategic and academic plans,” says Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Academic and Research. “Saint Dunstan’s University, one of UPEI’s founding institutions, was also committed to developing a strong community of fellowship and scholarship since its beginning in 1855. UPEI’s students and academic community are all the better—and stronger—thanks to the SDU Board of Governors’ continued contributions and support.”

On May 10, UofPEI Snapchat followers can take in some of the daily sites and scenes in Italy as students use the account to share the trip from their perspective.

In the fall of 2015, the SDU Board of Governors contributed a $1 million leadership gift to UPEI’s Inspire campaign, with $400,000 and $100,000 dedicated to engineering and athletics respectively, two of the campaign priorities. The remaining $500,000 was used to create the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute of Christianity and Culture, which prioritizes the University’s commitment to experiential and global learning. 

Rural tourism will be the subject of a public symposium on Wednesday, May 24, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. All are welcome.

“Tourism, Place and Identity: Rural Tourism in Iceland and Prince Edward Island” will feature Ms. Gudrun Gunnarsdottir of the Tourism Research Centre in Akureyri, Iceland. She will be joined by a panel of PEI tourism authorities and practitioners.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of tourists visiting Iceland. Tourism density in this island nation now rivals that of Prince Edward Island. The nature of the tourism industry is broadly similar in both islands—generally seasonal, with a heavy stress on cultural and environmental resources. Also, in both islands there has been a concerted effort by policy-makers to utilize tourism as a community-development tool for rural areas. This has met with mixed success and has raised a whole new set of issues. There is benefit for both islands to share experiences, insights, and possible solutions.

Gudrun Gunnarsdottir, presently director of the Icelandic Research Centre at the University of Akureyri in northern Iceland, is a graduate of the MBA in Tourism Management program at the University of Guelph. She is a specialist in rural tourism. From 2011 to 2014, she worked on a study, “The Entangled Web: Tourism, Place and Identity,” exploring how three small Icelandic communities have embraced the ever-increasing role of tourism.

Dr. Edward MacDonald is a professor of history at the University of Prince Edward Island. His research focuses on the social, cultural, and environmental history of Prince Edward Island. The best known of his seven books is If You’re Stronghearted: Prince Edward Island in the 20th Century (October 2000). He is co-editor of Time and a Place, an environmental history of Prince Edward Island, co-published by Island Studies Press and McGill-Queen’s University Press. His current research project is the history of Prince Edward Island tourism.

Bill Kendrick of Experience PEI will talk about an “Experiential Approach to Rural Tourism.” He notes that on the Island, there is substantial potential to generate revenue for rural communities by leveraging local expertise and engaging individuals who might not normally be in the tourism business. Experience PEI’s recent awards include the 2016 President’s Award from the Tourism Industry Association of PEI and the 2016 Hilton Worldwide Best Small/Medium-Sized Tourism Business in Canada Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

Ann Worth is Executive Director of Meetings and Conventions Prince Edward Island, a group mandated to develop and attract meetings and convention business for Prince Edward Island. She has actively worked in developing relationships in Iceland for PEI companies in multiple sectors including tourism. Destination research and company matchmaking in Iceland has provided some valuable business insights about how Prince Edward Island and Iceland can continue to build partnerships and collaboration.

Following the presentations, there will be ample time for discussion and questions from the floor.

Members of the public are cordially invited to attend, and admission is free.

This symposium is one of a series of symposia organized by the Institute of Island Studies as part of its mandate to encourage a deep knowledge, understanding, and expression of Prince Edward Island; to contribute to the formulation of public policy on Prince Edward Island; to serve as a bridge between the University and Island communities; and to undertake comparative studies of Prince Edward Island and other islands.

The symposium is sponsored by UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies, Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research, and the Rural Policy Learning Commons. For further information, please contact 902-894-2881 or iis@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The May Island Studies Lecture will examine the economic success of Mauritius—a small island nation in the Indian Ocean. Ouma Cuniah, a native of Mauritius and a current Prince Edward Islander, will deliver the lecture Tuesday, May 16, at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building.

Nobel prize-winning economist James Meade predicted a dismal future for Mauritius when he wrote in 1961, “It is going to be a great achievement if (the country) can find productive employment for its population without a serious reduction in the existing standard of living… (The) outlook for peaceful development is weak.”

Nearly fifty years post-independence, Mauritius ranked number one on the Global Peace Index as the most peaceful country in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country also recently ranked first in Africa on the Word Economic Freedom Index and is in the fifth position internationally, tying with Canada, Georgia, Ireland, and UAE.

Mauritius was successively colonized by the Dutch, French, and British. It became independent in 1968. With a population of nearly 1.3 million, the country derives its identity from a strong fabric of multiculturalism, multilingualism, and African, Asian, and European ethnicities. 

Cuniah will talk about the drivers behind the economic development of the country and draw comparisons and parallels with other islands sharing similar history, and with Prince Edward Island.

Cuniah has been working at UPEI since July 2015. She holds a master’s degree in commerce, and as a Chartered Certified Accountant has worked closely with the corporate sector in Mauritius and other neighbouring islands for nearly two decades.

Admission to the lecture is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

This is the final lecture for the academic year. Watch for another lecture about islands—near and far—starting in the fall. For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The UPEI Women’s Hockey team announced today it has recruited Tyler Way. Way is a forward from London, Ontario, who played most recently with the Bluewater Jr. Hawks of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

“Tyler will bring added speed to our line,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “She sees the ice well and has a strong ability to read and react to what is going on. Tyler has a strong defensive side to her game, but can also add to the offence when the opportunity arises. We look forward to seeing her in our line-up. She has a great work ethic and is very strong team player.

Way joined the London Devilettes hockey association at the age of eight, where she played for the next  eight season, winning multiple Provincial and Lower Lakes titles. She joined the Bluewater Jr. Hawks as a midget, where she played for the past two years. She was also captain of the St. Thomas Aquinas women’s varsity hockey team.

“Although UPEI is far from home, the minute I stepped foot on campus, it felt like home to me,” said Way. “UPEI is the perfect mix of athletics and academics, making it the ideal place to enjoy my love for hockey and the sciences. I am very excited to start my journey as a Panther!”