UPEI’s Faculty of Education, working in conjunction with the PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture, will honour Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 29. Orange Shirt Day is an annual day of commemoration to continue the discussion about residential schools and their impacts.

Orange Shirt Day is named for an event in the life of Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor who had her new orange shirt taken on her first day of school in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

“In terms of history, it’s important to never forget,” said Brian Francis, Chief of Abegweit First Nation. “In order to move forward, we need to acknowledge our past and learn from it so that we never make the same mistakes again.”

Schools across PEI will receive resources to allow teachers and students to explore the topic of residential schools. The actual date for Orange Shirt Day is Saturday, September 30, but school events will be held Friday, September 29.

“We are excited to be part of a collaborative approach to spread awareness and to encourage students, teachers, and community members in Atlantic Canada to participate in Orange Shirt Day by coming together with First Nations in the spirit of reconciliation,” said Lesley Dickieson from the Department of Education. “Our hope is to see participation in Orange Shirt Day continue to grow year after year, but more importantly, that this day is only a starting point for the very important educational conversations that need to happen regarding all aspects of the residential school system in Canada.”

“We hope that Orange Shirt day brings a deeper level of understanding and empathy regarding residential schools and reconciliation to our PEI school children and post-secondary students, along with staff/faculty,” said Dr. Ronald MacDonald, Dean of the Faculty of Education at UPEI. “Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike are able to walk this road together to deeper understanding through these kinds of efforts. The Faculty of Education at UPEI is proud to play a small part to support this good work, which is done in a good way.”

Between 1870 and 1996, Canada’s federal government, along with the Catholic, United, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches, operated approximately 130 residential schools. More than 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Métis children attended these boarding schools far from their parents. These schools were created to remove children from the influence of their culture and to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture. The system deprived generations of children from their ancestral languages and exposed many to physical and sexual abuse, the legacy of which will be felt for years to come.

Schools across the Atlantic region will be encouraged to wear orange T-shirts on September 29. At UPEI, representatives from the Faculty of Education will be handing out “every child matters” buttons and orange shirts. Those who wear orange on Friday, September 29 are encouraged to come out for a group photo at 12:30 pm outside Don and Marion McDougall Hall. We look forward to seeing you all there!

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.

Leading Indigenous scholars Dr. Marie Battiste and Dr. James Youngblood (Sa’ke’j) Henderson will each present a keynote talk at the University of Prince Edward Island on Monday, October 2, beginning at 6:30 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Room 242, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. The lecture is open to the public as well as a component of the new Indigenous Philosophies course being offered at UPEI.

In her talk, “Decolonizing Education: Indigenizing the Academy,” Dr. Battiste will speak about the importance of decolonizing teaching practices and curriculum in schools and universities, and what it involves. Describing Mi’kmaw consciousness, language and worldview, she will explore what it means to respect Indigenous knowledge, and why this is a pressing ethical obligation for Canadian educational institutions at every level.

Dr. Battiste has done award-winning work in Mi’kmaw cultural revitalization and in decolonizing and indigenizing educational institutions at all levels, elementary to post-secondary, for the past 40 years. From the Potlotek First Nation in Nova Scotia, she is a professor of education at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Henderson’s talk, “Affirming Mi’kmaw Treaty, Human Rights and Humanity,” will explore what was involved—and what was compromised—in the drafting and passage of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He will answer the question of what is involved in respecting the humanity and basic human rights of Indigenous peoples, and why it remains problematic for nation-states today, including Canada.

An award-winning legal scholar from the Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma, who has served as constitutional advisor for the Mi’kmaw nation and the Assembly of First Nations, Dr. Henderson helped develop the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He is a Research Fellow of the Native Law Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan.

Battiste and Henderson have collaborated on two books, Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage: A Global Challenge (Purich Press, 2000) and Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit (Purich Press, 2013).

The lecture is sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research, the Faculty of Arts, and the Faculty of Education at UPEI. Parking and admission is free. Everyone is welcome! For further information, please email Pamela Courtenay-Hall at pcourtenay@upei.ca or David Varis at dvaris@upei.ca.

Dr. Marie Battiste is a Mi'kmaw educator and professor in the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Saskatchewan. With graduate degrees from Harvard and Stanford, and four honorary degrees, she is a senior Indigenous scholar in Canada, whose work in advancing Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies, decolonization, and indigenizing the academy has opened new areas of research and inquiry. She is an elected member of the Royal Society of Canada, a Canadian organization of over 2000 Canadian scholars, artists, and scientists, peer-elected as the best in their field. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Academic Award from the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Distinguished Researcher Award at the University of Saskatchewan, and an INDSPIRE Award for her contributions in education. She has published widely, including her most recent book Visioning Mi’kmaw Humanities: Indigenizing the Academy (CBU Press, 2017).

Dr. James Youngblood (Sa’ke’j) Henderson is a Research Fellow of the Native Law Centre of Canada at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan. He served as a constitutional advisor for the Mi’kmaw nation and the Assembly of First Nations (1978-1993), was one of the strategists that created Indigenous diplomacy and the existing UN Declarations, and is the author of several award-winning books. He was elected a fellow of the Native American Academy (1985), received the Indigenous Peoples’ Council Award (2005) and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Law and Justice (2006), was conferred an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Carleton University (2007), and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2013).

About the University of Prince Edward Island

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 St. 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.  UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made a further leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial awards program to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift honours H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning. 

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing are valued at $500 each, with up to 57 prizes available annually for returning undergraduate students who produced outstanding written work in the previous academic year (September 1 – August 31), and up to 3 prizes available for faculty or staff members, who have shown exceptional leadership in the development of writing among students at UPEI. 

Please share this program with students or recommend a colleague via the following links.  Deadline for submissions is Friday, October 6:

MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Coursework) – up to 35 prizes
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Community) – up to 11 prizes
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Webster Centre) – up to 11 prizes
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Staff/Faculty) - up to 3 prizes

For more information, contact Adrienne in Scholarships and Awards at amontgomery@upei.ca
 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Kelly Green (women’s soccer) and Brett Strba (men’s soccer), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for September 25 to October 1!

Kelly Green is a third-year centre-back on the UPEI Women’s Soccer team,and a Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown. Over the weekend, the Panthers beat Saint Mary’s University and lost to a very strong Cape Breton University squad. “Kelly is consistently coming out on top, winning the one-on-one battles,” said coach Graeme McDonald. “She has been outstanding defensively over the last two games, gives 100 per cent every game, and leads by example every time she wears the Panther jersey.”

Brett Strba is a third-year keeper on the UPEI Men’s Soccer team, and a Bachelor of Business Administration student from Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia. The team lost a pair of games over the weekend to SMU and CBU, but Strba was outstanding in between the posts. “On Friday versus SMU, Brett was excellent, despite just returning from injury,” said coach Lewis Page. “On Sunday, Brett made a number of crucial saves, including a penalty-kick save, as the Panthers played a tight game against the league-leading Capers.”

Don’t forget to pick up your Panther Package! For just $75, the package includes admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

University of Prince Edward Island President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz issued a statement today on the passing of UPEI Founder and professor emeritus, Reverend Francis W.P. Bolger.

“On behalf of UPEI students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Father Bolger,” said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.

During his career, Father Bolger was widely recognized as the unofficial "Dean of Island history," in large part because of his leading role in popularizing the academic study of Prince Edward Island history at the university level. At a time when only national histories were seen to matter, he lobbied UPEI to offer a course in the history of PEI.

“The entire UPEI community is saddened by Father Bolger’s passing, but is heartened that his tremendous contributions through his teaching, service, and dedication to Island history will be remembered forever. We are also so pleased that he was recognized and celebrated as a UPEI Founder just a week before his death,” added President Abd-El-Aziz. Read the citation

Father Bolger passed away at home in Charlottetown on September 28. Flags at the University will fly at half-mast until after his funeral on Tuesday, October 3 at St. Ann’s Church in Hope River. Read the obituary

UPEI joined schools across the country recently to mark Orange Shirt Day on September 29. Orange Shirt Day is an annual day of commemoration to continue the discussion about residential schools and their impacts.

“University of Prince Edward Island students, staff, and faculty are really stepping up these days to recognize past injustices in Canada,” said Dr. Ron MacDonald, dean of the Faculty of Education at UPEI, which took the lead in the Orange Shirt Day events at UPEI. “More than 350 people from UPEI and the community donned orange shirts as a way to honour residential school survivors during Orange Shirt Day. It is important to tangibly represent this support in this small way, as well as to keep this support every day of the year."

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. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

The following is cross-posted from SynapsePEI.com. Synapse is an independent company created to help transfer the expertise and knowledge housed in the University of Prince Edward Island into products, processes, services and insights that can provide practical social and economic benefit beyond the university environment.

PEI oysters are popular worldwide and harvested year-round. But, what only insiders know is that hard labour is essential for growing healthy oysters.

Farmed oysters, which are grown in cages weighing up to 200 pounds each, need to be turned once to twice per week during the growing months for an average of five years. Oyster farms vary in size, from a couple of hundred cages to thousands of them.

Growers need employees who are physically strong enough to turn these heavy, awkward cages for up to 10 hours a day. Their cage-turning efforts discourage mussels, barnacles and algae build-up, which lets water circulate better and more food reach the oysters. This results in more appealing oysters that can garner higher prices.

As part of their studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, a team of students has engineered a solution for oyster growers and producers. Jordan Sampson, Brett McDermott, and Dylan MacIsaac designed the answer: specially designed equipment that gently guides the oyster cages in a rollercoaster-like flip.

Their invention removes back-breaking labour from the equation. This is welcome news for the oyster industry, not only to save time and money, but also to address staff shortages by opening the labour pool to applicants who are less suited to physically demanding work.

As of winter 2017, Synapse Inc.—which turns UPEI ideas into solutions for real-world problems—stepped up to help the students. Synapse evaluated the team’s technology, and having determined its merit, Synapse has worked closely with the team ever since. This included filing for a patent, and applying for and securing proof-of-concept and patent funding from Springboard Atlantic as well as startup funds from Innovation PEI’s Ignition Fund. Synapse will continue to support the team’s startup business, Island AquaTech, providing advice and mentorship as the business is formed and grows.

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, said, “Synapse has been instrumental in protecting and advancing this Atlantic Canadian innovation. By supporting these students and the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering, Synapse increases the likelihood that this engineering design will move into production to meet the needs of the economically important oyster industry.”

The team created a true Maritimes solution. For the prototype, the team worked with numerous Island and Atlantic Canadian businesses, and intends to continue this approach as they move into production.

Next, the students plan to incorporate their company and refine their design for a production version. At this rate, the students will graduate with a degree, an invention to their name and a ready-made business. The world is their oyster. 

It’s a weekend of firsts and lasts for the UPEI Panthers! Men’s Hockey kicks off the 2017-18 AUS season with its home-opener Friday night. Women’s Rugby plays its final home game of the regular season with another battle with Acadia.

UPEI Men’s Hockey starts off the weekend and season with a game Friday at 7 pm against the University of New Brunswick. Coach Forbes MacPherson said an extended training camp and pre-season has really helped his young team to gel.

“It has provided us with opportunity to introduce our philosophy and systems,” said MacPherson. “We have showed early glimpses of very good play, and other times examples of areas we need to clean up. We are very excited to put efforts towards our regular season. This team is very young and brings a lot of energy and excitement to the rink. I’m really looking forward to Friday and getting the season going.”

UPEI Women’s Rugby plays its final home game of the regular season Saturday at 2 pm against Acadia University.

“Acadia is coming off a big home win against St Mary’s University,” said Women’s Rugby coach John LaBoyne. “The Panthers are improving week by week. We will get in some spirited practices this week in preparation. Panther fans should be in for a great game Saturday with a 2 pm kick off at Alumni Stadium. Wear some green, come out and cheer the rugby team on.”

This is the perfect time to pick up season tickets for UPEI Men’s Hockey. Your $190 gives you a reserved seat, 15 individual tickets, 2 for 1 golf at Fox Meadows (until May 31, 2018), a 10% discount card at Source for Sports, 2 for 1 large pizza for the year at Domino’s, and a $50 discount towards your Panther Package! For just $75, the Panther Package gives you admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

UPEI’s Climate Research Lab is hosting a two-day international symposium, October 5 and 6, entitled Adapting to a New Human Health Reality under Climate Change. The media are invited to the keynote presentation by the Honourable David MacDonald at 2 pm, October 5, in the Grafton Room, Rodd Charlottetown Hotel, 75 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

Global climate change is seen as one of the greatest threats to the future of humankind and the world. While climate mitigation strategies are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from human-created sources, those alone are unlikely to be sufficient to eliminate the negative impacts of climate change. The impacts of climate change from emissions of greenhouse gases over the past 150 years will have to be confronted by all jurisdictions. Therefore, pursuing a complementary strategy of enabling jurisdictions to adapt to climate change and negate many of the expected adverse impacts is equally, if not more, urgent.

This symposium will examine the state-of-the-science with regards to climate change and human health, and allow discussions that will hopefully guide jurisdictions to develop and implement adaptation policy and build resilience to the effects of climate change. The symposium is organized around the key themes of emergency and disaster management; nutrition and food security; indigenous peoples’ health; perinatal health; vector-borne diseases; and air quality. It will bring together climate experts who may not have considered the significance of human health, and human health experts who may not have focused their attention on climate change. Together with an invited group of audience participants from government, industry, and non-governmental organizations, this symposium will address the pressing issue of climate change and human health in an action-oriented and policy-focused series of dialogues.

The Honourable David MacDonald grew up in Prince Edward Island. He is a graduate of Prince of Wales College, Dalhousie University, and Pine Hill Divinity Hall. He also holds several honorary degrees in law and divinity. He was ordained as a United Church Minister in June of 1961, serving as pastor of the United Church in Alberton, Prince Edward Island, from 1962 to 1965.

He was elected as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament in 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1979, and 1988; first, as the representative for western PEI, and second, for Rosedale (Toronto Centre). In 1979, he was appointed Secretary of State, Minister of Communications, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. In June 1997, he was the NDP candidate for Toronto Centre–Rosedale. In 1984, he was appointed Canadian Emergency Coordinator/African Famine and, in 1986, Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti.

From 1989–1993, he chaired the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment, the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee on AIDS, and the House of Commons Liaison Committee. Since the early 1990s, he has been actively involved in a number of national and international organizations committed to just and sustainable communities, human rights, and peace. Since 2008, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Faith and the Common Good, a national interfaith network and charitable organization. Since December 1998, he has served as Special Advisor on Indian Residential Schools for the United Church of Canada and, more recently, on Climate and Ocean Change.

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. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

UPEI’s Department of History and the UPEI Faculty of Arts will present the documentary film Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt at a screening Thursday, October 12 at 7 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Director Michal Goldman will be on hand to present the film and field questions after the screening.

Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt is the first film for North Americans to focus on Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the Arab world’s most transformative and controversial leaders. In 1952, as an unknown young Egyptian colonel, Nasser led a coup that became a revolution. Over the next 18 years, he reshaped the Arab world, facing deep divisions among the Arabs and emerging as a titanic figure—a champion of Arab progress and African liberation. But what he could not offer was democracy; instead, he established the region’s first and much emulated military authoritarian regime. A man of enormous charisma and ambition, Nasser became caught in the coils of his own power, dying at 52 with his revolution uncompleted. The Arab Spring and its aftermath are his legacy.

Michal Goldman is an American documentary filmmaker. Her interest in Egypt goes back to the 1990s when she lived in Cairo for several years to produce her film “Umm Kulthum, A Voice Like Egypt.” Several of her films have been nominated for Academy Awards. Her love for PEI dates back to 1970, when her parents bought a small farm in Mermaid.

All are welcome!

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. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.