Environmental Studies students from Dr. Carolyn Peach Brown’s Introduction to Environmental Studies class got a hands-on lesson this fall in restoring damaged ecosystems. In partnership with Parks Canada, the students planted 400 trees to help restore the Acadian forest on Robinson’s Island. The planting of native tree species—such as sugar maple, yellow birch, eastern white pine, and hemlock—is part of Parks Canada’s efforts to restore the forest of PEI National Park to a more natural state. Environmental Studies students also joined Parks Canada staff in planting plugs of marram grass at Brackley Beach. These plantings help to restore the sand dunes, as the roots and rhizomes form a living net which will help hold the dunes in place.

Such experiential learning opportunities are important for students, as it helps to make connections from the classroom to real life. According to Dr. Peach Brown, “sometimes when studying the environment, we can get discouraged by some of the negatives, and so it is great to get out there and do something positive to help the environment. Students can come back in future years to see how the trees they planted have grown or how the sand dunes have been protected. The students also benefit from the knowledge of Parks Canada staff who explained the history of the Park and the ecological aspects of the restoration efforts.”

Parks Canada and UPEI became official partners in 2015. The tree- and marram grass-plantings are some of many projects UPEI students have been involved in.

Panther Basketball will hold its annual Shoot for the Cure fundraiser on Saturday evening when both the women’s and men’s teams play the Memorial University Sea-Hawks at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.

The women’s game begins at 6 pm with a Shoot for the Cure ceremonial tip-off featuring breast cancer survivor Loretta Coady MacAulay.

“The UPEI Women’s Basketball team is honoured to have Loretta Coady MacAulay participate in the ceremonial tip-off,” said team captain and Shoot for the Cure organizer Kiera Rigby. “She is an inspiration to us all and embodies the meaning of ‘cancer survivor’.”

MacAulay is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for stage 3a breast cancer after being diagnosed and undergoing a mastectomy in September. What makes the 48-year-old Charlottetown lawyer’s story remarkable is that she only went for a mammogram after her 85-year-old mother had been diagnosed with stage 4-breast cancer in April 2016. Sadly, Mrs. Coady passed away on October 31st as her breast cancer was very aggressive and more advanced, and because of other health issues, wasn’t a candidate for treatment. 

“I really feel that my mother saved my life, because, but for her unfortunate diagnosis, I wouldn't have gone for a routine mammogram before I was 50 because I had no symptoms or genetic family history,” said MacAulay. “I decided early on that I intend to be a survivor—I'm not really giving myself any other option and have surrounded myself with a lot of positive people.”

Shoot for the Cure fundraising activities during the game include a t-shirt and bake sale. Rigby will also be having her hair cut during the men’s game at halftime to donate to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign that makes wigs for women who have lost their hair as a result of cancer treatment.

Due to the Charlottetown Christmas Parade on Saturday evening, fans attending the Women's Hockey game at 3 pm and Women's Basketball game at 6 pm are reminded to access campus from the Belvedere Avenue entrance.

Various municipalities in Canada have developed legislation to address public safety concerns about dogs that bite. Speakers at this workshop will discuss problems associated with legislation that bans specific breeds and provide information on alternative approaches to the issue of dangerous dogs. The workshop will offer information on identifying dangerous dogs, risk factors for dog bites, the effectiveness of interventions, and the impact of breed–specific legislation on dogs and humane societies. 

Speakers include Dr. Alice Crook, Dr. Shauna Richards, Jenna Lane, Chelsea Tuff-Hopkie, Atlantic Veterinary College; and Marla Somersall and Donna Marie, PEI Humane Society.

When: Tuesday, November 29, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
Where: Atlantic Veterinary College, Lecture Theatre A

Admission is free, and everyone is welcome! For information, call (902) 566-0589, or visit upei.ca/avc

Dr. Hugh Whitney, retired chief veterinary officer for Newfoundland and Labrador, was recently honoured by the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) with its 2015 Atlantic Award of Excellence in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Care.

Established in 2005, the award recognizes veterinarians for significant and outstanding contributions to veterinary medicine and animal care in Atlantic Canada. Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, presented Dr. Whitney with the award on November 5 at the Newfoundland and Labrador Veterinary Medical Association’s annual meeting and gala.

Dr. Whitney was nominated by Dr. Erin Ramsay (AVC Class of 2011), regional veterinarian in the Newfoundland and Labrador Animal Health Division, and Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Whitney served as CVO and director of the Animal Health Division for Newfoundland and Labrador from 1985 until he retired in 2015. As CVO, he greatly expanded the Animal Health Division and the role it plays in the community. He spearheaded projects that promote the importance of animal health and the veterinary profession in the eyes of the community. He was twice engaged in the eradication of terrestrial rabies from the Island of Newfoundland, most recently leading the successful eradication program that lasted from 2002-04.

A leading authority on animal health and related public health issues in Newfoundland and Labrador, he played an integral role in the development of progressive provincial legislation banning cosmetic surgeries, and regulation of non-veterinary antimicrobial sales, under the recently revised Animal Health and Protection Act for the province. And he spearheaded the creation of the province’s new Animal Hero Award, with colleague Lynn Cadigan, which recognizes the positive aspects, and importance, of the relationship between people and animals.

Dr. Whitney’s contributions go beyond his role as CVO. Over the years, he has been involved in the education of veterinary students, graduate students, and veterinarians in Atlantic Canada. An adjunct professor at MUN, he is well respected by his graduate students and faculty, as well as by people in government, his fellow veterinarians, and the community at large.

He has developed a special relationship with the people of Labrador, working with band leaders and town councils on many projects, and visiting schools to talk to children about rabies. He is contributing to a series of books, The Adventures of Uapikun, written for Labrador’s Innu school system. Uapikun Learns About Rabies has been published in English, French, and the Innu-aimun dialects of Sheshatshiu and Mushuau. It has also been adapted for the Inuit population of Labrador. He is currently working on a book about dog safety, Uapikun Has A Question, which will be published in English, French, and the two Innu-aimun dialects, and distributed across Canada.

He is dedicated to the advancement of the veterinary profession, serving on provincial Atlantic, and federal committees and task forces, and on professional organizations at the provincial and national levels.
 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Emma Martin (Women’s Hockey) and Milorad Sedlarevic (Men’s Basketball), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for November 21-27!

Emma Martin is a fourth-year Kinesiology student from Winsloe, PEI. Martin plays defence on the UPEI Women’s Hockey team and recorded three assists in two games over the weekend. The Panthers beat Mount Allison 4-1, and trumped Dalhousie 2-1. “Emma made a strong return from a heel injury, assisting on three of our six goals,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “Even though she wasn’t 100%, she managed to cope with the pain and did a great job of controlling the play.”

Milorad Sedlarevic is a third-year forward on the Men’s Basketball team and a Business student from Jesenice, Slovenia. The Panthers split a pair of games with Memorial University over the weekend. Over two games, Sedlarevic racked up 37 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks, and four assists. “Milorad played up to his potential this weekend, especially in Sunday's win,” said coach Tim Kendrick. “We feel that he is only going to get better and better as he moves forward in his career here at UPEI.”

It’s not too late to purchase your Panther Package, the best sports deal on Prince Edward Island! Your $75 season ticket gets you into every home Panther home game, in every sport (except Men’s Hockey). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

It’s bound to happen at least once every winter, and this year it’s already happened once this week, PEI gets walloped with a storm, leaving students, faculty, and staff wondering if they need to come to campus or not.

Given UPEI’s size and scope, the decision to close is not made lightly. However, in weather situations where the potential risk to UPEI’s students and employees, as well as property, are high, the University may “close*,” meaning classes and exams are cancelled and services are reduced.

How will I know if UPEI is closed?

The University has a number of different channels to communicate storm closures. These include:

• A message on the home page of upei.ca
• An email to all students, faculty and staff to their upei.ca email account
• Updates from the University’s Twitter account, @UPEI
• Media outlets (radio, TV, news websites) are informed and encouraged to share our status
• A message is placed on the UPEI Campus Closure and Alert Phone Line (902-894-2882)
• A message is placed on the UPEI Campus Screen network (there are screens in several buildings across campus).

For more information, email communications@upei.ca.

Winter Parking Restrictions

Also, please note that from November 1 to April 30, winter restrictions on overnight campus parking will be enforced. Parking Lot "A" is the only lot where overnight parking is permitted for the winter season. Residents of Andrew Hall and Bernardine Hall may park overnight in the Andrew Hall lot provided that their vehicles are moved to Lot "A" during storm conditions and until the lots have been plowed after a storm.

If vehicles are left in any parking lot other than Lot "A" during snow storms or before snow removal is complete, the vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense. Facilities Management appreciates your co-operation to ensure parking lots are cleared safely. If you have any questions or concerns regarding winter parking please contact Mark Pharand, Manager, Security Services, at mpharand@upei.ca.

*Technically, UPEI is only truly closed in extreme circumstances, as there are essential personnel that need to work on campus and we have students living in residence. However, the University will use the word “closed” to communicate to the campus community that classes and most services are suspended.
 

AVC’s first annual Client Appreciation Reception, held earlier this month, was a resounding success! About 85 clients of the College’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) attended as well as AVC faculty, staff, and students.

The reception was jointly organized by the UPEI Department of Development and Alumni Engagement and the AVC Dean’s Office, with support from the VTH and Donna Hassard, a long-time client and vice-chair of the veterinary medicine priority in UPEI’s current INSPIRE! fundraising campaign.

The clients enjoyed “behind the scenes” tours of the VTH provided by veterinary students, meeting each other, and chatting with clinicians, staff, and students.

Donna Hassard spoke about her experiences as a client at the VTH and supporter of AVC. Donna and her husband, Richard, became clients in 2004 when they moved to PEI with their two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Ozzie and Zoë. She thanked the VTH staff for the love, care, and compassion they gave to Ozzie and Zoë and now to their current dogs, Tully and Digby.

She stressed the important role that clients play in the education of veterinary students by allowing them to work with their animals. Donna and her dogs volunteer in the cardiology and communications sections of the students’ learning program and at AVC’s annual summer vet camp.

“I am very proud to be a small part of AVC and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital,” said Donna, thanking those present for their support of the College. “You [clients] can be very proud of all you do to help this wonderful institution maintain its excellent reputation.”

The evening also included a special presentation by Kirsten, Sophie, and Lexi Gallant, children of Chris and Dawn Gallant, of Mermaid, PEI. In lieu of birthday gifts this year, they collected over $300 in donations for AVC from their classmates at Glen Stewart Primary School and Stratford Elementary School in appreciation for the care their dogs, Molly and Macy, have received at the VTH over the past 13 years.

The event concluded with a ceremony to open the Donna and Richard Hassard Student Lounge, named in recognition of the long-standing commitment they have had to the College.

The Equine Foundation of Canada (EFC) has generously provided AVC with $127,000 for state-of-the-art equipment used to diagnose and treat lameness, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal conditions in horses.

The donation from the EFC matches funds received from the Government of Canada earlier this year for the purchase of the equipment. Susan Nelson, treasurer of the EFC, recently visited AVC to present a cheque to Dean Greg Keefe and Dr. Heather Gunn McQuillan, director of AVC’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. During her visit, she toured the VTH and saw some of the equipment purchased with the funding.

“With this funding from the EFC and the Government of Canada, we have expanded and enhanced the services we provide to our equine patients,” says Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC. “In addition, the state-of-the-art equipment we have purchased has great value for the education of our students, particularly those who plan to specialize in equine veterinary medicine. I thank the Equine Foundation of Canada for its ongoing support of AVC.”

The volunteer-based EFC has donated over $207,000 to AVC since 1987.

Among the new equipment obtained with the assistance of the EFC is a 4K arthroscopic system—the first of its kind in a veterinary school in Canada. Arthroscopy—minimally invasive joint surgery—allows horses to heal quickly and return to activity in the shortest amount of time as possible—a benefit to the horses, the trainers, and the owners. This system enhances imaging abilities with fine detail and depth perception, allowing veterinarians to treat patients with great precision.

Another innovative tool is an equine overground endoscope, with a gastroscope attachment, USB endoscope, and related tools. This equipment allows veterinarians to more accurately diagnose upper airway problems in racehorses, leading to more appropriate treatments. The tool also comes with portable video endoscope and gastroscope attachments that allow veterinarians to diagnose and monitor problems such as upper airway disorders, gastric ulcers, and other stomach issues right at the farm or in the stable. AVC has the only overground endoscope in Atlantic Canada.

Atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia are two cardiac conditions that can seriously affect a horse’s health. New cardiology equipment purchased with the funding includes, among other things, wireless EKG monitors to assess the rhythm of a horse’s heartbeat under natural conditions and identify abnormal heart rhythms before they cause problems. As well, iPhone heart monitors can be used in the field to detect a problem that would need a referral to the VTH’s cardiology service.

Lameness problems in horses can be difficult and time-consuming to detect. The acquisition of Bluetooth accelerometers and software, an equine therapeutic laser, and a portable shockwave system assist with more consistent and rapid diagnosis and treatment of lameness and injuries.

Other equipment includes a new equine surgery table, a Nova 4- CRT bicarb analyzer for testing post-race equine urine samples, and an M-turbo ultrasound with transducers for diagnosing injury in soft tissues, among other uses.

The UPEI Men’s Hockey Panthers will be looking for redemption when they take on the Acadia Axemen on Friday, December 2 at MacLauchlan Arena. The Panthers are heading into the final game of the first half of the season with a 5-9-2 record, having lost 5-2 to the Acadia Axemen (10-5-1) last Saturday night in Wolfville.

With the Thursday night game versus Saint Mary’s postponed due to weather, UPEI hopes to take advantage of the break and turnaround their losing streak by ending Acadia’s winning ways of late. The Axemen have picked up nine of their last ten possible points.

Cheering on the Panthers at the match-up will be members of Canada’s national sledge hockey team who are set to play in the 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, December 4-10, also at MacLauchlan Arena. Team Canada members will participate in a ceremonial puck drop and a sledge hockey demonstration during the first intermission. There will also be extra 50-50 draws for complimentary tickets to the sledge hockey event, where Team Canada, including PEI's own Billy Bridges, will battle against teams from the United States, Korea, and Norway. 

Donations are being accepted throughout the game for the UPEI Campus Food Bank. Puck drop is 7:00 pm.

The Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning delivered a House statement in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island on December 2, 2016 that acknowledged and paid tribute to the many recent achievements of UPEI and of its President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz:

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to rise in the House today to recognize the great work and collaboration by the University of Prince Edward Island and its Faculty Association in coming together to reach a four-year collective agreement. This agreement covers faculty members, librarians, sessional instructors, and clinical nursing instructors through to June 2020. The agreement contains year-over-year salary increases, workload considerations, as well as cost-sharing on retirement benefits. By coming to a consensus for a four-year period, UPEI has taken great steps towards a sustainable future for its faculty, staff, and students.

The University also reached a pension agreement which has been ratified with all unions and approved by the Board of Governors this month. And Mr. Speaker, this is not the only good news coming out of UPEI…

In August, the University opened its School of Sustainable Design Engineering. The first class of this new school will graduate in May of 2017. The Province was pleased to attend the official opening and show its support in providing $16 million toward creation of this incredible facility.

Recently, the Association of Atlantic Universities released a report that showed UPEI’s enrolment increased by 3 per cent. This is even more remarkable considering that enrolment across the Maritimes was actually down for full-time students by 0.8 per cent. Mr. Speaker, UPEI’s enrolment growth exceeded that of every other Atlantic school—this is driven by UPEI’s international student recruitment efforts, which saw an estimated increase of 20 per cent this year.

These outstanding accomplishments occurred under the leadership of Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, who was recently honoured by the Canadian Bureau for International Education with a 2016 Excellence Award. In addition, Alaa also assumed the role of Chair of the Association of Atlantic Universities.

It’s hard to believe that with all of this recent success at UPEI, the University still managed to retain one of the lowest tuition rates in the Maritimes.

With all that being said, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to congratulate UPEI on its recent achievements and efforts, and wish them all the best as they gear up for the 2017 academic semester.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.