UPEI Men’s Hockey Hot Stove Night with NHL coaches set for August 5

Plenty of NHL hockey stories, and some from the old rinks of PEI, will be shared by three Islanders now coaching in the NHL during the UPEI Men's Hockey Hot Stove Night on August 5 at Fox Meadow Golf and Country Club in Stratford, PEI.

Dave Cameron, head coach of the Ottawa Senators, Gerard ‘Turk' Gallant, head coach of the Florida Panthers and Mike Kelly assistant coach of the Florida Panthers will be on the stage during the event.

'We were looking for a new fundraiser for the hockey team and we approached Dave, Turk, and Mike about the idea and we are thrilled they agreed,' said Booster club president and former Panther Lennie Kelly.

The evening event, organized by the UPEI Men's Hockey Booster Club, celebrates not only the success of Islanders in the coaching ranks of the NHL, but offers a chance to meet with the coaches, get an inside view of NHL dressing rooms and pose questions during the Hot Stove Session.

Tickets are $50 each and only 250 are available. Tickets can be purchased by contacting mhockey@upei.ca or calling (902) 566-0986. Doors open at 6:30 pm for a 'mix and mingle' event followed by the Hot Stove Session at 7:00 pm.

'It has been a busy off-season for each of them and we are very grateful that they will be at Fox Meadow on August 5 and help the UPEI Men's Hockey Program,' said UPEI head coach Forbie MacPherson.

Biographies:

Dave Cameron is a former UPEI Panther, played in the NHL, has coached in the Island Junior Hockey League, The Colonial Hockey League, the OHL, the AHL, Canada's World Junior team, and the NHL. He was named head coach of the Ottawa Senators in December of 2014.

Gerard (Turk ) Gallant, played in the QMJHL, was named to its Hall of Fame last year, played 615 games in the NHL with Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, coached in the Island Junior Hockey League, and won the Royal Bank Cup. He was an Assistant coach and then head coach in NHL with Columbus Blue Jackets, Assistant coach with the New York Islanders, coached Saint John Sea Dog to a Memorial Cup, assistant coach with Montreal Canadiens and named head coach of the Florida Panthers in June of 2014.

Mike Kelly, played in the Island Junior Hockey League, played with UNB and in Europe. He was an assistant coach with the PEI Senators in its first season. He coached in the OHL and then as head coach of UNB won the University Cup, he also coached in the WHL and the AHL. He coached UPEI for one season and from there became an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks, then went on to be an associate coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs and was named QMJHL General Manager of the Year. He became an assistant coach of the Florida Panthers in early July of 2014.

UPEI celebrates Pride Week by raising flag

The Department of Student Affairs, in partnership with the Student Diversity Office and the UPEI Rainbow Alliance, raised the pride flag on Monday, July 27, 2015 at noon time at the flag plaza near Kelley Memorial Building.

A number of senior administrators, including President Abd-El-Aziz and Vice-Presidents Robert Gilmour and Jackie Podger, along with students, staff, and faculty attended the short ceremony. Zak Court, with the Student Diversity Office, greeted everyone on behalf of students while Treena Smith, Manager of Student Affairs, offered a few closing remarks on behalf of the Department of Student Affairs.

"It is great to see support for students and for our campus community through the raising of the Pride flag at UPEI," said Smith. "Today's event also serves as a reminder that there are still countries that persecute those who are a different sexual orientation than what they were born as, and to be thankful to live in a country like Canada where diversity is celebrated, in ways such as Pride Week."

The raising of the flag recognizes that UPEI supports all of its students, faculty, and staff and celebrates PEI Pride Week, July 27-August 2. PEI Pride raised flags at the same time at other locations across the province.

J. S. Palmer Conference set for September 3–4 at UPEI

'What actions will we take now that our descendants will celebrate or regret in 150 years?'

This question is at the heart of the fourth J.S. Palmer Conference being held at the University of Prince Edward Island September 3-4.

'Looking toward 2017 and celebrations for Canada's 150th birthday, we have partnered with the Watermark Theatre and their Canada 300 project to address issues of importance to Canadians now, that will have an impact for generations to come,' said UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.

'This partnership has led to a diverse and inspiring line-up of panelists attending the 2015 Palmer Conference,' noted President Abd-El-Aziz.

The J.S. Palmer Conference was created in 2010 to bring together some of the finest minds across the country to discuss public policy issues of high priority to the public sector and to Canada.

Canada 300 is a groundbreaking project that toured 21 cities across Canada this past winter. Through an innovative use of arts and technology, Canadians were engaged in a dialogue envisioning our nation's next 150 years.

Dr. Tim O'Neill, founder and president of O'Neill Strategic Economics and former Executive Vice-President and Chief Economist of BMO, will open the conference with the keynote address.

'Thousands of Canadians shared their hopes and dreams for Canada as we toured the country,' said Watermark Theatre Artistic Director, Duncan McIntosh. 'The conference planning team distilled the information we gathered into three themes for the conference. Panelists will explore issues related to people, nations and the environment.'

The J.S. Palmer conference includes an extraordinary group of speakers and presenters. They include, Dr. Pamela Palmater, Mi'Kmaq lawyer, professor and activist; Tanya Davis, spoken word poet; Dr. Andew Light, Special Advisor to the White House on Climate Change; Dr. Teo Dagi, neurosurgeon, neuroscientist, and ethicist; Nora Young, CBC Spark host and author; Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations; and Jeremy Webber, Dean of Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria.

'This conference will appeal to anyone interested in the future of Canada and understanding how our actions now will impact our descendants,' says McIntosh.

For more information and to register for the conference see the website, at www.palmerconference.com.
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For more information:
Sara Roach-Lewis
J.S. Palmer Conference Manager
(902) 393-7204
sara@watermarktheatre.com

BC native Lucas Ross commits to Men's Soccer Panther

University of Prince Edward Island Men's Soccer coach Lewis Page is pleased to announce that Okanagan Valley, BC native Lucas Ross has committed to join the Panthers for the 2015-16 season.

Midfielder Ross just finished his fifth year in the Vancouver Whitecaps school academy and completed his third year in the British Columbia Soccer Premier League.

Commented Ross, 'I can't wait to come out east and offer what I've learned here. I know I will improve my game at the University of Prince Edward Island.'

Coach Page comments, 'I am happy to add Lucas Ross to our roster for next season. His experience from the Whitecaps Academy in the Okanagon will make him a strong candidate for a midfield role in our team.'

Ross will be entering the Bachelor of Science program at UPEI.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

UPEI Men’s Basketball adds two new assistants to coaching staff

University of Prince Edward Island Men's Basketball Head Coach Tim Kendrick is excited to announce the addition of Tim Butler and Jonathan Lane to the Panther staff as assistant coaches.

Coach Kendrick comments, 'I am very excited to have both of these fine young men join our coaching staff. After getting to know them better over the past couple of years, it was apparent to me that they would be great additions to our team. They are committed, hardworking young men who have exhibited great loyalty and passion for our Panthers program.

'I believe that it is extremely important to constantly be looking to improve our program in every way,' he adds. 'I believe that Jon and Tim bring not only fine and keen basketball minds and very positive attitudes, but also a love and passion for working with student-athletes within the great game of basketball and beyond. I expect to put them right to work in helping us build towards another successful season.'

Butler is a former Panther, who played from 2006-10, and was team captain his last two years on the roster. Butler's previous coaching experience includes Colonel Gray Colonels head coach 2013-15, Colonel Gray assistant coach 2012-13, and was a former UPEI Men's assistant coach 2010-11.

'I am extremely excited for the opportunity to be a part of the continued development of the Men's Basketball program at UPEI,' says Butler. 'This program is something very special to me. I was at my first Panthers game when I was 5 days old and being able to grow up with them and eventually play for them was a true honour. I am thankful to be able to take the next step as a coach and for the opportunity Coach Kendrick has given me. I can't wait to work with the great student-athletes we have at UPEI and help bring a championship back to the Island.'

Lane, native of Saint John, NB graduated from UNBSJ in 2006 where he played basketball from 2002-06 and was team captain during his final three years. After graduation from UNBSJ, Lane went on be an assistant coach with the team from 2007-09.

'I am looking forward to being a part of the UPEI Men's Basketball program this season and grateful for the opportunity provided by Director of Athletics and Recreation Chris Huggan and Coach Kendrick,' says Lane. 'I have followed the team since I moved to the Island in 2010 and have been fortunate enough to be around the team while working with the Athletics department. I believe Coach Kendrick has developed a winning program that is close to taking the next step and look forward to contributing in any way I can.'

While taking on assistant coaching duties, Lane will remain as Coordinator, Sales and Panther Academy with UPEI Athletics and Recreation.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

New minister for Advanced Learning tours campus

The Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning, recently toured campus at the invitation of the University.

Accompanied by President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and PEI’s Executive Director of Post-Secondary and Continuing Education Susan MacKenzie, Minister Brown visited with the Vice-Presidents and CIO, and made stops at several buildings, meeting briefly with each of the Deans and the University Librarian. The visit was a high-level tour that touched on key initiatives and developments in each faculty.

The Minister, a UPEI alumnus, was appointed to cabinet in June by Premier Wade MacLauchlan and is the MLA for Charlottetown-Victoria Park. No stranger to cabinet, Minister Brown previously served as minister of Development and Higher Education and minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry in former Liberal premier Robert Ghiz’s government.

UPEI Women’s Basketball Panthers welcome Jasmine Jones

University of Prince Edward Island Women’s Basketball Head Coach Greg Gould is pleased to announce Jasmine Jones, a 5'8' guard from Atlanta, Georgia, has committed to the Panthers for the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Jasmine is a quick, athletic point guard who comes from a winning high school program. She is a true point guard who looks to involve her teammates first. Her quickness and athleticism should make her an excellent AUS defender.

“I was impressed with Jasmine's commitment and desire to work at becoming the best student and player possible,” said Coach Gould. “That passion for excellence is what we want from our players.”

“UPEI stood out to me not only on an academic and athletic level, but also on an environmental level. I love the atmosphere at UPEI,” commented Jones. “While on campus, I felt ‘at home’ and in a place that I am capable of being successful, not only on the court but also in the classroom.”

She added, “I bonded with the team so well on my visits, and they informed me on how great the learning environment is at UPEI. I am truly excited to become a part of such a wonderful community.”

Jasmine will be entering the Arts program and plans to study Nursing in the future.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

  • Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
  • Proud member of the AUS and CIS
  • Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
  • Home of Panther Sports Medicine
  • Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

North Atlantic Forum returns to PEI

The 10th North Atlantic Forum and 27th Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) conference, entitled Building Community Resilience: Innovation, Culture, and Governance in Place, is being held in Summerside, September 16-19. And it’s not too late to register! 
 
This conference represents a homecoming: the first North Atlantic Forum, held in September 1998, was hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI. Since then, the NAF has travelled to Corner Brook, Twillingate, Lance au Clair, and St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador; Sydney, Cape Breton Island; Lerwick in the Shetland Islands; Bornholm, Denmark; and Hólar, Iceland. Says Conference Chair, Dr. Laurie Brinklow of the Institute of Island Studies, “We’re happy to be bringing the conference home. We look forward to showcasing the many ways in which Prince Edward Island—and in particular the community of Summerside—demonstrates resilience by building on our strong connections to place. We’ll be sharing best practices of creating and sustaining resilient communities by looking at the ‘dark horses’—businesses, organizations, and people—who contribute to building strong rural communities.”
 
The conference also includes the Annual General Meeting for CRRF. CRRF is committed to bettering the lives of rural Canadians through collaborative research for rural leaders in the community, private sector, and in all levels of government. CRRF works to create credible insights and to improve our understanding of issues and opportunities that are of common interest to rural residents across Canada. 
 
Our opening session—open to the public free of charge—will be at Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside and will feature a fireside chat entitled “Globalization: Who’s winning? Who’s Losing?” looking at rural and regional development in Canada and Europe in the age of globalization. Guest speakers include Dr. Kelly Vodden of the Environmental Policy Institute, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Dr. Sally Shortall, professor of Sociology at Queens University Belfast, United Kingdom.
 
The fireside chat will be followed by the launch of Place Peripheral: Place-Based Development in Rural, Island, and Remote Regions (ISER Books) arising from the 2011 North Atlantic Forum in St. John’s Newfoundland, edited by Kelly Vodden, Godfrey Baldacchino, and Ryan Gibson. We’ll also be launching a special journal issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, stemming from the proceedings of the 2013 North Atlantic Forum in Hólar, Iceland. A reception will follow at the Harbourfront. This event is open to the public, so please join us! The session will begin at 7:30 pm; registration is not required.
 
The three-day Building Community Resilience conference focuses on sustainable community resilience in island and periphery communities and the sustainable living practices that allow those same communities to remain in place, on the edge. The conference will include a lively conversation with approximately 70 paper presentations and panel discussions from researchers, practitioners, and community members from across Canada and around the world. Our keynotes include Daniel G. Pottle (Minister of Finance, Human Resources and Information, Nunatsiavut Government, Newfoundland and Labrador) who will speak about indigenous resilience in Labrador, and a conversation between Dr. Robert Snyder (Executive President, Island Institute, Maine) and Maura Walsh (Chief Executive Officer, IRD Duhallow, Ireland) about community resilience in Maine and Ireland. 
 
There will be three community tour options available to participants: Environmental Resilience: Community Watersheds (Kensington region); Economic and Cultural Resilience (Evangeline Region); and Indigenous Resilience (Lennox Island). Each community tour will include transportation to and from the location as well as discussions from people involved in each community. 
 
The program can be found at http://pei2015.crrf.ca/. A French-language version can be found at http://ipe2015.crrf.ca/. The conference website also contains more information on keynote speakers, community tours, and discussions that will take place throughout the conference. 
 
Daily registration for Thursday, September 19, and Friday, September 18 is $125+HST for the full day (includes breaks, lunch, transportation, and all community tour materials) and $50+HST for the community tour only (includes transportations and all community tour materials). Come join us, and learn from other communities across the North Atlantic and beyond! 
 
The conference is hosted by the Institute of Island Studies, a research and public policy institute based at UPEI, in partnership with the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF), and with funding from Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Other supporting organizations include the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), Tourism PEI Hosting Grant, and the Summerside Tourism Accommodation Levy Fund.
 
For more information, please contact Conference Co-ordinator Emily Thomas at (902) 566-0909 or naf@upei.ca.
 

UPEI Men’s Basketball nabs two Toronto recruits, Mohamed and Suleman

University of Prince Edward Island men’s basketball coach Tim Kendrick is excited to announce that Warsame Mohamed and Amin Suleman have committed to join the Panthers. Both players currently play for the “Bigger Than Basketball Club” program in Toronto, Ontario.

Mohamed is a 6’7” forward who attended A.Y. Jackson High School.

Coach Kendrick comments, "We are very happy to be adding Warsame to our roster. He has a great deal of potential and is a very nice young man. He really understands team play and is willing to do what he can to help us be successful.”

Adds Kendrick, “For a young player, Warsame has good overall size, and we believe that he will have a great career here coming right out of high school.”

Mohamed says, "I am thrilled to join UPEI and become a Panther. I feel my skill set as a stretch four, and of playing outside the perimeter and on the block, will really fit in Coach Kendrick’s system. Coach Kendrick is the perfect coach for me, and the school is the perfect place for my education. I want to win a championship and I hope I can win it as a UPEI Panther!"

Suleman attended the Central Toronto Academy and was recently awarded the Flight Games 2015 Student-Athlete of the Year with “Bigger Than Basketball”. The award recognizes students who excel in more than just basketball, serve as a role model in their community, and is characterized by hard work, perseverance, and positive qualities for younger athletes to look up to.

Adeel Sahibzada, Suleman’s coach with “Bigger Than Basketball” explains, “For Amin, as with anybody, there are always obstacles to overcome, it comes down to building the right mindset, and we’ve seen that maturity develop in him over the two-plus years we’ve know him”.

Coach Kendrick says, "We are very happy to add a guard with Amin's ability to our roster.  He is a pass-first player that can hit the open jumper from range. Amin is an "old school" type guard that sees the floor very well, and is a competitor!"

“I’m very excited to be part of the Panther family,” says Suleman. “I look forward to the coming years as both a student and athlete at UPEI.”

Both Mohamed and Suleman are enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program at UPEI.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

  • Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
  • Proud member of the AUS and CIS
  • Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
  • Home of Panther Sports Medicine
  • Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas
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