Prince Edward Island lost an average of 46 centimetres of coastline to the sea last year, according to the results of a new annual study conducted by the University of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Research Lab. 

“I did not expect this amount of coastal erosion across PEI during this past winter as no major storm surges impacted our shores,” said Dr. Adam Fenech, director of the lab. “The average loss across the island is 28 centimetres, so to see 46 is quite surprising.”

Coastal erosion on PEI has been tracked in the past by comparing aerial photographic surveys of the island, taken every ten years by the provincial government. To provide new annual data, Dr. Fenech’s research team of associates and graduate students established more than 100 measuring sites across the province. They have driven marker pins into the ground from which they can measure erosion from year to year. This kind of annual tracking can assist in planning, risk assessment, and research.

Graduate student Andy MacDonald points out that of the sites measured this year, “about nine sites had no change at all, while five sites had losses of over two metres, including sites at Governor’s Island, Naufrage Lighthouse, Panmure Island, Seaview, and Wood Islands Lighthouse.” 

Previous studies led by the Climate Research Lab concluded that more than 20 square kilometres (about 5,000 acres) of PEI were lost to coastal erosion from 1968 to 2010. The study showed more than 1,000 coastal homes and cottages across PEI are vulnerable to coastal erosion. In addition to the residences, more than 40 garages, 8 barns, and almost 450 outbuildings (baby barns, and other larger buildings that were clearly not a garage, residence or barn) were found to also be at risk. Even 17 lighthouses, PEI’s maritime cultural icons, were found to be at risk, as well as six PEI golf courses. The study concluded almost 45 kilometres of roads are also vulnerable to coastal erosion on Prince Edward Island. 

The study is funded by the climate change unit of the PEI Department of Communities, Land and Environment, and builds on measurements taken by the department more than thirty years ago.

UPEI’s Executive MBA program offers a high-quality learning experience for working business professionals. The program is designed for those working in, or aspiring to work in, a management or leadership position. Classes are offered bi-weekly on Fridays and Saturdays with the option to complete the program in 20 months.

Central to the program design is an evidence-based management approach, which helps students develop the skills and knowledge to make better-informed and well-supported decisions both in the program and in applied situations in their workplaces.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity in business graduate studies, UPEI’s School of Business invites you to attend one of the following information sessions. Learn more about the program and application process, have your questions answered, and meet with staff from the School of Business.

Tuesday, November 17, 5 pm

Beanz Espresso Bar and Café, Charlottetown

Monday, November 23, 5 pm

Empire I, Loyalist Lakeview Resort, Summerside

To reserve a seat, call (902) 566-6474 or email: mba@upei.ca. For more information about UPEI’s Executive MBA program, please visit upei.ca/business/emba, or contact the MBA co-ordinator at (902) 566-6474.

The UPEI Women’s Basketball Panthers will look a little different from the team that lost in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship game last spring.

A total of eight new faces will sport the green and white in an effort to bring championship glory to UPEI.

“When you have eight new players, it takes a little bit of time for it to come together,” said head coach Greg Gould, who decided to return as coach after taking a year off. “I thought I wouldn’t miss it, but I did.”

Entering his forty-fifth year of coaching, third as the Panthers’ bench boss, Gould has his work cut out for him. But he isn’t shying away from the challenge ahead. Gould said he’ll deploy a read and react-style offence focused on reading what the defence gives them and reacting accordingly.

“It’s not something that comes real quick, so you can’t diagram it. It will be a learning process and you can’t really speed that process up.”

Gould’s perimeter-oriented read and react scheme will allow each player to showcase their skills—an advantage that will make scouting a nightmare for the opposition.

“You can watch all the tapes you want, but you don’t know what they’re going to do,” he said.

Gould will lean heavily on six familiar faces to execute his game plan, and they’ll get every opportunity to lead the Panthers back to the postseason.

Jane McLaughlan and Kiera Rigby are expected to jump in the starting lineup alongside fifth-year players Katelynn Donahoe, Anne Kiberd and Tamara Tompkins.

“We expect them to be solid as they all have experience playing at the AUS level.”

At 6’2”, Elysia Drost will come off the bench and add length to a lineup that lacks size. While Chicago, Illinois native, Angenay Williams, will add a scoring punch in the second half of the season, when she becomes eligible to play.

The final seven roster spots will be filled by freshmen looking to make their mark on a young team.

The culture of winning is there, said Gould. The key is getting the young players to buy in to his system.

“If we can get our younger players up to speed quickly, we feel we can compete with most teams in the AUS.”

After a 4-4 preseason, the Panthers had their home opener on November 6 against St. Francis Xavier X-Women, followed by a second game against them on November 7, ending with impressive results both times for UPEI.  

The Panthers were victorious in both games, winning 66-65 on Friday, and 75-66 on Saturday. High scorers in Friday’s game for UPEI were Anne Kiberd with 33 and Jane McLaughlin with 12 points while Katie Donahoe led with 25 points and Anne Kiberd with 14 in Saturday’s matchup.

“It came down to a battle of two different styles of play. They’re very post-oriented and we’re very perimeter-oriented, and our style won out in this round,” Gould said.

Contributed by Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for the week of November 2-8 are Anne Kiberd, Women’s Basketball and Tyler Scott, Men’s Basketball.

UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes athletes’ hard work and dedication to their respective sports by naming them as athletes of the week. Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who:  Anne Kiberd, Women’s Basketball; and Tyler Scott, Men’s Basketball

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of November 2-8

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why:  Kiberd, a fifth-year Bachelor of Science (Nursing) student from Halifax, NS, enjoyed a great offensive opening weekend for the women’s basketball team. During the Panthers’ two wins over St. FX, 66-65 on Friday, and 75-66 on Saturday, Kiberd averaged 23.5 points on 47% shooting from the floor, and 91% from the free throw line, and had 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.

Scott, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student, also from Halifax, NS, led the Panthers to two-season-opening victories over St.FX on the men’s side. In the 102-71 and 95-91 wins, Scott

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 and UPEI Turf
• 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

Dr. Roger Gordon, retired UPEI professor, former Dean of Science, and author will join members of the MacLauchlan family and the UPEI campus community to celebrate the achievements of students, faculty, and staff at the fourth annual MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing Celebration.

The Celebration will take place on Friday, November 13 at 1:30 pm in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall.

Dr. Gordon will speak about and read from his captivating memoir, “Starting To Frame,” that details his life growing up in post-war Sheffield, England, amidst the turmoil of mental illness.

The Prizes recognize of the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning and were established in 2011 by the MacLauchlan family to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan's contributions to the University and his 12 years of service as President and Vice-Chancellor from 1999-2011.  Up to $30,000 are distributed annually in awards.

All are welcome.

Below is a message from President Abd-El-Aziz that was issued to the campus community.

Dear students and members of the campus community,

As our days gradually get shorter, and with the announcement of Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet last week, we continue to reflect on the longest election campaign in modern Canadian history. The forty-second general election made headlines for its duration and many ups and downs, but it was the feat at the finish that motivates my message.

Nationally, voter turnout exceeded 68 per cent—our highest result since 1993—and considering Confederation was born here on PEI, it’s appropriate the Island once again led the country with a robust 77.4 per cent. The youth vote certainly had an impact on this increase. Elections Canada hasn’t released official numbers yet, but the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is predicting a 10 per cent increase in student numbers.

Since the early days of academia, Universities have been where movements are born by citizens who care. Many students here at UPEI worked tirelessly to encourage, remind, and inspire others to vote. Let’s proudly acknowledge this accomplishment.

These are impressive results, but at the end of the day they are just numbers we reflect on once the election concludes. What is behind these numbers, and what follows them in the months and years ahead matter much more.

Elections are just one of countless ways to engage with your community. Expressing your civic voice is a dynamic, ongoing process, not a static moment or isolated action. Voting is part of a greater, broader and perpetual process that is as much a duty as it is a luxury.

If this most recent turnout is the start of a new era in civic and democratic engagement, then we have started to achieve something special and must continue this momentum.

We might be busier and more connected than ever, but it is also easier than ever to stay engaged and aware of what is happening in our town, our province, our country, and our world.

Volunteer. Join groups advancing causes you support. Learn more about topics affecting you or those you care about and bring that knowledge forward. Change never comes for the idle.

To those who voted for the first time on October 19: let it not be your last. To all: let this renewed resolve not be an outlying moment, but a significant step forward to the sustainable, meaningful civic action that real progress requires.

Together, let’s congratulate our recently elected PEI Members of Parliament, Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada; Hon. Wayne Easter, Mr. Sean Casey, and Mr. Robert Morrissey and wish them our best as they represent the interests of Islanders in the House of Commons.

On a closing note and as we near Remembrance Day, it is also a time to be thankful that we have the democratic system that we do in Canada, and to pay tribute to all of those who have so selflessly defended our peace, justice, and freedom. Lest we forget.

Best wishes,

Alaa 

Dr. Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Prince Edward Island

A two-metre tall Afghan war soldier’s memorial created by Canadian troops will be on display at the Nichola Goddard Annual Fundraising Dinner, taking place Saturday, November 14 at the APM Centre, in Cornwall, PEI. Colin and John-Angus MacDonald of The Trews will also be performing at the sold-out event that raises funds for the Nichola Goddard Foundation.

The Afghanistan Poppy Memorial, the centerpiece of the final Remembrance Day ceremony for Canadian troops in Kandahar in 2011, was fashioned from pieces of a Badger armoured engineering vehicle shattered by a Taliban roadside bomb in 2008. The piece bears the names—on a spent shell casing—of the 158 Canadian soldiers and four civilians who have died in the Afghan conflict, including Captain Nichola Goddard, who was killed on May 17, 2006 while serving with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry as a forward observation officer.

The tribute clearly shows the damage from the blast, including a torn handle from an engine hatch and a maple leaf formed from the vehicle’s armour plate that bears shrapnel marks.

One of the memorial’s keepers, Warrant Officer Renay Groves, said that the memorial is a metaphor of the fate of soldiers, even those who survive. “We left the battle damage on it, you go over there solid and come back different,” she added.

The dinner and silent auction raises funds for the Foundation that was created by Captain Goddard’s parents, Sally and Tim, in fond memory of their daughter’s love of life and learning. The Foundation supports several projects including “The Nichola Goddard Light Up Papua New Guinea" initiative to improve the quality and functionality of health care facilities in rural Papua–New Guinea by installing solar powered LED lighting; the “Captain Nichola K.S. Goddard Memorial Graduate Scholarship" at the University of Calgary; and the “Captain Nichola K.S. Goddard Scholarship” at the University of Prince Edward Island. The latter is awarded to a UPEI student in any faculty who is engaged in a project with focus on issues relevant to indigenous peoples whether in Canada or internationally.

For more information about, or to donate to, the Foundation, visit www.nicholagoddard.com

Dr. Dan Hurnik, professor of swine health management at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), has been honoured by the P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association (PEIVMA) with the 2015 Prince Edward Island Veterinary Leadership Award.

The award recognizes a veterinarian’s contributions to the veterinary profession, the P.E.I. community, and the health and welfare of animals. Hurnik was nominated by Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, and Dr. Larry Hammell, associate dean of graduate studies and research for the College.

“Dr. Hurnik has made an exemplary contribution to animal health, his profession and the industry which he serves,” say Keefe and Hammell. “He has balanced a career as a strong researcher and teacher of the next generation of veterinarians, with outstanding service to the swine industry. lndeed, his efforts have brought national and international recognition of the genetics and health status of the Prince Edward lsland pork industry.”

A member of AVC’s faculty since 1989, Hurnik has served the College in several leadership roles, including as an industry research chair, chair of the departments of Health Management and Companion Animals, and interim dean. Recently he again took on the chairship of Health Management.

Hurnik has served the swine industry at all levels—from the local to the international. He is a founder of the Atlantic Swine Research Partnership Inc., which carries out research for the Atlantic Canadian swine industry. His research has supported the establishment of two P.E.I. biotech companies, Progressive Bioactives lnc., and Chemaphor lnc., now operating as Avivagen. He is veterinary consultant to lnternational Genetics PEI Ltd. and lnternational Genetics Ltd., which together market Canadian swine genetics and expertise worldwide.

Hurnik has served as a director on the Canadian Swine Health Board and the Canadian Centre for Swine lmprovement, which manages Canada's national swine genetics program. He has advised the Canadian industry on the development of a national swine farm-level biosecurity standard and a quality assurance program, in conjunction with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Pork Council. He has been a technical advisor to the federal porcine circovirus associated diseases task team and the national swine traceability program. Internationally, he has been a technical consultant to the World Bank on management of African swine fever in regions of Eastern Europe, and he has co-authored a biosecurity guide for pig production for the World Bank, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization—United Nations) and the OIE (World Health Organisation for Animal Health).

In recognition of his leadership in swine health, Hurnik has received numerous awards, most recently the 2014 B.W. Kennedy Memorial Award from the Canadian Centre for Swine lmprovement.

Master of Arts in Island Studies scholarship-winners were announced at the second annual Island Studies Open House on Friday, October 30.

They are (BACK ROW): Erin Rowan, Erwin and Joyce Andrew Memorial Scholarship in Island Studies International Island Award; Eric Gilbert, Dr. Peter and Mrs. Donna Meincke Graduate Scholarship in Island Studies; Mark Currie, The Bill and Denise Andrew Scholarship in Island Studies Gold Award; and Owen Jennings, UPEI Entrance Scholarship; (FRONT ROW): Izumi Nonaka, Erwin and Joyce Andrew Memorial Scholarship in Island Studies Canadian Island Award; Jennifer White, UPEI Entrance Scholarship; Stephanie Douglas, UPEI Entrance Scholarship; and Pooja Kumar, Carnegie Foundation Graduate Scholarship in Island Studies. Missing from the photo: Sara Underwood, The Bill and Denise Andrew Scholarship in Island Studies Silver Award. In addition, Katharine MacDonald won the 2015-16 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Islanders are defined by the weather. We are at the whim of Mother Nature and the weather she brings. It keeps us at home, keeps us from work, keeps our kids from school, yet it brings communities together.

There’s nothing like the weather as a conversation starter. “Some Weather We’re having!”, the 2016 Prince Edward Island weather trivia calendar, will help that banter.

Co-authored by Don Jardine and Dr. Adam Fenech and published by the Climate Research Lab at UPEI, this second edition of the weather trivia calendar is filled with 366 stories about real local weather events from across the Island over the past 400 years.

“There are so many stories,” said Jardine, the climate station manager at the Climate Research Lab. “There are some sad ones and some funny ones. Everybody has a story, we could probably fill a hundred calendars.”

Jardine and Dr. Fenech recently put their like minds together for the P.E.I. weather trivia calendar, tapping into Jardine’s stockpile of photographic images and research he’s been gathering since 2009 when he was working on a climate change project.

The 2016 calendar includes sections about the frequency, location, and seasonality of hurricanes that struck Prince Edward Island. It also contains details of PEI’s winter of 2015, the snowiest in recorded history. The winter of 2015 set a new record for the most snowfall recorded in one year on Prince Edward Island: 551 cm, 12 cm more than the previous record set in 1972.

“Because of the nature of the Island, the way that we live, we’re very affected by weather; sometimes it keeps us at home or away from school and sometimes it drags us to the beaches because it’s so nice,” Dr. Fenech says. “The weather really controls a lot of what we do and who we are. We say in our calendar ‘Our weather is our story.’ It’s the stories around the weather that are so intriguing.”

Some examples of these stories:

• With the roads closed due to the ice storm of 1956, Joe MacDonald brought his kids to Tryon Consolidated School by skating down the road with one child under each arm.
• The Mount Stewart Fire Department waded into chest-high, ice-cold water to guide a boat to the front steps of the Birt family home on Egan Street so the family could be taken to safety after the Hillsborough River spilled over its banks and flooded the neighbourhood in 2000.
• One hundred school children had to spend the night at the Englewood High School in Crapaud due to a major snowstorm in 1964 which caused roads to be blocked.
• After a windy, stormy night in 1989, the Giddings family of White Sands awoke to find 15 herring fish on their driveway about 80 metres from the shore. It was believed to be the result of a waterspout.
• The high tide reached such a height during a particularly nasty storm in 1915 that seaweed was deposited on sidewalks throughout Charlottetown.
• In 2004, Gordon Ellis took home the largest pumpkin prize with his 913-pound pumpkin, the first time in eight years that the winning pumpkin weighed less than 1,000 pounds. The smaller pumpkins were blamed on a cold, wet spring and Hurricane Arthur.

The calendar can be bought from The Bookmark, all Murphy's Pharmacies, the UPEI Bookstore.Murphy's Pharmacies, Tangle Lane Inc, David Weale, Winsloe Irving and Convenience, Clows Red and White, Hampshire, Tignnish Coop, Sonshine Books and Gifts in O'Leary, Alberton Irving - Pat's Retail, Coopers Red and White in Eldon, Stewart and Beck Home Hardware in Montague, and the Souris Petrocan.