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Volume 3 No. 3 OCTOBER 14, 2005
CHANGE IS AFOOT
How the new advisor on women’s issues
views her mandate Page 4
BREAKING GROUND
President Harvey Weingarten announces
sod turning for Digital Library Page 5
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
How a career change has a U of C grad
helping others find their passion Page 9
DISCOVERY ENERGY CREATIVITY COMMUNITY
GIFT TO FINE ARTS
sets stage for the future
U of C grad donates $1.2 million
to support students, faculty, facilities
Pages 3, 6 & 7
John Lefebvre, a former Students’ Union president, has given
the university a “watershed gift.” / Photo by David Borrowman

MINISTER MEETS WITH STUDENTS
Minister of Advanced Education Dave
Hancock joined Dr. Kathleen Scherf’s
Introduction to Communications Studies
class on October 12. The class is the
largest first-year course offered by the
Faculty of Communication and Culture.
In the course, Scherf, dean of the faculty,
helps students understand the
theory—and practical implications—of
various communication methods, including
clips from Seinfeld, Trailer Park Boys
and movies like Meet the Fockers. The
course is designed to give students analytical
tools to help them sift through
today’s information world. Scherf invited
Hancock as a “human clip” and he was
offered the chance to “be in front of a
large first-year class and see what it’s
like from the prof's point of view.”
/Photo by Ken Bendiktsen
Join the celebration
and sample some food
By Natalie St-Denis
On October 19,
Chartwells will
celebrate its grand
opening of 12 newly renovated
food establishments
on U of C’s campus. From
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., students,
faculty and staff
will be able to sample
food at each operation and
get their “passport”
stamped. “With 12
stamps, people can enter
our draw, which includes
tickets to a Flames’ game
and other prizes,” says Jan
Morel, senior director of
Chartwells operations at
the U of C.
Most of the 12 food
operations opened for
business on September 6,
ready for the crowds of
incoming and returning
students. Many of the
returning students were
surprised and delighted to
find that Tim Hortons had
made its way into MacEwan
Student Centre.
“I always used to stop
at Tim Hortons on the
way to campus, so now I
can come directly to campus
and get my coffee
here. I love it!” says Lisa
Boyer, a fourth-year sociology
student.
Getting all of the food
sites ready for the start of
the school year was quite
a feat, but the biggest
challenge that Morel
faced is Calgary’s tight
labour market. “We were
caught off guard with the
lack of full-time staff
available, but the upside
to that situation is that it
has greatly benefited students,”
says Morel. To fill
all positions, Chartwells
doubled its part-time
workforce. “Getting the
schedules in order to
accommodate students’
class time has been a huge
challenge, but it looks like
we have finally ironed the
kinks,” says Morel.
There are still job
opportunities for students
looking for work. Some
experienced students have
also been given management
opportunities.
Yingying Shen, a secondyear
double major in
finance and risk management
and actuary science
is working 33 hours a
week as the night supervisor
at the Upper Crust
located in the science
building. “I’m not here
because I need to work
but because I want to,”
says Shen. “I want to gain
work experience and this
job is providing me with
great opportunities. As a
supervisor I’m learning a
lot,” says Shen.
Anyone interested in
experiencing Chartwells’
accomplishments can take
the passport food sampling
tour on October 19
and join the ribbon cutting
celebration at 2:30
p.m. in the Alberta Room.
Albi Sole started donating to the United Way in 1977 and today is one of the U of C’s Leaders of the Way.
/Photo by Ken Bendiktsen
Staff sees value in United Way support
By Shelley Boettcher
Albi Sole, operations manager
at the University of
Calgary’s Outdoor Centre,
doesn’t hesitate when it
comes to describing why
he donates his hard-earned
cash to the United Way. He
says he believes in the
organization’s power to do
good.
“I don’t have the energy
and the time to research all
the various charities that
are out there,” he says.
“It’s great that somebody
else is out there who can
do that, and those charities
that might otherwise be
missed have an opportunity
to be helped.
“This is an efficient
way of raising money.”
Sole made his first contribution,
“a humble
amount,” he says modestly,
when he started
working at the university
in 1977.
Last year, however, he
was a Leader of the Way,
one of those who donate
$1,000 or more in one year
to the United Way. He has
his donation deducted, bit
The University of Calgary’s United Way
campaign began Oct. 11 and runs until Oct. 31.
Please visit www.ucalgary.ca/unitedway to
find out how you can make a difference in
people’s lives. For more information about
leadership giving, please contact Helen
Kominek, U of C’s United Way Leadership
Co-ordinator at 220-2145 or
kominek@ucalgary.ca
by bit, from his paycheque
every month.
“It’s not painful at all,
and it makes a big difference,”
he says.
About 5,770 Calgarians
were leadership-level
givers in 2004. In total,
they gave about 46 per
cent ($17.4 million) of the
$37.8 million raised for
the United Way last year.
Harold Lemieux, volunteer
co-chair of the United
Way’s leadership committee,
says leadership giving
is essential to the success
of the United Way’s annual
campaign.
“It not only raises more
funds, but it shows leadership
to the rest of the people
who participate, and it
goes toward making Calgary
a better place to live
for everyone,” says
Lemieux, the former head
of Shell Canada’s legal
department.
“The real value of the
United Way is that it helps
fund programs for agencies
to help people get out
of the problems they’re in
and be successful in life.”
Why do leadership
givers donate so much?
Because they can, and for
that, they’re grateful.
“I’m fortunate to be in
the position I’m in, and I
feel that I want to pay back
to the community,” says
Midge King, associate to
the President at U of C.
Dr. James McGhee, a
professor in U of C’s
department of biochemistry
and molecular biology,
says he gives because
he’s “extremely fortunate,
and it’s obvious that there
are others out there who
aren’t as lucky.”
He didn’t start off as a
leadership giver, he says;
rather, he slowly increased
his donation each year
since he started giving to
the United Way about 10
years ago. Like many others,
his contribution is
deducted each month from
his paycheque, and he says
he appreciates how easy it
is to give to the campaign.
Brenda Tweedie, U of
C’s executive officer of the
Senate, assistant to the
chancellor and ceremonies
officer, tries to increase the
amount that she gives each
year.
“I’ve just always felt
that I have to do my bit,
and that it’s an important
thing to do,” says Tweedie.
“There are lots of people
who need help.”
Concert will raise
money for Afghan
women and girls
By Nicole Wheatley
Calgarians will be coming
to campus to hear Jodie
Farr and Sheri Allen sing
for the women of
Afghanistan on October
22. The fundraiser to support
the education of
Afghan women and girls
will take place at the
Rozsa Centre at 6:30 p.m.
The evening will connect
Albertan and
Afghanistan culture
through song and education.
The event features
guest speaker Sadiqa
Basiri, a leading women’s
rights activist from
Afghanistan, along with
Middle Eastern handicrafts,
dancers, food as
well as Farr and Allen performing
traditional Albertan
country and folk songs.
Co-organizer, Dr. Irene
Herremans, a professor
from the Haskayne School
of Business says, “It’s
important to be aware of
what’s happening in other
countries. In Canada,
sometimes we take our
education for granted; in
Afghanistan women have
not been able to support
themselves or get an education.
We want to provide
an opportunity for these
women who have no
future unless we help.”
The event is a collaboration
among campus
OnCampus welcomes letters,
comments and suggestions for
stories. Send to:
Administration 113
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
T: (403) 220-3500 F: (403) 282-8413
E: uofcnews@ucalgary.ca
www.ucalgary.ca/oncampus/weekly
Volume 3, Number 3
OnCampus is published 28 times a year
by the office of the Vice President
(External Relations.)
Editorial
Editor
Colleen Turner
Associate Director, Communications
220-2920, colleen.turner@ucalgary.ca
Associate editor
Leslie Strudwick
Communications Officer
220-7109
lstrudwi@ucalgary.ca
departments, faculty members,
PhD students, alumni
and the community. So far,
alumni organizations such
as Canadian Women for
Women in Afghanistan
and K&S Media have been
instrumental to the initiative,
along with the International
Centre, the
Institute for Gender
Research, the Canadian
Sport Centre Calgary,
Light up the World Foundation
and other industry
sponsors such as Provident
Energy, Dick Haskayne,
and Travelodge.
“I’m proud of the support
we’ve had from the
university and other organizations.
Everybody does a
little bit, and it all comes
together,” says Herremans.
Funds raised at the
event will go towards the
Noor Education Centre, an
important community
resource centre in Kabul.
“I think the best way to
deal with the threat of terrorism
is to support education.
Education is so
powerful. We wanted to
help the whole community,
and we think this initiative
complements the work
being done at the U of C.”
Tickets are $75 with a
$50 tax receipt; call 244-
5625 or e-mail
w4wafghan@praxis.ca.
Sell five tickets and the
sixth is free.
Design/Production/Photography/
Advertising/Events
Ken Bendiktsen
220-3502, kenben@ucalgary.ca
Printer
Calgary Colorpress
Next edition : October 21, 2005
Contents may be reprinted with
acknowledgement to the U of C.
Publication Mail Agreement No:
40064590
Return undeliverable Canadian
addresses to:
OnCampus,
Administration 113,
University of Calgary,
Calgary AB T2N 1N4
THE UofC THIS IS NOW
2
OCTOBER 14, 2005

GIFT TO FINE ARTS
DONATION
DETAILS
Fine Arts
entrance awards
Four awards of $2,000
each will go to the top
entering students in
dance, drama and
music, and the student
with the top portfolio
for admission to art.
They will be named in
honour of professor
emeritus and founding
member of the art
department John Will
(art); Calgary actor and
professor emeritus of
the drama department
Grant Reddick (Drama);
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
leader Vicki
Adams Willis (dance);
and in memory of
Vondis Miller (music),
an eminent music professor
and leader in
music education.
The John Peter
Lee Roberts
Distinguished
Professorship in
Fine Arts
Violinist and U of C
music professor
Edmond Agopian has
been appointed to this
professorship, which is
named in honour of
John Roberts, a former
dean who has had a
brilliant career in music
leadership. Agopian
will act as artistic director
and principal performer
of the
University of Calgary
String Quartet.
“This professorship
will enable the quartet
to develop its repertoire,
to establish a
unique artistic identity
and to perform concerts
locally, nationally
and internationally,”
said Agopian. “Its
repertoire will include a
lecture/performance
series of the complete
Beethoven string quartets—a
first in Calgary—as
well as the
development of repertoire
based on Eastern
European folk music.”
The Joyce and
Quentin Doolittle
Fine Arts Studio
Named after Joyce and
Quentin Doolittle, professors
emeriti from
drama and music
(composition) respectively,
this studio in
Craigie Hall will act as
a multi-disciplinary
space for rehearsals
and small performances,
with amenities
such as improved
acoustics, sprung
floors, digital media
and state-of-the-art
lighting.
Funds will be
matched by the U of C’s
infrastructure fund.
The Lefebvre Fine
Arts Project Fund
This fund will support
special projects that
bring the arts to the
internal U of C community
and wider community,
seed innovative
works, support international
travel for
students and faculty
and strengthen
teaching and research
opportunities.
A major donation by John Lefebvre, a former Students’ Union president, will be directed to teaching, leadership in the arts, research and improved facilities
across all disciplines of Fine Arts. /Photo by David Borrowman
Grad gives gift
of $1.2 M to Fine Arts
By Beth Frank
Q&A with
Ann Calvert
Dean, Faculty Fine Arts
Agift of more than $1.2
million to the Faculty of
Fine Arts sets the stage
for a new era of support for arts
students, faculty and performance
activity at the University of Calgary.
The donation, from former Students’
Union president John
Lefebvre (LLB ’82), will be used
to establish entrance awards for
fine arts students, fund new faculty
positions, refurbish studio
space and take promising arts
projects to a new level of national
and international prominence.
“This is a watershed gift,” says
Ann Calvert, dean of the Faculty
of Fine Arts. “The donor is showing
his faith in our faculty’s work
while seeking to encourage other
patrons in our community to provide
continuing support. This gift
recognizes the strength that is
here, while helping us to move to
new heights.”
The money will be directed to
teaching, leadership in the arts,
research and improved facilities
across all disciplines of fine arts,
says Calvert. Students will see
results of this investment almost
immediately with new and additional
professors, significant support
for projects and performances
with potential for high community
profile, and the elevation of the
arts as an integral part of everyday
campus life.
“We know the arts are an
important foundation of this institution,”
says U of C President
Harvey Weingarten. “This gift
reinforces the importance of fine
arts on campus on the eve of our
40th anniversary.”
What exactly will
this gift mean to the
Faculty?
It will give us some excellent
support for teaching and leadership.
It will give us the
opportunity to improve our
facilities in a number of ways,
to bring in some visiting scholars
to boost the already excellent
work that we have here,
and bring new ideas and new
projects into the faculty. It also
gives us the chance to give
admission support for highperforming
students.
What is an example of
improved facilities?
We’re going to take part of the
funds that are being donated
to create a new studio facility
that will be a much more effective
workspace for our faculty
members and for our students.
You mentioned admissions
support as well. Can you
give an example of how the
donation will support that?
Students will see results of this investment
almost immediately with new and additional
professors, significant support for projects and
performances with potential for high
community profile, and the elevation of the arts
as an integral part of everyday campus life.
The university intends to match
the Lefebvre gift by establishing a
new tenure track position in
music.
Lefebvre has asked that many
of the projects made possible by
his donation be named not for
him, but in honour of others who
are revered on campus and in the
arts community. “This shows an
incredible willingness on his part
to embrace our history as well as
our future,” says Calvert.
“It’s an incredible gift,” says
Part of our admissions process
involves having people
demonstrate their ability in our
art and performing areas. Up
till now we haven’t had a way
to acknowledge that specific
aspect of our admission
process with significant funding.
So the top student in
music auditions, in dance auditions,
in art portfolio will get a
$2,000 entrance award to help
them with their studies.
How will this donation
improve the student experience?
We have funds in this donation
that will enable us to bring
scholars from other areas and
specialists in certain fields that
we don’t attend to as much.
They will expose the students
to other ideas, new ways of
looking at their work, comparing
the work that they do here
with the work of another institution,
that kind of thing.
fourth–year drama education student
Janet McCloy. “These scholarships
will help make our faculty
competitive when students are
choosing which school to attend,
and the new studio will give our
departments even more opportunities
to work collaboratively.
“This donation gives people
something to be proud of: it
proves that the fine arts are
important to the university and
that our efforts are being recognized.”
How will this gift help the
faculty build greater support
for the university and
Calgary’s arts community?
The donor wants his gift to
encourage others to recognize
that the Fine Arts are an important
part of the University and
therefore an important place for
them to put their support.
One of the goals of this gift
was to help make the arts
more integral to campus
life. Why is that important?
It’s very important to the donor
because one of the reasons he
wants to support us is that our
faculty was an integral part of
his life when he was a student.
He wants other people to have
that same experience and to
understand that when they’re
part of the university community,
they have access to amenities
that other people in this city
don’t always have.
OCTOBER 14, 2005
3

Dr. Claudia Emes
Newly appointed university advisor on
women’s issues says the environment for
women academics is gradually improving
Interview by Natalie St-Denis
OnCampus: Why does the U of C need a
university advisor on women’s issues?
Claudia Emes: This is an important position
with a legacy of women leaders bringing
women’s issues to the forefront, addressing our
concerns, challenges and needs. Women are still
under-represented in academe, and in some
ways, universities aren’t traditionally women
friendly.
I have admired the work of the women who
have proceeded me in this position; each have
contributed in some way to our well-being and
we’ve achieved more and more over the years.
More recently, Dr. Hermina Joldersma, the
past advisor on women’s issues, focused on a
large research project to examine gender equity
within the university, and she has contributed
tremendously to the university. Her dedication
to getting this done and in a timely fashion is
remarkable. She’s shown with respect to gender
equity, that some things are improving for
women academics, but there is still much
more needed in terms of improving working
conditions.
evidence that things are changing, but it is not
changing rapidly. So many women face chronic
sleep depravation, which can have serious
effects on one’s mental and physical health. It
shouldn’t have to be this way.
There is also a concern about the University
Student Ratings of Instruction (USRI). There
appears to be gender differences in the results of
this process. This tool is used as a measure of
teaching success for determining increment recommendations
yet we don’t know if it discriminates
against women.
How do men’s academic careers differ
from women’s academic careers?
I think one important element is that many
women are at prime childbearing age when they
start their academic careers. And those who
choose to have children are heavily burdened
with multiple roles as mother, wife and academic—it’s
not easy to juggle all of those priorities.
What is your role as university advisor
on women’s issues?
My primary role is to advise the university
and the president on policy relating to the status
of women at the University of Calgary
and to participate in the development of
employment equity policies and procedures.
With the recent report of the Gender Equity
Project, there are many recommendations and
ideas about what we can do to improve
women’s experiences at the university. My
role will be to implement as many of these
recommendations as possible.
I will also facilitate communication among
groups concerned with women’s issues and
organize special events related to the status of
women at the university. I think it will be
important to hold gatherings with women
academics so that we can hear first-hand their
concerns and difficulties and hopefully find
short- and long-term solutions to some of the
immediate problems.
What challenges are women in academe
still facing today?
The challenges remain around creating a balance
between family and career, to achieve what is
expected in academe, such as acquiring grants,
producing research, writing books or peerreviewed
articles while taking care of a family.
For women who have young children, daycare
remains an issue, but we’ll be doubling our
daycare spaces with the completion of the new
Child Development Centre, so we are making
some headway in that area. It’s also important to
note that gender challenges differ from one faculty
to another. For instance, we have information
that suggest that women in science are
doing better in acquiring grants from major
funding agencies, but the dollar amounts that
they are receiving for their research is still significantly
less than their male colleagues.
That is a trend that we would like to reverse.
In your opinion, do men and women face
the same challenges?
There is no doubt in my mind that women and
men have different ways of pursuing their
careers from a scholastic and research perspective,
and a different way of approaching their
work in the office.
I maintain that there is still a greater challenge
for women to balance home life and the
office. I have colleagues who for years came
into to the office at four in the morning to work,
then went home at seven, got their kids up,
made them breakfast and got them ready for
school and then came back to the office. There is
Q& A
While women are raising their children they
are not likely to take on additional administrative
duties such as being a departmental chair or
dean. And by the time they are ready to take on
these leadership roles, because their children
have grown, they want to sink their teeth into
research—bringing to life all of those ideas that
have been brewing for decades. I think this
partly contributes to fewer women in upper
administrative roles.
How does the University of Calgary rate in
terms of its treatment of female academics?
We are very lucky to have an administration and
a president who are sincerely interested in
addressing women’s issues and reducing the
gender gap. Like I said before, there is still room
for improvement, but the good news is that this
university has every intention of making things
better.
Much of what female academics experience
comes from centuries of male tradition within
universities. It’s going to take a while to shift the
culture into a new paradigm, a new way of
thinking. Part of the solution is to increase the
number of women in leadership roles, and I
don’t only mean administrative roles. We need
to recognize women who are doing amazing
things for the university through community
outreach and their involvement and influence
outside administrative roles.
4
OCTOBER 14, 2005

REPORT TO COMMUNITY
40th ANNIVERSARY GIFT TO COMMUNITY
U of C to
BREAK GROUND
on
CAMPUS CALGARY
DIGITAL LIBRARY
President Harvey Weingarten talks with media following his announcement that the groundbreaking
for a new digital library will mark the first stage of a $710-million five-year capital
growth strategy for the university. / Photo by Stuart Gradon.
University of Calgary President Dr. Harvey Weingarten
recently announced that the university will break ground on
the construction of the $113-million Campus Calgary Digital
Library on April 1, 2006, the date of the U of C’s 40th anniversary.
The groundbreaking will mark the
first stage of a $710-million five-year
capital growth strategy that would
allow the university to enrol 7,000 more
students by 2010.
The announcement also marks one of
a series of events and celebrations
being planned by the U of C to celebrate
its 40th anniversary.
When opened in 2008, the Digital
Library will be dedicated to Calgary.
“April 1, 2006 is the 40th birthday of
our university. Our university was created,
and has grown remarkably quickly,
because of the incredible support we
have received from the Calgary community,”
said Weingarten at his annual
Report to the Community on October 6.
“This is the university’s gift to the city
of Calgary. It is acknowledgement and
thanks to Calgarians for the incredible
support and encouragement they have
given us throughout the years.”
The Campus Calgary Digital Library
(CCDL) is a partnership with all the
public post-secondary institutions in
Calgary—Bow Valley College, Mount
Royal College, ACAD, and SAIT Polytechnic—as
well as those in neighbouring
regions, such as Red Crow College
on the Blood Reserve. The partnership
is a first in Canada and will create an
information network that will see the
university’s vast electronic library holdings
made available to the public electronically
for use in business, education
and non-profit applications. It will
make it possible to create a single
library card for all post-secondary students
to gain access to the university’s
digital holdings.
CCDL is also the cornerstone of the
Lois Hole Digital Library. In the
Throne Speech last March the Province
announced the Access to the Future
Fund to support innovation and excellence
in post-secondary education. It
was announced in the speech that “The
new fund will also support the development
of an Alberta-wide digital library
that will allow all students and faculty,
wherever they are located in the
province, to access the resources and
knowledge currently held in the individual
libraries of our post-secondary
institutions. To be named the Lois Hole
Digital Library, this leading edge initiative
is centred on the work already
underway at the University of Calgary.”
The Digital Library will be built next
to the existing MacKimmie Library
complex. It will include space for the
public to use the Digital Library and
500 new computer stations. An extension
of the Digital Library will be built
on the U of C’s Urban Campus in downtown
Calgary to serve students and the
downtown community. Satellite access
points will be located at all partner
institutions.
The Calgary Campus Digital Library
and Experiential Learning Centre will
result in 3,500 more student spaces; the
Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment
and Economy will add 1,000
more spaces; the Urban Campus initiative
will add 2,500 spaces downtown.
Work on the Experiential Learning Centre—particularly
upgrading existing lab
space on campus—will begin in tandem
with the CCDL.
At a meeting on October 14 the university’s
Board of Governors will consider
a recommendation from the
university’s Planning and Finance Committee
to borrow the necessary funding.
“It is important for our students—
and for our community—to increase the
university’s capacity. We are growing at
a tremendous rate in order to keep up
with Calgary’s economic and population
growth,” said Weingarten. “These
projects not only give us the space we
need for these students, as well as the
faculty and staff who will teach them,
but they also provide the facilities we
need to provide a progressive and contemporary
education for our students
and to continue the growth of our
research and scholarly programs.”
Campus Calgary Digital library offers
public access to vast collection
The Campus Calgary
Digital Library is the
University of Calgary’s
top-priority capital
infrastructure project.
The Campus Calgary
Digital Library is one
of four major infrastructure
projects that
make up the university’s
$710-million capital
plan.The projects –
the Experiential Learning
Centre, the Urban
Campus, the Digital
Library and the Institute
for Sustainable
Energy, Environment
and Economy – are the
cornerstones of the
university’s goal to
enrol 7,000 additional
students by 2010.The
Calgary Campus Digital
Library and Experiential
Learning Centre
will result in 3,500
more student spaces;
the Institute for Sustainable
Energy, Environment
and Economy
will add 1,000 more
spaces; the Urban
Campus initiative will
add 2,500 spaces
downtown.
The Campus Calgary
Digital Library (CCDL)
is a partnership with
all the public post-secondary
institutions in
Calgary – Bow Valley
College, Mount Royal
College, ACAD, and
SAIT Polytechnic – as
well as those in neighbouring
regions, such
as Red Crow College
on the Blood Reserve.
In addition, the Digital
Library will build on
the U of C’s relationship
with the Calgary
Health Region and
ensure access to more,
and the most current,
information for health
care providers.
The partnership is a
first in Canada and will
create an information
network that will see
the university’s vast
electronic library holdings
made available to
the public electronically
for use in business,
education and
non-profit applications.
It will make it possible
to create a single
library card for all
post-secondary students
to gain access to
the University’s digital
holdings.The Digital
Library will provide
students, faculty and
the public with information,
expert help
and facilities that support
the quest for
knowledge, understanding,
creativity
and innovation.
The Digital Library
will be built next to the
existing MacKimmie
Library complex. It will
include space for the
public to use the Digital
Library and 500
new computer stations.
An extension of
the Digital Library will
be built on the U of C’s
Urban Campus in
downtown Calgary to
serve students and the
downtown community.
Satellite access points
will be located at all
partner institutions.
The project also frees
space in existing academic
buildings on the
U of C campus through
the relocation of some
existing services, and
this will create areas
for new classrooms,
laboratories and learning
space.
In addition to U of C
students and faculty,
all post-secondary students,
researchers and
faculty in the Calgary
region will have the
same access to print,
archival and museum
collections.The Calgary
Campus Digital
Library will also provide
the foundation for
the province-wide Lois
Hole Digital Library.
Combined, the projects
will make Alberta one
of the most information-rich
jurisdictions
in North America.
When opened, the
Digital Library will be
dedicated to Calgary
as a gift to recognize
the community’s support
of the university
in its 40-year history.
Total cost of the
project is an estimated
$113 million.The Digital
Library is expected
to open to the public in
the fall of 2008.
OCTOBER 14, 2005
5

The Fine Art of
GIVING
Former SU president, John Lefebvre, believes
the opportunity to give back ‘a blessing’
Story by Tom Maloney
Photos by David Borrowman
Here’s a man embodying the spirit of a generation. One moment, he’s
speaking intensely about eradicating political global tyranny, and in
the next, slipping on his gumboots to stand ankle-deep in the Pacific
Ocean and strum the mandolin; one moment plotting to save oldgrowth
forest in China from clear cutting loggers, and in the next, whimsically tinkling
“M-i-c … k-e-y, M-o-u-s-e” on a William Knabe & Co. piano, circa 1904.
In this bright front room
of a modest house with
spectacular views, he’s
surrounded by black-andwhite
photos of his musical,
philosophical and
political influences, the
cultural heroes of his generation:
Bob Dylan, John
Lennon, Jimi Hendrix,
Neil Young, Tom Waits
and other rockers from the
1960s and ’70s. A lawyer
by trade and frustrated
musician by passion, John
Lefebvre became a founding
minority partner in
NETeller six years ago. In
that speck of time, the
company specializing in
Web-based money transfers
mushroomed from a
mere notion to more than
$2 billion in market capitalization.
NETeller, listed
on the London Stock
Exchange, boasts a user
base of two million customers
worldwide (and
zooming, daily) and 1,700
merchant clients. Lefebvre,
who was barely getting
by on cash borrowed
from friends a decade ago,
has since built a fortune in
the hundreds of millions.
“All I had to do was
survive,” he says, a touch
of irony followed by a
trademark soft chuckle.
In his mid-40s Lefebvre
dived headlong into
midlife crisis, quitting law
to spend his early mornings
busking in Calgary’s
C-Train stations, hoping to
cultivate enough change
from commuters for meals.
“He was rather
offended that any lawyers
he knew would look away
when they saw him on the
street,” recalls his mother,
Louise Lefebvre. “He
came home one day, his
daughter (Emily) was staying
with him at the time,
and he said, ‘Mom, don’t
worry about us, we know
how to live. You should
have seen the supper we
had tonight!’ Well, he’d
done a gourmet potato. It
took me a terribly long
time to realize that no matter
what he wants to do,
he’s going to do well at it.”
Lefebvre never did get
to play his guitar on MTV
but these days, if you happen
to be cruising by a
whitewashed waterfront
house on Salt Spring and
notice a somewhat shaggy,
blonde-going-grey-haired,
laidback-looking man
strumming his music
nearby the docked yacht,
well, go ahead and hang
on to that pocket change.
Lefebvre is getting along
just fine, thanks, and in no
need of spare quarters
now. He will, though,
accept the eye contact and
a smile, with appreciation.
A University of Calgary
law graduate and former
student council president,
Lefebvre is living his
dream at age 53: “I
thought for a long time
that to be a philanthropist
would be the greatest
career possible. Then it
came to me, now I get to
do it, and that’s a blessing.”
Among other carefully
considered endeavours
such as the establishment
of a Vancouver think tank
in the Dalai Lama’s name,
Lefebvre is intent on
boosting Calgary’s cultural
community, starting with a
$1.2 million-plus donation
to U of C’s fine arts faculty.
Lefebvre wanted to
give back to his alma
mater, and feels the U of C
professional faculties are
already well-supported.
Plus, he believes the city’s
arts scene is running way
too far behind business in
terms of priorities. And on
a big-picture level, he truly
believes humanity would
be “more compassionate”
if we took time out to
indulge in the arts, to hear
what artists are telling us.
Then, there was the nostalgic
memory of finding
blissful escape in Craigie
Hall for a few precious
minutes on occasion, while
spending the better part of
a decade on campus.
“They let me play the
pianos there while I was
an undergrad and in law
school,” he explains.
So, for a man filling his
home with original oils,
bronzes and sculptures; for
a man intent on doing his
bit to make the world a
more peaceful place, sponsorship
of the fine arts
made perfect sense.
“Art is the language of
human feeling and understanding,”
Lefebvre says,
while seated on a wooden
Muskoka chair, overlooking
the serene waterfront.
“It is the international language,
the way you and I
communicate what it feels
like to be a human being
with another person in the
jungle. Art is a way for
people to step up and
express themselves as
human beings. Every time
you do that, it makes you a
better person. And every
time you hear or see the
expression of somebody
else, it touches you, and
you become a better person.
Cultured people are
compassionate people.”
While indulging himself
by buying a beach
home in Malibu (before,
the agent said, Jennifer
Aniston could trump his
offer), driving a custommade
BMW that would
surely be the envy of many
of those eye-averting
lawyers, and turning each
room of his Salt Spring
seaside home into a gallery
unto its own, John Lefebvre
never forgets. He
speaks fondly of playing at
the Whitehorn station,
where people from different
cultures would give
him welcome feedback,
and their toonies, too.
“He knows what it is
like to be a struggling
artist, living off the dollars
tossed in a guitar case,”
says his friend and fellow
law graduate Mike Greene.
“And he knows it’s donations
from lucky people
like him that help developing
artists survive. He lives
life as an art more than a
science. If someone is supposed
to get lucky it’s good
that it was him because he
is so generous.”
Lefebvre got knocked
down a few times before
finding the end to his
means, but he always
bounced back. It’s fairly
obvious where his determination
came from. At
age three, his father, a military
man, died of asphyxiation
in a snowstorm. His
mother (nee, Theresa
Louise Cullen) returned to
Calgary from the east with
her three young children in
tow, returned to school,
graduated from U of C
with an education degree
to become a teacher,
picked up her master’s
from Gonzaga University
in counseling, then worked
at the school she had
attended as a youth, St.
Mary’s Girls’ School,
before completing her
career at Bishop Grandin.
“After his dad died, I
had a few pretty slow
years there,” recalls
Louise, who remains a
Calgary resident. “Any
time the kids were acting
up, all I had to do was go
to the piano and they’d
come and sing. John
would be the first there;
he’s had a love of music
forever.”
Music, says the son,
“has always been my salvation.”
Lefebvre also
attended St. Mary’s before
finishing high school at
Bishop Grandin. His
mother insisted on piano
lessons and sent him to
Toronto for three successive
teenage summers to
St. Michael’s summer
school, giving him the
opportunity to hang out
nights at Yorkville’s
music/hippie scene, listen
to the Beatles relentlessly,
and sleep in bunkbeds
placed beside the cathedral’s
pipe organ. “They
were allowed to start practising
at 6 a.m.,” he recalls
ruefully.
He played drums in the
basement of his home and
turned an old washtub into
a “bass-fiddle thing,” his
mother says. His first gig
came at the Summit Hotel
on 4th Street, at age 19.
Later, between undergrad
studies and admission
to U of C’s law school,
Lefebvre dedicated a couple
of impassioned years
to student politics. During
his 1978/79 term as council
president, he guaranteed
editorial
independence to the
Gauntlet student newspaper—meaning
editors
could rip into him, without
fear of grant reprisal—did
the same for the CJSW
FM radio station, opened
what is now the Den, and
started the fund for the
MacEwan Student Centre.
As a lawyer, he moved
from beginning at a
respected firm to establishing
a storefront clinic
in Sunnyside. At the time,
he and his partner had to
defend the clinic against
charges of then-prohibited
advertising. “You want to
be your own boss, and
you come to find out that
you never get to the bottom
of the files on your
desk, and they become
John Lefebvre at his Salt Spring home wit
6
OCTOBER 14, 2005

“
“Art is the language of human
feeling and understanding.
It is the international language,
the way you and I communicate
what it feels like to be a human
being with another person
in the jungle.”
— John Lefebvre
h a Mermaid sculpture by Simon Morris. The sculpture is completely submerged at high tide.
your boss,” he says.
From there, he worked
out of his home for a
while. “One of the reasons
I didn’t get dragged into
the downtown, uppercrust,
law-circle thing is, I
never really did concede
to working the long hours,
as much as I could have or
maybe should have,” he
says. “It was always more
compelling for me to get
home to see my daughter.”
Weary of arranging
mortgages, he tried to
import leather for sale out
of a shop on 17th Avenue
before delving into music,
playing an acoustic brand
of self-dubbed “heavy
wood” on the streets and
in coffee houses. The concession
to those long
hours arrived upon return
to legal work, to earn the
money to pay back his
friends. Eventually, he
hooked up with a former
client who is now chairman
of NETeller.
The friend had
launched an online casino
in Costa Rica and while
there, realized the offshore
casinos needed a more
efficient money transfer
system. The credit card
companies didn’t like
dealing with the casinos,
and the casinos didn’t like
paying the exorbitant
commissions or dealing
with the credit card fraud.
With the help of a whiz
programmer, he launched
a Web database that functions
principally as middle
man, gaining a
percentage off each transaction.
The casinos pay
NETeller a smaller commission
than the credit
card companies, yet
NETeller provides much
greater security against
fraud. Lefebvre saw his
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
and joined as a
minority equity partner.
He moved to Costa Rica,
and a man once averse to
long days turned in relentless
18-hour marathons to
build the business. Today,
NETeller headquarters on
the Isle of Man in the
U.K., maintains the IT
operation in Calgary, handles
transactions for an
estimated 90 percent of
the world’s online gaming
sites and, in 2004, netted
$33 million on $83 million
in sales.
“He tries to convince
me that the wealth was
luck but I know that he is
a smart man,” says Jim
Hoggan, longtime friend,
owner/operator of a PR
agency with offices in
Calgary and Vancouver,
and company on a recent
visit to see the Dalai Lama
in Tucson. “He doesn’t
strike you as ambitious
but he is one of those people
who knows that hard
work brings the luck.”
Lefebvre moved back
to Canada last February,
ready to get on with more
‘60s-ish pursuits. He’s
combining with Vancouver
businessman Victor
Chan to under-write the
Dalai Lama’s Centre for
Peace and Education in
Vancouver, supporting the
David Suzuki Foundation,
backing the West Virginiabased
Future Generation’s
successful campaign to
preserve the ecologically
vital Four Great Rivers
section of Tibet and thinking
of funding an educational
chair on human
rights.
Oh, and producing a
movie too, about the life
of Constantine. So intent
about conducting his philanthropy
pointedly and
properly, he asked U of C
law graduate Geoff Savage
to oversee his charitable
foundation and
become his most trusted
right-hand man. Says Savage:
“The buzz word
around here is, ‘unbelievable.’”
For all his newfound
pursuits, one thing that
lights up Lefebvre’s face
is his pet project in his
newly adopted town. With
Savage, he is renovating
the Vesuvius Pub. After
lunch at a café overlooking
the ferry dock, Lefebvre
walks with a visitor
next door to the boardedup
pub, his eyes gleaming
and expression joyous as
he discusses plans to
return live music to an
establishment once
reputed for promoting new
artists.
He’s thinking about
asking Neil Young to open
the joint next summer but
it won’t be long, we suspect,
before Lefebvre’s
playing a little heavy
wood himself in the pub,
jamming with the young
guys and living the
moment.
OCTOBER 14, 2005
7

8
OCTOBER 14, 2005

YOUR ALUMNI
Absolutely Fabulous
Alumna turns career
changes into fab jobs
She’s been an editor of
a magazine, a seminar
speaker, the communications
director for
the Law Society of Alberta
and worked for a dot-com
during the boom. With that
kind of lineup, it’s little
surprise that Therese
“Tag” Goulet (BA’81,
Tag Goulet (seated) and her
sister, Catherine Goulet, of
FabJob.com, offer advice
on how to get your dream
job. They publish books on
everything from becoming
an art curator to a wedding
planner. / Photo courtesy Tag
and Catherine Goulet
MA’86) is now helping
other people find their
dream careers.
Fresh off of her bachelor’s
degree, Goulet
decided she wanted to
write a book on how to
find a job coming out of
university. Ironic for an
early 20—something who
had landed only one job,
but less so considering that
Goulet had always been
entrepreneurial and a gogetter.
“As a kid, I once
made my own money and
even tried to spend it,” she
jokes.
Goulet says she did a
tonne of research and
raised the capital to publish
the book herself in
1982.
“It got good reviews,
but it sold terribly. I sold
about 1,000 copies and
ended up donating 9,000
others to schools and
libraries across the
province,” she reminisces.
Ever positive, Goulet
said the experience was
nothing but beneficial.
“When you really screw
things up and do it wrong,
there’s a lot of learning in
that.”
A series of interesting
jobs followed, but when
her sister, Catherine,
approached her several
years ago about starting a
business, they put their
heads together to come up
with a solid business plan
on something they could
both lend their past experiences
to. FabJob.com was
created just as the dot-com
crash hit, but it didn’t deter
the pair from feeling the
Internet was the right spot
to start their company that
gives advice on how to
break into a dream career.
They started with e-books
and went from there. “We
started small, but we really
plugged away at it the first
few years,” says Goulet.
The venture paid off.
Their company has sold
millions of dollars worth
of books, largely in the
U.S., and the sisters are
now widely recognized as
leading experts in career
advice. They are career
columnists who have
appeared on MSN.com,
Oprah.com, and the Wall
Street Journal online. Most
recently, they were featured
in the September
issue of Woman’s Day.
Through FabJob, they’ve
published more than 75
career books, e-books, and
CD-ROMs.
Goulet says they’re
ready to go even bigger
and are planning to take
their books into the malls.
But not into the bookstores.
“We are envisioning
a new way to sell
books,” says Goulet. “We
want our own retail outlets,
and we’re starting
with small kiosks in malls
in Vancouver and Calgary.”
The recipe has
already worked for them: a
big idea, then start small
and grow.
OCTOBER 14, 2005
9

Student and future leaders head
to Canada Conference
By Janna Klemen
Hundreds of the
country’s best and
brightest young
minds will converge on
our provincial capital next
week for the Canada Conference
2005. The conference,
which is a
celebration of Alberta and
Saskatchewan’s centennial
years, is an opportunity to
bring today’s leaders,
including both provinces’
premiers, together with
the country’s emerging
leaders to discuss and plan
the future of the nation.
The University of
Alberta in partnership
with the Universities of
Calgary, Lethbridge,
Athabasca, Regina,
Saskatchewan, The First
Nations University of
Canada, and the Governments
of Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Canada
have teamed up to make
the conference possible.
The idea behind it is to
build a future with the
past as its foundation.
Throughout the threeday
conference half-day
modules will focus on distinct
dimensions of the
Website resources
for faculty and staff
With the fall semester in full swing it’s a good time to
remind new and returning staff, faculty and students of a
couple of university websites they may find beneficial.
The first, www.academic-plan.ucalgary.ca will be of
interest in the coming weeks when the “Fall 2005 Progress
Report on the Academic Plan” will be published. The
report, which has been compiled every year at this time
since 2003, takes a look back at the past 12 months to see
where the university has been and where it’s going in relation
to its many ongoing projects as outlined in the academic
plan.
The plan, called Raising our Sights, was developed in
April 2002 with the input of deans, the University Planning
Committee, the Senate and General Faculties Council
to provide the university with strategic direction. The goal
is to strengthen the quality of the university’s academic
programs and to position the U of C for continuing success
through the articulation of core principles and several
strategic academic priorities.
Whether you’re a new faculty member or a University
of Calgary veteran, you may want to consider adding the
“First Stop for Academics’ Professional Development”
website (www.ucalgary.ca/AcademicsDevelopment/) to
your list of favourites.
“The site, which was originally designed with the newcomer
in mind, is intended to make the transition to this
large and complex university a smooth one by giving faculty
members access to much of the information they need
to begin a successful career here,” says Dr. Ronald Bond,
Provost and Vice-President (Academic). “It’s also a great
resource for seasoned faculty members who want to know
more about the many programs, initiatives and resources
found at the U of C. The website has tips on everything
from parking to childcare to the availability of support for
research provided on campus. It also allows faculty members
and others to tap into the many teaching and learning
resources available at the university.”
Chemistry hits the mall
It’s not every day that you
can learn about the mysterious
and magical world of
chemistry while on a shopping
trip; in fact, it’s only
once a year. On Saturday,
October 22, the 14th
annual Chemistry in the
Mall event will take place
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in
centre court at Market
Mall. About 120 U of C
chemistry undergrad and
graduate students will
show off their skills and
engage the audience with
demonstrations and handson
activities.
Chemistry professor Dr.
Majda Djordjevic has
organized the event since
1997. She says the show
has become a tradition in
the department and in the
community.
Eighteen free displays,
competitions and prizes
will be presented to the
public. The event is taking
place during National
Chemistry Week, and it’s
being held in conjunction
with the Calgary School
Board and the Calgary
Science Network. The
winning entries of The
Wonderful World of
Chemistry Poster Contest,
a competition between
Calgary students from
kindergarten to Grade 9,
will also be on display.
Djordjevic says it’s going
to be a “chemtastic show!”
evolution and future direction
of Alberta and
Saskatchewan. Module 3:
Alberta Energizing has
been sponsored by the
University of Calgary.
Alberta entertainer (and U
of C grad) Matt Masters,
Guy Boutilier, the
province’s environment
minister, and former Syncrude
Chairman and CEO
Eric Newell will be
keynote speakers. Allison
MacKenzie, one of the
university coordinators,
hopes the presentation will
help to dispel some of the
myths and stereotypes
associated with the
province by letting people
know that Alberta is about
more than just oil and gas.
“We want to show people
that Alberta is also a leader
in technology and innovation.”
MacKenzie says the
event is a great opportunity
for the U of C to let
delegates know what the
university has to offer.
“We want them to walk
away with a new understanding
of the U of C as
being a very student-centred,
modern and researchdriven
institution.”
Bradley Chisholm, a
third-year law student, is
one of 10 U of C student
representatives who were
handpicked to attend. “I
think this conference is a
great way to look at
where we are today and
what got us here. Let’s
look to the future and put
the pieces of the puzzle
together.”
Chisholm believes
Alberta has the chance to
become a global powerhouse
in the next few
years, which is why he
says the quality of our
future leaders is key. “We
need to get people in
power with vision, or our
province will stagnate.
We’re on a roll right now,
which is why it’s so important
we build on our past—
to help shape the future of
our province and keep the
momentum going.”
The conference is taking
place October 16–19 at
The Sutton Place Hotel in
Edmonton. For more information
log onto
www.canadaconference.ca
THE STUDENT DIVERSITY AND ACCESS TEAM
is conducting a survey of student experiences as part of
the diverse student body at the U of C. Your feedback is
vital to help in developing more responsive University
policies and services. Our online survey will be available
to all U of C students at: www.studentvoice.com/calgary/StudentDiversityAccess.html
until October 15. The
SDA collaborative research project has been approved
by the CFREB and is supported by the GSA and SU.
You can find a full project description on our website at:
www.ucalgary.ca/studentdiversityandaccess/
10
OCTOBER 14, 2005

CLASSIFIED
TO RENT: Renovated 3 storey
condo in the heart of downtown
Canmore. This home has 3
bedrooms, 1 bathroom, all
appliances, a playground in the
complex and backs onto a
lovely creek. Superb views.
Available now for up to a year.
Rent includes water, heating,
cable TV. $1,100 per month +
electricity. Contact simon.hudson@haskayne.ucalgary.ca.
VOLUNTEER VACATIONS in
amazing Cape Town, South
Africa; personalized placements
for 1, 2 or 3 months starting
February. www.caretrek.org
INNER CITY’S most
affordable townhouse
at $204,500.
Upscale Shaganappi
is less than 10
minute commute to
university, downtown,
MRC, major
shopping. Access
roads include Bow
Trail, Crowchild,
17th Ave. 1996
showhome maximizes
1,052 sq. ft.
with large living
areas and windows,
superior storage,
dramatic ceilings,
hardwood, French
doors, elegant
upgrades and a
stunning upstairs loft. All appliances
included. West private
patio, garden, green area,
hedge, awning, picket fence,
enhance unique curb appeal.
Call 245-0414 to view.
HOUSE FOR RENT: Furnished
3–bedroom home. Close to
Foothills Hospital/ U of C. Available
January, 2006. Call
Michele @ 289-0126.
NITESTYLES (Established
1992). Men’s haircuts $15,
women’s haircuts $18 after
showing student ID. Hi-lites
starting at $35. 30-min. massage
and haircut $55. Gift certificates
available. Free parking.
Sherina (Licensed 1984). Ph:
313-9592. 340 – 14th St. N.W.
www.nitestyles.org.
SABBATICAL RENTAL: Furnished
3 bdr. house 15 min.
drive from U of C. Available
from Dec. 15, 2005 to June 30,
2006 (perhaps later). $1,000
per month. Contact:
veneetha@telusplanet.net
CANADA IMMIGRATION. Do
you know anyone who wants to
live and work/study in Canada?
Let the professionals at Websters
International help. Canadian
government registered —
C.S.I.C. www.jobandvisa.com or
webstersjimmy@yahoo.ca
U OF C STUDENTS are invited
to participate in an online survey
about their experience of
diversity on campus. Participants
are eligible to win an
iPod-MP3 player. Details at
www.ucalgary.ca/studentdiversityandaccess
VISITING SCHOLAR OR
GRAD STUDENT: One bedroom
suite on main floor with
private garden entrance. Completely
furnished, TV, VCR,
Stereo, Tel/Fax, bedding &
dishes. Close to University,
Shopping Mall and bus routes,
located on park. $675 month,
DD same. All utilities included.
247-1428.
LANDSCAPING / IRRIGATION
/ PATIOS: General yard cleanup;
aerating. Landscaping:
interlocking stones; patios,
walkways, rock walls. Irrigation
systems installed & repaired.
Wooden deck construction &
repair. Contact Wayne Schuks,
998-4569 or wschuks@ucalgary.ca.
ART RENTAL SERVICES –
Triangle Gallery. Rent and/or
purchase artwork by artists from
Calgary and region. Realist to
abstract. Wide selection of
sizes and media. Phone 874-
9685 or 630-1913.
www.artrentals.ca.
To place your classified
ad please call OnCampus
at 220-3502 or email
kenben@ucalgary.ca.
Each word costs 15
cents.
NOTICE BOARD
Internationalization Achievement Awards
2005 Awards - Call for Nominations
Nominations are invited for the 2005 University of Calgary
Internationalization Achievement Awards.
The Awards (UCIAA) recognize the remarkable achievements
of individuals – in our supportive community, and in
Departments and Faculties across the institution – and programs
that are dedicated to the sustainable internationalization
of the University of Calgary.
For details go to:
www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/departments/IC/community/
The closing date is Friday, 31 October, 2005.
OCTOBER 14, 2005
11

WHAT’S ON
Wild Words celebrates
100 years of Alberta writers
By Janice Lee
From October 19–23,
U of C will host
Wild Words: 2005
Alberta Centennial Literary
Celebration, the première
centennial event
celebrating Alberta’s rich
literary culture.
“A number of individuals
on campus felt that a
party celebrating 100 years
of Alberta would be a pale
and incomplete gala without
honouring and recognizing
all the fine writing
that had gone on during
that 100 years,” says Clem
Martini, associate professor
in the Department of
Drama and one of the
organizers of the Wild
Words conference and free
public readings.
“Alberta is lucky in
that it is host to a very
lively writing scene.
Albertan writers have
been shaking things up
and creating an international
presence for some
time.
Consider just a few of
the names on the Wild
Words reading list and you
begin to perceive just the
tip of the iceberg.”
Over 50 internationally
known Alberta writers and
scholars of Albertan literature
will gather at the U of
C for a five-day conference
and free public readings
to showcase and
explore the talent, wisdom
and courage that is Alberta
writing.
The conference provides
a rare opportunity to
meet and learn from a
group of writers and
scholars not regularly seen
together in one place at
one time. Wild Words
explores some of the
diversity of writing produced
in the province by
the poets, playwrights,
novelists, historians,
chroniclers and critics
who have called Alberta
home. European, national
and home-grown scholars
will discuss why Alberta
literature has made such
an impact around the
globe.
The event features the
AlbertaViews keynote
address by internationally
renowned actor, writer,
and puppeteer Ronnie Burkett,
12 panel sessions, and
talks by non-fiction author
Myrna Kostash, playwright
Sharon Pollock,
and novelist Fred Stenson.
Free public readings
will feature some of the
province’s finest writers,
including novelist Rudy
Wiebe, currently in residence
at U of C as the
Markin-Flanagan Distinguished
Visiting Writer,
and playwright Vern
Thiessen, currently nominated
for the $100,000
Siminovitch prize in theatre.
Other authors performing
include Robert
Kroetsch, Sheri-D Wilson,
Sid Marty, Hiromi Goto,
Joan Crate, Greg Hollingshead
and Conni Massing.
“We called the conference
‘Wild Words’ because
of the unrestrained, energetic,
iconoclastic, risk
taking, bronco-busting elements
that are so much a
part of Alberta writing,”
says Martini. “It’ll be five
days of great readings,
thought-provoking discussion
and the opportunity to
meet some of the most talented
writers this country
has to offer.”
Details on the conference
and public readings,
including schedules, are
available at: www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/conferences/WildWords2005.
Advance registration (fax,
mail or online) for conference
sessions other than
the author readings is
required; fees are $165
($225 on site) or $35 for
students.
Department of Drama presents
the work of an Alberta pioneer
By JoAnn Reynolds
This centennial year has
provided Albertans with
unique opportunities to
reflect upon where our
province has been the last
100 years, and in what
direction we want to go in
the future. The University
of Calgary Department of
Drama is presenting a part
of that reflection this fall
by honouring our centennial
year with the production
of two plays written
by a true pioneer of the
arts, Gwen Pharis Ringwood.
Ringwood’s voice is
significant because she
was one of the first Canadian
writers to define a
distinctive voice of prairie
regionalism in the theatre.
Her one-act folk tragedy,
Still Stands the House
(1938), established her
reputation as one of the
most significant Canadian
playwrights of the first
half of the 20th century,
and it still remains one of
the most often-produced
and anthologized Canadian
plays of its period.
Dr. James Dugan, head
of the Department of
Drama and director of the
two Ringwood plays opening
at the end of this
month in the University
Theatre, acknowledges
“Gwen Pharis Ringwood
played a very important
role in establishing the
foundation for professional
theatre in Alberta.
At the time she began
writing, there wasn’t much
community theatre.
Together with Elizabeth
Sterling Haynes, she
worked to develop an
Alberta theatre community
and a tradition of Alberta
dramatic literature.”
Ringwood is still
regarded as one of the
first wave of European
writers to effectively
interpret and express the
quintessential experience
of Canadian “prairie” to a
larger audience. She felt
that her best work aimed
at a “poetic realism” that
tried to both express the
realistic cadences of contemporary
prairie life,
character and speech
while capturing and celebrating
the more lyrical,
mythic dimensions
beneath it.
In the two short plays
opening on October 25,
Still Stands the House and
Pasque Flower, Ringwood’s
depictions of farm
life on the prairies are
stark, but she infuses them
with a rich sense of character
and human conflict.
The plays illustrate the
power of landscape and
Stands the House is set in
mid-winter and tells a
story of madness that ends
in tragedy. Pasque Flower
is set in early spring and
takes us on a journey
through alienation and
conflict to renewed hope.
Dugan hopes that audiences
will be able to relate
to some of the timeless
issues around family and
conflict in the plays. “The
conflicts in the plays are
timeless; anyone can
understand the issues. The
style may seem a bit
quaint, but the feelings
expressed by the characters
are as real and palpable
as ever.
“Humans prevail
through hardship and emotional
stress, we are all
survivors who can triumph
over adversity and find
pleasure amidst struggle,
and I think that is a powerful
message of hope.”
See these rich stories of
our history unfold for
yourself October 25 to
November 5 at 7:30 p.m.
(except Oct. 31 & Nov. 1)
at the University Theatre.
There is also a 2 for 1
Sunday Matinee October
30 at 2 p.m. Tickets are 15
(adults) / $10 (students
and seniors) and are available
through the Campus
Ticket Centre at (403)
220-7202 or at the door.
Ringwood’s influence. climate in our culture. Still
EVENTS
For a complete and up-to-date compendium
of daily events, please check out the Web
www.ucalgary.ca/events
If you have an event you would like advertised on the university’s online
calendar of events e-mail the information (date, time, speaker, title,
sponsors, location, contact and any other pertinent information) to
kenben@ucalgary.ca
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OCTOBER 14, 2005