Summer 2010 - University of Guelph

SUMMER 2010porticotheUNIVERSITY OF GUELPH MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDSGuelph JazzIt’s music with a messageRETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: THE PORTICO MAGAZINE, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, GUELPH, ON N1G 2W1PLUS■ Canada Cooks■ Saving the bees■ At home in HaitiPUBLICATIONS MAIL 40064673

contentsthe portico • summer 20103 — president’s page • grad news — 32 • passages — 37in andaroundtheuniversityC hancellorPamela Wallin hasbeen appointed to asecond term, and Loblawpartners with U of G topromote more sustainablefood production systems.Guelph’s newest BrockScholarship recipientknows how to blend scienceand art. And U of Gbiologists are working toprotect both plants andpeople in southern India.— 7 —cover storyMUSIC BEYOND MEASUREGuelph scholars and jazz musicians have created a newfield of research in musical improvisation and propelledCanada forward as a world leader in this area.12alumnimattersAlumni Weekendevents will takegrads back to their studentdays, while today’sstudents are helping to say“thank you” to alumnidonors. The University ofGuelph Alumni Associationcompletes its 10-yearpledge to help build aclassroom building andoffers kudos to alumnireceiving national andinternational honours.4on the coverFrom left: Charlie Haden,Mary Halvorson, JamaaladeenTacuma, George Lewis andHamid Drake performing at theGuelph Jazz Festival.PHOTOS BY THOMAS KING ANDFRANK RUBOLINOPHOTO ILLUSTRATIONBY PAUL WATSONCANADA COOKSU of G’s cookbook collection offersa unique perspective on Canadian history.— 16 —PRAISE FOR HAITIAlumni John and Deb Currelly have lived in Haiti for30 years; they say life is hard there but deeply rewarding.— 19 —WHO WANTS TO BE THE BOSS?Entrepreneurship flourishes among currentU of G students and young alumni.— 22 —PROTECT THE POLLINATORSGuelph scientists lead a national research group working toreverse the drop-off in honeybees and other pollinators.alumni newsLook for your collegenewsletter insideThe Portico.26

letters to the editorPHOTO SUBMITTED BY IRENE MATTHEWSSCIENCE, SPORT AND SCHOLARSHIPBarcoding story drawsinterest, praiseThank you for producing a wonderfulmagazine: The Portico. I readeach one from cover to cover andenjoy them immensely. I am a 1961graduate of OVC and enjoyed the articleon DNA Barcoding in the lastissue. I find the subject fascinating.Robert J. Hinton, DVM ’61Peterborough, Ont.Linc made an impressionYou often ask for stories fromalumni about chancellor emeritus LincolnAlexander. My husband, Jeff, andI both have distinct memories of himfrom our convocation ceremonies.Jeff loved the years he spent at theUniversity of Guelph — I meanLOVED!!! The day of his convocationbrought mixed emotions — pride athis accomplishment, but sadness at theending of that part of his life. As hecrossed the stage, this must have beenapparent to Chancellor Alexanderbecause he said to Jeff: “Smile, son, thisis supposed to be a happy day.” Littledid he know that Jeff was wishing hecould start it all over again!At my convocation, after hearinga wonderful speech by Jane Goodallas she accepted her honorary degree,I crossed the stage as my name wasannounced, followed by the words“with distinction.” While I was kneelingin front of the chancellor, he heldboth my hands and said (with a twinklein his eyes): “With distinction! Youshould go home and ask your parentsfor money!”Considering the thousands of graduateshe met over all the years, Alexandercertainly made an impression onboth of us with a few simple words.Nancy Ramuscak, B.Sc. ’98Brampton, Ont.Support the GryphonsGryphon athletes from the 1969CIAU championship cross countryteam gathered in November toremember their coach and U of Gclassics professor Victor Matthews atthe launch of track and field scholarshipsin his name. Irene Matthews senta photo from the Department of Athleticsevent that honoured her late husband.She wants alumni to know aboutthe scholarship for first-year studentathletes and hopes it might serve as an“incentive” for others to make a donationto U of G athletic scholarships.National champions from the 1969 crosscountry team are, left to right: Rob Lowe,Dave Yaeger, Rob Linton, Grant Mustard,John Rae, Barry Snider, Irene Matthews(representing coach Vic Matthews),Patrick Larry, Donna Valaitis, GeorgeAmes, Grant McLaren and Paul Manley.If you have a letter to submit orwould prefer to receive The Porticoonline, contact editor Mary Dickiesonat m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.ca.the thetheporticoSummer 2010 • Volume 42 Issue 2EditorMary DickiesonDirectorCharles CunninghamArt DirectionPeter Enneson Design Inc.ContributorsBarbara Chance, BA ’74Deirdre Healey, BA ’00Lori Bona HuntWendy JespersenRebecca Kendall, BA ’99Teresa PitmanAndrew Vowles, B.Sc. ’84Advertising InquiriesScott Anderson519-827-9169Direct all other correspondence to:Communications and Public AffairsUniversity of GuelphGuelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1E-mail m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.cawww.uoguelph.ca/theportico/The Portico magazine is published three timesa year by Communications and PublicAffairs at the University of Guelph. Its missionis to enhance the relationship betweenthe University and its alumni and friendsand promote pride and commitment withinthe University community. All materialis copyright 2010. Ideas and opinionsexpressed in the articles do not necessarilyreflect the ideas or opinions of the Universityor the editors.Publications Mail Agreement # 40064673Printed in Canada — ISSN 1714-8731To update your alumni record, contact:Alumni Affairs and DevelopmentPhone 519-824-4120, Ext. 56550Fax 519-822-2670E-mail alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca2 The Portico

U OF G TACKLES THE ISSUES CANADIANS CARE ABOUTAs we go about the business of balancingbudgets in the aftermath of the2008 financial crisis, it is sometimes hard tolook beyond cost-saving measures. But it isabsolutely essential that we focus on the Universityof Guelph’s mandate and opportunitiesfor future success. During the seven yearsI have served as president of the University,there has never been a year when meeting thebudget was not a challenge. But that hasn’tstopped us from pushing forward with ourgoal to improve the lives of our students andall of Canadian society.Back in 2003, we welcomed the muchanticipateddouble cohort of Ontario highschool students. U of G opened RozanskiHall’s wonderful classrooms, and the first sectionof the science complex was taking shape.In Toronto, the University of Guelph-Humberwas also moving into a new building. Notonly have we been able to accept more students on theGuelph campus, but Guelph-Humber has become aresounding success and often leads in increased applicationsfrom Ontario high school students.Opening the science complex in 2006 has allowedus to create new synergies in our science programs andexpand facilities for initiatives in the arts and humanities.We’ve also opened a new academic college dedicatedto management and economics programs, a researchinstitute for our expanding work in DNA barcoding,and another centre focused on the development ofOntario’s bioeconomy.In the last few years, five Guelph faculty have beenrecognized by the Royal Society of Canada; 36 holdprestigious Canada Research Chairs. Two graduatesreceived Rhodes Scholarships, two accepted CommonwealthScholarships, and dozens more have earnedinternational and national awards to pursue graduatework in fields as diverse as political science, engineering,medicine and environmental science.We may be struggling with endowments that lostvalue in the global market decline, but the Universitycontinues to advance Canada’s brain trust.We have accepted responsibility for helping Canadiansdeal with issues related to food, health, environmentand communities, and are sharing our expertise aroundthe world. At the same time, we are maintaining a campusculture that encourages students to consider theirmoral and ethical responsibilities. As a result, Guelphstudents have been recognized many times for theirvoluntarism, civic engagement and philanthropy.We renewed our teaching and research partnershipwith the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs in 2008 after an independent reviewrevealed that our agreement returns $20 in provincialeconomic impact for every $1 invested. A year earlier,U of G was ranked seventh among universities worldwidefor its impact on agricultural sciences. And for eachof the last eight years, the University has been listed asCanada’s top comprehensive research institution by anational consulting firm.You’ve read about Guelph researchers in the media:discovering water on Mars, solving the puzzle of taintedpet food, developing bioproducts from agriculturalcrops, designing a robot to aid physical therapy, earninginternational awards for drama and literature, studyingthe implications of social media, pinpointing the causeof death in Ontario honeybees, pursuing new treatmentsfor cancer, announcing ways to reduce salmonellacontamination in food products, determining dietarydeficiencies in North American children, and usingmusic to build stronger communities.There is so much more happening at U of G and somuch promise for future discoveries that will improvethe lives of humans and animals and the health of ourplanet. We will be asking Guelph alumni and friends tosupport us as we build the human capacity necessary tofulfill those promises and to focus our resources on theissues that are truly important to Canadians.Alastair Summerlee, PresidentPHOTO BY GRANT MARTINthe president’s pageSummer 2010 3

peoplein around• research • highlights&Engineering recruitment officer JasonTyszka says the school gets mileage fromits branded car.PHOTO BY REBECCA KENDALLEngineering is on a rollJason Tyszka, recruitment officerfor the School of Engineering, lovesthe reaction when he arrives for a recruitingvisit driving the school’s speciallybranded Toyota Yaris. It’s hard to miss thecrimson four-seater with the stylized flamesemblazoned on both sides.Tyszka says the car draws eyeballs, butit’s the school’s new engineering majorsthat are actually drawing in more students.There are 24 per cent more applicants tothe School of Engineering this year comparedwith 2009.Many of them are applying to newdegree majors in computer engineering andbiomedical engineering that will begin thisfall. Add in a surge of undergraduates whoarrived last fall for the first year of the school’smechanical engineering degree, and you’relooking at a bigger presence for Guelphamong Ontario’s engineering programs.“That’s changing our place amongOntario engineering schools from being asmall player to being a mid-sized school,”says Prof. John Runciman, who helped leadthe planning and debut of the two newestmajors.While the mix of existing and new programs— seven in all, compared with fourprograms just two years ago — raisesGuelph’s engineering profile, accommodatingthe increased enrolment poses achallenge. More than 300 students enteredthe school last year, raising total enrolmentto about 675 undergraduates and 160 graduatestudents. Those numbers are expectedto double in four years.A planned multi-phase expansion willsee new lab space added this year at boththe north and south ends of the ThornbroughBuilding. Plans for the next twoyears also call for renovating existing labsand the adjoining Richards Building.PHOTO COURTESY LOBLAW COMPANIES LIMITEDGalen G. WestonLOBLAW, U OF G PURSUE SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMSThe University of Guelph hasreceived a $3-million gift from LoblawCompanies Limited to establish the LoblawCompanies Limited Chair in SustainableFood Production. The chairholder will helplead change in food production systemsthrough education, research, practice andoutreach within the context of the essentialelements of sustainability: the environment,communities and the economy.“Working together, we can address thevery issues that are at the root of today’s globalpressures around food sustainability,” saidGalen G. Weston, executive chair of LoblawCompanies Limited. “Through this initiative,we believe we can help to increase Canada’scapacity to produce food sustainably, traintomorrow’s industry leaders, contribute topolicy development, meet consumers’ needsand nurture our environment.”Among other things, the Loblaw chairwill lead a national program in sustainablelocal food production, develop roundtableson the topic and create an industry advisorygroup to guide novel curriculumdevelopment. The chair will also assemblea core of researchers, lead collaborations inthe public and private sectors and serve asa key resource for food and agricultural policydevelopment in Canada.4 The Portico

theuniversityBrock scholarship recognizesresearch potentialMolecular and cellularbiology student Melanie Wills hasreceived U of G’s most prestigious doctoralaward to pursue research in cellsignalling and cancer, interests she developedduring undergraduate lab studieswith Prof. Nina Jones, now her PhDsupervisor.The Brock Doctoral Scholarship —worth up to $120,000 over four years— is funded from a $10-million endowmentdonated by Bill and Anne Brock.Bill Brock is a 1958 graduate of theOntario Agricultural College and a formerchair of Board of Governors andthe Board of Trustees.Jones and Wills study how cells communicatethrough so-called Shc proteins.Within that family, Wills is looking at theShcD protein that enables communicationbetween brain cells and betweenskeletal muscle cells.That molecule was found by Jones,then a post-doc, and other scientists atMelanie WillsToronto’s Samuel Lunenfeld ResearchInstitute. It’s involved in relaying signalsallowing the brain and skeletal musclesto function. Wills hopes to learn moreabout how and why the protein worksand what happens when it malfunctions,allowing cancer to occur. She says studyingsignal pathways could ultimately helpclinicians design trials for human patientsand develop diagnostic markers.Wills is from Lindsay, Ont., andbegan her B.Sc. at Guelph as a 2003President’s Scholar. Now living inGuelph, she is co-organizer of the annualSharpCuts independent film andmusic festival. Past festivals have screenedher documentaries blending art and science,including Five Degrees, whichlooked at undergraduate students strivingto become scientists in Guelph labs.Wills began exploring multimedia atage 14 as producer of a community TVprogram. Today she runs a productioncompany called Double Helix Creations.PHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBEENVIROPIGMOVES AHEADEnvironment Canada announced in Februarythat the University has successfullysatisfied the requirements of the CanadianEnvironmental Protection Act allowing theEnviropig to be produced using approvedcontainment procedures.Guelph has been producing a line of Enviropigssince 1999 strictly for scientific study, butthe goal has always been to explore practicaloptions for use of the technology to allow theanimals to have positive impacts on both theenvironment and industry. Professor emeritusCecil Fosberg was lead scientist on the project,working with Prof. John Phillips and then graduatestudent Serguei Golovan, PhD ’02, who isnow a faculty member at the University ofDelaware.The Enviropig was the first transgenic animalcreated to solve an environmental problem— phosphorus pollution in surface and groundwater.The pigs are genetically modified so theycan utilize a normally indigestible form of phosphorusin feed grains. As a result, they producemanure that is more environmentally friendly.Published scientific studies have confirmedphosphorus levels that are 30 to 65 per centlower than those of regular pig manure.Applications to other federal agencies toassess the safety of Enviropigs for human foodand animal feed are currently under review inboth the United States and Canada, says StevenLiss, associate vice-president (research services),and it’s not known when these reviewswill conclude.U of G’s EnviropigPHOTO BY CECIL FORSBERGSummer 2010 5

in&aroundtheuniversityIndigenous knowledgefocus of researchin IndiaU of G research associate SubramanyamRagupathy, centre, conductsan ethnobotanical survey in India withAlthaf Kabeer of the Botanical Surveyof India, left, and VadamanHelping to protect both plantsand people in the developing worldis the focus of research by a Guelph botanistthat has received funding from the ShastriIndo-Canadian Institute. Prof. Steven Newmaster,Integrative Biology, and his researchteam will use the $80,000 grant to continuetheir studies of indigenous knowledgeand cultural uses of plants in southern India.“We’re helping them protect what theysee as biodiversity rather than what we seeas biodiversity,” says Newmaster, who wantsto look closer at differences between menand women and between people of differentages when it comes to plant lore.“Women have a different knowledge bodyabout biodiversity than men do,” he says.Typically, men look at plants for use infood, shelter or landscape, whereas womenconsider classification for food and medicine.Besides preserving indigenous knowledge,the team hopes to help peoplereclaim areas lost to other uses, including— paradoxically — nature preserves establishedby governments.The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institutepromotes joint activities intended to achievegender equality and reduce poverty.“This award is a kind of honour to thetribal people who are the source of traditionalknowledge gained over thousands ofyears,” says research associate SubramanyamRagupathy, who spent the winter workingin India.PHOTO COURTESY OF SUBRAMANYAM RAGUPATHYU of G celebrates leadershipPHOT0 BY GRANT MARTINTed BilyeaThe University’s MacMillan Laureate in Agriculturehas been awarded to MauriceEdward (Ted) Bilyea, former executive vice-presidentof Maple Leaf Foods and an expert oninternational trade, food and agriculture issues.Under his leadership, Maple Leaf becameCanada’s largest food exporter. He continuesto play a key role in Canada’s agri-food policydevelopment by chairing the Science AdvisoryBoard of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,serving on the boards of the Alberta Livestockand Meat Agency and the Canadian PrionResearch Network, and advising the board ofthe Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.The award was established in 1966 by thelate H.R. MacMillan, a 1906 OAC graduate.Recipients are selected by a national panel ofacademic and industry leaders.• Canadian senator Pamela Wallin has beenappointed to a second term as U of G chancellor,extending her tenure to March 2013.• The Department of Athletics has hiredStuart Lang as its new head football coach.A five-time Grey Cup champion with theEdmonton Eskimos and Yates Cup championwith the Queen’s University Gaels,Lang served last year as receivers coachwith the Gryphons. He is a chemical engineerand a senior business executive withCCL Industries, a specialty packaging companybased in Toronto.• Prof. John Walsh has been appointed to asecond five-year term as vice-provost forthe University of Guelph-Humber.• During convocation ceremonies Feb. 16and 17, U of G awarded honorary degreesto aboriginal leader Phil Fontaine, formerOntario lieutenant-governor James Bartlemanand University of Colorado telecommunicationsspecialist Frank Barnes.• Former CBC reporter Judy Maddren,B.A.Sc. ’72, was one of the speakers atthe ninth annual Last Lecture for graduatingstudents. The annual event invites studentsto reflect on their U of G experiencesand achievements. The other speakerswere science student Ismail Hirji and politicalscience professor Ian Spears.• Guelph students raised more than $32,000for the Canadian Cancer Society during itsannual Relay for Life. The U of G race wasorganized by cancer survivor and Frenchstudent Samantha Smith-Moskal.6 The Portico

MUSIC BEYONDMEASUREStory by Mary Dickieson • Photo Illustration by Paul WatsonAjayHeble onkeyboardA homeless man heads to the CarnegieCentre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside,where he knows there will be 50-centcoffee and a free music jam.American free jazz bassist William Parkerbrings a Guelph audience to tears duringan intense avant-garde performance.Six Montreal youths in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood meet weekly at theHead and Hands drop-in centre to playinstruments donated by the city.Music is the “chord” that connects thesepeople. It’s not just the fact that they are allmusic makers, but it’s the reason they are allmaking music that ties them to each otherand to the University of Guelph. Their musicalexperiences are part of the vision of jazzaficionado Ajay Heble, a professor in U of G’sSchool of English and Theatre Studies.

PHOTOS BY THOMAS KINGRaised in Toronto by Indo-Canadian parents,Ajay Heble came to Guelph in 1991with a PhD in post-colonial literary theoryand Canadian literature. He chose the Universityand the City of Guelph because oftheir literary and musical sensibilities.U of G’s English faculty were then and stillare key players in the study of Canadian literatureand the development of new writersand poets. Off campus, the city was ripefor the establishment of a jazz festival.But not just an ordinary small-city jazzfestival. Any community could rent venuesand bring in jazz musicians. Heble wanted toattract musicians with a message. He wantedto show the world that music — specificallymusical improvisation — can lead the wayto a more tolerant society. Now in its 17thseason, the Guelph Jazz Festival is indisputablyone of the best in North America, toutedwidely for the music it presents, but moreimportantly, for the dialogue it encourages.Last September, nine musicians fromMali, Ethiopia, Mexico, the Netherlands, theUnited States and Canada appeared on stagetogether at the Guelph Jazz Festival and Colloquium.They had never met and didn’tspeak a common language. There was nomusical score for them to follow, no planneddetermination of style or rhythm. But eachmusician brought great technical skill, awealth of knowledge, a willingness to takerisks and a desire to blend their sound withother members of the group.To the audience, it was a terrific concert.To Heble, it was an experiment in real-timecollaboration and creative decision-making.Transposed to the political arena, that kindof creativity and shared responsibility couldbring harmony to any number of disputes,he says. Music plays a tremendously importantrole in society. “By modelling forms ofsocial organization, it can literally help ushear the sound of change.”In Guelph, he found a community oflike-minded individuals who launched theGuelph Jazz Festival in 1994 — a stage forthe music — and a conference in 1996 —a platform for the message.“By exploring how musical improvisationopens up consideration of such vitalissues as human rights, community buildingand transcultural understanding, we are gettingat issues that are central to the challengesof diversity and social co-operationin Canada,” he says.If you’re not a jazz fan, you may notknow just how “big” the Guelph Jazz Festivaland Colloquium has become. It attractedan audience of more than 15,000 in2009, but those numbers are dwarfed by thefestival’s stature on the international scene.Well-known jazz improvisers from aroundthe world have not only played the Guelphfestival, but they’ve lectured, conductedworkshops and become volunteers.An eclectic audience is attracted by themusic and the accompanying conferenceagenda — improv performers, artists, socialactivists, politicians, educators and studentsfrom elementary school to post-graduatetraining. They’re people who have no otherreason to visit Guelph than that they wantto participate in an event that has becomea magnet for musicians with a message.“We have made Canada a focal point forcutting-edge research in musical improvisation,”says Heble. “We have defined it, createda new field of scholarship, and propelledCanada forward as a world leader in this areaof research.”The current measure of Heble’s visionis officially called the Improvisation, Communityand Social Practice (ICASP) project.A major Canadian research initiative,ICASP is supported by a $2.5-million grantfrom the Social Sciences and HumanitiesResearch Council (SSHRC) and another$1.8 million from U of G, McGillUniversity, Université de Montréal, the8 The Portico

Left: Performing at the Guelph Jazz Festivalare Douglas Ewart on bassoon andWadada Leo Smith on trumpet. Above:A graphic score by McGill Universitymusic professor Brian Cherney was partof a multi-media exhibit called “Hearing-Visions-Sonores” at the 2009 festival.Right: Roscoe Mitchell on piccolo andFamoudou Don Moye on percussion.University of British Columbia, and severalcommunity partners.The impetus for ICASP stems from post-1960s forms of experimental jazz. Jazz isonly one example of creative improvisedmusic, but it’s the most recognized in NorthAmerica and the music we appreciate ashaving influenced genuine social change.From Louis Armstrong’s rendition of“Black and Blue” to John Coltrane’s benefitconcerts for Martin Luther King, jazzappealed to blacks and whites alike andhelped move U.S. communities beyond thetraditional paradigms of how black Americansfit into their society. Novelist and culturalcritic Stanley Crouch wrote: “Jazz predictedthe civil rights movement more thanany other art in America.”New musical voices are emerging intoday’s jazz era, and one of them is GeorgeLewis. A trombonist, composer and musicscholar at Columbia University in New YorkCity, Lewis is also affiliated with ICASP. Hiswriting promotes improvised music as ameans of conflict resolution and consensusbuilding,and he refutes the idea that improvisedmusic is only about the here and now.Or, as Heble puts it, Lewis tackles the myththat improvisation comes out of nowhere.“Our research has revealed an enormoushistory of practice and repertoire of knowledgein improvisation,” says Heble, notingthat improvisation is the most widely performedmusical practice in the world. Hedraws on his own ethnic roots to remind usthat almost all classical Indian music isimprovised. Improvisational music dates tothe beginning of civilization in Africa andAsia and is prevalent in many other cultureswhere folk music is a defining feature.In western culture, however, improvisationhas often been disparaged. Despite theproliferation of summer jazz festivals in NorthAmerica, there is little pedagogy devoted toimprovisational jazz or any musical form thatdeparts from the western musical tradition.Although Liszt, Bach, Mozart and Beethovenwere all masters of improvisation, the ensuingcenturies have defined classical music asnotes committed to paper rather than spontaneouscomposition.Still, classically trained musicians like Heble— he began piano lessons at age five — doventure into improvisation, often to deliver amessage they can’t easily attach to establishedmusical genres. Accepting this point of viewbelies a second myth that improvisation is allabout the performer. Acclaimed bassist WilliamParker brought a Guelph audience to tears bydrawing on his great skill as a musician tocompose “in-the-moment” a concert thatrelayed a lifetime of emotion.Heble points to the argument Lewismakes in A Power Stronger than Itself that formost African-American musicians, includingParker, the desire to say somethingthrough jazz improvisation is part of theirdesire to reclaim the past.Claiming the present was more the goalof Guelph teenager Talia Baskin-Kesselmanwhen she performed during the openingnumber at the 2009 Guelph Jazz Festival. Forher, musical improvisation is all about belonging— feeling that you are valued as part of acommunity. She has participated twice in anICASP music program through the KidsAbilitycentre in Guelph. The 2009 program wasconducted by Canadian saxophonist JaneBunnett, a guest conductor at the festival.Amy Baskin admits she was teary-eyedwhen her daughter stepped on stage. “Wewho parent children with disabilities don’tget many opportunities to see our kids shinelike that.” In a blog she writes for Today’sParent Magazine, Baskin added: “We celebratedthe kids as they are — perfect andbeautiful and full of rhythm and song. Infront of a huge crowd, the kids played piano,shakers, slide whistles and drums. Talia smiledconfidently as she took centre stage to singSummer 2010 9

PHOTOS COURTESY GUELPH JAZZ FESTIVALand to play. And, autism or no autism, thisgirl positively glowed.”Baskin says the concert was a powerfulevent for everyone in the audience. “Youcould see real communication throughmusic between the artist and the kids. Itmade the kids feel they were valued as performers.Imagine an internationallyacclaimed musician like Jane Bunnett givingmy daughter high-fives.”ICASP researchers in Guelph, Montrealand Vancouver use musical improvisation tocommunicate with many disadvantagedgroups — children and adults with disabilitiesor mental illness, troubled teens and thehomeless. Chicago-born saxophonist MatanaRoberts works with youth in Montreal’sNotre–Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood, andUniversity of California scholar Rob Wallaceran youth programs in Guelph while completinga post-doctoral fellowship with ICASP.Roberts and Wallace might well arguethat “community” is the most importantword in the Improvisation, Community andSocial Practice title. Community-buildingis not just a goal, but it’s the reality of howICASP came to be and the future it strivesfor. Without strong support from the Guelphcommunity, the Guelph Jazz Festival couldhave remained a young professor’s dream.Now a three-time recipient of the LieutenantGovernor’s Award for the Arts, thefestival garners international praise whilemaintaining its focus on the local communitythrough affordable ticket prices and freeevents, a school program, adult workshopsand winter programming.In his review of the 2009 event, NewYork music writer Kurt Gottschalk said theannual Guelph festival “invites musiciansfrom around the world for one of the moreadventurous weeks of improvisation andexploration in North America.” What reallysets it apart, he added, is the colloquiumthat precedes the festival itself. Several hundredpeople from 13 countries participatedin the conference last year.“We discovered people all over theworld who are doing little projects relatedto improvisation without any central outletfor their work,” says Heble. “Now they’recoming to Guelph.”Names like Milford Graves and DavidMurray were enough to bring a jazz fan likeGottschalk. Graves is a legendary Americanpercussionist who played with saxophonistDavid Murray for the closing set at the 2009jazz festival — a performance coup since thetwo had played together only once since their1992 duo record, which Gottschalk said “wascalled ‘The Real Deal’ for a reason.”They are only two of the jazz artists whocome to perform on the Guelph stage andtake advantage of the opportunity to networkwith other musicians and scholarsinterested in improvisation. The networkscreated in Guelph helped to build an editorialboard for a scholarly journal launchedat U of G in 2004 and edited by Heble andGuelph colleagues Ellen Waterman, Fine Artand Music, and Frédérique Arroyas, Languagesand Literatures. Academics and studentswho couldn’t attend festival events inSeptember asked for copies of the proceedings,and the library accumulating on theedge of Heble’s desk became the onlinejournal Critical Studies in Improvisation.Published twice a year, the journal isweb-based and uses open-access softwarethat allows anyone anywhere in the worldto use it. The University of Guelph Libraryprovides the structural support and technicalexpertise to integrate audio and visualclips that allow viewers to hear the musicand see the performances described by contributors.A critical paper on Japanese taikodrummers, for example, gains added dimensionwhen you can watch and listen to theperformance being discussed.Guelph English professor Daniel Fischlin10 The Portico

Left: Performing in a jazz festival workshop,left to right: Jane Bunnett,Abdoulaye Koné, Terrie Hessels, HamidDrake and Getatchew Mekuria. Above:Lead musicians in the 2008 children’sprogram were, from left: Rich Marsella,Rob Wallace and Matana Roberts.Right: The 2009 festival opened with aKidsAbility concert led by Jane Bunnettand her husband, Larry Cramer. BehindCramer in the band is Guelph teenagerTalia Baskin-Kesselman (wearing pink).is one of many contributors to the journal’sdatabase. With Heble, he also edited two booksbased, in part, on papers presented at the colloquium:Rebel Musics: Human Rights, ResistantSounds and the Politics of Music Making (2003)and The Other Side of Nowhere: Jazz, Improvisationand Communities in Dialogue (2004).Looking back, Critical Studies in Improvisationwas an obvious test case for theICASP project. “If we could demonstratethat there was significant interest, we couldattract a research grant to launch theSSHRC project,” says Heble. Significantinterest means participation not just fromthe funding partners but from researchers at18 Canadian universities and several internationalinstitutions.By the time ICASP fulfills its seven-yearmandate, the project will tally 21 colloquia(seven each in Guelph, Montreal and Vancouver),three summer research institutes, 14issues of the online journal, five book projects,four policy papers and a research-intensivewebsite that will be launched in Septemberduring the 2010 Guelph Jazz Festival. ICASPwill also give voice to the research of 35 internationalscholars, support 17 post-doctoralfellows and sponsor 230 research assistantshipsfor graduate and undergraduate studentsat the partner institutions.Through its vast human resources,ICASP will affect communities all over theworld. In addition to the outreach programscited earlier, Heble and the ICASP team areexcited about a lecture series that will beginin Montreal in November, co-sponsored bythe Canadian Centre for Architecture, anda new partnership with a music therapy clinicin South Africa. Sunelle Fouche, whoattended the jazz colloquium last fall for thefirst time, will draw on ICASP expertise tocontinue using improvised music to reduceviolence among street gangs.With such momentum behind it, onemight ask “what’s next?” for Heble’s experimentin improvisation. On the immediatehorizon are the Vancouver colloquium inJune and a summer research institute inGuelph, co-ordinated by Arroyas. TheGuelph Jazz Festival and Colloquium runsSept. 8 to 12, with lectures and workshopsbased on the theme of “improvising bodies.”The focus reflects one of seven majorresearch areas within the ICASP mandate:gender and the body, text and media, lawand justice, social policy, pedagogy, transculturalunderstanding and social esthetics.“Gender and body” relates to Waterman’sarea of interest, and a highlight of the colloquiumwill be a discussion of her work withavant-garde composer Pauline Oliveros. AnAmerican scholar, Oliveros introduced theconcept of incorporating environmentalsounds into music performance and developedsoftware that enables severely disabled peopleto make music. Waterman is co-ordinatingthe development of a toolkit for teachingimprovisation.The performance schedule for the GuelphJazz Festival won’t be announced until mid-June, but it may whet your appetite to knowthere will be an art installation by GeorgeLewis and Canadian artist Eric Metcalfe thatcomposes music based on the movement ofpeople walking through the exhibit space.Canada’s reputation as a centre for expertiseon the social and cultural impact ofimprovisation will expand once again whenICASP unveils its new research website atthe 2010 festival. Heble says the website willanswer all of those remaining questions youmay have about the use of improvised musicas a model for cultural, political and ethicaldialogue — and action. After all, it’s the actiongenerated by ICASP that will ensure futureinquiry into improvisation and its place inour society. And it’s the outreach providedby ICASP that connects a homeless man inVancouver, a jazz percussionist in New YorkCity and street gangs in South Africa. ■Summer 2010 11

Cookbooks are some of themost precious treasuresin the University of GuelphLibrary — and that’s sayinga lot. After all, the University’sroots reach back more than150 years, so the library ispacked with historical gems.The 12,000-plus itemsin the culinarycollection —cookbooks,scrapbooks,personalletters,papers and more — dateas far back as the17th century. Theyrepresent cities andtowns, individualsand communitiesacross Canada, aswell as the rest ofNorth America,Europe, Asia and theCaribbean. It’s historyfrom a perspective likeno other: peopleand the pastin the truest,rawest form.Canada cooksBY LORI BONA HUNT

Jo Marie PowersElizabeth DriverJean ParéIn a single Saturdayafternoon, Jo MariePowers loaded acentury’s worth ofCanadian culinaryhistory into her pickuptruck and carted ithome. It sat in boxesin her living room fora couple of months,and the now-retiredUniversity of Guelphprofessor woulddevour a bit eachday, savouringlessons from the pastin the form ofrecipes, scrapbooks,papers and letters.Long before she’dhad her fill, Powersrealized she neededto share her historicalfind, so she calledthe U of G Library’sArchival and SpecialCollections. “I haveHelen Gagen’s booksand papers,” she toldthe person whoanswered the phone.She recalls there wasa quizzical pause atthe other end of theline. “You havewhat?”It took renownedCanadian food writerElizabeth Driver 10years to assembleher award-winningbibliography of Canadiancookbooks. Shehad to fly coast-tocoastand rootaround in libraries,attics and basementsin search of materials.There should bea national collectionsomeplace, shethought. “I keptmeeting people whowould say to me: ‘Ihave these cookbooksI don’t need —what should I do?’ Iwould suggest theysend them to Guelph.Soon cookbooks juststarted showing up inthe mail at the library,boxes and boxesof them. So it wasdecided we shouldcreate a culinarycollection of cookbooksowned byCanadians.”There was a timewhen Jean Paré, theworld’s top-sellingcookbook author,worried about thefate of the thousandsof books, scrapbooksand notebooksshe had savedsince she was ateenager. Over theyears, they hadgrown into a collectionof more than6,000 items. “Ialways thought I’dhate to see this collectionnot meananything to anyone,to have it broken upand just sent off inboxes to one Goodwillor another,” shesays. “It seemed agood idea to send itall together someplacewhere it wouldbe properly sortedand cared for.”Cookbooks don’t just tell us how to make dinner;they’re full of history, culture and recipes for right living.

Uof G’s cookbook collection is agrassroots expression of Canada, says foodwriter Elizabeth Driver. Cooking and eating,and everything that goes along with them,have always been fundamental to the humanexperience, she says, so culinary books are reallyrecords of tradition, providing insight intosocial, cultural and historical transformations.“If you want to understand how societywas functioning at a certain time in historyand get to the real truth of how people werebehaving, what they were buying, what theydid for fun and how they entertained, theanswers can be found in cookbooks.”Take, for example, the pocket-sized 700Domestic Hints written “by a lady” circa 1840.Besides offering tips on preserving fruit, bakingbread and keeping bees, the book listsdos and don’ts for women of the era, illustratingvividly what life was like here onceupon a time.“When visitors arrive, do not walk to thedoor,” the author advises. “The lady of thehouse merely rises from her seat, shakeshands or curtsies, according to her intimacywith the participants.” The exception, ofcourse, is “great age or marked superiorityof rank requiring, according to the usagesof society, a greater degree of attention.”Then there’s The Lady’s Companion: orAn Infallible Guide to the Fair Sex, publishedin 1760. Now worn and musty-smellingwith handwritten notes in the margins thathave faded beyond recognition, it includessuch tips as how to measure butter with afist, what fish are in season each month andhow to prevent cooking fires from gettingtoo hot. It also contains pages and pages of“rules, directions and observations” on howwomen should live their lives as “virgins,wives or widows.”“We see culinary writing as an expressionof our country and its people,” says MichaelRidley, U of G’s chief information officer andchief librarian. “Through our food, we canunderstand much of where we’ve been,where we are and where we’re going.”Housed in the library’s temperature-controlledbasement, Guelph’s culinary collectionis just one of the many treasures thatdraw scholars and students from around theworld to U of G’s Archival and Special Collections.It’s here that you’ll also find theUniversity’s world-renowned theatre archivesand L.M. Montgomery Collection, the ScottishStudies Collection, an agricultural historyand rural heritage section, and a landscapearchitecture collection. As thecollections continue to grow, space is increasinglyat a premium, says Ridley, so expandingArchives and Special Collections is highon the library’s wish list.Like many individual cookbook collections,Guelph’s culinary collection beganalmost randomly — one cookbook, one collectionat a time. For many years, it numberedabout 6,000 items and included four majorassemblages: the Edna Staebler Collection,the Una Abrahamson Canadian CookeryCollection, the Helen Gagen Collection andthe Canadian Cookbook Collection.Staebler, who wrote a series of cookbookscalled Food That Really Schmecks, based onMennonite home cooking, made the firstmajor donation. The Canadian collectionincludes books that arrived in the mail followingDriver’s informal national appeal. Thereare also many contemporary works by wellknownculinary writers like Anita Stewart,who has authored 11 cookbooks focusing onCanadian cuisine and our food history.A longtime U of G friend, Stewart isnow head of Cuisine Canada, the nationalalliance of the country’s culinary professionalsand co-sponsor with the Universityof Guelph Library of the annual CanadianCulinary Book Contest. Sixty-eight books— celebrating food and drink and Canadianfood culture — are currently beingjudged for the 2010 contest and will becomepart of Guelph’s culinary collection.Both Driver and Powers, a retired facultymember in the School of Hospitality andTourism Management, were instrumental instarting the collection in the 1990s.“This was a time when there was noappreciation of cookbooks as importantresources for research,” says Driver. “For themost part, they were considered sort ofunimportant ephemeral objects.”She helped bring Abrahamson’s collectionto U of G in 1997. The two met whenDriver was working on her award-winningbook Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography ofCanadian Cookbooks, 1825-1949. She spenttwo weeks in Abrahamson’s living room sortingthrough her one-of-a-kind collection.“There was nothing like it anywhere,”says Driver, adding that Abrahamson did notcollect books randomly; she chose books thatwere valuable and had historical significance.“She realized this material was representingthe lives of Canadian women overlong periods of time, including her own,”says Driver.A former Chatelaine food columnist andeditor who went on to executive positionsin public relations and consumer affairs,Abrahamson was hit by a car while crossinga street in 1978. She was in a coma for a yearand spent many more years recovering,learning how to walk, talk and write again.But as soon as she was able, she resumed14 The Portico

working on her cookbook collection.One day Driver asked her what sheplanned to do with her collection. “I said itshouldn’t be dispersed; it should be someplacewhere researchers can get to it. That’s whatgot her to take that first step, and her son wasa Guelph graduate, so it was a perfect fit.”Having Abrahamson’s collection publiclyavailable is a huge asset to scholars in manydisciplines, says Driver. “But it’s not justabout the books — it’s also about the peoplewho wrote them and their contributions.They should be recognized and celebrated.”Powers agrees and cites Gagen as anexample of someone who paved a pioneeringculinary path during her six decades asa journalist and home economist.Gagen, who died in 1998 at age 89,began her food career in 1930, writing foodcopy for newspapers and magazines, producinga half-hour radio show called CookingSchool of the Air and managing theatrecooking schools. She also worked in advertisingand wrote a cookbook and a weddingguide before joining the Toronto Telegram asa food editor in 1963. From 1976 to 1987,she wrote “The Shopping Basket” columnfor the Globe and Mail.Powers says Gagen was the first personto emphasize the historical importance ofcommunity cookbooks. Informal in nature,they were often created to raise money fora charity or community initiative, witheveryday people contributing favourite dishesand family recipes.They’re easy to dismiss because there’soften no author and they were printed insmall quantities, says Powers, but there’s nobetter community history book. “You seehow people were really living, how theywere surviving.”She spent weeks sorting through Gagen’spersonal papers and letters. “She started writing,saving and collecting when she was achild, so we’re talking about almost 90 years.I had her entire life in a box — I felt so closeto her. It’s such an incredible history for thelibrary to have.”Powers herself was one of the first established“culinary” professors in Canada, teachingstudents such as Stewart and helpingDriver get a government grant (on thefourth try) to fund her bibliography research.Driver credits Powers, along with thelibrary’s then head archivist, Tim Sauer, forhaving the vision and “open-mindedness”to get the culinary archives going. “Just thefact that the collection was even establishedis amazing, and now it has grown by leapsand bounds.”Indeed, the collection has become aninternational resource consulted widely byscholars in a variety of fields, says Ridley. “It’sused by people all over the world who arelooking to understand everything from people’shistory to food habits to nutrition tocultural and scientific transformation.”Kathryn Harvey, who joined U of G in2009 as head of Archival and Special Collections,says plenty of “regular” people alsouse the collection. “People call and ask if Ican look up a recipe for them from a bookthat they’re sure we must have.”Harvey says she doesn’t mind suchrequests. After all, it only makes sense forGuelph to house the prized collection, giventhat it’s home to Ontario’s oldest agriculturalcollege as well as Macdonald Institute,which was founded to educate womenin the domestic sciences.One of the newest acquisitions in theculinary collection comes from MarieNightingale, Nova Scotia’s best-known foodwriter, who wrote a food column for theHalifax newspaper The Chronicle Herald for20 years. This “eastern” donation means thecollection now represents all of Canada’sgeographic regions, says Lynn Campbell, thelibrary’s manager of development and publicrelations.In the fall, the culinary archives doubledin size when Paré, founder and author ofCompany’s Coming Cookbooks, donated herprivate collection. The books, scrapbooks andpapers capture her passion for cooking andrun the gamut from mass-produced volumesto specialty publications and from how-toguides to pamphlets.Paré spent weeks sorting through everythingbefore it was shipped to Guelph — anenormous task given that she’d been collectingsince she was a teenager. There were hundredsof “sticky notes” to remove fromfavourite recipes, as well as numerous handwrittennotes and recipes that had been tuckedaway inside pages. “It seemed in every bookI’d find something I’d forgotten,” she says.It was a cathartic process. “Still, Imourned for the books after they left. I’mover that now, but I did mourn.”Paré says she now has much more roomin her downsized Edmonton condo, and sheloves knowing that her collection is being usedand appreciated. But that doesn’t mean theurge to collect cookbooks has disappeared.“I continually have to give myself atalking to because whenever I go into abookstore, I see a book I just really want tobuy,” she says with a laugh. “I think maybecooking is a sickness.”She’s quick to add, however, that “cooksshould never apologize for how manycookbooks they have. They’re entitled.” ■COOKBOOK COVERS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH LIBRARY; PHOTOS BY MARTIN SCHWALBE, ELIZABETH DRIVER AND COMPANY’S COMINGSummer 2010 15

AT HOME INPHOTOS COURTESY JOHN AND DEB CURRELLYThe Earth shook violently,tossing John Currelly’s carfrom side to side. He hadbeen driving up a mountaintoward his home when apowerful earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12.The land teetered beneath him. Treeswhipped back and forth. It was as thoughthe world had received a hard shove.After regaining control of his car, Johnquickly pulled over to call his wife at home.As he sat looking out over the city beneathhim, he noticed huge plumes of dust risingup like fog. In a matter of seconds, Port-au-Prince had been destroyed.For many people, the earthquake wouldhave been the last straw. But John, B.Sc.(Agr.)’71, and Deb, BA ’71, have invested almost30 years in Haiti, and they are not about toabandon their adopted country.“The spirit of Haiti is in pain, but it’s stillalive, and it will strengthen. There is no otheroption,” says Deb.The Currellys grew up in rural Ontario— he on a family farm, she in the nearbytown of Port Hope. They were childhoodsweethearts who studied together at U of Gand returned to Port Hope to farm aftergraduation. They moved to Haiti in 1981after converting to the Bahá’i faith, whichemphasizes internationalism.“As followers of the Bahá’i faith, we believethat everyone is equal and that we should dowhat we can to redress the inequality that existsin the world,” says John.Neither could speak a word of French orCreole, and they knew very little about Haiti’stroubled history. Still, they packed up as muchas they could fit into eight suitcases and leftCanada with their six-year-old daughter,Alice, and eight-year-old son, Read, in tow.“I was nervous in spite of the fact that Iwanted to go,” says Deb. “I prayed we wouldbe able to stay financially solvent until ourtwo children were grown.”At that time, Haiti was experiencing adifferent kind of disaster. Haitians wereimpoverished under the rule of dictatorJean-Claude Duvalier. Many were withoutwork or land. The country’s tourism industry— a major contributor to Haiti’s economy— had almost completely disappearedbecause of a report that AIDS was becominga major regional problem. The country’sfuture was bleak.But the Currellys soon learned that strugglingthrough difficult circumstances is nothingnew to Haitians. The country gained independencefrom France in 1804 and becamethe world’s first black republic, but Haiti hasnever escaped the influence of dictatorships,foreign intervention and natural disasters.“It’s one step forward, two steps back,”says John. “It’s hard to get ahead in Haiti.”He and Deb had emigrated to the poorestcountry in the Western Hemisphere,where many people still live on less than $2a day. The couple have faced their share ofstruggles, too.16 The Portico

HAITIThey’ve enduredeconomic hardship,violent crime, politicalcorruption, hurricanesand earthquakes, butJohn and Deb Currellyhave hope for theiradopted country andpraise for the Haitianpeople.BY DEIRDRE HEALEYFrom left: An estimated 1.3 millionHaitians were left homeless after theJan. 12 earthquake; cleaning up afterfour consecutive hurricanes in 2008;John Currelly, right, with Haiti’s ministerof foreign affairs; and Deb Currelly, left,with a family moving into a new home.Shortly after they arrived, John started abulk-blend fertilizer business. Sales boomedfor a couple of years, and then the dictatorshipfell. The country was thrown into chaos.The Currellys remember stories of peoplefighting and killing each other for land. Thejustice system collapsed. Any order that hadexisted was broken, and John had no way tocollect on his receivables. So the businessfolded, and he went to work as a consultantin microfinance.Deb had begun operating a factory thatemployed Haitians to do needlework. Americanconsumers who bought do-it-yourselfkits but found them too labour-intensivesent their kits to Haiti to have the workdone for them. The completed needleworkwas then returned to the United States.Deb’s business eventually failed, too,when the United Nations imposed anembargo on all goods entering Haiti.The Currellys have also been victims ofHaiti’s frequent violent crime. But thoseincidents fade into the background whenthey talk about the joy and satisfaction theirlives there have given them. At age 61, theyare planning their retirement on the island.“Haiti and Haitians have been very goodto us,” says John. “We have never thought ofleaving. This really is an extraordinary countrythat welcomes foreigners like nowhereelse. I have developed a great deal of respectand reverence for this country.”John tells many stories of those inextreme poverty sharing the little food theyhave with foreigners and says these acts ofgenerosity have only increased since the Jan.12 earthquake.“The day the earthquake hit, Haitiansecurity guards showed up for work thatevening despite having lost family membersthat day,” says John. “They did this notbecause they were afraid they would losetheir jobs, but because they cared about thepeople they were protecting.”The dust John saw rising from Port-au-Prince has settled on the rubble left behind.More than a million are homeless, living insqualid camps without proper sanitation andscrounging for food. Many are injured orhave lost limbs from being trapped in therubble. And almost every person living inHaiti is carrying a heavy heart because theyhave lost loved ones.The Currellys’ daughter, son-in-law andfour of their six grandchildren live in Haiti.All are safe, and the couple’s home, whichsits on a mountain 2,000 metres above sealevel, was undamaged. But they did losefriends and co-workers to the earthquake.One close friend was trapped under rubblefor 12 hours before she died.“There are horrible stories like thiseverywhere,” says John.But there are also many wonderful storiesof people helping each other, and Deb saysthat’s the natural flow of life returning toHaiti. She and John have tried to emulate thatflow. While raising their own family, they haveSummer 2010 17

THE WORLD HAS REASSURED HAITIANS THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.From left: International food aid to Haiti has been scaled back since the January earthquake, with a new emphasis on helpingthe country build its agriculture sector; Deb Currelly with her grandchildren; and John Currelly interpreting for Angelina Jolie during her2007 humanitarian trip to Haiti.provided food, education, jobs and sometimesa home to both children and adult Haitians.After he turned to consulting, John landeda job with the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID). He studiedHaitian business practices to help developmore effective aid programs. That job led toa position as the country representative inHaiti for the Pan American DevelopmentFoundation (PADF). During his eight yearswith PADF, John worked with donors suchas USAID, the Canadian government, theWorld Bank and the Haitian government.“One of my proudest moments waswhen the Haitian government decided toinvest in PADF,” says John. “It’s rare for apoor country like Haiti to fund a foreignNGO. But we were doing projects that theyreally appreciated.”The PADF projects focused on creatingsustainable jobs and helping Haitians, particularlyfarmers, to succeed. John led a projectto upgrade a mountain road, allowingfarmers to truck their crops instead of losinghalf of their harvest out of sacks carriedby donkeys. He assisted with a project thathired 1,400 people at $2 a day to clean thestreets of Port-au-Prince. People applied inhuge numbers, both for the wages and forthe chance to feel good about improvingtheir city.John now works for Haiti’s largest bank,Unibank, as the executive director of itsfoundation. He’s still focused on grassrootsdevelopment, as the foundation funds projectsin health, education and entrepreneurship.Just two days before the earthquake hit,the foundation had launched a trainingcourse for construction workers intendedto fix poorly constructed buildings.Even before the earthquake, more aiddollars had been entering Haiti followingmultiple hurricanes in 2008 and skyrocketingfood prices caused by the global economicmeltdown. Of the 2010 earthquake,Deb says: “Life has always been hard in Haiti.Now it’s just harder.”Nevertheless, she says the generous outpouringof money and volunteers from aroundthe world has reassured Haitians that they arenot alone. “Canada and the United Statesshould be very proud of their efforts,” she says.In the months following the disaster, theinternational community has moved to createemployment to stimulate the Haitianeconomy. For example, the United States hasbegun a low-wage garment-assembly industrythat functions something like Deb’sneedlework business.“This is a good direction because it createsreal and sustainable jobs,” says John. “Virtuallyany initiative of this type is better thanaid, because aid has negative, unintendedconsequences such as hurting indigenousbusiness, stifling new enterprise and creatingdependencies. It is always better to letpeople work for their gain. It’s a cheaper,more effective way to help, and it protectshuman dignity.” ■18 The Portico

HOW TO SCORE IN BUSINESSFrom left: Doug Adlam, Jordan Gleed and Jesse KirshenbaumPHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBENations are built on thebacks of entrepreneurs, butself-employment isn’t for thefaint of heart. It’s for people whohave vision and passion and aren’tafraid of taking risks, says DougAdlam, B.Comm. ’04 and M.Sc. ’07.He’s got the passion and runs ChampionMortgage Inc. in Guelph, buthe also teaches at U of G and is guidingother would-be entrepreneursthrough a new course aimed at turningideas into successful businesses.The students in Adlam’s fourthyearcourse spend four months onthe background research that unsuccessfulbusinesses often ignore. Hisstudents explore potential businessconcepts or inventions, create a businessplan and present it to a panel ofjudges just as tough as those on thehit TV show Dragon’s Den.“Leading up to the first courseoffering, I wasn’t entirely sure whatto expect in terms of the quality ofwork, or whether they were ready forsuch a challenge,” says Adlam, “ butthe first class of students definitelystepped up to the challenge.”One of the business conceptsdeveloped in that first course is upand running, and Adlam says fourothers could become viable businesseswithin the next year.After taking the course, Jesse Kirshenbaumand Jordan Gleed are finishingtheir degrees and plan tolaunch their new line of sports clothingthis fall.“We came into the class with justa name for our proposed brand, butwe left with a 50-page business planthat we could take to meetings andshow to investors,” says Kirshenbaum.“I can’t stress how valuable this classwas for us. We hadn’t thought aboutsustainability, investors or all the waysto bring in capital. We just had anidea that we thought had potential.Our business plan gives us and thosearound us confidence in our goal.”Kirshenbaum and Gleed are setto join the growing number of youngGuelph alumni who are turning theirpassion into prosperity. Check outsome of their stories and their businesseson the next page.entrepreneursBY REBECCA KENDALLSummer 2010 19

U OF G GRADS TAKE THE BUSINESSMEETTHEBOSSTo readmore aboutthese youngentrepreneursand otherGuelphgraduateswho tookthe businessinto theirown hands,visit www.uoguelph.ca/theportico.PHOTO S BY GRG PAUPST AND JENNIFER MURRAYAndrea Bieleckiand Jeremy FriedbergTHEY’RESOAKING UPSUCCESSIt’s not surprising that AndreaBielecki, B.Sc. ’00, and Jeremy Friedberg,PhD ’03, were running theirown companies soon after graduation.“I have an entrepreneurial spirit,”says Bielecke, who started InVivoCommunications, an interactive mediacompany servicing the medical, pharmaceuticaland biotechnology industries.“I love the freedom and flexibilityof running my own company.”Friedberg launched Vive Technologiesbecause he feels the sameway: “I wanted to do things thatwould evolve and grow, and the onlyway to really do that is through abusiness.” One of Vive’s core servicesis developing educational software.Both of their companies are stillgoing strong, but now they’veteamed up in a joint venture calledSpongelab Interactive, a business thatbrings science to life through interactive3D digital games.Spongelab does a lot of customproduction, including 3D games, animations,websites, even iPhone Apps,all designed to help other organizationscommunicate science usingtechnology with an interactive format.Spongelab also creates programswith broader potential beyond thesciences, and they’ve attracted internationalattention for a product calledGenomics Digital Lab that’s designedfor high school and first-year universitystudents. Players log onto awebsite and discover a richly detailed3D game that teaches them scientificconcepts while they conquer thevarious levels of cell biology.“It’s a real paradigm shift in theeducation system to teach with games,”says Bielecki, “but this is what today’sstudents are used to. We know we’recompeting with the gaming market, sowe make sure our graphics and gameplayare the highest quality.”Their efforts are paying off, withcustomers in 55 countries, awardsfrom the United Nations and theNational Science Foundation, andtwo stories in Science.Jennifer MurrayBAKERYCATERS TOCANINESWith mixers spinning on high, batterbaking in the oven and a dirtyapron tossed on the counter, JenniferMurray’s bakery is in full swing. Hershelves are stocked with ingredientsranging from organic spelt flour andScotch oatmeal to herbs, eggs, pureesand liver. And her tasty creations havea legion of followers across Canada,albeit four-legged ones.Murray, BA ’04, and her businesspartner, Brian Burke, a former U ofG history student, own the AmeliaBiscuit Company in Paris, Ont. Theylaunched the bakery in 2003 andhave since expanded their businessto include a pet retail store.“It looks just like a people bakeryexcept everything is bakedspecifically for dogs,” says Murray.Her interest in baking her owndog biscuits developed just after sheadopted a chow-Shepherd crossnamed Amelia. Not long after bringingAmelia home from the SPCA,Murray discovered that her new dog,like countless other canines acrossthe country, has food allergies.“I started baking for her,” saysMurray, who has since adopted a collie-retrievercross named Sophie anda Boston terrier named Rosie. “Fromthere, my friends started asking me tobake for their dogs, and it just grewand grew. All our recipes are createdwith a dog’s health in mind.”Murray and Burke develop theirown menu, with each new product takingbetween 12 and 18 months todevelop. Wheat, corn and soy top the listof food sensitivities among dogs, she says.In addition to a thriving retailsegment, they also have a wholesalebusiness that supplies 150 to 200stores nationally.REALIZE YOURPOTENTIALJulian Brass, B.Comm ’06, launchedhis career as an adviser at a moneymanagement firm in Fort Lauderdale,Fla. It’s what he thought heshould be doing, but it wasn’t whathe wanted to be doing.“I wasn’t realizing my potential,”says the hospitality and tourism managementgrad. “I finally decided thatif I didn’t go after every singleopportunity I believed to have merit,I’d look back with regret.”Brass wanted to really enjoy hiswork, challenge himself to build aproduct people would value andleave a lasting legacy. He rememberedthe success he’d had creating showsand events when he was in highschool and university, so he left hisjob with an online social engagementwebsite to build NotableTV.com.20 The Portico

INTO THEIR OWN HANDSJulian BrassLaunched early in 2008, the siteis geared to young professionals inToronto. It features lifestyle, business,culture and charitable causes thoughblogging, photography and video;revenue is generated through advertisingand sponsorship.NotableTV.com was nominated bynextMEDIA as one of Canada’s topfive emerging digital brands in 2008.“Among young professionals,we’ve established ourselves successfullyas the purveyors of what’snotable,” says Brass. “Through thisrelationship, we connect them withbrands and experiences that makesense for that demographic.”In addition, Brass uses the site asa platform to interview notable personalities.Wyclef Jean, Rita Marley,Toronto mayor David Miller andCanadian singer Lights are among hismost memorable interviews.LAMBTONFRIENDS AREBUSINESSPARTNERSIn the late 1990s, three guys becamefriends while living in Lambton Hall.Although they didn’t know it at thetime, their friendship would blossominto a thriving business partnership.Jacob Fuller, B.Comm. ’00, andNico Angka, B.Sc. ’01, along withRyan Fitzgibbon, who started hispost-secondary education at Guelph,manage an ever-growing number ofcompanies. One leases domain names.A second, called 207 Media, is a fullyintegrated marketing, web developmentand search engine optimizationcompany. Groovle.com is awebsite they developed to allow usersto customize the start pages of theirInternet browsers with photos andpre-designed pages.The partners made internationalnews in December after they won adomain name dispute launched byGoogle.com. It is only the secondtime Google has lost such a claim inmore than 200 cases, says Fuller.They also own Canlift Equipment,a company that rents and sellsconstruction equipment to contractors,and recently unveiled a newFacebook bingo application.“We’ve been successful with mostof the things we’ve tried,” says Fuller.“We love doing new things and havebeen able to use our online experienceto partner with people andstrategically move in new directions.”This partnering involves a collectionof U of G alumni talent,including physical science grad JimMcFadyen, B.Sc. ’01, and hotel andfood administration grad Ryan Barkwell,B.Comm. ’02, who ownWizard Works, a Calgary-based webmarketing company.Next year, Fuller, Angka andFitzgibbon plan to further expandtheir reach with the release of a vodkacooler. Distribution for the coolerwill be managed by national beveragesupplier The Kirkwood Group,Jacob Fuller andRyan FitzgibbonCorin Comiskywhich is owned in part by PeterKirkwood, B.Comm. ’01.Although Fuller, Angka andFitzgibbon have a lot on their plates,they say it’s all manageable because theyhave good support people in place.“If you go into business for yourself,be sure you are willing to workhard and expect really long days,” saysFuller. “Despite the risk and the hardwork, there are many great benefitsthat await you.”RETAIL STOREGLITTERSCorin Comisky, B.Comm ’00, triedtwo different marketing jobs beforerealizing that she was working toomany hours and still not feeling fulfilled.That’s when she decided to startworking for herself.In 2007, she opened a jewelleryboutique in downtown Guelph. PrettyChic features Canadian-made handcraftedjewellery, including work bysome of the country’s top designers.Comisky says one of the challengesof entrepreneurship is carvingout a name for yourself and steppingahead of the competition. This canbe especially true when workingwith a small budget, she says.She uses traditional forms of advertisingand social media to market herbusiness, but says talking to customersis the best way to engage them. “Youneed to be confident, and you needto be open. You really just need tolisten to your customers,” she says. ■PHOTO S BY MARTIN SCHWALBE, LINDA O’LOUGHLIN AND REBECCA KENDALLentrepreneursSummer 2010 21

PollinatorsFly on ninebarkLocust boreron Canada goldenrodRuby-throated hummingbirdat cardinal flowerIt was only the first week of March and the snowwas lingering ankle-deep when Paul Kelly headed across the U of G bee yard toanswer a question.Why are those honeybees out hovering like dancing cinders around the frontentrances of their box hives? Don’t they know it’s still winter?They’re doing their business, explains Kelly, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’83, who is now in histwenty-third year of managing the University’s Honeybee Research Centre, locatedin Townsend House in the Arboretum. Not the business of gathering food, hesays, but the other business. We call bees busy: now add fastidious. Instead of defecatinginside their hives, they wait for a bright day to go outdoors.Kelly points out the tobacco-coloured stains on the snow, as well as the bodiesof a few unfortunate creatures that hung around outside too long and over-chilled.Most of them dart safely back inside the hive to wait for spring and the real businessof gathering pollen and nectar for their new brood and, incidentally, as with otherpollinators, helping to feed the rest of us on Earth.We’re not talking just about honey, or even just about honeybees, although theyplay an outsized role in the business of pollinating almost every food crop grownon the planet. Is it true that one in every three bites of human food depends onpollinators? Yes, says Prof. Peter Kevan, a longtime insect ecologist who retired in2009 from the School of Environmental Sciences (SES). He also confirms that, innature, 75 per cent of all flowering plants depend on pollinators for fertilization— not only bees, but butterflies, moths, flies, beetles and birds.Kevan is co-founder and scientific director of the Canadian Pollination Initiative(NSERC-CANPOLIN), a national research group supported by a five-year,$5-million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.CANPOLIN involves about 50 researchers, including a large U of G contingentof ecologists, taxonomists, biologists, landscape architects, mathematicians and statisticians,economists and artists — all working to understand and reverse the dropoffin animal pollinators and the parallel declines in seed and fruit production inboth agriculture and natural ecosystems.Insect pollination is worth at least $1 billion to Canadian farmers; globally, it underpinsan estimated $400 billion each year in agricultural and forestry products.Beyond the farm, consider the central role of pollinators in sustaining plant life,and soon you’re connecting those bugs and birds with maintenance of the planet’sTHEIRS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT HUMANS22 The Portico

and Plantswater, oxygen and carbon dioxide.Tom Woodcock, a former stream ecologist who now works on campus as aresearch associate in CANPOLIN’s national office, says: “We need a grand unifiedlaw of pollination that allows us to understand how the process maintains healthyplant populations across the landscape and maintains the life support systems thatthe landscape provides.”Both managed and natural ecosystems are threatened by largely unexplaineddeclines in those populations of pollinators. “Colony collapse disorder” in the UnitedStates — catastrophic losses of honeybees — has generated numerous headlinesin recent years. Canadian beekeepers have also lost huge numbers of bees: in somecases, over 30 per cent of their colonies in each of the last three winters. Ontariobees died at more than twice the expected winter loss. Beekeepers have blamedsuch factors as disease, pesticide exposure, malnutrition and climate change.Says Kevan: “If the pollinators aren’t there, crop yields suffer. It’s simple supplyand demand. If yields are low, the prices of affected commodities go up.”This winter, one of his departmental colleagues pinned down a major culprit.Environmental sciences professor Ernesto Guzman says parasitic varroa mites areassociated with more than 85 per cent of honeybee colony mortality in Ontario. Hisstudy in 2007 and 2008 of more than 400 commercial colonies in the province alsofound that weak populations and low food reserves in the fall can kill one in 10 colonies.“We’re pretty sure we’ve solved a great deal of the mystery,” says Guzman, whoseresearch was funded by the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, the Ontario Ministryof Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, NSERC, and the Inter-AmericanInstitute for Co-operation on Agriculture.His study was widely reported by Canadian and international media after itappeared in a leading apiculture journal in January. Based on his study, Guzmanrecommends beekeepers strictly follow a mite treatment regimen, feed their beesenough sugar syrup and avoid splitting colonies too late in the season. Tim Greer,president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, says the Guelph study will helpthe province’s roughly 2,200 beekeepers improve their management practices,although the industry still needs reliable treatments for varroa mites.Finding treatments might also involve Guzman, at least indirectly. He hasoutfitted his Bovey Building lab with tools and taken on a team of internationalstudents and researchers to study genetic techniques intended to help breedersMonarch butterflyon Joe-Pye weedNative paper waspon Canada goldenrodHalictid bee on fleabaneMUST PROTECT / BY ANDREW VOWLESSummer 2010 23

Hummingbird moth onbutterfly bushBee sure youknow the facts■ Beekeeping at Guelphdates back to 1894.■ U of G’s Buckfast beestrace their ancestry toEngland.■ The University apiaryboasts 300 colonies;only 70 are on campus.■ The apiary produces8,000 kilograms ofhoney per year.■ Both students andlocal customers enjoyGuelph honey ontheir toast.■ No other university orresearch centre in thecountry possessesmore beekeeping infrastructurethan U of G.To read more abouthoneybees and U of Gresearch devoted topollinators, visitwww.uoguelph.ca/news/theportico.Honeybee on tree peonydevelop better bees. Considered among thetop facilities of its kind worldwide, it resemblesa molecular biology lab, complete withPCR machines used to generate numerouscopies of bee DNA for closer study. Guzmanuses bees at that Honeybee ResearchCentre on campus and at other locationsaround Guelph for his studies. Working withOntario bee breeders, his team will look forgenes to improve resistance to mites anddiseases, as well as genes of economic importanceand even parts of the bee genomepossibly connected with social behaviour.Guzman also works with other researchersacross Canada within CANPOLIN’s workinggroup on managed pollinators, which isstudying the impacts of diseases, parasites andpesticides on honeybees, bumblebees andrelated pollinators. As part of that group,Kevan’s interests are in the area of mitigatingthe effects of stresses such as overwintering,management, diseases and parasites throughresearch on bee nutrition, the environmentwithin the hive and novel medications.That’s just one of seven working groupswithin CANPOLIN that involve U of Gscientists. Within the ecosystems group,Woodcock and other researchers have surveyedvarious ecosystems across Canada tolearn more about how pollinators and plantswork together. Other groups are studyingnative pollinators, plant reproduction, windORNAMENTALS■ allium■ anemone■ angelica■ bachelor buttons■ beebalm■ bergamot■ blue lobelia■ boneset■ Brown-eyed Susan■ butterfly weed■ Canada wild rye■ Cardinal flower■ cornflower■ cosmos■ cow parsnip■ creeping thyme■ crocus■ Culver’s root■ cup plant■ daffodil■ datura■ daisy fleabane■ delphinium■ evening primrose■ fireweed■ flax■ Fuchsia■ golden Alexanders■ goldenrod■ hairy beardtongue■ heuchera■ Indian hemp■ iris■ ironweed■ Joe-Pye weedpollination, beekeeping economics and theuse of predictive tools to gauge likely impactsof, say, changes in climate and land use.At Guelph, these groups draw in partnersfrom two departments not directly related tobiology. Faculty members in the Departmentof Food, Agricultural and Resource Economicsare studying economics and socialaspects of pollination to ultimately help shapepolicy and management decisions. Prof. AyeshaAli, a statistician in the Department of Mathematicsand Statistics, is studying pollinationwebs that describe the interaction of diversespecies of plants and pollinators. She hopes todevelop models to help biologists understandhow problems such as habitat loss, forest fragmentationor the introduction of non-nativespecies can affect plant-pollinator interactions.Another CANPOLIN member is Prof.Cynthia Scott-Dupree, an entomologist whohas studied apiculture and agriculture atGuelph for 24 years. As a teenager in Brandon,Man., she helped tend about 100colonies kept by her dad. Now she workswith growers (vegetables, ornamentals andfood crops) and industry to help design integratedpest management strategies thatmitigate insect pests while avoiding harm tobene ficial insects. She has looked at the impactsof pesticides on pollinators as well as invasivespecies imported with plants intended forCanadian greenhouses. In another projectGROW A POLLINATOR GARDEN■ late figwort■ lobelia■ marigold■ meadowsweet■ morning glory■ New England aster■ New Jersey tea■ nicotiana■ ninebark■ pale Indian plantain■ petunia■ phlox■ purple clematis■ purple coneflower■ Queen Anne’s lace■ sand coreopsis■ sedum■ shasta daisy24 The Portico

■ shrubby cinquefoil■ snowdrop■ smooth aster■ sunflower■ swamp milkweed■ trumpet honeysuckle■ trumpetvine■ Virginia creeper■ wild columbine■ wild onion■ wild strawberry■ yellow coneflower■ yellow giant hyssopSHRUBS■ blueberry■ cedar■ climbing hydrangea■ dogwood■ eastern white cedar■ elderberry■ highbush cranberry■ juniper■ northern bayberry■ pussywillow■ red currant■ serviceberry■ shrubby cinquefoil■ sumac■ winterberry■ viburnumTREES■ crab apple■ chokecherry■ fruit treesfunded by an Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada/NSERC grant, Scott-Dupree lookedat how different ways of growing canolaaffected wild bees and how growers mightalter their management practices to boost pollinatornumbers and diversity.“More seeds mean more oil,” she says,underscoring pollinator diversity as a foodsecurity issue. “It’s important to have beesand other pollinators there.”If that’s true for commercial growers, it alsoholds for home gardens and public spaces:even former garbage dumps. What manyGuelph residents still view as the former Eastviewlandfill site is intended as the futurehome of a 45-hectare pollinator park. Thisproject will turn the site into a pollinatordemonstration model, says landscape architectKaren Landman. She is a lead researcher onthe project, working with a number of Guelphfaculty, city officials and other local groups.They’ll begin the rehabilitation this year byplanting five hectares of the site with speciesof flowers that attract bees, butterflies and birds.Organized as Pollination Guelph, the groupalso plans to develop pollinator gardens at otherdemonstration sites around the city, includinga garden planned for the Guelph Centrefor Urban Organic Farming, a one-hectareparcel in the Arboretum, and residential siteshousing the city’s water pumping stations.Marianna Horn, a graduate student workingwith Kevan, is studying urban bee diversityin Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener andWaterloo. She says there are often more beesand more diversity of bees in sites zonedindustrial than in many green areas. Recentlydeveloped subdivisions, she adds, are thepoorest places for pollinators in our cityscapes.All the more reason, says Landman, toshowcase plant materials that attract pollinatorsand test ideas for low-irrigation, pesticide-freegardening that looks good.“We’re trying to create functional butesthetic landscapes,” she says.Victoria MacPhail, M.Sc. ’07, is anothermember of Pollination Guelph who stressesthe importance of educating home gardeners.She served as CANPOLIN’s networkmanager during its launch in 2008 and isnow a natural heritage technician withCredit Valley Conservation. She also wrotea guidebook on pollinator-friendly nativeplants for the Toronto area, a project of theDavid Suzuki Foundation.Many of the plants she recommendedfor city dwellers are evident in the University’sGosling Wildlife Gardens and willbe planted in the Eastview demonstrationsite. Their common names are also printedbelow this story to illustrate the idea thatwe as individuals can also contribute toCANPOLIN’s overarching mandate: protectingpollinators. ■IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD■ hop tree■ poplar■ willowVEGETABLES ANDHERBS■ catnip■ coriander■ dwarf egg plant■ lavender■ mint■ parsley■ peppers■ pumpkin■ rosemary■ sage■ salvia■ thymeU of G bee yardGrow pollenin your gardenPaul Kelly manages the U of G bee yard, butChris Earley, B.Sc. ’92, likes to claim the honey.An interpretive biologist and education coordinatorat the Arboretum, Earley teases: “The70 honeybee colonies located on campus aremaking Arboretum honey.”It’s a safe bet that the insects are takingadvantage of the Arboretum’s flowering plants,shrubs and trees. In fact, the Arboretum takescare to ensure a plentiful menu of plants withinthe Gosling Wildlife Gardens to attract beesand other pollinators.“A lot of people think pollinators and justthink of bees,” says Earley. Think again. Otherpollinators include numerous species of flies,butterflies, mosquitoes, moths, beetles, batsand birds — not to mention one abiotic factor:wind. “You don’t even think of them as beingpollinators.”Visit the Arboretum at the right time, hesays, and you might spot a ruby-throated hummingbirddipping into a trumpet creeper’s scarletbloom. Or you might see a hummingbirdmoth, so-named for the insect’s resemblanceto the bird, right down to its retractile proboscisand its daytime foraging. Or any one of severalspecies of tachinid bristle flies, whose hairybodies collect pollen much like a bee’s does.Goldenrod nectar is a favoured food for beetles,and a larval bed in the garden containsplants that attract butterflies whose caterpillarstages require special feeding, including thepearly everlasting plant for the American ladybutterfly and milkweed for the monarch.Each photo in this feature depicts both apollinator and a favoured bloom growing in theU of G Arboretum. Our thanks to the photographers:Chris Earley, Jon Bierley, LyndsayFraser and Paul Kelly.Summer 2010 25

Alumni AchievementsalumniEventsu of guelphgreat guelph gradsPHOTO COURTESY MIRJANA VRBASKIPhotographercaptures U.K.portrait prizeMirjana Vrbaski, BA ’01,needed only one click of theshutter to capture the portraitof a young Dutch girl that was awardedfourth place in a prestigious photographiccompetition hosted by the National PortraitGallery in London, England. Sponsoredin 2009 by a European law firm,the Taylor Wessing Photographic PortraitPrize drew 6,300 entries.Vrbaski is currently a student at theRoyal Academy of Art in The Hagueand plans to pursue a career in portraiture.Born in Montreal and raisedin Serbia, she completed high schoolin Canada and studied English literatureat U of G. She also worked as astudent writer in the Office ofResearch SPARK program.“The idea of moving back toCanada is always there in the back ofmy mind, but for now I am inspired bythe people and atmosphere of Holland.Photography is very valued in Hollandand there are countless opportunitiesfor a starting photographer,” she says.“My work revolves around doingaway with everything that is claustrophobicallypersonal in a portrait anddrawing out something universal andessential instead.”Mirjana VrbaskiVrbaski’s winning portrait, simplycalled Girl, was exhibited at theNational Portrait Gallery with 59 othersfrom the competition. The exhibitionis showing at the Shipley ArtGallery in Newcastle until July 6 andwill be at the New Art Gallery in Walsallfrom July 16 to Sept. 12.Achievers of thehighest orderUniversity of Guelph alumnus JeffreyLozon, BA ’76, and honorarydegree recipients Jean Augustine and BurtonCummings were appointed to the Orderof Canada in January.Lozon was recognized for his 31-yearcareer as a Canadian health-care professional.Now president and CEO of long-termcare provider Revera Inc., he served previouslyas CEO of St. Michael’s Hospital inToronto, deputy minister of health and longtermcare for Ontario and chair of the CanadianPartnership Against Cancer. He wasnamed U of G’s Alumnus of Honour in 2008.Jean Augustine, H.D.La. ’09, was the firstAfrican-Canadian woman elected to Parliament.She went on to serve as a cabinet ministerand Canada’s first fairness commissioner.Burton Cummings, H.D.Mus. ’01, is aninternationally recognized Canadian singerand songwriter. He won numerous JunoAwards with the band The Guess Who andas a solo vocalist.26 The Portico

mattersNetworkingNew chancellor’s award presentedFrom left: Pamela Wallin, Rachael Vriezen and Alastair Summerlee.Uof G chancellor PamelaWallin attended a Universitywideawards ceremony in February toaward the first Pamela Wallin Chancellor’sScholarship to Rachael Vriezen,a first-year student from Cambridge,Ont. Established in 2009 as part of theChancellors’ and President’s Scholarshipprogram, the award will be presentedannually in appreciation forWallin’s service to the University andwill provide $26,000 over four years toThank you from U of GTheU niversity’ s ongoing“Thank You” campaign recentlythe recipient. Vriezen is studying internationaldevelopment in the Collegeof Social and Applied Human Sciences.The annual awards ceremony recognizedthe donors of 40 undergraduateand graduate awards and honoured morethan 75 student award recipients. Othernew awards included the Tony and AnneArrell Scholarships, the Al SingletonHockey Scholarship and the Art RouseMemorial Scholarship in Veterinary andComparative Cancer Studies.acknowledged students for their contributionsto the Energy ConservationFund. For the March 27 Earth Hour,“Thank You” tags highlighted theimpact of energy retrofit projects oncampus sustainability.Guelph students initiated and supportedan energy conservation referendumin April 2007, pledging $10 persemester for 12 years. The student fees,as well as gifts from other individuals,are matched one-to-one by the Universityadministration. More than $1million has been contributed to theEnergy Conservation Fund.PHOTO BY REBECCA KENDALLPHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBEPHOTO BY ROSS DAVIDSON-PILONWe are advancingthe U of G visionAddressing the challenges that face ourcommunities and our world is a priorityfor the University of Guelph. Your almamater is a pioneer in research that addressesthe fundamental systems of life — ourfood supply, the environment, animal andhuman health, and the economic and culturalwell-being of our communities. TheUniversity’s mission to change lives andimprove life matters now more than ever.To accelerate discovery and change, myacademic and research colleagues atGuelph are bridging disciplines, institutionsand borders to pursue new forms of partnership,collaboration and leadership.To facilitate their efforts, the Universityis beginning a major fundraising effort thatwill be publicly announced later this yearand will culminate in 2014 when we celebrateGuelph’s 50th anniversary as a university.The money we raise could transformU of G as well as our own lives.Together, we will build the capacity the Universityneeds to tackle those big questions.Alumni support is crucial to our success.We have already met with thousands of ourstakeholders, and their message has beenclear: Guelph alumni understand that the Uof G experience sets them apart from others,and they are proud to be strong ambassadorsfor their alma mater. We invite all ofyou to join us and to share in the achievements,the momentum and the excitementat the University of Guelph.Joanne ShovellerVice-PresidentAlumni Affairs and DevelopmentSummer 2010 27

u of galumni mattersPHOTOS COURTESY ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT PHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBEFrom left: U of G president Alastair Summerlee and UGAA president Linda Hruskaand treasurer Colin HenryPaid in fullAlumni who have visited RozanskiHall will have seen the University ofGuelph Alumni Association name in tiles onthe foyer floor. This is a tangible reminderthat, in 2001, UGAA committed to donateProud U of G alumni gathered at the OttawaSenators Feb. 11. Alumni Affairs and Developmentcontinues to host alumni events inregions across Canada, with president AlastairSummerlee or other senior administratorsbringing University news and greetings.Events are planned this spring in Calgary,Vancouver, Ottawa and London, Ont. Findout when U of G is coming to your area atwww.alumni.uoguelph.ca/regionaltravel.$500,000 toward construction of this stateof-the-artteaching facility. The associationembraced the opportunity to show leadershipsupport for a building focused on thebest teaching and learning for students.This was a decision of remarkable confidenceand vision. Without a large sumAlumni events bring friends togetherMore than 125 engineering alumni attendedthe annual Engineering Alumni AssociationBonspiel. Current engineering studentsalso participated this year, as did CPESdean Tony Vannelli and Prof. Hussein Abdullah,director of the School of Engineering.Dr. Ken Bridge, DVM ’80, a mixed-animalpractitioner from Kincardine, Ont., chatswith student Megan Noyes at the OVCavailable at the time, we pledged to provide$50,000 per year for 10 years. These annualdonations were financed through UGAArevenue from our affinity partners.This year, the UGAA board paid notonly our 2010 installment but our 2011amount as well. We were delighted to declarethe full $500,000 pledge “paid in full” andto give president Alastair Summerlee the finalinstalment in the foyer of Rozanski Hall.The president said he couldn’t have askedfor a more meaningful expression of supportfrom U of G’s alumni family. The finalpayment, he said, came at an opportune timefor the University and demonstrates the caringand commitment of alumni.With the completion of this commitmentto the past capital campaign, UGAA plans tomake a significant donation to the currentfundraising effort, which will culminate withthe University’s 50th anniversary in 2014.Alumni who have suggestions about the specificform of our donation may write to meat ugaa@uoguelph.ca.Linda HruskaB.Sc.(Agr.) ’85, M.Agr. ’88President, UGAAWatering Hole, a networking event hostedby the OVC Alumni Association and thedean’s office. More than half of OVC’s Phase4 undergrads attended the inaugural eventto receive career guidance.Former women’s basketball players from the1950s to today gathered at the second annualWomen’s Alumni Basketball Day in January.Alumni attended a reception, a Gryphonbasketball game and a gathering at Gryph’sSports Lounge.28 The Portico

ALUMNI WEEKENDJUNE 18 AND 19“Students for a Short Time, Alumni for Life!” Thetheme of this year’s Alumni Weekend certainly ringstrue for many of us who are celebrating importantmilestones in 2010. We all share fond recollectionsof our days at Guelph, and Alumni Weekend allowsus to reconnect with friends and rekindle some ofthose wonderful memories. Alumni Weekend is agreat time to celebrate our alma mater and its importance in our lives.Please join us at the University of Guelph, a place that has meant somuch to us all.ROBBIE KEITH, BSA ’60 HONORARY CHAIRFRIDAY EVENING■ Alumni-in-Actionwelcome tentMac-FACS-FRANAA annual generalmeeting■ OAC AA annualgeneral meetingand reception■ Farewell receptionfor CSAHS deanAlun Joseph■ Star Party inthe physicsobservatorySATURDAYMORNING■ Alumni-in-Actionwelcome tent■ OVC AA welcomebreakfast andannual generalmeeting■ Campus walkingtours■ CBS AA breakfastand annualgeneral meeting■ MacdonaldInstitute tour■ BioproductsDevelopmentand DiscoveryCentre tour■ Arboretum40th anniversaryopen house■ President’sHouse toursSATURDAYAFTERNOON■ President’s Lunchcelebrating theclass of 1960■ Drop into theBullring■ Campus bus tours■ Special collectionsin the library■ UGAA annualgeneral meeting■ MacdonaldInstitute tour■ BioproductsDevelopmentand DiscoveryCentre tour■ MacdonaldStewart Art Centrewalking tourSATURDAYEVENING■ Alumni Receptionand Dinner■ Lost in the ’80spub nightRegister earlybefore eventssell out.Details atwww.alumni.uoguelph.caU of G’s Alumni WalkPHOTO BY ROSS DAVIDSON-PILONPHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBEThree partnerssupport womenin scienceIn January, the University of Guelph celebratedits partnership with Research InMotion (RIM) and the Natural Sciences andEngineering Research Council (NSERC) thatsupports a research chair dedicated toincreasing the participation of women in scienceand engineering programs. Accordingto Engineers Canada, fewer than 20 percent of undergraduate engineering studentsin Canada are women.Engineering professor Valerie Davidsonholds the RIM/NSERC Chair for Women inScience and Engineering. Her efforts haveincluded outreach programs in publicschools, Girl Guide summer camps, andprograms to help female scientists and engineerssecure research positions.Those attending the event included, toprow, from left: Robert Crow, RIM’s vicepresidentfor industry, government anduniversity relations, and Prof. Kevin Hall,U of G’s vice-president research. Frontrow: Prof. Tony Vannelli, dean of the Collegeof Physical and Engineering Science;Joanne Shoveller, vice-president,alumni affairs and development; Prof.Valerie Davidson; and Suzanne Fortier,president of NSERC.DID YOU KNOW?Co-operative Education and Career Servicesat U of G offers a full range of servicesto alumni free for one year after graduation.Visit www.cecs.uoguelph.ca for informationon career planning and job search.Summer 2010 29

Does it really matter whichcredit card you use?Dear University of Guelph Alumni;Yes, it really does matter which credit card you use, and here’s why.When you choose the University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA)MasterCard from BMO Bank of Montreal, every purchase you make helps supportyour alma mater with no additional cost to you.BMO Bank of Montreal is one of U of G’s valued affinity partners. Over the lastfew years, your Alumni Association has worked with BMO Bank of Montreal tobuild the foundation for a successful affinity credit card program… one that notonly generates revenue to support our work, but also offers valuable benefits thatpersonally reward you for using the card!The University of Guelph affinity card offers great reward choices:• No Fee or Gold AIR MILES MasterCard• No Fee or Premium CashBack MasterCard.Whether you’re looking for great value in a card or are interested in higher levelsof rewards, there are excellent options to consider.If you don’t have a BMO University of Guelph MasterCard yet, we invite youto review the great features online at bmo.com/guelph. If you already have acard, we thank you, and hope that you’re enjoying the personal rewards fromusing the card.Make the choice that matters. Please help support your University by applyingtoday and selecting the card that’s right for you.Linda HruskaPresidentUniversity of Guelph Alumni Association

NO ANNUAL FEEReward yourself.Get the new BMO ®University of Guelph AlumniAssociation MasterCard ® *Reward yourself with 1 AIR MILES ®† reward mile for every $20 spentor 0.5% CashBack ® and pay no annual fee 1 . Or, earn rewards fasterwith a Gold AIR MILES MasterCard or Premium CashBack MasterCard 2 .Visit bmo.com/guelph to learn more about BMO MasterCard features.Give something backWith every purchase you make, BMO Bank of Montreal ® makes acontribution to help support the University of Guelph, at no additionalcost to you.Apply now!1 800 263-2263Alumni: bmo.com/guelphCall 1 800 263-2263 to switch your BMO MasterCard to a BMOUniversity of Guelph Alumni Association MasterCard1. Award of AIR MILES reward miles or CashBack rewards is made for purchases charged to your account (less refunds) and is subject to the Terms and Conditions of your BMO MasterCardCardholder Agreement. 2. $99 annual fee applies to Gold AIR MILES MasterCard. $49 annual fee applies to Premium CashBack MasterCard. TM/® Trade-marks/registered trade-marks ofBank of Montreal. ®* MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. ®† Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne,Inc. and Bank of Montreal.

Careers • Families • LifegradExperiences •university of guelphSelf-propelled and sustainablePHOTO FROM PEDAL ACROSS THE AMERICASLeft to right: Garrett Gauthier, Justin Pape and Kristi MahyKristi Mahy, B.Sc.(Env.) ’08, andthree like-minded environmentalactivists want your attention. In fact,they want millions of people fromGuelph to Vancouver, down the westcoast of the United States and south asfar as Costa Rica to take notice of theirplan to promote sustainable living.As soon as Garrett Gauthier picksup his U of G degree in June, he andMahy will join Justin Pape, BLA ’08,and Viera Linderova on a one-yearcycling odyssey covering 16,100 kilometresthrough nine countries.They’re starting at a sustainabilitydemonstration home in Guelph calledthe Onean Project and will end up ata biological reserve near Puntarenas,Costa Rica. They plan to visit and recognizepeople practising sustainablelivelihoods and to convince a skepticalpublic that sustainability is feasible.“We want to show that, no matterwhere you live, you can make meaningfulcontributions to planetaryhealth,” says Mahy. “We aim to weavea network along our route connectingindividuals, families, communities andorganizations that demonstrate successfulsustainable and socially consciousliving initiatives.”Hoping to share information andresources, the four cyclists will blog,post photos and try to attract mediaattention. To follow their journey, visitwww.pedalacrosstheamericas.com.Use the website to contact them if youlive on their 16,000-kilometre routeand would like to share your own storyof sustainable living.1940s■ Harry Barrett, BSA ’49,co-wrote the book Alligatorsof the North, which chroniclesthe history of a steam-poweredwarping tug that wasnicknamed the Alligator. TheWest and Peachey Companyof Simcoe, Ont., inventedand sold Alligators to the forestindustry during the late1800s and early 1900s. Thebook was published by NaturalHeritage Books inMarch, and proceeds will beused to help maintain the lastfunctioning Alligator whichis moored on the Lynn Riverin Simcoe. For more information,call 519-426-2782.1960s■ Ken Gardiner, DVM ’65,worked in a large-animal practicefor two years after graduation,then began a 30-yearcareer in meat hygiene withthe Canadian Food InspectionAgency. He and his wife, Judy,have two daughters, a son andfive grandchildren, and haveretired on a small farm nearthe resort town of SylvanLake, Alta. He plays hockey,and they both curl and golf.■ Richard Helmer, ADA’62, was one of severalGuelph graduates chosen tocarry the Olympic torch onits journey across Canada.While running the torchDec. 23, he thought of hisaunt Florence Bell, who wasone of the first gold-medalOlympians for Canada at the1928 Games in the Netherlands.She ran the third leg ofthe one-by-four 400-metrerace. Helmer says it was anhonour to be chosen to carrythe torch. Afterwards, heheaded for Arizona andwatched the VancouverGames in true snowbird style.■ Paul Mooradian, BA ’68,is retired and living in32 The Portico

emoriesnewsOakville, Ont. He and hiswife are looking forward toa month-long trip to Chinato celebrate their 40thwedding anniversary.1970s■ Dianne Duff, B.A.Sc.’72, is teaching online coursesin family studies forQueen’s University inKingston, Ont. “I retiredfrom teaching at the secondary-schoollevel only tofind myself teaching at theuniversity level,” she says. “It’sgreat, and the experiences Ihad as an undergrad atGuelph are still relevant.” Herdaughter, Jennifer, B.Sc. ’07,studied animal biology at Uof G and is now enrolled inveterinary medicine at theUniversity of Glasgow.■ Barry Heath, DVM ’72,has been appointed to theSaskatchewan AutomobileInjury Appeal Commission.His appointment follows 24years of service as a coronerin Saskatoon and area. Heathretired as a veterinarian inOctober 2005.Jane Hilton■ Jane Hilton, B.Sc. ’77,was recently named presidentof the Ontario LibraryBoard Association. She isalso chair of the WhitbyPublic Library board andthe Southern OntarioLibrary Service TrusteeCouncil No. 5. Currentlyon leave from her positionin the health humanresources policy division ofthe Ontario Ministry ofHealth and Long-TermCare, Hilton is working as aproject manager at theDurham College School ofHealth and CommunityServices. Her son, Alec Fry,plans to study environmentalengineering at U of G.■ Vickie and Steve Lawson,both B.Sc. ’79, live inWarkworth, New Zealand,and welcome email fromGuelph friends at vickiemlawson@slingshot.co.nz.Willem Moolenbeek withU of G choir conductor MartaMcCarthy at a master classfor Guelph students.■ Willem Moolenbeek,B.Sc. ’77 and M.Sc. ’81, is asaxophonist in demand forstudio and club dates, recitals,chamber music, orchestraland solo engagements. Hehas been teaching since 1984and gives clinics and concertsfor school boards throughoutOntario and for specializedgroups such as theCanadian Band DirectorsAssociation. He taught in theCity of Burlington’s musicprogram, offers privateinstruction and is a memberof the faculty at the NationalMusic Camp of Canada.He also instructs concertsaxophone at McMasterUniversity in Hamilton, theBeckett School in Waterlooand universities of Waterlooand Guelph.Rick Rosatte prepares toboard an A-Star helicopter tocapture and radio-collar elksouth of Bancroft in January.■ Rick Rosatte, B.Sc. ’78,is a senior research scientistwith the Ontario Ministryof Natural Resources’wildlife research and developmentsection in Peterborough,Ont. He is based atTrent University, where he isalso an adjunct professor inthe watershed ecosystemsgraduate program. He holdsgraduate degrees in diseaseepidemiology and is currentlystudying wildlife diseases,particularly rabies andchronic wasting disease. Heis also leading research programson the restoration ofelk in Ontario, as well as theorigin and distribution ofcougars in the province.COMING EVENTSMay 30 • CBS alumni family dayat the Royal Botanical Gardens inBurlington, Ont. Watch for detailsat www.alumni.uoguelph.ca.June 18 and 19 • AlumniWeekend. See page 29.June 19 • Arboretum 40thanniversary open house, 10a.m. to 3 p.m..Sept. 3 • Deadline for 2010Campus Authors event. Submitbooks published in 2009 and 2010at www.author.lib.uoguelph.ca.Sept. 25 • Homecoming;Guelph vs. Western at 1 p.m.To organize a reunion for yourgroup, contact Sam Kosakowskiat skosakow@uoguelph.ca.Oct. 23 • Economics alumni banquetto mark the 45th anniversaryof U of G graduate programs ineconomics; all MA and PhD economicsgraduates are invited.Save the date and contact AnneBolger at abolger@uoguelph.cafor details.Nov. 13 • Annual Hockey Day inGryphonville. Celebrate themen’s varsity teams of the1960s, when we said farewell tothe Redmen and welcomed theGryphons. All hockey alumniand friends are invited; eventsinclude shinny games, a familyskate, a Gryphon game and adinner and banquet. For details,contact Sam Kosakowski atskosakow@uoguelph.ca.Fall 2010 • The Arboretum isplanning a reunion for all formeremployees (full-time, part-time,work study). Contact Ric Jordanfor details at rjordan@uoguelph.ca.Summer 2010 33

■ Christine Zink, DVM ’78and PhD ’86, was named OutstandingWoman Veterinarian ofthe Year in 2009 by the Associationfor Women VeterinariansFoundation in the United States.She is a professor and director ofthe Department of Molecularand Comparative Pathobiologyat the Johns Hopkins School ofMedicine in Baltimore.1980s■ Ian Candfield, B.Comm. ’85,lives in Montreal with his wife,Claire Crozier, and their almostfive-year-old son, Jude. Candfieldis an accredited financial securityadviser and financial managementadviser with CIBC WoodGundy. After graduation, hespent 13 years with a Montrealhotel consulting firm beforeturning to financial advising.Candfield says he has fond memoriesof the HAFA program, varsitysoccer, the Keg and oldfriends, who can contact him atian.candfield@cibc.ca.■ George Charbonneau,DVM ’81, and his wife, AnnCoyle, operate a veterinary practicein Stratford, Ont., and willbe honoured in June when theOntario Pork Industry Council(OPIC) holds its annual HogJog. Proceeds from the charityrun/walk will go to StratfordGeneral Hospital, where Charbonneaureceived emergencytreatment after suffering a heartattack. He is a founding directorof OPIC. For more information,go to www.hogjog.ca.■ Mark Finnimore, ADA ’84,has worked in the poultryindustry for 25 years and is currentlyvice-president, operationsand logistics, for Maple LodgeFarms in Norval, Ont. He andhis wife, Lena, and their children,Nathan, 8, and Gwendolyn,5, live near Kitchener.Finnimore says Maple Lodgewas one of the companies hisGuelph diploma class toured aspart of their field studies. “Thatparticular tour was one of theoriginal events that created myinterest in the poultry industry,and I haven’t been able toshake the bug since.” Friendsare invited to contact him atmark_finnimore@yahoo.ca.■ Michelle Gietz, B.Sc.(Agr.)’83, recently published a booktitled It Was Our Town aboutchildhood memories growing upin the hamlet of Scandia, Alta.The Scandia Eastern IrrigationDistrict Museum will receive $2from the sale of each book.■ Brett Kelly, B.Sc. ’84, wasappointed justice of the peacein the Ontario Court of Justicein October and is assigned tothe court in St. Catharines.■ Leon Leclair, ADA ’84, isLeclair stands in the back row,second from the right, amongfarmers and United Way volunteersat a cheque presentation inJanuary.chair of the Bushels of Hopecampaign for the United Way ofChatham-Kent and is creditedwith increasing awareness of theagricultural community and itsgenerosity over the last threeyears. The photo above represents$10,000 donated by the farmingcommunity and matched byLaprise Farms.34 The Portico

■ James Pang, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’83,returned to Malaysia after graduatingfrom U of G. For the last 10years, he has been self-employedas a quality management consultantproviding ISO 9001 consultancyand training. He recentlyobtained permanent resident statusfor Canada and is exploringjob opportunities in Ontario. Heinvites other U of G alumni tocheck out his website atwww.jpassociates.webstar.my.1990s■ Steven Arkle, BA ’97, ofGuelph has a new gig announcingfor the Tri-City Roller Girlsunder the name of LightningSlim. He landed the job aftermarrying a member of the localroller-derby league.■ Jody Boehnert, BA ’92, livesin London, England, where sheis founding director of EcoLabs,a company that develops projectsto visually communicate complexenvironmental information(see www.eco-labs.org). In 2007,she co-founded Transition TownBrixton, the first urban spacebased on the collaborative designof a local energy descent plan.She has worked for a decade asa graphic designer, writes andspeaks on design and the environment,and is a PhD candidateat the University of Brighton.■ Tim Cooey, B.Sc. ’90, is inhis 15th year as a biologist at theOntario Science Centre inToronto. “Throughout the years,I have contributed to the developmentof many new liveexhibits and hopefully improvedmany of the existing ones,” hesays. “I’m looking forward tomany more productive years,inspiring minds young and oldto learn more about science.”■ Jim Hamilton, M.Sc. ’90,recently returned to Canada afterworking for four years as a fieldproject manager on a projectfunded by the Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agencyin Bangladesh. Now in Ottawa,he is program manager for Asiawith CHF (Canadian HungerFoundation) and currently hasadditional responsibilities as actingregional director for Asia.■ Darryl Huard, B.Sc. ’91, isthe second secretary (immigration)at the Canadian HighCommission in Nairobi, Kenya.“My spouse and I have beenenjoying travelling around sub-Saharan Africa for the past coupleof years,” he says. “We spentour third wedding anniversaryDec. 31 on a beach in beautifulCape Town, South Africa.”■ Steven Rowland, B.Sc. ’90,worked for 13 years at Merck inMontreal, but he says restructuringthere opened the doorfor him to join the pharmaceuticalresearch team at Novartisin Boston, Mass.Kyle Walters■ Kyle Walters, B.Sc. ’97, hasstepped down as coach of thefootball Gryphons to pursuecoaching at the professional level.He spent a total of seven yearswith the Gryphon football programas a player and coach. Hehelped guide the Gryphons tothree straight playoff appearancesfrom 2007 to 2009 and led themto the 2007 Ontario UniversityAthletics (OUA) final. Original-A legacy gift supports academic excellenceand enriches the student experience.Tomorrow Matters Now.For information on bequests and planned giving, please contactRoss Butler at 519-824-4120, ext. 56196 or rbutler@uoguelph.caSummer 2010 35

ly from St. Thomas, Ont., Waltersplayed professional football for theHamilton Tiger Cats and spent aseason as the assistant specialteam’s coach in Hamilton.■ Maxine Westhead, B.Sc. ’96,wrote in response to an article inthe last issue of the CBS Zygoteabout the marine biology field tripto St. Andrews, N.B. She took thatcourse in 1995 and says it inspiredher to “go east.” She’s been livingin Halifax since 1997 and workingfor the federal Department ofFisheries and Oceans since 1998.She currently heads the department’sprotected areas and conservationplanning section. “Wefind, make and manage marineprotected areas. I never thoughtmy science degree would lead toocean management and policywork, but it’s an effective place tobe to make real change.”■ Richard Wyma, MLA ’95,began a new job as general managerof the Essex Region ConservationAuthority Feb. 1. He andhis wife, Fe, moved more than2,500 kilometres south to take upthe new post near Windsor, Ont.For the past 12 years, Wyma hasbeen managing parks and conservationareas for the governmentof Nunavut, where he was foundingdirector of the Nunavut Associationof Landscape Architects.Originally from Ridgetown, Ont.,he worked for Essex Region asland management supervisor from1995 to 1998.2000s■ John Arthur, BA ’03, is anaval lieutenant working as astaff officer for the Navy. He hascompleted tours in Victoria,B.C., at the interdepartmentalfederal maritime security operationcentre and at NationalDefence Headquarters inOttawa. In November 2009, hereturned from a one-year postwith U.S. Forces Afghanistan(South) in Kandahar, where heserved consecutive “difficult butrewarding” tours as lead analystfor Kandahar. Arthur studiedFrench at the Sorbonne in Parisand is applying to graduateschools for fall 2010.■ Krista Buecking, BA ’07,held her first solo art exhibitionDec. 17 to Jan. 30 at the SusanHobbs Gallery in Toronto. Originallyfrom Brampton, Ont., shehad previously shown her workin group exhibitions at thegallery. Her project “Love Songfor a New Generation” was thefeatured artist project in the winter2008 issue of C Magazine.■ Michael Burton, BA ’01,works for the Ontario Lotteryand Gaming Corporation inMilton, and his wife, Lesley(McLaughlin), B.Sc.(H.K.) ’02,is a physiotherapist. They have aone-year-old son, Alexander.■ Andrea Chepack, ADA ’03,married Mike Ross in 2007and gave birth to their firstchild, Callum, in July 2009. Shegraduated from the veterinarytechnician program at SenecaCollege in 2009 and wouldlove to hear from friends atandrealeeross@ymail.com.■ Jon Corbin, BA ’07, runsCorbin Visual, a video productioncompany that employs severalfreelance artists and cameraoperators. “Besides my aspirationsof becoming the next JerryBruckheimer, my commitmentto succeed keeps me pushingforward in the face of adversityand a dwindling economy. I liveand breathe my company andlove connecting with otherentrepreneurs to chat as we allmove forward together.”■ Andrew Exel, B.Comm.’03, is general manager of a culi-HOMECOMING 2010 | SEPTEMBER 25COME FORTHE GAMEREUNITEWITHFRIENDSENJOY THEREUNIONS■ Women’sbasketball■ 1960 football team■ Players from the“Mooney Era”■ Year 2000varsity athletes■ 1984 Vanier Cupteam■ EngineeringalumniFor reunion details,contact SamKosakowski atskosakowski@uguelph.ca.www.alumni.uoguelph.caShow your prideWear a U of G alumni hoodie,T-shirt, hat and more.Alumni merchandiseis now available at theU of G Bookstoreand online.www.bookstore.uoguelph.ca36 The Portico

nary retreat in Flesherton, Ont.He has worked in the hospitalityindustry but recently madethe move to managing SilverSprings Retreat.■ Michael Guy, BA ’04, is aBahamian diplomat serving inLondon, England. He assumedhis duties as second secretary/vice-consulat the BahamasHigh Commission in August2009. Prior to that, he workedon the multilateral relationspolitical desk at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs in Nassau.Friends can contact him atmguy@bahamashclondon.net.■ Carla Mascioli, DVM ’07, isa veterinarian at Caranne VeterinaryServices near Timmins, Ont.She also volunteers at the Timminsand District Humane Society,where she set up and is nowexpanding a surgical and medicalclinic for shelter animals and crueltyinvestigation animals. She’s atthe clinic every Thursday tospay/neuter shelter animals andattend to other medical cases.■ Evelyn Marsch, B.Sc.(Env.)’07, began her career with anenvironmental consulting firmdoing industry research forEnvironment Canada. Thatexperience led to a job as a corporateenvironmental auditorfor the Continuum Network indowntown Toronto. The companyaudits the level of sustainabilityat large multinationalcorporations. “Two years out ofschool and I’ve already landedmy dream job,” she says.■ Chris Martin, BA ’00, is aninsurance broker in Moncton,N.B.■ Christina Rzazewski, BA’03 and MA ’04, and JohnRodney, BA ’04, plan to marryAug. 6. They met at the U of GAthletics Centre. Rzazewski isan English teacher in Hamilton,Ont., and recently saw her studentsperform a play at the SearsDrama Festival that she wrotewhile studying with Guelphtheatre studies professor JudithThompson.■ Mark Webb, ADTM ’05, carriedthe Olympic torch Nov. 24during the run from Moncton toSaint John, N.B. “As the flamewas passed to me, I had to stopfor a moment when I realized themagnitude of what the flame reallymeans,” he says. The next day,he shared his experience at anelementary school in Saint John.Webb watched the relay again inMark Webb and his nephew, IsaacWinter.January when it moved throughEdmonton, where he works as anassistant golf course superintendent.“The whole experience hasshown me that it was not aboutme. The Olympic spirit is meantto be shared and spread around.With all of the things that arewrong in this world, the Olympicflame represents what is right.”PHOTO BY GIL WEBBPASSAGESJonathan Anderson, PhD ’71,Oct. 18, 2009Helen (Grantham) Aylsworth,DHE ’38, Nov. 12, 2009Barry Benness, BA ’76, Oct. 7, 2009Margaret (Blair) Bird, DHE ’60,Dec. 9, 2009Karen Black, BA ’79, Nov. 8, 2009James Brakel, BA ’92, Oct. 28, 2007Ranjit Chakravarty, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81,Jan. 23, 2010Donald Christie, DVM ’43,July 31, 2008Richard Coleman, DVM ’54,March 6, 2010Matthew Corman, BA ’91,Dec. 27, 2009Deborah Craig-Evans, B.A.Sc. ’81and M.Sc. ’88, Sept. 22, 2009Roger Cunningham, MSA ’62,Dec. 4, 2009James Donovan, BSA ’62,Jan. 30, 2010Elvira (Penner) Dueck, BA ’73,ODH ’90 and ’93, May 15, 2008Kenneth Epp, B.Sc.(Agr) ’85,Feb. 16, 2010Donald Fiddler, ODH ’66,March 2, 2008Rin Ghosh, B.Sc. ’95, Feb. 1, 2010Janice Gray, B.A.Sc. ’86, Oct. 4, 2008Harry Hamilton, ADA ’38,Sept. 29, 2009Victoria Harris, B.Comm. ’82 andBA ’84, Dec. 8, 2009Larry Hill, BSA ’62, June 12, 2009Lloyd Hooper, BSA ’38, Oct. 14, 2009David House, DVM ’49, March 16, 2010James H. Hunt, BA ’68, in 2009Cathryn Ireland, B.H.Sc. ’52,Dec. 18, 2009Lauren Jackson, B.A.Sc. ’77,Nov. 21, 2009Beverley Kay, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’65 andM.Sc. ’66, Jan. 14, 2010John Kudelka, BSA ’47, Dec. 11, 2009Donald Lavender, BSA ’36,Jan. 12, 2010Ethelbert Martin, BSA ’33, Jan. 2, 2010Wayne McCausland, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’77,Jan. 19, 2010Ronald McCrea, DVM ’51, May 2007Marian (Collinson) Moffat, BSA’48, March 3, 2010John Moore, ADA ’48, Aug. 4, 2009Harry Palmer, DVM ’40, Dec. 10, 2009William Palmer, BSA ’50, Feb. 15, 2010Allan Patterson, BSA ’43, July 23, 2009Glenn Peirson, BA ’79, Nov. 10, 2009Kylie Peltier, B.Sc. ’05, March 30, 2009Wayne Perry, BSA ’50, Dec. 29, 2009Walker Riley, BSA ’62, Feb. 21, 2010Harold Snyder, BSA ’50, Dec. 2, 2009David Stager, BSA ’59, July 23, 2009Elizabeth (de Reeder) Sturges,DHE ’34, Aug. 28, 2008Paul Tamblyn, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’66,M.Sc. ’68 and PhD ’71Victor Thygesen, ODH ’91,Dec. 6, 2009Bryan Tyrer, BA ’76, July 31, 2009Carles Wilford, BSA ’49, Jan. 7, 2010George Williams, BSA ’52,Nov. 31, 2009Evelyn Wright, DHE ’39,Jan. 26, 2009To honour alumni who have passed away,the University of Guelph Alumni Associationmakes an annual donation to theAlumni Memorial Scholarship.Summer 2010 37

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