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U N I V E R S I T Y O F G U E L P H M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

A greener blend

We turn plants into bioproducts

the

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research break-

through couldimprove treatment forovarian cancer. OVC andOAC measure their value,and U of G facultyreceive recognition inCanada and abroad.

first-time onlinefundraising challenge

is a runaway success. TheGryphon Hall of Fameinducts athletes and acoach, and U of G staffprepare for Alumni Weekend 2015.

426

3 22 30

on the cover

t h e p o r t i c o • w i n t e r 2 0 1 5

— 8 —

PAYING IT FORWARD Co-op employer Mark Bassingthwaite mentors today’s students

because of what he learned during his own co-op jobs.

— 16 —

IT TAKES A CRITIC Environmental economist Ross McKitrick

found controversy when his research landed on the “other” side of the climate change debate.

— 19 —

MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT The experience of choral singing is much bigger

than the notes on the page.

GUELPH’S GREENER FUTUREU of G researchers in plant agriculture and engineering

are using Ontario crops to make bioplastics.

College News

The Portico.

See page 18.

You Remember U of GSo Do Your Future Customers

Promote your business in The Portico

Reach more than 100,000 educatedconsumers

Three issues per year, insertopportunities

For advertising inquiries:www.uoguelph.ca/adguide/Scott AndersonTel: 519-827-9169Fax: 519-827-9174Email: theandersondifference@rogers.com

2 The Portico

Winter 2015 • Volume 47 Issue 1

EditorMary Dickieson

Assistant Vice-PresidentCharles Cunningham

Art DirectionPeter Enneson Design Inc.

ContributorsSusan BubakLori Bona HuntKevin GonsalvesWendy JespersenTeresa PitmanAndrew Vowles, B.Sc. ’84

Advertising InquiriesScott Anderson519-827-9169

Direct 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 mis-sion is to enhance the relationship betweenthe University and its alumni and friendsand promote pride and commitment with-in the University community. All materialis copyright 2015. Ideas and opinionsexpressed in the articles do not necessarilyreflect the ideas or opinions of the Univer-sity or the editors.Publications Mail Agreement # 40064673

Printed in Canada — ISSN 1714-8731

To update your alumni record, contact:Alumni Affairs and DevelopmentPhone 519-824-4120, Ext. 56550Fax 519-822-2670E-mail alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca

the

e live in what might be one of the most excit-ing and important periods in history. Our world

is marked by an unprecedented pace of change, withnew learning delivering tremendous societal benefits onthe one hand, and creating disruption on the other.

Consider the progress that has been made in the lifesciences and physical sciences, in information and com-munications technology, and in the arts and humanities.Disciplines that were discrete and separate are beingcombined in fresh and exciting ways: music and com-puter technology, health care and robotic engineering,manufacturing and agriculture.

Today, knowledge is more accessible and abundant– yielding exciting breakthroughs that are improvingour planet. However, the speed and extent of changecan also be overwhelming – and sometimes even para-lyzing. The shelf life of information is shorter than ever.

For a university focused on creating, capturing andsharing knowledge, this has tremendous implications,both for ourselves as a leading university, and for theapproaches that we bring to what we research and teach.

As a university, we need to innovate at innovation.Look at Canada’s top 20 universities and you’ll find thatalmost all of them claim “innovation” as a core value.Innovation is no longer a differentiator. Innovativethinking has become the price of entry. Universitiesand individuals alike need to understand innovation asan ongoing creative process.

At a time when many individuals and organizationsacross our society struggle with healthy adaptation tochange, we have an important role. In what we researchand what we teach, our approach must be one that antic-ipates change and creates a perspective and mindset inour students that welcomes change. A key attribute tohelp us thrive in such dynamic times – as individuals andas a university – is innovation.

In the classroom, that means going beyond teachingsubject matter alone toward teaching people how tolearn and apply their learning in new ways. And in ourscholarly endeavours, it means finding new ways to con-duct research and apply the results towards meaningfulsolutions to solve important societal challenges andproblems.

Just one example is single-serve coffee pods – thekind people use in kitchens and offices across NorthAmerica. Plastic coffee pods are convenient but they’rewasteful. All of those plastic pods – reportedly enoughsold in North America each year to make a chain cir-cling the Earth 10 times – now end up in landfill sites.

Here at the University of Guelph, researchers are

using renewable plant-based resources to make com-ponents intended for the first-ever fully compostablecoffee pods. Consumers will be able to place those com-ponents into their green bins, ultimately returning theirnutrients safely to the soil instead of adding more wasteto landfill.

This is about innovation in action involving U of Gresearchers and cutting-edge basic science, all aimed atdeveloping and testing compostable materials that addresssocietal and sustainability concerns, as well as marketdemand. Bringing together the social sciences and envi-ronmental and engineering sciences – and involvingpartner organizations and businesses – this researchproject breaks down barriers between disciplines andwelcomes varying perspectives in order to make adifference in the world.

At the University of Guelph, we are already leadersin innovation. And we will continue to identify impor-tant problems and bring together bright minds to helpsolve them. Focusing on innovation can help us find theupside of uncertainty. And by thinking and workingtogether, we can uphold U of G values to help shape abetter world.

Franco Vaccarino, President

Winter 2015 3

INNOVATION HELPS US FIND THE UPSIDE OF UNCERTAINTY

4 The Portico

&

eography professor Evan Fraserand integrative biology professor

Ryan Norris are among the inauguralcohort of a prestigious new college of theRoyal Society of Canada. It was created torecognize the “emerging generation of

Canadian intellectual leadership.”Nationwide, 91 scholars were elected to

the College of New Scholars, Artists andScientists; they were chosen for makingexceptional achievements within 15 yearsof completing their doctoral degrees. Nom-

inations were made by Canadian universi-ties and the National Research Council.

Fraser joined U of G in 2010 as theCanada Research Chair in Global HumanSecurity. He co-wrote the book Empires ofFood: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall ofCivilizations. A sought-after expert and con-sultant on global food issues, he heads“Feeding Nine Billion,” a project using newmedia to spark discussion about feeding theEarth’s ballooning human population.

Norris, a U of G faculty member since2006, is an ecologist and UniversityResearch Chair who studies the effects ofclimate change and habitat loss on animalpopulations in temperate and tropical areas.

He has tracked the flight paths of severalmigratory birds and mapped the route ofmonarch butterflies between Mexico andCanada. He recently found that habitat losson U.S. breeding grounds is the main causeof monarch population declines.

ind turbine developments haveno effect on the property values of

nearby homes and farms, according to newresearch conducted by Prof. Richard Vyn,Department of Food, Agricultural andResource Economics, and Ryan McCul-lough, a former U of G graduate student andnow a policy analyst for Health Canada.

Published in a recent issue of the Cana-dian Journal of Agricultural Economics, theresearch is believed to be the first peer-reviewed study on this topic in Canada.

They analyzed more than 7,000 homeand farm sales in Melancthon Township and10 surrounding townships in Dufferin, Grey,Simcoe and Wellington counties. Melanc-thon, located about 100 kilometres north-west of Toronto, is home to one of Ontario’s

first and largest wind farms; 133 wind tur-bines were erected between 2005 and 2008.

The study included sales data over aneight-year period – from 2002 to 2010 – tocapture property values before, during andafter the wind farm’s development. Duringthat period, more than 1,000 homes andfarms were resold — some multiple times,which allowed for repeat sales analysis.

Using a method common in real estatestudies, the researchers created six models

accounting for the impact on property val-ues of proximity to the wind farm devel-opment and turbine visibility, as well as acombination of these two factors.

In every case, they found wind farmshad “no statistically significant effect” onproperty values.

“This may help address the controversythat exists in Ontario regarding the impactof wind turbines on property values,” Vynsaid. Across the province, residents havecalled on the government to delay windfarm development until the impacts are bet-ter understood.

Vyn notes that the study examined theeffect on homes and farms only as a group.“It does not preclude that there may besome impacts on individual properties.”

Royal Society Elects Emerging LeadersEvan Fraser Ryan Norris

Winter 2015 5

the

In a potential breakthrough

against ovarian cancer, Guelphresearchers have discovered how to bothshrink tumours and improve drug deliv-ery, allowing for lower doses ofchemotherapy and reducing side effects.

Their research appeared recently inone of the world’s top biology publica-tions.

Biomedical sciences professor Jim

Petrik worked on the study withGuelph graduate student SamanthaRussell and cancer researchers fromHarvard Medical School.

“The development of new therapiesto treat women with advanced ovariancancer is essential in order to reduce themorbidity and mortality associated withthis disease,” he said.

In about eight out of 10 cases, ovar-ian cancer is detected only at anadvanced stage, and the odds of survivalare poor. Women often succumb becauseinefficient delivery of chemotherapydrugs allows the cells to build up resis-tance so they no longer respond to treat-ment, says Petrik.

Ovarian tumours, like many othertypes of cancer, obtain nutrients and oxy-gen by inducing growth of new bloodvessels, a process termed “angiogenesis.”

His recent study looked at a portionof a naturally occurring protein inhibitormolecule called 3TSR. It interacts withanother protein found on the surface ofendothelial cells, reducing abnormaltumour angiogenesis.

“We also made the surprising discov-ery that 3TSR causes ovarian cancer cellsto die through a direct inhibitory effectagainst the tumour itself,” Petrik said.

Giving 3TSR to patients withadvanced-stage ovarian cancer wouldhelp them in two ways, Petrik said.“With this novel approach, we were ableto both shrink the tumour and enhancethe ability of the tumour to take upchemotherapy drugs.”

He used an animal model ofadvanced-stage ovarian cancer, but sayshe and his collaborators are workingtoward human trials and, ultimately,toward development of targeted cancertherapies.

LEADERSHIP CHANGE FOR THE PORTICO

U of G discovery shrinksovarian cancer tumours

Mary Dickieson, left, and Stacey Morrison

OVC Impact $125 Million

ACCOLADES FOR OAC

U.S. News & World Report

ICE CREAM EXPERTISE INDEMAND GLOBALLY

6 The Portico

roup study spaces are in big demandduring exam week, even in the newly

expanded School of Engineering, where thesestudents are taking advantage of a design stu-dio funded by PepsiCo Foods Canada.

The classroom space was outfitted as part ofa $600,000 corporate donation that includedsupport for research and teaching initiatives inthree U of G colleges. The gift has also paved theway for a growing relationship that is givingGuelph undergrads and MBA students theopportunity to learn from senior business lead-

ers at PepsiCo. Company executives are popularvisitors at business competitions, at networkingand recruitment events, and in classroom settings.

At one career event, Anne-Marie Renaud,vice-president operations at PepsiCo FoodsCanada, said: “Our regular presence on campusand in classrooms, along with our strong co-opand internship programs, is providing fantasticexperience and leadership development oppor-tunities. We hope to build a rich two-way part-nership and, above all, ensure Guelph graduateswill become the leaders of tomorrow.”

he art gallery of ontario is cur-rently hosting a career-spanning exhibit of

works by professor emerita Suzy Lake. Run-ning until March 22, “Introducing Suzy Lake”features more than 50 works by the artist in herfirst-ever retrospective.

Now retired from Guelph’s School of FineArt and Music, Lake was among a pioneeringgroup of artists in the early 1970s to use per-formance, video and photography to explorethe politics of identity, beauty, gender and aging.

She has often used herself as a subject for herart and in her teaching. The exhibition includesimages of Lake from age six to 66, and shows theartist as her political ideals were forged in Detroit’scivil rights movement of the late 1960s; as sherealized her first successes in Montreal’s artist-ledcultural boom of the 1970s; and as she contin-ued to hone her artistic vision in Toronto.

in around university

AGO Hosts Suzy Lake

Suzy Lake

Otis Receives Vietnamese Medal

NOTEWORTHY■ Live-Love! Famous Canadians and

the Pets They Love

B etter understanding of thehuman-animal bond and the role

of technology in animal health care is thefocus of a new faculty position at theOntario Veterinary College (OVC). ANorth American first, the five-year chairwill be supported by a $1.5-milliondonation from IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.

The multinational corporation pro-duces diagnostic and information tech-nology-based products and services forthe veterinary industry.

“This is an important and innovativearea of scholarship,” said U of G presidentFranco Vaccarino. “It merges two distinctyet intertwined subjects that are foremostin the minds of animal owners – thebond with their pets and the availabilityof new and emerging information.

“The superb work of the OVC inepidemiology, primary health care andinnovative teaching makes it an idealhome for this forward-looking chair.”

Peter Mosney, director and countrymanager for IDEXX Canada, added:“The new chair at OVC is a milestonein our continued efforts to advance thestandard of care within the veterinaryprofession and solve complex medicalproblems in today’s fast-paced, informa-tion-rich environment.”

The chair holder will create and teachnew ways to recognize and reinforce theimportance of animals in their owners’lives. Experiential learning opportunitiesfor student veterinarians will focus ontechnology to support bond-centred care.

The chair will also help develop aworld-class research and graduate train-ing program connecting veterinary med-icine and epidemiology with emergingtechnologies, including social media andweb-based care.

“Our student veterinarians are opento embracing new ways of working andcommunicating,” said OVC deanElizabeth Stone, “but they need moreexperience and expertise in using tech-nology to increase their effectiveness andproductivity. This will help them buildpositive relationships with their clientsand within the veterinary practice team.”

With huge amounts of new infor-mation emerging in the field, the chairholder will develop and apply epidemi-ology and other methodologies toaddress key questions for animal health-care providers.

“This is a very exciting new era ofveterinary medicine,” said Prof. CateDewey, chair of the Department of Pop-ulation Medicine.

“New DVM graduates will be prac-tising veterinarians at a time when theyand their clients will be immersed insocial media, Internet-sourced informa-tion and reams of computerized records.”

Pet owners receive information froma variety of sources and expect excep-tional veterinary care during their pet’svisit, Dewey said.

“As a profession, we know that thehuman-animal bond is so strong that themajority of owners consider their petsto be members of the family. Therefore,owners are looking for bond-centredhealth care to reflect this reality.”

OVC plans to launch an internationalsearch for the IDEXX Chair in Emerg-ing Technologies and Bond-Centred Ani-mal Health Care.

Technology Improves Animal Care

Winter 2015 7

8 The Portico

he W indermere Bas in in Ontario wasoriginally constructed to capture the sediment

from Red Hill Creek before it flowed into HamiltonHarbour and blocked the shipping lanes. Over theyears, of course, it gradually filled up. The sedimentwas soft and contaminated with pollutants. The Cityof Hamilton took ownership of the basin from theHamilton Port Authority in 2000.

Although the city first considered dredging outthe basin, Hamilton eventually determined that itwould be more sustainable and less expensive toleave the sediments in the basin and simply dredgethe shipping lanes as needed. That meant deter-mining what to do with the Windermere Basinproperty.

The city retained Cole Engineering Group inMarkham to tackle the complex issues. That’s whereU of G graduate Mark Bassingthwaite, B.Sc.(Eng.)’02, works as a water resources engineer. His firmcompleted an environmental assessment and deter-mined that sediment should be capped and thebasin should be enhanced into a wetland.

“We were able to complete the project on timeand on budget,” says Bassingthwaite. “In place of acontaminated and not very attractive basin of water,we have created a diverse wetland habitat for a vari-ety of wildlife.” In fact, the project won awards forits design and effectiveness and was described byCBC reporter Adam Carter as “a staggering achieve-ment” and “a technical marvel.”

As a teenager, Bassingthwaite couldn’t decide if hewanted to be a veterinarian or an engineer. He fig-ured that enrolling at the University of Guelph – bothhis parents are alumni – would make both optionsavailable. In the end, the problem-solving aspects ofengineering won him over. He chose to enrol in theco-op program and credits that for steering him inthe right direction when it came to career options.

“I thought co-op would be helpful for getting myfoot in the door with a company, gaining some experi-ence and making some money,” says Bassingthwaite.“But the other side, what really helped me, was tryingjobs in different industries even before I graduated sothat I had some ideas about what I wanted to do.”

Engineering, he points out, is the kind of programthat prepares you for a variety of possible careers. “Theskills are very portable,” he adds.

Having that much choice, though, can sometimes bestressful – what if you end up on the wrong road?

Bassingthwaite completed co-op terms with the

provincial government, a municipal government and aconsulting company. That was enough, he says, to guidehim in the direction of consulting. He adds that the train-ing he received from U of G’s Co-operative Educationand Career Services in resumé writing and interviewingtechniques was especially helpful, both during his co-opterms and after graduation.

As soon as he graduated, Bassingthwaite was hiredby Cole Sherman Associates in Markham. He workedthere for two years as a consultant in water resources,primarily in Ontario on projects that involved drainagefor highways that were being widened or expanded.

ENGINEER THRIVES ON PROBLEM-SOLVING, MENTORING

Winter 2015 9

His next position took an opposite approach: insteadof draining water away, Bassingthwaite’s focus was onkeeping the land wet. He was hired by Ducks Unlim-ited Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses onconserving and restoring waterfowl wetland habitats.

“Our projects always included biologists who wouldlook at the site in terms of what the birds and plants

needed, and my role was to determinewhat infrastructure needed to be designedand constructed. We might create dams,for example, to control the flow of thewater,” he explains.

From there, he moved in 2006 toCole Engineering Group, first as anengineer, then project manager and nowservice sector leader for water resources.He specializes in waterworks design,modelling and investigations: projectsinclude wetland, watercourse and water-shed restoration as well as floodplainmapping, hydrologic analysis, andstormwater management to support landdevelopment.

Moving into management means thatBassingthwaite now spends about halfhis time in administrative work, ensur-ing that projects are on budget and plan-ning for future projects. Most of his sitescontinue to be in Ontario, but he isinvolved with one in Newfoundland andhas helped with some projects in thecompany’s office in Trinidad.

Bassingthwaite hasn’t forgotten the co-op program that helped him get his start.His team has almost 20 staff members andup to four Guelph co-op students work-ing with them. “We usually have three orfour students in the summer term and oneor two during other times of the year,” hesays. “We find that Guelph students areused to working in small teams and groupsfrom their courses, and that fits well withthe way we work here.

“We also have five or six staff mem-bers who were previously co-op students

here and have now been hired full-time, along with sev-eral other Guelph grads across the company.”

Bassingthwaite’s interest in water resources as a careeris probably not surprising; he loves the outdoors andenjoys gardening, fishing and waterfowl hunting. He’smarried with a one-year-old son who is just learningto walk and keeps both his parents busy.

Fortunately, Bassingthwaite likes being busy. It’s oneof the things he enjoys about consulting. “I also like thatthere is lots of flexibility and variety in the work; youare not pigeonholed into one area of work,” he says.

Can a Model T idea into a greener

Story by Andrew VowlesPhotos by Dean Palmer

10 The Portico

Winter 2015 11

They ’re not turning out carshere, but Henry Ford would likelyhave recognized the air of this place.

The surround-sound hum of ventilationequipment punctuated by the clanking ofmachinery; the industrial breath of oil andsilicone lubricant; the white glare of overheadlighting: It’s almost more evocative of the fac-tory floor than the academic laboratory, eventhough we’re standing in a University ofGuelph research centre.

If he could listen in to conversationsamong the workers here – all clad in bluelab coats and sporting plastic safety glasses –Ford would certainly grasp the idea drivingthis research enterprise. Using plant mate-rials to make parts for cars as well as otherconsumer products? Been there, tried that;let’s do it, Henry might say.

In the early 1940s, the maker of theModel T was experimenting with plant-based materials for making parts for his cars.He even developed an automobile contain-ing plant stuffs in its seat covers, dashboardand steering wheel. But then along camelow-cost plastics made from cheap, availableoil – and the need for plant-based car partsran straight down a dead-end road. Or so itseemed.

Now researchers at U of G’s Bioprod-ucts Discovery and Development Centre(BDDC) are looking again at ways to tweakbiomass – industrial hemp, wheat straw, corn, soybean, pulp waste, willow fibre – foruse in car parts and other products fromflowerpots to recycling bins.

“Biomaterials can be used for everythingfrom green building structures and car partsto new biodegradable plastic wrap or pack-aging, and the crops that produce them arecompletely renewable,” says plant agricul-ture professor Amar Mohanty, BDDC direc-tor and holder of the Premier’s ResearchChair in Bioproducts and Transportation.

That’s the idea behind this research cen-tre, established seven years ago at Guelph.Here researchers are looking to turn plantmaterials, even agricultural residue, into use-ful products with a decided “green” tinge.Besides using more renewable materials, theyaim to help reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions, lessen dependence on non-renewable,petroleum-based resources, and open new

drive us future?

U of G researchers turnbiomaterials into

car parts, building materials

and consumer products.

12 The Portico

markets for Ontario farmers and manufac-turers. From blending materials to testingformulations, to working with farmers andindustrial partners, they’ve developed a kindof assembly line for bioproducts.

“It’s an interesting new field,” says PhDstudent Ryan Vadori. He started workingsummers in the BDDC as an undergradu-ate student in biological engineering; hecompleted that degree in 2011 and a mas-ter’s degree a year later. For his doctorate,Vadori is studying how to replace plasticsused in cars and computers with bio-basedpolymers. “Basically we’re trying to do jus-tice to the environment.”

The centre also blends research interestsand disciplines from across campus andaround the world. Vadori is one of about 30researchers – students, post-docs and researchassociates from Canada, France, China, Rus-sia, Nigeria, India, Iran, Germany, Chile andMexico – who are studying here.

Established in 2008, the centre wasexpanded in 2013 and now occupies about10,000 square feet at the rear of the Crop

Science Building. BDDC is run by professorMohanty and engineering professor ManjuMisra. They arrived together from facultypositions at Michigan State University in2008. The husband-and-wife team hasworked together since their graduate studentdays in polymer science at Utkal Universityin India. They left for Germany in 1997 andthen spent nine years in the United Statesbefore coming to Guelph.

Here, both are cross-appointed in PlantAgriculture and Guelph’s School of Engi-neering. Misra studies the use of nanotech-enhanced materials to improve biocompositeproperties. They have published together inseveral nanoscience and nanotechnology jour-nals and co-edited textbooks in the field.

Here at Guelph, their days are occupiedwith forging connections with industry andgovernment partners, raising funds – so far,the BDDC has received about $15 millionin funding from industry and government– training young researchers and runningthe centre, with its varied facilities for mak-ing and and testing various bioproducts.

CREATING BIOCOMPOSITESat the heart of the BDDC is the pro-cessing lab. Here researchers blend variouspolymers and plant materials to createcomposites for different products and uses

In particular, biomass varies from peren-nial grasses such as miscanthus and switch-grass to soy stalks and oat hulls to corn andwheat stover to coffee chaff (material leftover after coffee companies’ roastingprocesses).

For those raw materials, the centre relieson farmers and suppliers here in Ontario,including processors of oat hulls, soybeanand other biomass products. Throughtheir connections with industry, BDDCresearchers use those materials to formulaterecipes and processes for making prototypesof desired products.

In one twin-screw compounding mac-hine, researchers mix up and “cook” smallbatches of those ingredients. Controlling vari-ables such as pressure and temperature, theymelt and mould the plastics and biomasstogether inside the machine to create com-posite test bars shaped like flattened-out dogbones or dumbbells.

Researchers can also do their mixing andcooking in larger pilot-scale machines,bringing the process closer to industrial-scaleprocesses that will be used in a client’s plant.

Again under controlled temperature andpressure, the materials are combined in anextruder machine to create long strands ofcomposite fibres like spaghetti. Those strandsare cooled in a water bath and are thenchopped into pellets. Those pellets then arefed into an injection moulder, where moreheating and mixing produces the compos-ite “dog bone” for testing.

A hot press flattens trays of pellets intothin films or “lasagna sheets” for differentproducts. “Instead of spaghetti, it makessheets,” says Nick Hotz, now working on hismaster of applied science with Mohanty.Hotz is studying how to mix different plas-tics to combine properties such as strengthand flexibility in a single product.

He became interested in the BDDC aftertouring the facility during his undergradu-ate in environmental engineering. He wasdrawn by the prospect of finding uses forrenewable materials. “I was thinking aboutnon-renewable resources and why productsgo to landfill and sit for a thousand years. As

Winter 2015 13

an engineer, that’s full of inefficiencies thatget under my skin.”

In their varied forms – pellets, sheets,strips of thin film – the composites made inthe BDDC kitchen may then be mouldedinto products either on-site or in the clientcompany’s plant.

TESTING NEW MATERIALSan adjoining lab occupying the recentlyconstructed second phase of the centre con-tains pieces of testing equipment arrayed likemachines in a workout gym. Those instru-ments are used to twist, stretch, flex, strike,soften and otherwise challenge the test bars.BDDC researchers can test what happens tocomposites under varying light conditions orhow they perform when exposed to elec-tricity or heat. Computers capture informa-tion about the properties of the composites– how strong, how flexible or rigid, howdurable, how conductive. Those propertiesthen give the researchers clues about how thematerial will perform in various products.

Elsewhere, a room-sized wind turbine

has blades made with various amounts ofbioresin, biofibre and fibreglass; researchersare seeking optimum blends of materials thatwill keep the blades both light and strong.

Before entering the centre’s microscopysuite, visitors must slip blue booties over theirshoes to avoid dust contamination of sophis-ticated instruments. Here researchers use anatomic force microscope to view materialsat the molecular level and a scanning elec-tron microscope to scan surfaces and struc-tures. An optical microscope is used to viewslides holding melted plastics in order tostudy their crystal structure.

Not only minerals or snowflakes take oncrystalline forms. “Any regular arrangementof atoms or molecules makes a crystal,” saysRajendran Muthuraj, a PhD student fromsouthern India. Glance at a polymer’smicrostructure on an adjoining computerscreen, and you see clear beads with irides-cent edges that look more like gemstonesthan like any bit of plastic you’ve ever seen.

Yet another newly outfitted unit withinBDDC is the compostability lab. In an

On page 12: BDDC

researchers have developed

biocomposite flowerpots

and storage bins that are already

on the market; car parts like the

console box are now being tested.

Above left: In the BDDC processing

lab, Arturo Rodriguez mixes biofibre

with plastics. The compounder/

extruder machine produces

spaghetti-like strands of composite

material that is then pelletized for

moulding. Ghodsieh Mashouf turns

pellets into large sheets in a

hydraulic press. Qiangxian Wu

creates strips of thin film using a

cast film line. Above right: Nicholas

Hotz pours pellets into an injection

moulding machine that creates dog

bone-shaped test bars. Pellets, bars

and films then undergo extensive

testing in the characterization lab

pictured on pages 10 and 11.

environmental chamber held at a constant58 C, material in clear glass flasks is inoculat-ed with microbes. Those bacteria digest poly-mers in a process that mimics composting.Sensors record amounts of emitted water andgases such as carbon dioxide. Muthurajexplains that researchers are testing how wellcomposites break down during composting.

Unlike fossil fuel-based polymers thatmight take decades or even centuries tobreak down in a landfill site, products needto be 90 per cent degraded within sixmonths under specific conditions to be clas-sified as compostable, according to theAmerican Standard for Testing Materials.

BDDC researchers are looking at mak-ing certain products that are entirely com-postable, including components of single-serve coffee pods. These pods have found amultibillion-dollar market among consumersseeking convenience and reliability, but theirplastic components are taking up more andmore space in landfill. According to one esti-mate, enough of the plastic pods are sold inNorth America each year to make a chain

circling the Earth 10 times.Working with one coffee company,

BDDC researchers are using coffee chaff tomake compostable sealing rings for the pods.Mohanty cautions that the centre has yet tofully test composting rates and efficiency forthis particular bioproduct.

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTSmany of their f inished product s

are displayed in the centre boardroom. Thoseinclude bio-bins, the first commercial prod-ucts from the Bioproducts Discovery andDevelopment Centre to be sold by majorretailers. Sized just right for two hands, thebins are made of post-consumer plastic andswitchgrass grown on a Huron Countyfarm. Bio-bins have been sold in CanadianTire and Home Hardware stores since 2011.

The BDDC has also developed flower-pots containing a mix of plastics and up to30 per cent natural fibre. Those are sold inLowe’s and Kroger outlets in North Amer-ica. Misra says it’s too early to track buyingpatterns, but “the consumer now has a

choice to make: continue buying a fossilfuel-based plastic product or pay the sameprice for an eco-friendly product.”

Also on display here are auto part pro-totypes: glove and console boxes, sun visors,door trim and handles. Vehicle parts makeup a huge potential market for the BDDC.Some auto parts, including those used in airconditioning and cooling systems, are closeto commercialization.

Misra says biocomposites might substitutefor hundreds of plastic car parts to reduceweight and improve fuel economy; the aver-age car today contains about 400 pounds ofplastic. Adds Mohanty: “At least 100 poundsof that can easily be substituted by bio-basedmaterials, especially in interior parts of the car.”

BDDC researchers work with a numberof automotive partners, including Volkswa-gen, Ford, Chrysler and Honda, as well asauto parts suppliers. Guelph belongs to theHybrid Biocomposites for AutomotiveApplications group within AUTO21, anational network of centres of excellenceinvolving 200 researchers at about 50 uni-

14 The Portico

BDDC boasts an array of

equipment used to test

biocomposite performance

under varying conditions. On page

14, Ryan Vadori pulls a test bar from

a moulding machine. Qirui Sun, top,

prepares to run a permeability test,

and behind him, Michael Snowdon

measures what happens when a

sample is exposed to an electrical

current. In the microscopy lab,

Zeinab Abboud uses a polarizing

microscope to record polymer crys-

tallization at different temperatures,

and Yury Yuryev employs an atomic

force microscope to study material

characteristics at the nanoscale.

Above: Profs. Manju Misra and Amar

Mohanty pose behind equipment that

measures tensile strength. And down

the hall in BDDC’s compostability

lab, Rajendran Muthuraj, right,

and Oscar Valerio run tests to

determine how long it takes various

biomaterials to decompose.

versities and more than 130 industry andgovernment partners. AUTO21 works withthe automotive industry on various projects,including finding ways to use more renew-able materials in making car parts.

That industry is especially exacting. In anational newspaper column published thisfall, Mohanty and Misra wrote: “Auto mak-ers have strict physical property requirementsthat all materials in modern vehicles –including fossil fuel-based polymers such asgrades of polypropylene and nylon – mustmeet before they can be certified for use inthe automobile industry.”

Parts makers won’t readily switchprocesses or materials without being per-suaded that they won’t sacrifice propertiesor performance or end up spending moremoney. That’s the main hurdle for bioprod-ucts, says Mohanty, along with establishingreliable supply chains.

“Biomaterials are still in their infancymainly because of their higher cost, and incertain cases there is limited supply chainand technology available. That’s why people

are more interested in hybrid products thanever before. Companies are moving towardsa better balance of the environment versuscost, and I believe over time some auto partswill be 100-per-cent bio-based.”

The ultimate goal at BDDC is to devel-op parts that are fully biodegradable, especiallyfor single-use, disposable parts. As with thoseflowerpots and bio-bins, their products arecurrently about one-third bio-based. Closingthat gap, Mohanty says, is the challenge ofbio-based materials.

“Society is not going to accept thingsjust because they’re green,” adds Steve DeBrabandere, associate director of the Uni-versity’s Catalyst Centre. “No one is willingto spend more for less. And no one is will-ing to sacrifice on properties or functional-ity.” He’s currently handling half a dozenpatent applications for products from theBDDC – one of the busier units on cam-pus for technology transfer and industry liai-son. “They are a productive lab,” he says.

That’s a sentiment Henry Ford wouldrecognize.

Winter 2015 15

16 The Portico

ROSS MCKITRICK

Winter 2015 17

U of G economics pro-fessor Ross McKitrick did not set out to bethe poster child for “the other side” of theclimate change debate. In fact, his initialinterest in the subject was casual.

A doctoral student at the University ofBritish Columbia in the 1990s, he wasstudying an empirical tool called computablegeneral equilibrium modelling – a techniquethat uses actual economic data to estimatehow an economy might react to changes inpolicy, technology or other external factors.

“I needed a topic to apply it to,” heexplains.

“People were just starting to talk aboutcarbon tax and climate policy, and I was inter-ested in environmental policy as a field toteach, so I picked climate change. That is howit got started.”

“It” would be a nearly 20-year careerdevoted to researching the economics of cli-mate change and environmental policy, espe-cially the models and statistical techniquesused to make dire predictions. And almostfrom the start, McKitrick’s research andname have been linked with controversy.He’s known internationally for his skepticalviews of many aspects of the climate issue –everything from rising temperatures to thebenefits of green energy.

He’s challenged high-profile reports andpolicies, including questioning evidenceunderlying the argument used by the UNIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) to justify the Kyoto Protocol.

McKitrick’s controversial 2005 studyfound fundamental flaws in the so-called“hockey stick” model of global warming,which was used by IPCC to argue that the1990s were the warmest decade of the mil-lennium. The analysis he conducted withCanadian mineralogist and analyst StevenMcIntyre sent the world of climate changescience into a tailspin. Everything McKitrick

has written since has been heavily scruti-nized, analyzed and challenged.

Then there was the study published lastspring that found global warming has beenon hiatus for nearly 20 years. McKitrick’sresearch shows that model projections of aglobal warming emergency have beengreatly exaggerated.

His critics continue to disagree – vehe-mently and loudly – but he has grown toexpect that response and even to accept it.Climate change is a contentious issue, hesays. “It’s extremely complicated and every-thing that makes it complex is important.”

Early in his career, McKitrick co-wroteTaken by Storm: The Troubled Science, Policy andPolitics of Global Warming with ChristopherEssex, Western University. The book wasrunner-up for the 2002-2003 Donner Prize.

A U of G faculty member since 1996,McKitrick is also a senior fellow of Canada’sFraser Institute. The independent public pol-icy organization has released some of his lat-est research, including a study of Ontario’sGreen Energy Act (GEA).

In that study, he looked at the cost totaxpayers of wind and solar power ($20billion and counting, he says) and theresulting skyrocketing energy prices. Hisreport says more conventional pollutioncontrol methods would have yielded thesame environmental benefits as the GEA,but at a tenth of the cost.

But it’s his “hockey stick” research thathas reclaimed attention south of the border.The American professor who wrote theoriginal study containing the hockey stickgraph continues to pursue defamation law-suits against critics in the United States.McKitrick, while not part of the legalactions, is getting queries from lawyers, jour-nalists and academics.

The Portico sat down with McKitrick totalk about his work and about coping withcontroversy.

How would you describe yourresearch to someone you just met?

I study the economics of environmentalpolicy and the use of econometric methodsin climatology, including data quality evalu-ation and model testing. When evaluatingenvironmental data, the answers that peopleget depend heavily on subtle differences inthe techniques they are using. What looks likean obscure change in the statistical method-ology can lead to different conclusions on atopic that is feeding directly into debatesabout legislation. So you cannot avoid thecomplexities, even if you think you are justgoing to work on some policy issue.

When did you first realize that yourwork was going to be controversial?

I knew pretty much from the beginning.When I started, there were not many econ-omists writing about climate change, let alonecritical pieces related to the Kyoto Protocol.Plus, when you go into someone else’s field,you immediately provoke a reaction. It’s alsoa field where there is a very large activistcommunity, a huge environmental movementthat is heavily invested in a certain narrative.So it didn’t come as a surprise to me that, ifI was going to challenge that narrative, therewas going to be a lot of controversy.

You are an economist, not a scien-tist. Is that problematic in this field?

Physical scientists have areas of expertisethat allow them to do a lot of data collectionand know what it is that they should be mea-suring. Where I found an entry point waswhen I started looking at what they weredoing with that data – at the statistical tech-niques. Half of my publications in the pastdecade have been in physical science journals.

You talk about challenging the“doctrine of certainty” around climatechange. What do you mean?

BY LORI BONA HUNT • PHOTOS BY ROSS DAVIDSON-PILON

“HOCKEY STICK”

18 The Portico

In fields where you have incredibly com-plicated problems, in most applications noone would think to declare that they’ve gotthe whole thing figured out. Yet in climatemodelling, the messaging is that the modelsare accurate, that we can make these predic-tions and we’ve got the theory all figured out.

On the policy side, there is a backgroundto this narrative, which is: “the issue of cli-mate change is settled, we know it’s a bighazard and we know that we have to act –and we have to act now.” So this idea, thedoctrine of certainty, is used to shut downdebate before the debate even starts – to say“why would we even question this?”

But on all of these topics that aresupposedly settled, when we lookunderneath the surface, we find thatthings are not settled and the things thatmake them unsettled actually matter. Itmight be a difficult debate, but it’s onethat we actually need to have.

How do you respond to claimsthat you are denying climatechange?

I publish heavily in the field, so Ihave to read and study it. Far from deny-ing the science, I actually understand itpretty well. The irony is that in ourhockey stick work we were arguingagainst a study that we felt suppressedevidence of climate change. In that caseit was historical variability present in theunderlying data that was downplayed inthe final graph, making modern trendslook larger by comparison.

I’ve also published studies showingthat climate models are diverging significant-ly from observations, with a tendency to over-state modern warming. You can read my arti-cles about these issues at rossmckitrick.com.That’s not “denying climate change,” it’s a ques-tion of evaluating the tools we use to study it.At this point the models and data are not say-ing the same thing, so you have to choosewhich to believe. I primarily believe the data.

What is the No. 1 thing that peoplemisunderstand about your research?

When people are attempting to margin-alize you from a debate, they paint you asrefusing to take the issue seriously; so thatwould be the main misunderstanding. Ofcourse I take the issue seriously, which is

why I devoted so many years to studying it,to working on it. What I don’t always takeseriously is the alarmist rhetoric that peo-ple use to try to get attention.

What else?People often claim or assume that my

research is funded by the oil industry, whichhas never been true. The false claim carrieswith it an implied attack on your integrity.Any contrary opinions I formed over theyears came about because of studying thedata. What I say is based on the research Ipublish and the conclusions that I formbased on the research.

U of G is known as an environmen-talist institution. Have you found it dif-ficult to work here, given the positionsthat you tend to take on climate change?

Well, sometimes I feel like the diversitycandidate (laughs). But, actually, I have foundU of G to be extremely hospitable. Yes, thereare a lot of people who see themselves as partof a progressive, green culture, and Guelphas a progressive, green city. At the same time,this is a curiosity-driven institution. If youare expressing views that are based onresearch that you’ve done carefully and pub-lished in legitimate journals, then whetherpeople like your conclusions or not doesn’treally figure into how they react to your

work. You’re contributing to the fundamentalmission of the college and the University,which is to do research on important topicsand engage in current debates.

What is the most frustrating part ofyour research?

My work overlapped with the rise of theInternet and social media, so suddenly itbecame really hard to get away from therhetoric. As long as you have a phone or alaptop, it is going to be in your face. Thirtyyears ago, if you did or said something con-troversial, the next day there would bepeople talking around the water cooler or

somewhere, and someone might saysomething disparaging or nasty aboutyou, but they would be saying it to asmall group of people. Now they aregoing to say it on Twitter and in blogsand spread it everywhere. You have toremind yourself that it’s still the sameinconsequential, tossed-off opinion; itjust happens to be broadcast widely.

It seems your latest research onthe climate change hiatus has beenreceived more favourably. Whathas changed?

In the case of the hockey stick graph,we were criticizing a position that IPCChad really staked its reputation on. Butin its last report, IPCC included a clearacknowledgment that the hiatus in glob-al warming is happening, that the mod-els and observations are basically on adifferent page at this point. So this timeI am articulating information that is

actually in an IPCC report but just not wide-ly recognized, which is a big difference.

You play the Scottish smallpipes andpennywhistle in a band, The Wild Oats.You’ve released a couple of CDs toraise money for charity and now you’reproducing independent local artists.How did this evolve?

It started as a hobby and just grew. Ifound it really fun to perform and later toproduce music and build up a record label.Celtic music is a very social tradition. A keypart is listening to what others around youare doing and playing in a group. It’s relax-ing; it’s sociable and a great way to put thework week behind you.

Winter 2015 19

Music for the Spirit

STORY BY SUSAN BUBAKPHOTOS BY MARTIN SCHWALBE

W i th just a wave of her hands, MartaMcCarthy can transform silence intosounds – beautiful sounds that have filled

concert halls, churches and other venues across thecountry and abroad.

As a child, music was “highly valued in our home,”says the music professor and award-winning conduc-tor of four U of G choirs. Growing up, she and herthree brothers and three sisters all sang and playedmusical instruments, but she was the only one whopursued music professionally.

She loved piano lessons but didn’t always enjoypractising the piano. Still, there were benefits: “I gotout of housecleaning on Saturdays because I had topractise the piano, so that was useful,” she says with alaugh. She also took dance lessons, which set the stagefor her conducting career.

One of her earliest musical memories is of ababysitter who sang a folk song to her and her siblingsabout birds flying home to their nest. As the childrenflitted around the room, the babysitter spread her armslike tree branches to welcome them back.

McCarthy’s father, Daniel, was a producer for chil-dren’s television shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. Dress-Up and The Friendly Giant. Her mother, MarySue,taught education at York University for 29 years andwas initially skeptical of her daughter’s musical pur-suits. At the time, post-secondary music programs con-sisted almost entirely of music courses, with one ortwo electives. Undeterred, McCarthy earned a bach-elor of music degree, a bachelor of education and aPhD, all from the University of Toronto.

Studying music provided her with the diverse edu-cation her mother wanted her to receive, she adds,because it allowed her to study some of the world’sgreatest composers and writers. She also learned howto sing in as many as 15 languages. “It gives you a taste,almost literally, for languages,” says McCarthy.

It was in university – she was required to join achoir as part of her studies – that she discovered herown singing voice. “I had never felt comfortable singingin front of anybody,” says McCarthy. “I had zero con-fidence in my voice.” Since then she has helped manyother reluctant vocalists find their voices.

Before coming to Guelph, she conducted theUniversity of Waterloo choir and taught choral tech-niques at both Wilfrid Laurier University and theUniversity of Toronto.

At U of G for 20 years now, she teaches and con-ducts the chamber singers, women’s and men’s choirsand the University’s symphonic/philharmonic choir.Their varying membership includes students, of course,but also faculty, staff, alumni and a few members whosimply love to sing in a great choral group.

The University of Guelph Chamber Singers, for

20 The Portico

example, won the collegiate category of the2011 National Radio Competition forAmateur Choirs sponsored by CBC and theAssociation of Canadian Choral Communi-ties. That win led to an invitation to competethe next year in Germany’s Mosbach Inter-national Competition for Chamber Choirs,where they won third place.

McCarthy is full of praise for the manychoir members she directs and for the Uni-versity’s well-rounded approach to music

studies. U of G students take a variety ofcourses in addition to their core musicclasses. “As a conductor, I really emphasizethat importance, too, because conductingand teaching music is so much about thewhole person. The artistic experience is somuch bigger than the notes on the page.”

Being elected as president of ChoralCanada/Canada Choral was an honour forMcCarthy but also reflects, she says, therespect garnered by Guelph’s music programand its approach to teaching music.

In her role as choir conductor, McCarthyalso looks well beyond the obvious: singing,she says, is only one element of choir music.There’s also a theatrical element to conduct-ing, which draws on her background as adancer and high school drama teacher, as wellas early experiences conducting orchestras.

“Many different kinds of music involveexternalizing or representing that movementin conducting gestures,” she says. “You’re notmiming or acting out a piece, but you tryto capture in the essence of your movementthe essence of the music.”

Choral theatre combines her passion formusic and drama by incorporating actionsand props to help tell a story through song.During a concert about the First World War,one of the singers read aloud a 1916 news-paper article about the death of a soldier.

“More and more choirs are exploringthat aspect to give audiences a multidimen-sional experience,” says McCarthy. “For meit’s just as much about the singers experi-encing the poetry and the music on manylevels. It gives them a creative outlet.”

With so many pieces to choose from,

Conductor Marta McCarthyleads the women’s ensemblein rehearsal for the Nov. 29concert that featured all threeU of G choirs performing “AChristmas Truce: Songs ofWar and Peace, 1914-2014.”

Winter 2015 21

McCarthy is careful to pick those that chal-lenge both her choir and the audience, andshe’s not afraid to push musical boundaries.In some cases, her choices have raised ques-tions and eyebrows, such as a piece called“École Polytechnique” that containedrecorded gunfire.

“It was meant to bring you through theexperience of the Montreal Massacre,” sheexplains, adding that the piece promptedheated debate at the faculty holiday party.“This is what universities are for: to get peo-ple caring about the issues behind the music.”

In addition to performance and musi-cianship, she teaches music pedagogy at U ofG to better understand how students learn.Self-directed learning is now seen as com-plementary to, not competing with, collabo-rative learning. “The earlier concept was that

students were empty vessels that you filled,”she says. “Now it’s very much the opposite.You want students to explore what theyalready know and share that knowledge witheach other through different perspectives.”

As schools cut back on their course offer-ings, music programs are often the first onthe chopping block, whereas core coursessuch as math remain untouched because oftheir perceived value in the workplace. Inher role with Choral Canada, McCarthypromotes nationwide advocacy efforts onthis topic. She argues that studying musichas its own merit, but adds that she reallywants people to study music because it edu-cates and edifies the spirit.

Music affects us in different ways, sheadds, but we still don’t quite understand howor why. It’s that mysterious quality of music

that appeals to her as well as its ability tocomplement different learning styles, whethervisual, auditory or kinesthetic. Even her non-music students look forward to rehearsalsbecause it gives them the opportunity to usea different part of their brain.

Despite her love for all things musical,McCarthy enjoys quiet time at the end ofa long work day; she usually gets home at11 p.m. “There are times in the day when Ineed silence to be my music.” ■

After the concert, McCarthycongratulated her singers:“You were really ‘listening’ toeach other, which is one rea-son people respond to goodchoirs. Audiences love tosense that kind of subtlecommunication.”

22 The Portico

he Poet Sonnet L’Abbé says her assignment as an“artist-in-motion” was “pretty surreal.” In 2013 she

was hired by CBC, Via Rail and Community Foundationsof Canada to travel acrossthe country, talk with peo-ple about how they’d like tocelebrate the Canadiansesquicentennial in 2017,and then write a poemabout what she learned.

“CBC and Via Rail hadorganized a series of publicconsultations, and I had spo-ken in Vancouver at the firstone about the changes inCanadian identity that couldbe traced in Canadian poet-ry. They liked what I had tosay and asked me to go tothe other events, and com-missioned a performancepoem for their final event inOttawa,” she explains.

L’Abbé had some ideasabout how this might work:she considered crowdsourc-ing the poem, inviting peo-ple to tweet her potentiallines, and conducting mediainterviews at each stop onthe tour to gather moreinput. Those plans didn’twork out; they were prob-ably too ambitious for the two months allotted for hertravels. But she did tweet and blog about the experience.

In the end, she wrote a performance poem based onwhat people said to her and her own experiences of thetrip. “It was not like a scientific sample or a representativecross-section of Canadians,” she points out, but she didfind that the concept of a Canadian identity is differentnow than in 1967, when the country’s centennial wascelebrated.

“Today most people haven’t thought about it muchbeyond hockey and Tim Hortons doughnuts,” she says,“although many people did bring up multiculturalismas something they were proud of.”

Asked how they’d like to celebrate, most Canadians saidthey “should get free stuff.” People were especially inter-ested in getting free or cheap travel to see the country andvisit family. The other common answer was “Get rid of

Harper.” Writing a poem based on those suggestions, shefelt, wasn’t going to work.

She delivered her final poem at the 2017 Starts Nowconference by speakingFrench and English at thesame time – in “franglais,”as she and her siblings calledit when they were children.The poem is called “Kanata,gangakkut nalliutisuun-gugavit?” in Inuktitut, or“Canada, when is yourbirthday?” in English.

“I was proud and grate-ful for the chance to speakon the theme of indigeneity,”says L’Abbé. “The responseof dozens of people whocame up to me after the per-formance suggests that theaudience was glad of it, too.”

L’Abbé’s own experi-ences of Canada are varied:she was born in Toronto butlived in Alberta and Man-itoba before her familysettled in Ontario in theKitchener-Waterloo area,where she attended Frenchschools. She earned herundergrad degree in film atYork University, then a mas-ter’s in English at Guelph.

She spent two years teaching English in Korea whileshe wrote her first book, then worked in communica-tions at the University of Toronto. She crossed the coun-try to complete her PhD at the University of BritishColumbia (UBC) and then taught creative writing atUBC’s Okanagan campus for two years.

She injected science into her creative writing coursesby collaborating with biologist Susan Murch, a U of Galumna and UBC professor. After listening to Murchtalk about how plants fight predators, maximize foodopportunities and partner with other organisms, L’Abbéasked her students to create “a work of environmentalart” that engaged the questions of plant intelligence.

“Those of us who teach recognize that our studentsare, in some ways, more aware of poetry than we were whenwe went to high school,” she says. “Canadian poetryis very vibrant right now. YouTube has spoken-word

POETRY TAKES THE PULSE OF A NATION’S CULTURE

“CANADA, WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY?”[ excerpt ]

What holds us together is this arc of sky we’re moving in,la tranche de continentcalled Canadaque l’on habite et sème et mine…

Ce n’est pas sang ni languequi nous font “Canadian,”

it’s that we share our air with these forests, on boit ces glaciers, and

through our storiesbreathe each other in.

So — que pensez vous — in 2017 can we celebrate

a longer memory of what this land has seen?

Behind the maple-leaf-flag sarisand inukshuks and poutine,could there be, has there ever been, an autochthonous (which just means

originating here, from this land)an autochthonous Canadian dream?

Winter 2015 23

poetry videos, and their visibility helps all poets.” That’s important, she adds, because “poetry takes the

pulse of culture. It’s generally not fictional; people writepoetry in first person and are grappling with contem-porary issues in a very personal way.” She says Canadianpoets also have a worldwide reputation for being at thecutting edge of experimentation in their work.

L’Abbé received the RBC Bronwen Wallace Awardfor Emerging Writers in 2001 and has now published twobooks of poetry: A Strange Relief and Killarnoe. She has alsoreviewed fiction and poetry for the Globe and Mail. InNovember she performed her poetry in one of Canada’smost high-profile speakers’ series, the Walrus Talks.

L’Abbé is now back in Ontario and in January willserve as Wilfrid Laurier University’s 2015 Edna StaeblerWriter-in-Residence. She’ll use the time to work onsome short stories and a book of poetry. She’s alsoworking on a project called Sonnet’s Shakespeare, whereshe writes over the printed pages of Shakespeare’ssonnets with her own words.

And the poem for 2017? To watch the performance,search for Sonnet L’Abbé 2017 Starts Now. On the pre-ceding page, read the final lines of the poem, in whichshe reflects on what it means to be Canadian 150 years(almost) after Confederation.

24 The Portico

he master plan for Rick Bogaert’s 30-yearcareer in landscape architecture has been revised

several times as he’s adapted to changes within the pro-fession and looked for new opportunities to build whathe calls a “diversified” portfolio of skills.

“I can’t think of another profession where its prac-titioners are more varied in what they do than in land-scape architecture,” he says. Since completing his BLAin 1984, Bogaert has taken on design projects rangingfrom streetscapes, institutional planning, lakefronts andmarinas, housing developments and recreational spaces,as well as environmental restorations and large infra-structure projects such as four-lane highways and light-rail transportation.

He’s worked in small design firms, in municipal plan-ning and in large multidisciplinary firms with landscapearchitects and allied professionals under the same roof.

Bogaert’s most recent move happened in March 2014when he became the first landscape architect hired atAECOM’s branch office in Kitchener, Ont. The firm’sparent company has global reach with integrated design,engineering and construction management services – oftenfor large, complicated infrastructure projects.

“I’ve gone from being completely surrounded bylandscape architects to being in the minority,” saysBogaert. “AECOM offers a great opportunity for meto integrate my expertise and knowledge with a lot ofother allied professionals. I think it’s also good for myprofession because my colleagues here are learning moreabout what landscape architects can contribute to thecompany’s diverse range of projects.”

Being diverse is a key strategy guiding Bogaert’scareer plan, and it’s a goal he advises today’s BLA grad-uates to strive for as well. Like many other Guelphalumni, he’s made a point of returning to the School ofEnvironmental Design and Rural Development to men-tor current students in landscape architecture. He was aguest lecturer there for 17 years.

During his last visit, he lectured in a third-year pro-fessional practice class, talked with master’s studentsabout project management, and judged student designpresentations. “It’s always fun to talk with students, andI was impressed with their presentations.”

Bogaert enrolled at U of G in 1980, after earning adiploma in landscape design at Fanshawe College. Dur-ing his time on campus, BLA students teamed up withfaculty to participate in a landscape design competitionfor the carriage house that was being restored as a per-manent home for U of G alumni.

The collaboration on Alumni House was a precursor

to the kind of community-based projects undertaken bytoday’s BLA classes – some of them presented to Bogaertduring his 2013 campus visit.

He graduated in 1984, and his wife, Robin Porritt-Bogaert, completed a bachelor of applied science degreein 1986. She was a case manager in health and socialservices for the City of Windsor before their recent moveto Waterloo. In her spare time, Robin enjoys quilting;Rick relaxes by gardening and dabbles in watercolourpainting. Both enjoy hiking and kayaking.

They have two daughters, Katlyn, B.A.Sc. ’12, andMallory. After earning her Guelph degree, Katlyn com-pleted a master’s degree in social work at the Universityof Toronto and is a youth and child mental health clini-cian in Kitimat, B.C. Mallory earned a diploma in fine artfrom Fanshawe College in 2012 and is now completingher degree in fine art at OCAD University in Toronto.

Rick and Robin also have numerous siblings, in-laws,and nieces and nephews who are Guelph grads. “Wehave enough positive Guelph memories to last a life-time,” laughs Rick.

Licensed in both Ontario and Michigan, Bogaertbegan his career in the Toronto area, then worked forthe City of Burlington before joining a Detroit firm.He spent almost 15 years in the Detroit area, managingnumerous projects at the historical Greenfield Village inDearborn and at Michigan State University.

It was his skill in project management and construc-tion supervision that brought his career back across theDetroit River in 2011 when he began a two-year posi-tion as urban and landscape implementation manager onthe $1.4-billion Windsor Essex Parkway project. The 11-km highway – now officially named the Herb Gray Park-way – will eventually connect Highway 401 to a newinternational bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan.

Working on the project was a sidestep for Bogaert,one that brought him closer to the construction side ofa major infrastructure project. He was the liaisonbetween the design team and the constructors chargedwith building the highway infrastructure, the landscapecontractors hired to implement the urban park plan andan environmental team responsible for the preservationof species at risk. Safeguarding animal and plant speciesinvolved working with government conservationists,wildlife researchers and First Nations people.

It was Bogaert’s closest working relationship withconservation biologists. “I learned a lot about terrestrialand aquatic biology and how to protect and maintainthe ecosystem for each of the plant and wildlife speciesthat live in the highway corridor.”

BLA GRAD BUILT A DIVERSE CAREER BY TAKING RISKS

Winter 2015 25

He says the parkway project and its environmentalconsiderations proved a good training ground for hiscurrent position with AECOM, which provides con-struction monitoring for the parkway. So Bogaert is stillinvolved in a technical advisory capacity, although muchof his attention has moved east on the 401.

As senior landscape architect within AECOM’sBuildings + Places business line, he’s working on thelandscape component as well as site grading, bus shel-ter locations, site plan and working drawings for pow-er substations for Waterloo Region’s $532.1-millionlight-rail transit system.

He is also contributing to a proposal for Phase 2 of

the Highway 407 East extension to Highway 35/115near Peterborough.

Bogaert’s new role reinforces his view that landscapearchitects are expanding the boundaries of their pro-fession and opening up new opportunities for futuregraduates. “Our work involves the relationship betweenpeople, the natural environment and the built structuresrequired by our society.

“We need landscape architects who understand boththe design and technical side of projects, people whocan work directly with the trades and contribute fromconcept to implementation.”

ince 1984, the Gryphon SportsHall of Fame has recognizedathletes and builders who have

made outstanding contributions to theUniversity’s athletics program. To date,131 athletes, 39 builders and 28 teamshave been elected to the Gryphon Hallof Fame, including an elite group rec-ognized in 2014.

The induction ceremony held dur-ing Homecoming honoured retiredathletics staff member Karen Lee alongwith athletes Jean-Paul Davis, B.Sc. ’99and M.Sc. ’00; Dan Tocher, BA ’91; andDonna Valaitis, B.Sc. ’79. Team inducteeswere the 1989-90 men’s basketball teamand the 1960s era of men’s wrestling.

Lee was a driving force in Gryphonathletics for 31 years, coaching women’sbasketball, field hockey and indoorhockey. She co-ordinated instruction-al programs, and supervised dance, mar-tial arts, sports and Pilates programs.

She coached teams that garneredone gold, two silver and nine bronzeprovincial medals. Her 1979-80 cham-pionship team in women’s basketball

was recognized by the Hall of Fame in2010. Overall, Lee’s teams produced 10All-Canadians, numerous Ontario Uni-versity Athletics (OUA) All-Stars, andsix members of the Gryphon Hall ofFame. She finished her coaching careerin 2004 as a three-time OUA basket-ball coach of the year and two-timeOUA field hockey coach of the year.

Davis was a key member of the1996-97 Canadian Intercollegiate Ath-letic Union (CIAU) championship hock-ey team. Team captain in 1998 and two-time assistant captain, the defencemanwas a two-time CIAU All-Canadian,MVP in 1998 and a two-time Ontariofirst team all-star. He also received U ofG’s W.F. Mitchell Sportsman Award andMale Athlete of the Year award.

Davis represented Team Canada atthe World University Games in 1997 andwas team captain in 1998. After gradu-ation, he played two seasons for the LasVegas Thunder in the InternationalHockey League. He is now an oral max-illofacial surgeon in Sarnia, Ont.

Tocher was a receiver for the

Gryphon football team from 1986 to1990. He was named a CIAU All-Canadian and was a three-timeOntario first team all-star; he held therecord for career receptions (146) whenhe graduated in 1990. He was alsonamed a member of the 1980sGryphon Football Team of the Decade.Today, Tocher is a business consultantin Calgary and a former vice-presidentof Greengate Power Corp.

Valaitis was the 800m provincialchampion in 1974 and won theOntario cross-country all-round titlein 1976. On the national stage, she wasthe Canadian 1,500m and 3,000mchampion in 1976 and the cross-coun-try Canadian champion in 1976. Shewas also a member of the Canadiantrack and field team that competed atthe World Cross-Country Champi-onships in 1977. She now works ineducation as owner of Kumon Mathand Reading Centre in York Mills, Ont.

The 1989-90 men’s basketball teamwas one of the Gryphons’ most talent-ed hoop squads. They finished their reg-ular season with an 11-3 record, werecrowned Ontario University AthleticsAssociation (OUAA) champions andwent on to win a CIAU silver medal.This team was ranked in the top 10 allyear and led the country in defensivestats. Head coach Tim Darling wasnamed the OUAA Coach of the Year.

From 1962 to 1968, Gryphonwrestlers captured five OQAA(Ontario-Quebec) wrestling titles. Ledby coaches Bob Heinrichs and LondoIacovelli, these male athletes joined theGryphon Hall of Fame in September.

Inductees are selected every twoyears based on playing ability, sports-manship, character, and exemplificationof the spirit and ideals of the Univer-sity of Guelph.

From left: Karen Lee, Dan Tocher and Donna Valaitis.

26 The Portico

Gryphon Hall of Fame Welcomes New Inductees

Join us in June!

Winter 2015 27

of G participated in a city-wideinitiative on Giving Tuesday,Dec. 2, to recognize the impor-

tance of giving to and volunteeringwith non-profit organizations inGuelph. The Department of AlumniAffairs and Development ran an onlinecampaign to raise $50,000 in 50 hours.

Going well beyond its goal, the Uof G 50 Challenge raised more than

$197,000 from more than 900 donors,including eight who matched dona-tions to priority projects.

Giving Tuesday began in the UnitedStates as a global day of giving to followthe sales of Black Friday and CyberMonday. U of G campus members wereinvited to donate to the Library Learn-ing Commons by dropping their giftinto a large coin designed and built byfine art students Katie Holmes, NatalieField and Emily Pittman. In the photo,Holmes adds her name to the back ofthe coin as a donor.

“It was incredible to see the out-pouring of support,” said Jason More-ton, assistant vice-president, alumniadvancement. “It really proves that nomatter when you were at U of G, nomatter where you live today, you areforever a Gryphon.”

A celebration of philanthropy held at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre on Nov.22 gave U of G president Franco Vaccarino his first opportunity to thank the Uni-versity’s largest donors. The annual President’s Open House recognizes donorswho give at the President’s and Lifetime Giving Council levels, as well as mem-bers of the University’s McLaughlin Society making planned gifts to U of G.Guests included, from left: Lorraine Stubbs, Catherine Keats, M.Sc. ’79, and CarlyO’Brien, senior development manager for the Ontario Veterinary College.

50 CHALLENGE A RUNAWAY SUCCESS

28 The Portico

Gryph travels to San Francisco

lumni living in and around SanFrancisco met in October withCollege of Physical and Engineer-

ing Science dean Anthony Vannelli andsenior development manager Maryam Lat-ifpoor-Keparoutis. Photographed at Google’sSan Francisco office are, from left: FinneganSouthey, B.Sc. ’95; Vanelli; Ming Xu, PhD’09; Latifpoor-Keparoutis; and Eric Hayashi,B.Sc. ’98. To connect with these grads andothers based in California, join their Uni-versity of Guelph Alumni LinkedIn group.

MITCHELL CENTRE PROJECT UNDER WAYhe ðepartment of athletics broke ground Nov. 10 on an extensive expansionand renovation to the W.F. Mitchell Centre. The $60-million project will providestudents, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art facilities for recreation, intramurals,

fitness and varsity sports. A new structure will house a 24,000-square-foot fitness centre and a 2,200-seat event

centre. The building will host varsity basketball and volleyball and will be suitable for largeevents like convocation. It will also feature a suspended running track, a climbing wall anda combative room for the Gryphon wrestling team and martial arts classes. Renovations tothe current building will upgrade the gymnasia and provide a training centre for testing,training and injury management services.

The Mitchell Centre opened in 1958 and was named for the late W.F. “Bill” Mitchell in1988; he was the school’s first director of athletics and served for 32 years. The facility iscurrently home to 30 varsity teams, 14 intramural leagues, 16,000 students, 129 communityclasses and 3,000 children during summer camp.

The $60-million renovation and expansion is supported by students, who committed $40million through a referendum; the University will raise an additional $20 million.

January Annual College Career Nights

Feb. 6 Florida Alumni Excursion

Feb. 11 Leaders of Tomorrow Mentor-

ship Breakfast Series

March 4 Florida Alumni Reunion

March 14 Engineering Alumni Associ-

ation Bonspiel

March 15 OVC AA Continuing Educa-

tion Symposium

March 21 OAC Alumni Association

Bonspiel

March 25 Leaders of Tomorrow Men-

torship Breakfast Series

April 17 and 18 OVC Alumni Hockey

Tournament

May 15 OAC AA and Alumni Foundation

Annual Meeting and Order of OAC Dinner

June 12 Alumni Awards of Excellence

Gala

June 12, 13 and 14 Alumni Weekend

June 26 HAFA / HTM AA Golf Tour-

nament

COMING EVENTS •

Winter 2015 29

M

The HAFA/HFTM AlumniAssociation held a networkingand recognition event Oct. 29at the Art Gallery of Ontario.In the photo, Prof. Statia Elliottcongratulates Martin Stitt,B.Comm. ’87 and MBA ’10,recipient of the George D.Bedell Alumni Award. TheLeadership/EntrepreneurialAlumni Award was presentedto Jeff Hyslop, B.Comm. ’04,and the Leader of TomorrowAward to Sam Prentice,B.Comm. ’12.

PORTICO ARCHIVE LOOKS BACK IN TIME

HAFA / HFTM Grads Celebrate

Exceptional alumnistrengthen U of G

30 The Portico

4-H ADVOCATE A WOMAN WITH POWER eing a 4-h member has givenJennifer Christie, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’06,

an approach to life that she describesas “let’s jump in and give it a try.” Shesays the 4-H motto of “learn to do bydoing” has become ingrained in her:“Even if you’re not perfect, it’s betterto make the attempt, to do somethingrather than waiting around or hopingsomeone else will do it.”

Her can-do attitude has served herwell since graduating with a Guelphdegree in agricultural business. Christiehas worked at John Deere for the pasteight years and in December 2013 wasnamed one of Canada’s Top 100 MostPowerful Women by the Women’s Exec-utive Network. “I still almost can’t believeI won that,” Christie says. “It was such anhonour to be part of that group.”

She says it reinforced for her theidea that 80 per cent of success isshowing up. “I am very involved andpassionate about my industry, notunlike many other young women, butwe often discount our contributionswhen they are actually something weshould celebrate.”

Christie points out that she was theonly woman on the list working inagriculture. It’s not unusual for her tofind herself the only “aggie” in what-ever group she’s part of, but she seesthat as an opportunity. “I take everychance I can to talk about the impor-tance of agriculture,” she says.

Growing up on a dairy farm inBruce County, Christie coveted theOntario Agricultural College (OAC)jackets she saw on older friends andknew in high school that she wanted toattend the University of Guelph. Shealso had a keen interest in marketing.While studying at U of G, she spent asemester in California that broadened

her understanding of the dairy industryand added to her marketing expertise.

During her final year, she inter-viewed with John Deere and startedwith the equipment manufacturer aweek after graduation.

“Early on at John Deere I expressedinterest in working on advertising andpromotions,” she says. “Because JohnDeere in Canada is a subsidiary of theU.S. company, the marketing programis limited, but the company was will-

ing to create a role for me to work onCanadian-specific advertising.”

Today Christie is a territory man-ager for 23 dealerships in southernOntario. “It’s a big area, but I like thatI can get home to visit my family fair-ly frequently,” she says.

While farm equipment sales man-agement has not been a traditional fieldfor women, Christie says, John Deere issupportive of women and nearly half ofthe territory managers are female. “I think

Winter 2015 31

1950■ Russell McKay, BSA’50,became a Chevalier of theLégion d’honneur in Novem-ber. He was one of 16 veteransof the Second World War whowere honoured by France at theCanadian War Museum inOttawa. All received the French

government’s highest honourfor their part in D-Day opera-tions. McKay left high school tojoin the Royal Canadian AirForce, beginning as an air gun-ner. He trained as a bomberpilot and flew out of northernEngland with 420 Squadron. He

flew 38 missions over Europeduring two tours of duty. Afterthe war, he returned home toNepean, Ont., and spent hiscareer in banking and real estate.■ Duncan Sinclair, DVM ’58and M.Sc. ’60, of Kingston, Ont.,has been selected for inductioninto the Canadian Medical Hallof Fame. The ceremony will takeplace April 23 in Winnipeg. Sin-clair is an internationally recog-nized leader in health-carereform. The first non-MD tobecome a dean of medicine inCanada, he led the creation ofNorth America’s first alternativefunding program for academicmedicine, viewed as a gold stan-dard in Canada for academicphysician compensation. As chairof the 1996 to 2000 Health Ser-vices Restructuring Commissionof Ontario, he helped redefinethe health system in Ontario. Hewas also founding chair and act-ing CEO of Canada HealthInfoway/Inforoute Santé duCanada, an organization designed

the more important factor is that I have thefarming background,” she says. “You earn thedealers’ respect when you can talk the samelanguage they do and demonstrate that youunderstand the realities of farmers’ lives.”

Christie’s commitment to agriculture alsoshows in her participation on the Canadian4-H Council board of directors. “4-H justcelebrated its 100th anniversary in Canada,so I was very involved in the planning forthose events. We are now looking at the futureof 4-H and working on what we can do toreinvigorate the organization, create new pro-grams and bring 4-H to new audiences.”

Christie also helped to launch the Cana-

dian Agri-Business Education Foundation.“Our goal is to promote careers in agri-busi-ness and the kind of education that preparesyoung people for those careers,” she explains.The organization has created six scholarshipsfor young people entering agriculture andworks to increase awareness of job oppor-tunities in the industry.

Christie says many young people thinkagriculture means working on a farm. “I wasthe same: I didn’t know about all the agri-culture-related careers that involve process-ing, engineering and technology. This is arapidly growing field: there are currentlythree jobs waiting for every OAC graduate.”

Last spring, Christie completed an MBAat Western University’s Ivey School of Busi-ness; one of her colleagues in the programnominated her for the Women’s ExecutiveNetwork award.

Christie says both her career success andvolunteer opportunities are related to hernetwork, “and that started at U of G withboth my classmates and alumni. Many of thealumni make a point of coming to events,so I was able to make connections evenbefore I graduated. I can’t stress enough howimportant it is to network and get to knowpeople. That’s the foundation.”

1967 classmates reach their peak

32 The Portico

to help develop a national capac-ity for health information man-agement.

1960■ Barbara Nattress, B.H.Sc.’69, published her second novel,Hannah’s Search. The book isavailable through Trafford Pub-lishing, Chapters or Amazon.com.

1970■ Andre Bordeleau, BA ’79and MA ’85, was the 1984Ontario champion in rifle shoot-ing on a moving target, a mem-ber of the Canadian nationalteam and a competitor at the1984 and 1988 Olympic trials.He recently published a bookentitled Flags of the Night Sky,which explores the many depic-tions of stars and other celestialbodies in flags from around theworld. He has one son, David.■ Kim Bresee, BLA ’72,recently retired as director ofplanning and building for thecity of Sarnia, Ont. He and his

wife, Teresa, have moved toStratford, Ont., to be closer totheir family and grandchild. ■ Robert Hannah, B.Sc.(Agr.)’71, is semi-retired but recentlyreceived a lifetime achievementaward from ACTRA for hiswork as a stunt performer.■ Henry Kortekaas, BLA’75, received the 2014 Regionof Durham Art of TransitionCreative Arts Award in the visu-al art category. ■ David Nattress, B.Sc.(Agr.)’70, recently moved to New-market, Ont., to focus on realestate in York Region.■ Barry Ring, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’75,is a member of the U of G alum-ni social bridge group in Ottawaand says they are looking for newmembers. Anyone who is inter-ested can contact him by sendingan email to alumni@uoguelph.ca.■ Kenneth Tomlinson, R.Dip.’77, recently received a 25-yearservice award for his contribu-tions as fire marshal for the Bin-brook Volunteer Fire Department.

1980■ John Berges, B.Sc. ’87 andM.Sc. ’89, was recently promot-ed to full professor in theDepartment of Biological Sci-ences at the University of Wis-consin-Milwaukee. He is also anaffiliate in the university’s Schoolof Freshwater Sciences. Like Uof G, he says, he is celebratinghis 50th birthday this year.■ Jeffrey Evans, BA ’80, is theprocess analytics business man-ager for Siemens in Canada inSarnia, Ont. His wife, CecilyChiles, B.Sc. ’90, is an envi-ronmental toxicologist withLehder Environmental. Theirson, Owen, attends McMasterUniversity, and daughter,Andris, is completing Grade 12at Northern Collegiate in Sar-nia. The Evans family spendstime each summer aboardtheir boat, 4EVANSache, intheir home port of Goderich,Ont., or touring the islands ofthe North Channel and Geor-gian Bay.

■ A. Kuppuswamy Kumara -guru, PhD ’83, is vice-chancel-lor of a state university in India.He writes that he is proud ofbeing a U of G alumnus andcredits his career success to “theseed of intellectually innovativeeducation sown with zeal and thezealous approach of the profes-sors at U of G.” His mentors werezoology professors Bill Beamishand the late John Calico George.■ Jo-Anne Wolach, B.Comm.’81, of Calgary, writes withpride that her daughter, Rone-na, is now studying at U of G.Ronena is following in thefootsteps of her mother; grand-father James J. Christensen, ADA’50; and great-grandfather JamesE. Christensen, BSA ’21. ■ Susan Wood-Bohm,B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81, and her husband,Mike Bohm, are farming atHawthorne Ridge Heritage Farmin Peterborough County . Theyhave six children, including twoGuelph grads: Larissa Wood, BA’11, and Colleen Wood, BA ’13.

1962 Dippers Hold Reunion

Winter 2015 33

1990■ Frank Cain, BA ’94, is anassistant facilities manager andpromotes business developmentfor U of G’s Department ofAthletics, so he’s had a hand inupgrading and maintaining vir-tually all of the University’ssports and recreation facilities.He recently received theOntario Recreation FacilityAssociation (ORFA) Award ofMerit recognizing his contri-butions to the professionaldevelopment of individuals

within the recreation facilitiesindustry. He is a member ofORFA’s grounds technical advi-sory committee and is develop-ing a grounds management andoperations course for seniormanagers. Cain’s volunteerismextends to the Guelph commu-nity, where he lives with hiswife, Kelly, and daughters,Emma and Abby. He is presidentof Guelph minor basketball andsits on the Guelph Youth SportsAdvisory Council.■ Cory Harris, B.Sc.(Eng.)

’97, was married Oct. 5, 2013, toKatie Jane Stewart in Muskoka,Ont.■ Ahmad Mahdavi, PhD’90, is retired from the Univer-sity of Tehran but continues hiswork on pesticide/chemical pol-lution reduction and regulationsfor developing countries. He hasalso begun a neem tree cultiva-tion program to propagate thespecies throughout the PersianGulf region. He was previouslya professor at the University ofMazandaran, Iran, and while in

e t e r i n a r i a n ChrisO’Toole, DVM ’04, says

working in a small animal prac-tice in downtown Toronto pro-vides constant reminders thatthe veterinarian’s relationshipwith the pet owner is vital. “Youneed to understand as a vet thatyou are working with people.You diagnose and treat the ani-mals, but the pet owner is themost important member of thehealth care team. The ownersmake the decisions.”

Although the Bloor West Vil-lage Animal Hospital is locatedin the middle of a large city,O’Toole says the community he’spart of has a very small-townfeel. And with several people onstaff, the veterinary practice is atrue team environment.

O’Toole’s wife, Julie, is anaturopath who is currently athome caring for their threesmall children and the familydog, Oscar

Growing up in North Bay,Ont., O’Toole was always inter-ested in animals. Becoming aveterinarian also satisfied hisinterest in medicine and solvingproblems. “It seemed like apractical way to be able to work

with animals,” he says. Duringhis training at the Ontario Vet-erinary College (OVC), he dida locum in large animals inSturgeon Falls. “The supportstructure there is definitely dif-ferent from what I experienceworking in Toronto. Here wehave overnight clinics, so I don’thave to be on call at night.”

He adds that there are prosand cons to veterinary work inboth rural and urban settings.“In rural areas, there are fewerspecialists, so as a primary carevet you get to do more things.But even here, some people will

choose to have their primary vethandle the procedure ratherthan going to a specialist.”

There’s one thing he findspeople everywhere have incommon: “They want the bestfor their animals. Rich or poor,city or country, people really docare about their dogs and cats.”

O’Toole has high praise forhis OVC education. “My profes-sors taught us not to rely onmemorizing stuff, but to research,figure out and test our diagnoses,and then develop a treatmentplan. That’s the foundation forgood veterinary care.” Although

he graduated before it was built,he also sees OVC’s PrimaryHeath Care Centre (PHC) as agreat addition for veterinary stu-dents. “Client communication isnot the focus in many veterinaryschools, but I see OVC reallytrying to address that,” he says.

The Bloor West Village Ani-mal Hospital offers some alter-native medicine options such asacupuncture for arthritis in smallanimals. O’Toole likes being ableto offer innovative therapies andtreatments and says veterinarymedicine also offers the oppor-tunity for life-long learning.“There are always new tech-nologies and new techniques tolearn about, and new ways toapproach a case or particularhealth issue,” he says.

But it’s still the animals whogive him the greatest satisfaction.“I think what I like best aboutbeing a veterinarian is seeing thecapacity animals have for lovinghumans,” says O’Toole. “Nomatter how crappy your day hasbeen, you come in the office andthe dog wags his tail and licksyou, or the cat rubs his faceagainst you.”

VETERINARIAN LOVES BIG-CITY PRACTICE

34 The Portico

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Canada in the 1990s helped tolaunch an ecotoxicology studyinvolving Guelph and U.S. uni-versities; the study looked at theuse and significance of pesticidesin the environment, includingpesticide-related health effectson humans.■ Peter Reinecke, BA ’99,leads an Ottawa firm, Bautech-nik, that specializes in high-per-formance, ultra-sustainable build-ing systems. He says his firm isthe only active rammed earthbuilder in Eastern Ontario andthe only local firm offering cross-laminated timber construction.To learn more about his buildingsystems, visit www.bautechnik.ca.■ Jerrin Victor, M.Sc. ’95, ismanaging director of tissue cul-ture operations at MagnoliaGardens and Nurseries in Mag-nolia, TX. He worked previ-ously for International Paper,Arborgen and Booshoot.

2000■ Martha Archibald, BA ’02,moved to the United Kingdomin 2010 for graduate studies inhuman rights. She now worksfor a human rights organizationin London, Ont., that supportsand advocates for persons withlearning and developmental dis-abilities.■ Marc, B.Sc. ’08, and Kristen(Beaver) Gardiner, BA ’09,had a baby girl, Evelyn Paige, onJuly 28, 2014. ■ Melannie Gayle, a.k.a. melg. campbell, BA ’06, is a Toron-to-based writer, poet and cura-tor of feminist and disability art.She studied English and theatreat U of G and also holds adiploma in American sign lan-guage and deaf studies fromGeorge Brown College. She hasexhibited and performed atevents such as Crip Your World:An Intergalactic Queer/POCSick and Disabled Extravagan-za as part of the Mayworks Fes-

tival of Working Class Culture,and was named artist-in-resi-dence for 2014-15 by TangledArt + Disability in Toronto. Thecharitable organization developsand showcases the work ofartists with disabilities. ■ Jamie Lafontaine, B.Sc. ’00,works in Health Canada’s envi-ronmental health division. Hereceived the Deputy Minister’sAward of Excellence in 2014 forhis experience in environmentalpublic health and collaborativeskills. Lafontaine was seconded tothe World Health Organizationin 2011 to co-ordinate interna-tional networks for improvingwater supply and quality in smallcommunities. Since returning tothe First Nations and InuitHealth Branch in 2012, he hasworked closely with AboriginalAffairs and Northern Develop-ment to engage First Nations andprovincial/territorial counterpartsin developing regulations underthe Safe Drinking Water for FirstNations Act.■ William Murray, MBA ’00,lives in Halifax, where he com-pleted a PhD in management atSt. Mary’s University in Octo-ber and is now an assistant pro-fessor at Mount Saint VincentUniversity. ■ Anthony Vander Schaaf,MA ’05 and PhD ’10, is teachingat Zhejiang Yuexiu University ofForeign Languages in Shaoxing,Zhejiang, China. His son has justentered Conestoga College.■ Lonta Williams, ADA ’03,earned her diploma in horticul-ture but also took animal scienceand health-related courses at Uof G. She says she enjoyed writ-ing about U of G research aspart of the SPARK program(Students Promoting Awarenessof Research Knowledge).

2010■ Lovejeet Bhatti, B.A.Sc.’14, is working as a liaison offi-

cer at the University of Guelph-Humber and is completing apost-graduate certificate in cor-rections and forensic practice atHumber College.

■ Tiziana La Melia, MFA’13, is an artist and writer livingin Vancouver. She won theannual RBC Canadian PaintingCompetition in October. The$25,000 prize celebrates promis-ing new Canadian visual artists.Her winning piece was an oil-

on-board titled Hanging on to thePart. La Melia prevailed over 14other finalists chosen from morethan 600 Canadian entries.One-third of the finalists wereU of G alumni, including Ash-leigh Bartlett, MFA ’11; JenniferCarvalho, MFA ’13; Wallis Che-ung, BA ’08; and James Gard-ner, BA ’08.■ Kathryn Lefrancois,BBRM ’14, majored in equinemanagement at U of G. Herundergrad research paper called“Digital Flexor Tendons: AComprehensive Review” wonfirst place in Canada and thirdin North America in the AlltechYoung Scientist Competition.Her research was supervised byProf. Peter Physick-Sheard inthe Department of PopulationMedicine.■ Brittany Manley, B.Comm.’10, is back at U of G taking a

Winter 2015 35

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36 The Portico

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Winter 2015 37

Read the Portico Online at : www.uoguelph.ca/theportico.

Joshua Rexford Ayisi, B.Sc. ’74, July 24, 2012

Stephanie Betts, B.Sc. ’12, Nov. 16, 2014

Keith Brooks, R.Dip. ’73, April 10, 2012

Anne Brouwer, B.Sc. ’81, Aug. 29, 2014

Murray Brown, BSA ’51, Sept. 26, 2014

Elaine (Derouin) Cairns, B.Sc. ’77,March 10, 2014

Beverley (Lynde) Calverley, DVM’52, Aug. 26, 2014

Ronald Colasanti, R.Dip. ’55, Nov. 6, 2014

Bruce Cudmore, BLA ’72, Dec. 6, 2014

Allen Davis, DVM ’50, Sept. 24, 2014John Day, BLA ’71, Oct. 2, 2014Lloyd Deeks, BSA ’50, Oct. 22, 2011Olive Dickason, H.D.Lett. ’97,

March 12, 2011Elizabeth (Dean) Doe, DHE ’38,

March 12, 2014John Ennals, DVM ’65,

March 31, 2014Heidi Enns, R.Dip. ’95, Jan. 6, 2011Hugh Falconer, BSA ’51,

Aug. 17, 2014George Fisher, DVM ’43,

Aug. 25, 2014Lawrence Foster, BLA ’69,

July 11, 2014Irina Gorodskoy, MLA ’06,

Aug. 1, 2014Anne (Walton) Grape, BA ’74,

Nov. 23, 2014William Grierson, BSA ’38,

Aug. 26, 2011

John E. Hall, ADA ’68, March 15, 2014Donald Hart, BSA ’53, Aug. 18, 2014John Harvey, BSA ’48, Sept. 7, 2014Lloyd Holland, ADA ’57, July 1, 2012Richard Jarvis, DVM ’55,

Dec. 20, 2010John Johnston, DVM ’59,

Oct. 17, 2014John Kernahan, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’75,

Aug. 20, 2013Douglas Kincaid, BSA ’54,

Jan. 14, 2014Elizabeth (Huggins) Lantz, DHE

’55, Dec. 31, 2013Marcel Levesque, M.Sc. ’86,

April 28, 2014Adrienne Lotton, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’04,

Aug. 27, 2014Lori (Braithwaite) MacDonald,

B.A.Sc. ’94, Nov. 22, 2013 Murray MacGregor, BSA ’51,

Oct.15, 2014Brian MacNaughton, DVM ’80,

Oct. 8, 2014Munveer Mahil, BBA ’07,

June 20, 2013Clifford McIsaac, DVM ’55,

July 25, 2006Ruth (Brown) McGill, DHE ’52,

Nov. 21, 2014Peter McKellar, BSA ’61,

Oct. 27, 2014Alan McLean, ADA ’48, Sept. 26, 2013Wilson McNab, BSA ’41, July 1, 2014Neil Merritt, ADA ’51, Sept. 14, 2014Janet (Lee) Monk, B.Sc. ’89,

Dec. 1, 2014David Moote, BSA ’51, Oct. 5, 2014Clarence Moxley, BSA ’44,

Sept. 18, 2014

John R. Murray, ADA ’50, Dec. 12, 2013

Calvin Nigh, BA ’91, Oct. 29, 2014Ormand Raymond, DVM ’47,

May 30, 2014Karen Reading, B.A.Sc. ’96,

Nov. 22, 2014Pensa Roleas, MA ’87, Sept. 27, 2012Thomas Sewall, DVM ’51,

Oct. 15, 2014Willard Shantz, DVM ’69,

June 9, 2014Darren Smith, MA ’08, Dec. 19, 2012Donald Stainton, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’65,

Nov. 15, 2014Marion (Buscher) Stock, DHE ’51,

March 29, 2013James Stockton, BSA ’59,

April 11, 2012Margaret (Daniels) Story, DHE ’36,

Jan. 27, 2014Bruce Truscott, DVM ’62,

Oct. 26, 2014William Tymchuk, BSA ’51,

Aug. 26, 2014Susan Uffen, B.Sc. ’72, Oct. 15, 2014William Vivian, DVM ’55,

Sept. 1, 2014Rolfe Wachsmuth, ODH ’64,

Aug. 9, 2014Bruce Watson, DVM ’55,

Nov. 11, 2013David Watson, BSA ’51, Sept. 13, 2014Walter Weir, DVM ’61, Sept. 22, 2014 John Whyte, ADA ’56, Sept. 9, 2012

To honour alumni who have passedaway, the University of Guelph AlumniAssociation makes an annual donationto the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

PASSAGES

master’s degree in tourism man-agement. She recently complet-ed field research in Nunavutand Greenland, where shelooked at Arctic expeditioncruising.

■ Vanessa Tignanelli, BA ’12,received a Gold Level Duke ofEdinburgh Award in September.It was presented by the Count-ess of Wessex, Sophie Rhys-Jones, during a ceremony at

Nipissing University. Original-ly from North Bay, Tignanellilives in Guelph, where she is afreelance documentary photog-rapher and office manager forthe Ontarion student newspaper.

She received the award for help-ing with Habitat for Humanityin Mississippi and Alabama afterHurricane Katrina. She alsotrained a puppy for the AutismDog Service.

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