A high-voltage transmission tower in Borden-Carleton, PEI, was the scene of a dramatic event on Wednesday, June 19. With the assistance of Fish and Wildlife PEI and Maritime Electric crews, Dr. David McRuer, wildlife health specialist with Parks Canada and an adjunct professor at AVC, removed an eaglet from its nest, which was located inside the tower structure.

Too young to fly or fend for itself, the young bird had to be removed from its nest for its safety and to protect the power grid. The nest was causing power outages in the area served by the tower. 

Nimbus Publishing’s new edition of Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery will be launched on July 25, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm in the Robertson Library at the University of Prince Edward Island. The book is compiled and edited by Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Epperly, past-president of UPEI and founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI), who will speak about the book and sign copies. Montgomery treasures, from the LMMI and Robertson Library, will be on display. All are welcome.

The following is a joint news release issued by Canada, Prince Edward Island, and the University of Prince Edward Island.

St. Peter’s Bay, Prince Edward Island, July 5, 2019— Investments in climate change research, scientific innovation and post-secondary education are essential for providing increased access to higher learning for Canadians, and to develop meaningful collaboration with communities, industry leaders, researchers and regional governments.

Despite a New Year's Day storm, hundreds of UPEI faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends attended the University's annual New Year's Levee. UPEI’s version of the social event, co-hosted by the UPEI Alumni Association, proved yet again to be a popular stop for levee-goers, and, with the inclement weather, led to participants staying a bit longer to mingle as a number of other levees were cancelled.

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Valerie Abd-El-Aziz, Chancellor Catherine Callbeck, Board of Governors Chair Pat Sinnott and Darlene Sinnott, UPEI Student Union President Will McGuigan, and UPEI Alumni Association President Lisa Doyle-MacBain received over 400 guests. Several UPEI music students, attired in Victorian dress, sang seasonal carols and helped the revellers kick off UPEI's 50th anniversary in 2019, which celebrates 50 years of the University serving as a leader in education, research, and service. (Visit upei.ca/50 to learn more!) 

About the levee tradition

The word levee (from the French noun lever, to raise) originated with King Louis XIV of France whose custom was to receive his subjects just after arising, a practice that then spread throughout Europe. In the 18th century, the levee in Great Britain and Ireland became a formal reception given by the sovereign just before noon or in the early afternoon. It was in Canada that the levee became associated with New Year's Day when fur traders began the tradition of paying their respects to their government representative on January 1. The first recorded levee in Canada was held in 1646.

The Panthers kick off the New Year with an exciting mix of home games this weekend. UPEI’s basketball and hockey teams are keen to build on their momentum in the second half of the season (see Thomas Becker’s recap of the first half).

Friday

The action kicks off Friday night as the UPEI Men’s Hockey team plays the first in a hat trick of games for Hockey Day in PEI, in partnership with the Charlottetown Islanders. See all three games of Hockey Day in PEI for just $20! That deal is improved to just $10 for season-ticket holders of the Panthers or Islanders. Contact the Eastlink Centre Box Office for tickets.

The Panthers defend home ice in MacLauchlan Arena against Acadia University at 7:00 pm.

“This is another big weekend for us,” said Forbes MacPherson, coach of UPEI Men’s Hockey. “The second half of the season, we play a lot on the road, so it is critical that we take care of business at home. Every point is critical when making a push to make the playoffs.”

Saturday

A busy Saturday for the Panthers begins at 4:00 pm as the UPEI Women’s Hockey team plays Mount Allison University at Charlottetown’s Eastlink Centre.

“Mount A is a very hard working team with some key offensive players who can hurt you if you give them opportunities,” said Bruce Donaldson, coach of UPEI Women’s Hockey. “The focus this weekend will be to improve on our defensive play in all three areas of the game. Specialty teams will continue to play a big part of our success so we need to focus on doing both the power play and penalty kill well. We did a fairly good job defending in the first half, but we need to get better as we progress through the second half of the season.” 

The men play one more home game Saturday night, hosting Saint Mary’s University at 7:00 pm.

Saturday is also a busy day on the basketball court in UPEI’s Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre as both the UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams host Cape Breton University. The women play at 6:00 pm. The men tip off at 8:00 pm.

“The team is excited to get back on the court to kick off the second semester versus CBU,” said Matt Gamblin, coach of the UPEI Women’s Basketball team.

“The Capers are a well-coached team that finished the first half of the season on a winning streak,” said Darrell Glenn, coach of the UPEI Men’s Basketball team. “We are excited about being back in the gym and working on the things that we felt hurt our progress in the first half of the season. This is a big weekend points-wise, because the winner will pick up four points. Anytime you are at home and you have a chance to get four points in this league, you really want to make sure you’ve done all you can to prepare.”

Sunday

The UPEI Women’s Hockey team finishes the weekend with a game against St. Thomas University. The game starts at 3:30 pm in Souris’ Eastern Kings Arena.

“STU is ranked fifth in the country with only two losses, so clearly they are playing very well,” said Bruce Donaldson, coach of UPEI Women’s Hockey. “They have a very mature line-up with strong goaltending, so it’s critical that we keep the game in front of us and play to our strengths.”

As usual, all UPEI students get into home games for free! Come on our and cheer on your Panthers!

Go Panthers Go!

The Island Studies Lecture Series January lecture returns with Dr. Margôt Maddison-MacFadyen, speaking on the topic, “To be free is very sweet”: The story of Mary Prince, a West Indian slave. The lecture is Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building.

Join Dr. Maddison-MacFadyen on a historical-geographical journey through Mary Prince’s life, where she details primary source evidence that not only confirms Prince’s testimony, but broadens her story of slavery and freedom.

The story of Bermudian slave Mary Prince is fascinating. In 1828 she freed herself when she walked out her owners’ door in London, England, and never came back. She is the first known black woman to escape colonial enslavement, tell her story of survival, and have it compiled and written down. The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself, first published in 1831, was part of a successful abolitionist strategy that pressured British Parliament to legislate into law freedom for enslaved British subjects throughout the British Empire. This was achieved through the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act that commenced on August 1, 1834. Born in Bermuda in 1787 or 1788, Prince also lived on three other islands: Grand Turk Island and Antigua in the West Indies, and Great Britain. Recent research suggests Prince returned to Antigua in 1833, but her death date is not known. She became a Bermudian National Hero in 2012.

Dr. Margôt Maddison-MacFadyen lives at Rennies Road, PEI. She graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Interdisciplinary PhD Program in 2017. Her non-traditional dissertation is titled “Reclaiming Histories of Enslavement from the Maritime Atlantic and a Curriculum: The History of Mary Prince.” She is the recipient of a 2018 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Maddison-MacFadyen is currently investigating the latter years of Mary Prince’s life for the Government of Bermuda.

Admission to the lecture is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

The next lecture is scheduled for February 19. Mark your calendars! For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.