The Institute of Island Studies (IIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island has a mandate to encourage public discussion on issues that are important to the development of PEI. The Institute has identified the recent move to increase cruise ship tourism as a current issue that deserves more public consideration. To give Islanders an opportunity to hear about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of development, the IIS is organizing a public lecture and discussion on Cruise Ship Tourism to take place in the Duffy Amphitheatre at UPEI, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26.

It will start with a presentation on the planned development in Charlottetown Harbour and the projections for generating economic benefits from increased cruise tourism. Then participants will hear from Dr. Ross Klein of Memorial University, whose research on the cruise ship industry in the Atlantic region and worldwide has led to the identification of certain pitfalls to be avoided while pursuing this development path. Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI, will comment on some of the particular issues confronting small islands when they wish to engage the cruise line industry. He will be followed by a stakeholder panel discussion representing perspectives from small business, fishing, environment, labour and tourism, moderated by Bruce Garrity, Charlottetown City Council. This will provide an opportunity for questions and comments from the floor. The event will end with an outline of the key points raised during the evening, summarized by the Director of the Institute of Island Studies, Dr. Irene Novaczek.

"This is an opportunity for Islanders to appreciate both the potential benefits of cruise tourism and the challenges. By the end of the evening we hope everyone will be better informed and able to plan for and manage this development so that it is more sustainable, less damaging to the environment, and broadly beneficial to the local economy," states Dr. Novaczek. "We welcome everyone having an interest in issues of environment, economic development, quality of life, tourism management and labour standards to join us."

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. More information is available from the Institute of Island Studies at 566-0386 or iis@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island's W.A. Murphy Student Centre received some welcome news recently. Scotiabank has doubled its financial commitment to the centre. The bank originally pledged $50,000 to the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign to help fund construction of the student centre. Now it has increased that pledge to $100,000. Scotiabank representatives were on campus in early July to make a contribution as part of their pledge. Brian A. Landry, Branch Manager and J.E. (Jim) Lavers, Scotiabank Senior Relationship Manager for Eastern PEI presented a cheque to Ryan Gallant, Student Union President and Kevin Lewis, UPEI Chief Development Officer.

The Honourable Janice MacKinnon will give a presentation called "Canada's Health Care System: Why the Long Waiting Lists and High Costs?" on Thursday, July 20, at 3:30 p.m., at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, as part of the 2006 Dr. Frank MacKinnon Lecture Series.

"In a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision," says MacKinnon, "Canada's health care system was criticized for having some of the longest waiting lists in the developed world despite the fact that Canadians are among the biggest spenders on health care. Facts like these are especially troubling since health care is sometimes seen as an essential part of Canada's identity, even though the evidence suggests that other developed countries have been more successful in creating affordable and effective health care systems."

MacKinnon will address these issues by looking at the origins and evolution of Canada's health care system and comparing it to other health care systems, like those of Western Europe.

MacKinnon is a professor of public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, Chair of the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She was also a cabinet minister in Saskatchewan between 1991 and 2001, and held various portfolios including Minister of Finance, Minister of Social Services, Minister of Economic Development and Government House leader. During her tenure as Finance Minister, Saskatchewan became the first government in Canada to balance its budget in the 1990s. She is the author of three books, The Liberty We Seek published by Harvard University Press, While the Women Only Wept and Minding the Public Purse, published in 2003. Her most recent publication was "The Arithmetic of Health Care," published in 2004 by IRPP.

The Dr. Frank MacKinnon Lecture Series is sponsored by the Confederation Centre of the Arts and the University of Prince Edward Island. Named in honour of Dr. Frank MacKinnon who was a leader in the Island's education system and the driving force behind establishment of the Confederation Centre, the lecture series features leading personalities and focuses on issues of national interest in Canada such as public policy, the arts and sciences, and humanities.

MacKinnon's presentation, which will take place in the Confederation Centre's Memorial Hall, is free to the public. For more information, please contact Anne McCallum, University of Prince Edward Island, at (902) 566-0760, or Anna MacDonald, Confederation Centre of the Arts, at (902) 628-6135.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues July 19 with R.Bruce Craig's presentation entitled "Confrontation, Crisis, and the Continuing Struggle for Equality in America." Craig is a historian and a 20th century specialist. He speaks at 3:00 pm in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre on the UPEI campus.

In this presentation, he will assess the successes and failures of various racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural groups in their ongoing struggle to achieve social and political equality in the United States. Based on the historical lessons derived from the struggle of black Americans for equality, Craig will examine the more recent controversies surrounding gay rights, including the pending 'marriage Constitutional amendment', the ongoing struggle by women to achieve equality in society, and the most recent effort by immigrants, particularly the Hispanic 'illegal' populations, to achieve what they assert are their rights under the law. He will also speculate on the impact these movements will make on the next presidential election.

Craig, who is the director of the National Coalition for History, a Washington- based advocacy organization that represents the historical and archival community on Capitol Hill, has returned to PEI to teach a summer course at UPEI - "US History Since 1945." In addition to his teaching assignments at UPEI, he is also a professorial lecturer at the American University in Washington DC.

Craig received his PhD from American University and an MA in Public History from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of TREASONABLE DOUBT: THE HARRY DEXTER WHITE SPY CASE (University Press of Kansas, 2004) and has written numerous scholarly and popular articles. His weekly electronic newsletter - the NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE - which has a circulation of about 60,000, is widely read and highly regarded in historical and archival circles.

UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series presentations take place on Wednesdays at 3 pm, with historic campus tours at 4 pm, throughout the summer and early fall. Admission is free. In addition to Wednesday lectures, presentations are being scheduled at other times based on the availability of speakers. For more information contact Julie Mutch at 894-2834 or visit www.upei.ca/summer.

The AVC Lobster Science Centre located at the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI, will host the 3rd annual Lobster Science Workshop on July 26 and 27 at the Delta Prince Edward hotel, Charlottetown, PEI.

The theme of this year's workshop is Marine Ecosystem Health: Crustaceans and their Environment. Keynote speakers and#150; including marine geologist Gordon Fader of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography and Richard A. Wahle, senior research scientist of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine and#150; and researchers from the AVC Lobster Science Centre will discuss current research as well as marine habitats using seabed mapping techniques, ecosystem-based crustacean research, invasive species, potential impacts of the oil and gas industry, and larval drift.

"The AVC Lobster Science Centre workshop has quickly become the benchmarking science workshop for the Canadian lobster industry," says Jean Lavallee, clinical scientist at the AVC Lobster Science Centre and Chair of the Lobster Science Workshop. "We are looking forward to exploring key issues related to marine ecosystem health in an effort to gain further knowledge for the health and sustainability of the industry." Ed Frenette, Executive Director of the PEI Fishermen's Association, believes the workshop focus is timely and of great benefit to organizations such as his. "The topics to be discussed this year are crucial to the future of our lobster fishery," says Frenette. "Ecosystem changes are affecting the fishery and the scientific information being provided at this workshop is crucial to fishers' understanding of the resource." The workshop begins with registration and a meet and greet the evening of July 26. The Honourable Jim Bagnall, Prince Edward Island's minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, will open the workshop the morning of July 27. Presentations on ecosystem health and the AVC Lobster Science Centre, as well as applied lobster fishery research will be delivered throughout the day. Further information on the workshop, including the agenda, is available by visiting www.lobsterscience.ca.

The AVC Lobster Science Centre is a research centre within the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI dedicated to conducting lobster health research to promote the health and sustainability of the lobster industry. The centre is located on the UPEI campus situated on Canada's Atlantic coast, providing ready access to the lobster industry. The centre's projects are aimed at enhancing the research and development capacity for lobster health in Atlantic Canada through technical studies. The lobster industry in Atlantic Canada has a landed value of over $600 million and an estimated overall value of up to $2 billion.

Dr. Christian Lacroix has just begun a six-year term as the sixth Dean of Science at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). Dr. Lacroix has been an active professor and researcher in the Department of Biology at UPEI since 1990.

"UPEI is fortunate to have Dr. Christian Lacroix as its Dean of Science," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "He brings an impressive record of contributions in teaching, research and service, all areas which we expect to continue flourishing for the Faculty of Science and UPEI as a whole under his leadership."

During his time at UPEI, Dr. Lacroix has served as Chair of the Biology Department and as a member of numerous committees including Graduate Studies, Research and Ethics for the Faculty of Science. As well, he has devoted his time as UPEI's university representative and scholarship liaison officer with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) since 2002.

Beyond UPEI, Dr. Lacroix has been a member of the Board of Directors of Island Nature Trust since 1992, recently serving as President. He is the newly-elected President of the Canadian Botanical Association and serves on the Board of Directors for Plant Canada. Until recently, he was Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Botany and still continues to act as reviewer for various international botany journals.

Born and raised in Eastern Ontario, Dr. Lacroix attended McGill for both his Bachelor's and Master's of Science degrees before receiving his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Guelph. He is fluent in both English and French.

Dr. Lacroix's research focuses on plant structure and growth as well as specialized microscopic techniques. He holds an NSERC discovery grant and plans to continue his work and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students at UPEI.

"I look forward to working with the dynamic group of individuals that makes up the Faculty of Science. Our faculty are committed educators and also productive researchers with strong funding. It is a very exciting time to be at UPEI," says Dr. Lacroix.

Dr. Lacroix's appointment comes as Dr. Roger Gordon steps down as Dean after nine years. Dr. Gordon will be taking an 18-month administrative leave, while still acting as Chair of the Atlantic Canada Network on Bioactive Compounds (ACNBC). The ACNBC is an Atlantic research initiative, based at UPEI, which looks at the development and commercialization of products utilizing the natural health benefits from wild rosehips and blueberries.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has recognized Dr. Miles Turnbull's expertise in French as a second language education (FSL). Dr. Turnbull is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Prince Edward Island. The SSHRC peer-review adjudication committee recently selected him as one of two Virtual Scholars-in-Residence for Official Languages. These positions are supported under the Official Languages Research and Dissemination Program, a joint initiative with the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Dr. Turnbull will work through the Official Languages Support Programs Branch of Canadian Heritage to help advance research on minority community issues, second-language learning, and the promotion of linguistic duality to all Canadians. In the 2006-2007 academic year he will focus on three themes related to the socio-cultural and socio-political realities of French as a second language education in Canada.

He will work with Dr. Scott Kissau of Windsor, Ontario to examine issues related to males in FSL education. They will focus on understanding, recruiting, and retaining males in FSL studies. With Callie Mady, a doctoral candidate from the University of Toronto, Dr. Turnbull will also produce a research agenda and policy recommendations relating to the inclusion of new Canadians in FSL programs. The third component of his research will include a large-scale, pan-Canadian project examining school administrators' and guidance counsellors' perspectives on FSL education.

"This award is a considerable coup for Dr. Turnbull and for UPEI," says Dr. Graham Pike, UPEI Dean of Education "Miles is at the forefront of FSL scholarship in Canada and his expertise in this area has given a tremendous boost to French as a Second Language in the province."

For the past three years Dr. Turnbull has coordinated the Bachelor's Degree in Education with specialization in French Immersion program. This is offered at UPEI in collaboration with the Universitand#233; de Moncton. He will hold the SSHRC Scholar-in-Residence position for the 2006-2007 academic year.

The UPEI Department of English and PEI Writers' Guild will launch a new book by David Helwig, the 2006 recipient of the PEI Council of the Arts Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts. The celebration will be held on Thursday, September 21, at 7:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, at UPEI. The launch will feature David's memoir, The Names of Things, published by The Porcupine's Quill, one of Canada's premier literary publishers.

Born in Toronto, David was raised in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He earned a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1960, and an M.A. from the University of Liverpool in 1962. He taught at Queen's University from 1962 to 1974. He was a literary manager for CBC Television's drama department from 1974 to 1976, and then returned to Queen's as a part time instructor until 1980, when he became a full-time writer. He has lived on PEI, in the village of Eldon, since the mid-1990s, with poet Judy Gaudet.

Helwig's distinguished and prolific career includes thirteen collections of poetry, numerous novels and collections of stories, essay collections, and book reviews. He is also the founder and long-time editor of the Best Canadian Stories annual. His most recent poetry volume, The Year One, was winner of the 2004 Atlantic Poetry Prize. His latest novel is Duet. His upcoming novel, Saltsea, will be published later this year by Biblioasis, a new literary press in Ontario.

He is also an accomplished vocalist, contributing to Island choirs. And a wonderful reader. The public is invited to celebrate his achievements, and hear his splendid voice.

What book featured the character that Mark Twain called, "and#133;the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortal Alice"? What book was it that brought hope and inspiration to Japan after WWII? What is the best-selling Canadian book of all time? The answer to all of these questions, believe it or not, is Anne of Green Gables. It may also surprise you to find out that this book is soon to celebrate a very important milestone. 2008 - just two years away - will mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables - Island author L.M. Montgomery's first and most famous novel - and Prince Edward Island is going to celebrate!

A committee called the Anne 2008 Celebration Committee is already working to plan a year-long celebration of this important anniversary. The committee includes representatives of the L.M. Montgomery Institute, Tourism P.E.I., Parks Canada, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the P.E.I. Department of Education, Festivals and Events P.E.I., various tourism businesses and the Tourism Industry Association ofP.E.I. The Honourable Marion Reid, CM, a long-time Montgomery enthusiast and former Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island, is honorary chair of the celebration.

Shelley Gordon, of Mermaid, P.E.I., has been hired to coordinate the committee's creation of a celebration that will honour the impact the novel and the author have had on the Prince Edward Island and the world.

"Anne 2008 offers us the chance not only to celebrate the fun of the character of Anne Shirley but also to celebrate all of the things Montgomery's book has made famous and#150; the power of creativity and imagination, optimism, determination and, of course, the beauty of Prince Edward Island and its culture," says Gordon, "As a committee, we are trying to emphasize all of these themes in our events."

The committee, co-chaired by Anna MacDonald, of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and Jeannette Arsenault, of Cavendish Figurines, is working to organize a celebration that will include a balance of entertainment and educational opportunities. Local community groups and organizations are encouraged to develop celebratory events that will appeal to people of all ages. Academic and cultural events will include the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial international conference, the Charlottetown Festival's production of "Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153;", the annual L.M. Montgomery Festival and much more. As well, new products will be created in honour of the anniversary.

"We want to invite all Islanders to be involved in this celebration," says Gordon, "Anne of Green Gables is not just the story of a red-haired orphan, it also tells us a lot about Island history and what it was like to live here at that point in time. We will celebrate the story but we also want to celebrate the way of life on PEI which is something Montgomery captures so clearly in her writing."

An immediate bestseller in 1908, Anne of Green Gables is Montgomery's most celebrated and recognized novel, providing the inspiration for musicals, plays, movies, television shows, Anne-related products and other books. It has been translated into over 30 different languages, most recently into Mandarin Chinese. Each year, tens of thousands of people from all around the world come to Prince Edward Island to see the place where Montgomery set her novel.

Anne 2008 updates will be posted on the TIAPEI website, http://www.tiapei.pe.ca/, Tourism PEI's website, www.thegentleisland.com and www.Anne2008.com. For information about the celebration, please contact Shelley Gordon at (902) 566-5008 and by e-mail at sgordon@tiapei.pe.ca.

This project is funded by the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement (www.lmda.pe.ca).

Media Contact:

Shelley M. Gordon

Anne 2008 Project Coordinator

Phone: 902-566-5008

Email: sgordon@tiapei.pe.ca

Scholars from Brazil, China, the Netherlands, the US and Canada will gather at the University of Prince Edward Island August 4 and 5 to take part in the First Annual Julian Jaynes Conference on Consciousness being organized by Dr. Scott Greer and the UPEI Psychology Department.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Richard Restak, Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. His topic will be "Consciousness, Cognition, and the Technological Revolution: How the Modern World is Rewiring Our Brains." Dr. Restak is a renowned neuropsychiatrist and widely-admired author of ten books on the human brain. His numerous articles have been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He has contributed brain and neuroscience entries to the World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience.

Since 2002, UPEI has hosted an annual one-day symposium on consciousness featuring internationally-known experts such as Daniel Dennett and Michael Gazzaniga. They have proved so popular that organizers decided to expand the event into a full two-day conference. In addition to the keynote address, papers will be presented on a variety of topics ranging from "What is Raised in Consciousness Raising? An Example Case of Racism in Advertising" by Floyd Rudmin of Queen's University to "Self-consciousness and Anxiety in Tao Te Ching" by Qin Yi, Beijing Normal University. UPEI's Benet Davetian will address the topic "From the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind to the Breakdown of Bi-Hemispheric Intelligence: Emotions, Thinking, and Ideation in Contemporary Culture."

The conference, and previous symposia, have been organized to honour the late Princeton professor, author, and long-time Keppoch resident Dr. Julian Jaynes. Information about Dr. Jaynes and his theories on consciousness is available on the Julian Jaynes Society website at http://www.julianjaynes.org/.

In keeping with the spirit of Jaynes' own inquiry, this conference is interdisciplinary, embracing a multitude of perspectives. It is open to anyone interested in the topic of consciousness at an academic level. Special low rates for students are available. A complete listing of papers, and details about registration, are available at: http://www.upei.ca/~sgreer/jaynesconference.html. Inquiries may also be directed to the conference coordinator, Dr. Scott Greer, who can be reached at sgreer@upei.ca.