Today, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) broke ground for a $32-million expansion and renovation project. The largest part of the funding, $18 million, is from the federal government through a national commitment to Canada's four veterinary colleges. This funding was secured through a cooperative effort amongst Canada's four Veterinary Colleges working in full collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

"Strategic investments in science and innovation are key to providing Canadian producers with new markets and opportunities," said Wayne Easter, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, speaking on behalf of Andy Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Andy Mitchell. "These new facilities will add to the College's capacity to conduct research and enhance the rapidly growing research profile at UPEI."

The province of Prince Edward Island has already pledged $2 million to AVC's expansion and renovations as part of a $25 million commitment for capital renewal at UPEI over 10 years.

The expansion will begin with the construction of a 57,000 square-foot Bioresource Research Complex that will annex the existing building. It will house centres of expertise, including the AVC Lobster Science Centre, the Atlantic Centre for Comparative Biomedical Research, and the AVC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences. The Complex will also have extensive space for animal holding, research labs, and offices, including workspace for graduate and post-doctoral students.

"Now is the time to build on our success. Our teaching, research and service programs continue to evolve to keep pace with society's growing expectations. AVC graduates and researchers contribute not just to animal health, but to human health and food safety," says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of AVC. "Our full expansion will give us the infrastructure to better meet today's demands on veterinary medicine."

Helping AVC to build on its success, UPEI's chancellor, Bill Andrew and his wife Denise, announced at today's groundbreaking celebration, a $250,000 gift to go toward AVC's capital expansion. Andrew is an engineering graduate of UPEI and says he is proud of what UPEI has achieved and is optimistic about its future. "We're grateful to Bill and Denise for their support in helping AVC to continue to provide excellence in its teaching, research, and service programs," says Dean Ogilvie.

Future projects slated for renewal are dependent on fundraising efforts and include the expansion and renovation of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, upgrades to the Aquatic Animal-holding Facility, construction of a student Learning Commons, and upgrades to laboratories for a total of 129,000 square feet of new or renovated space.

For nearly twenty years, AVC has been Atlantic Canada's Centre of Excellence for veterinary medicine. With more than 800 graduates, a veterinary teaching hospital caring for more than 3,500 large and 5,000 small animals each year, and ongoing world-class research, the College is committed to educating veterinarians, promoting animal and human health, and providing services for the management of the health and well-being of animals.

If you are interested in investing in AVC's expansion and renovation project or would like more information, you can contact the AVC Dean's Office at (902) 566-0882 or by email at buildingavc@upei.ca.

Ross Leckie, Director of Creative Writing and a professor at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, will read from his own poetry on Tuesday, October 11, at 7:30 in the Confederation Centre Library in Charlottetown.

Ross Leckie is also editor of The Fiddlehead, one of Canada's oldest and most distinguished literary magazines, poetry editor of Goose Lane Editions, and co-editor of Coastlines: The Poetry of Atlantic Canada. His poetry books include A Slow Light and The Authority of Roses. At UNB, he has mentored a remarkable number of Canada's exciting, new poets, including PEI's own David Hickey, who completed his MA creative writing thesis with Dr. Leckie and will soon publish his first book. Everyone interested in poetry, the Creative Writing program at UNB, or simply in hearing and meeting a fine writer, master teacher, and lovely spirit is encouraged to attend. The reading is sponsored by the UPEI English Department, with gracious support from The League of Canadian Poets, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the Confederation Centre Library. For further information phone 566-0389.

UPEI Chancellor Bill Andrew and his wife Denise have made a series of substantial donations to support university programs and students over the past six months. Now they have created two new renewable scholarships in Education, and one in Engineering, that bring their total gifts to the university to $1 million.

The scholarships announcement comes just a week after the Andrew family made a $250,000 contribution toward the Atlantic Veterinary College's capital expansion. Earlier in September, they donated $310,000 for a range of initiatives, including Cass building renovations; graduate scholarships in Island Studies; new instruments for the Music department; Faculty of Education international travel bursaries; priorities in the School of Nursing; and women's athletics. In May, they made a $100,000 donation to the planned new School of Business and Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship on the campus.

"In his first year as Chancellor, Bill Andrew has shown us what it means to truly believe in UPEI and to invest in our future," says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "This demonstrates the rich array of ways that dedicated donors can make a significant difference, through scholarships, capital improvements, athletics, musical instruments and other areas of critical support. We cannot say how much we appreciate this generosity and leadership."

The latest gift is for two $2,000 scholarships to be offered annually to students entering the UPEI Bachelor of Education program. They honour Joyce M. (Hooper) Andrew, Bill Andrew's mother, who passed away in December 2004. Joyce Andrew was a teacher and a committed community and church volunteer. She served as Chair of the Provincial Exhibition Committee for the PEI Women's Institute, Vice President and Secretary of Education of the Milton ACW, and as a member of the PEI Board of Anglican Church women. For many years she was also a Sunday School teacher.

The first recipients were announced at the Deans' Honours and Academic Awards ceremony on October 3. They were Timothy Jesty and Isabelle LeBlanc. Beginning in 2008, four Joyce M. (Hooper) Andrew renewable scholarships of $2,000 will be offered in perpetuity, supported by an endowment fund. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate strong academic achievement and who are international students, members of minority groups, or plan to teach in an area with a teacher shortage. Community involvement will also be a consideration.

The Andrew Renewable Scholarship in Engineering will be offered each year to a deserving student who has graduated from a PEI high school and is entering the three-year Engineering program at UPEI. The student will receive the $2,000 scholarship for each year of the program, provided he or she maintains an overall average of 80 per cent each year. The first recipient, Cathy Tse, was announced at the Deans' Honours and Academic Awards ceremony on October 4.

Denise and Bill Andrew's gifts are important contributions to the UPEI Building a Legacy campaign. With a goal of $50 million, Building a Legacy represents the most ambitious financial campaign ever embarked upon by UPEI. Since it was launched in April 2003, over $29 million has been committed to the University by private and corporate donors. More information is available at http://www.upei.ca/legacy/.

The Population Secretariat of the Government of Prince Edward Island, in conjunction with the University of Prince Edward Island, today announced the launch of a major study to identify ways to help attract immigrants to the province. The study will focus on those who have immigrated (or returned) to PEI between January 1998 and December 2003, including immigrants from other countries, Canadians from other provinces and territories and returning Islanders who have been away for more than three years.

"It is important to us as a province to have relevant and qualitative information which is specific to PEI," said Hon. Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology . "We continue to have focus on building and growing a skilled labour force that meets the needs of all business sectors and our government has identified immigration as one component of meeting those labour needs."

Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI and himself an immigrant to the province, will head up the study. Dr Baldacchino moved with his family from Malta to PEI in 2003. The research will help provide relative information regarding why recent immigrants have selected PEI and identify the challenges they face in settling their families in the province. An information campaign has already identified over 300 individuals to willingly participate in the study and many more individuals are being encouraged to take part

"One key aim of this study is to put a human face on immigration to PEI, "said Dr Baldacchino. "Various relevant data and information on immigration exists, but none has detailed information about immigrants who moved specifically to PEI."

Elaine Noonan, Executive Director of the PEI Population Secretariat, believes this study will provide information that will benefit the province for many years to come.

"I am very much looking forward to the findings of this research," said Ms. Noonan. "The results will guide us in the development of effective strategies as we move forward in our efforts in attracting and retaining settlers to PEI."

The findings of the study will be released in February 2006. To participate, qualified respondents should contact settlers@upei.ca or phone (902)566-0909.

Well-known Charlottetown native, A. Nora Halloran MacDonald Wonnacott lived to be over 107, passing away only three weeks shy of her 108th birthday in 2004. Her community spirit lives on through a $60,000 donation from her estate to the University of Prince Edward Island to create an annual bursary in memory of her son, Lloyd B. MacDonald who passed away at age sixteen

Born in 1896, Nora Wonnacott lived in three centuries. Some special moments were serving as Gold Cup Parade Marshall and being special guest to usher in the new millennium at Province House in front of more than 10,000 people. Her niece, Henrietta Halloran Watson, travelled from Maine to finalize the estate donation. "Aunt Nona was a vibrant woman with a thirst for life. She once said, 'I enjoy everything that is worth enjoying,'" she recalls.

Beginning in the 2006-07 academic year, the annual Lloyd B. MacDonald Memorial Bursary of approximately $2,500 will be granted to a deserving male student in financial need. Applications will be available in September 2006.

More than 50 new student scholarships, bursaries, and awards have been created by supporters of the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign over the past two years. Generous families, individuals, and organizations have given over $1 million to the University to assist students who achieve well academically and students who are in financial need. For details of awards and scholarships at the University of Prince Edward Island, please visit www.upei.ca/registrar. Information about Building a Legacy is available at www.upei.ca/legacy.

For more information please contact Tracey Comeau at 902-566-0354

The University of Prince Edward Island has an excellent showing of Academic All Canadians. The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) recognized 26 outstanding students from UPEI for the 2004-05 academic year.

"This is an important opportunity to acknowledge these students who have worked so hard throughout the school year," says UPEI Athletic Director Ron Annear. "University athletes at UPEI emphasize the educational and leadership components that striving for athletic excellence provides. These athletes are the role models for their fellow teammates."

Every year, a growing number of CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All Canadians, having maintained a grade point average (GPA) of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while playing on one of their university's varsity teams. Over 2,000 student-athletes across Canada have reached the prestigious status for 2004-05.

This year's UPEI Academic All Canadians are: Katie Andrews, Ryan Anstey, Jamie Bernard, Emily Bradley, Leslie Bradshaw, Colin Brown, Amy Connolly, Luc Chaisson, Madelon Cheverie, David Dalliday, Jacqueline Ellsworth, Vanessa Foster, Chelsea Kavanagh, Katie Lee, Jessica MacDonald, Stephanie MacKinnon, Elizabeth MacPhail, Kati McCarvill, Michael McIssac, Maureen O'Connor, Joey Seaman, Ashley Shannik, Matthew Thomson, Irene Trainor, Katherine Walters, Barb Vriends.

The strong academic performance of UPEI athletes is seen across all intercollegiate teams: men's and women's soccer, basketball, women's field hockey, rugby, volleyball and men's hockey. Athletes also come from all years of study and cover many different disciplines from arts, business to sciences and nursing. As a member of Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport, UPEI affords students the opportunity to pursue academic and sport excellence.

The Children's Health Applied Research Team (CHART) at the University of Prince Edward Island is hosting the world-renowned photojournalist, Carlos Reyes-Manzo during a week-long photo shoot on PEI. Mr. Reyes-Manzo will present and discuss his work on Friday, October 28, 1:30 to 3:00 pm in Lecture Room "A" in the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. All are welcome.

Originally from Chile, Reyes-Manzo now lives in the UK. He was deported from Chile in 1976, after being held in prison for two years by the Pinochet regime. Through powerful photography, Reyes-Manzo has been documenting the lives of people, particularly those of children, for 30 years. His work has been exhibited and published extensively and it has taken him to many places: Sri Lanka, Iraq, India, Nepal, Central America, and Ethiopia. Last year he was commissioned by Save the Children to document its work in Iraq.

Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice-President of Academic Development at UPEI, met Carlos Reyes-Manzo in Mumbai, India where she was working with children as part of the National Resource Centre for Inclusion an Indo-Canadian Initiative and he was photographing the children. Out of this meeting, the plans the photographer's visit to Prince Edward Island were made. He will be here to document the work that CHART has been doing with children. He will be traveling to several rural communities in PEI and NS that CHART has been working with. This is Mr. Reyes-Manzo's first visit to Canada.

Carlos Reyes-Manzo's photography can be viewed at the Andes Press Agency website: www.andespressagency.com

The Centre for Conflict Resolution Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) hosted a graduation to award the Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies on October 15. Among the 32 graduates were 19 members of the PEI Aboriginal community. They graduated from the program qualifying them to be Circle Keepers for the Aboriginal Justice Program (AJP).

The Certificate program is one of the most comprehensive in Canada. It involves courses in Mediation, Facilitation, Negotiation, Circle Keeping, Dealing with Anger, Dealing with Strong Emotions and Resistance, Ethics and Conflict and Case Development. In addition, all graduates had to pass rigorous standards of a final assessment of mediation skills.

Professor Verner Smitheram, Director of the Centre stated that "the Mi'kmaq group demonstrated impressive dedication to their studies at the same time as they enhanced our program with their own traditions. These graduates showed remarkable social concerns that, I expect, in combination with their conflict resolving skills, will result in huge benefits to their communities."

"Today marks an important day for the Aboriginal community on Prince Edward Island," said Chief Darlene Bernard of Lennox Island First Nation. "With the Circle Keepers on PEI, we can now facilitate a better understanding between the Aboriginal community and the legal system."

The circle process, in conjunction with community support, introduces opportunities to help prevent Aboriginal people from entering the mainstream legal justice system. The Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI Aboriginal Justice Program (MCPEI AJP) endeavors to create a system that provides Aboriginal people with access to traditional forms of culturally appropriate justice. The MCPEI AJP provided the funding for the graduates, who completed 210 hours of training to become certified Circle Keepers.

The graduation ceremony featured the Sunrise Singers who performed the Eagle and Honour song. A painting by Gilbert Sark was also unveiled. The convocation address was given by Graydon Nicholas who was the first Aboriginal called to the bar east of Toronto in 1971. Nick Lewis of Lennox Island was the Class Valedictorian.

Ryan Palmer, a third-year business student at UPEI, was recognized recently by the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation with an Excellence Award valued at $8,000 over two years. This award is given to students who demonstrate academic success and a significant contribution to the community, and who show leadership and commitment to innovation.

"I am thrilled to congratulate Ryan on this great recognition. These awards are valuable to students both for the national recognition and for the financial aid they provide to help them to fulfill their educational goals," states Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the School of Business.

Ryan Palmer is one of 200 students from across Canada to be selected for this year's award and he joins the company of Matthew O'Halloran, a UPEI business student who won the award last year.

"These excellence awards are both an investment in the future of our country and a way of recognizing some exceptional Canadians. The Foundation's Millennium Excellence Award laureates come from many different backgrounds and have lots of different interests, yet they all share an ability to inspire those around them through their achievements, their leadership and their dedication," said Gand#233;rard Veilleux, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is a private and independent organization created by an act of Parliament in 1998. It encourages Canadian students to strive for excellence in their post secondary studies, to face the challenges of a changing economy and society.

Sue Goyette, this year's UPEI Writer-in-Residence, will read from her fiction and poetry on Thursday, November 10, at 7:30 in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, at UPEI. Anyone interested in meeting the Writer-in-Residence and hearing one of Canada's most animated, warm, insightful, moving, and engrossing writers is welcome to attend. Admission is free.

As Writer-in-Residence, Sue will be working at UPEI for four weeks during November. During her residency, she will hold individual consultations with local writers about their writing. Anyone interested in booking a consultation with her should contact Dr. Richard Lemm at the UPEI English Department: 566-0592 or 566-0389.

Sue Goyette's first book of poetry, The True Names of Birds (1998), was short-listed for the Governor General's Award for poetry, the Lampert Award for a first poetry book, and the Lowther Award for best poetry book by a Canadian woman. Lures (2002), her first novel, was short-listed for the Thomas Raddall Award for fiction. Her new poetry book, Undone (2004), was short-listed for the Atlantic Book Awards. She has been a faculty member at the Maritime Writers' Workshop at UNB, the Wired Writing Program of The Banff Centre for the Arts, and the Sage Hill Writing Experience in Saskatchewan. She lives in Halifax, where she teaches creative writing part-time, serves as poetry editor for Pottersfield Portfolio, and is completing her second novel, Miracle.