June 21, 2006
Urban, rural communities must work together for Canada's prosperity, U of S economists say
Posted June 21, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, June 21, 2006
2006-06-11-AG
Urban, rural communities must work together for Canada's prosperity, U of S
economists say
Two University of Saskatchewan economists have been awarded $250,000 from
Infrastructure Canada to study how joint planning between expanding urban
centres and their neighboring rural communities can enhance prosperity
throughout their regions.
Though cities and their neighboring communities are often interdependent,
there is very little interactive planning around issues such as
transportation corridors, zoning, sewage and water requirements, economic
development, recreation, and environmental protection.
"Creating a more cohesive rural-urban infrastructure plan could help ease
congestion, slow urban sprawl, and preserve valuable green space, while
stimulating rural revitalization and enhancing rural quality of life," says
U of S agricultural economist Mark Partridge who holds the Canada Research
Chair in the New Rural Economy.
Partridge and fellow agricultural economist Rose Olfert will study the
commuting, land use, and employment patterns for communities across the
country. They will develop models that cities and their supporting rural
areas can use to plan together to build shared economic regions. They will
identify both problems and successes, information that will guide urban and
rural planners and policy makers.
"Increasingly, Canada's effective communities are neither urban nor rural,
but a combination of the two," Partridge says. "Yet, although they depend on
each other, governance structures in the city and the country aren't
coordinated to reflect this reality."
Saskatoon will serve as the first of two communities to receive detailed
scrutiny as a case study in the research, with the other two to be chosen
later. A further 10 communities will also be selected for special scrutiny,
though in less detail.
"Many commuters live in the rural areas surrounding Saskatoon and the
information provided by this study will be important to the future of
regional infrastructure planning," says Saskatoon city planner Lorne Sully.
One graduate student, a post-doctoral fellow and a research associate with
the project will have a chance to work with city planners and transportation
specialists to focus on the practical aspects of infrastructure planning,
such as roads, sewer, water and electric service.
The researchers note that cities are Canada's engines of growth and these
expanding urban centres are sprawling into their rural fringe, encroaching
on the country with acreages and bedroom communities. More than 80 per cent
of Canadians now live in cities and suburbs, and another 10 per cent or more
live within a one-hour commute of a city.
Infrastructure Canada funding is being provided by the Peer Reviewed
Research Studies program. This is augmented with in-kind contributions
totaling $160,000 from the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF),
the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and the City of Saskatoon.
Ultimately, the goal of the funding partners is to help coordinate
rural-urban planning policies and move toward a cooperative planning
approach across interdependent regions.
"The findings of this research will develop a foundation for investigating
new forms of rural-urban interaction and help us understand the impact of
increasing interdependencies on the environmental, social, economic and
cultural dimensions of Canadian communities," says CRRF president Rob
Greenwood.
Infrastructure Canada works with partners to identify regional and local
development priorities and finance infrastructure projects that support
national objectives. As part of this, the department is committed to
building, connecting and sharing research
(http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/index_e.shtm).
CRERL - Canada Rural Economy Research Lab (www.crerl.usask.ca) examines all
issues that affect the vitality of Rural Canada from a diversified economy,
healthcare, environment, amenities, transportation, to a productive and
sustainable agricultural sector.
CRRF (www.crrf.ca) aims to revitalize rural Canada through education and
research for rural leaders in the community, the private sector and in
government.
FCM (www.fcm.ca) is dedicated to improving the quality of life in all
communities by promoting strong, effective and accountable municipal
government. Along with its policy interests, FCM remains a professional
association serving elected municipal officials.
SSHRC (www.sshrc.ca) promotes and supports university-based research and
training in the social sciences and humanities.
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For more information, contact:
Mark Partridge
Canada Research Chair in the New Rural Economy
Department of Agricultural Economics
College of Agriculture
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4037
mark.partridge@usask.ca
http://www.crerl.usask.ca
Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2427
michael.robin@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
June 19, 2006
U of S names new laboratory after founder of ParticipACTION
Posted June 19, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 19th, 2006
2006-06-09-KIN
U of S names new laboratory after founder of ParticipACTION
Today University of Saskatchewan President, Peter MacKinnon, officially
opened a new laboratory in the College of Kinesiology focused on physical
activity and health promotion and dedicated it to the past president of
ParticipACTION - Russ Kisby.
Addressing representatives from the University, government, health region,
key players in ParticipACTION and in motion, and friends and family of Russ
and Merle Kisby, Mackinnon said: "Russ Kisby dedicated years of effort and
innovation as an advocate of physical activity for the health of all
Canadians. The purpose of this laboratory is to pursue similar goals in
research and its translation to knowledge and practice. It is thus fitting
to name this facility The Russ Kisby Physical Activity and Health Promotion
Laboratory."
Kisby said: ""It is a great honour to be associated with this prestigious
and timely research laboratory. I have no doubt that it will make an
enormous contribution to the health and quality of life of Canadians and
have an international impact."
The Laboratory will be used by U of S Canada Research Chair, Larry Brawley
and his team who will conduct research into health promotion and disease
prevention.
Brawley said: "In the next two years, this facility will be the testing site
for several funded research projects that concern older adults and physical
activity- these projects involve older adults with chronic diseases such as
osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Our work will
also involve those older adults less at risk but seeking to change their
inactive lifestyle.
"We also will continue to collaborate with the Saskatoon Health Region and
expand our partnership with their Chronic Disease Management group. These
activities and the facility provide an excellent training environment for
our graduate students and research centre for our collaborators."
The laboratory is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the
Province of Saskatchewan in conjunction with a Canada Research Chair Award
through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
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For further information, contact:
Laurel Rossnagel
College of Kinesiology
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-1105
Email: laurel.rossnagel@usask.ca
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June 16, 2006
University of Saskatchewan Students to Benefit from BMO Financial Group Donation of $500,000
Posted June 16, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 16, 2006 2006-06-07-OTHER
University of Saskatchewan Students to Benefit from
BMO Financial Group Donation of $500,000
SASKATOON, June 16, 2006 -- Student scholarships at the University of
Saskatchewan received a significant boost today with the announcement of a
$500,000 donation from BMO Financial Group.
BMO's donation will establish the BMO Financial Group Scholarship Program
providing a $16,000 scholarship over four years to one undergraduate student
annually.
The donation, to the University's Thinking the World of our Future campaign,
was presented by Ken Segboer, BMO Bank of Montreal Vice President
Saskatchewan, during celebrations to mark the 100th Anniversary of the
bank's Saskatoon main branch.
"Our donation to the University of Saskatchewan is further proof of our
commitment to supporting and strengthening higher learning in Saskatchewan
and across the country," said Mr. Segboer. We believe that our financial
support will help the University to continue to attract the very best
scholars, maintaining its reputation for excellence in higher education."
"This magnificent gift will go a very long way to ensure that undergraduate
students are strongly supported throughout their studies," said Heather
Magotiaux, Vice-President University Advancement. "Our ability to offer
scholarships also enhances accessibility to the University and will have a
significant impact on our ability to attract and retain high-calibre
students."
Since its founding in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group has
supported the principles of community reinvestment and corporate and social
responsibility to the communities it serves. In 2005, BMO Financial Group
contributed $29.5 million in corporate donations, sponsorships and events in
Canada, supporting thousands of communities, charities and not-for-profit
organizations across the country. BMO was also named Canada's Best Corporate
Citizen for 2005 by Corporate Knights. BMO Bank of Montreal has 29 branches,
two northern outlets and more than 350 employees in Saskatchewan.
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For further information, contact:
Laurie Grant
BMO Financial Group
Tel: (604) 665-7596,
Email: laurie.grant@bmo.com
Internet: www.bmo.com
Heather Magotiaux
Vice-President
University Advancement
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-5176
Email: heather.magotiaux@usask.ca
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June 15, 2006
$700,000 Awarded to U of S for Humanities and Social Sciences Research
Posted June 15, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 15, 2006
2006-06-06-OTHER
$700,000 Awarded to U of S for Humanities and Social Sciences Research
Eight new research projects at the University of Saskatchewan have been
launched to study the economic well-being of immigrants to Canada,
mentorship and development of nurses, historical causes of dust storms and
wind erosion on the Great Plains, and much more.
The new research projects were awarded a total of almost $700,000 today from
the federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
(SSHRC).
"This significant federal funding presents an exciting opportunity for our
researchers to build upon some of this university's unique research
strengths as they address some fascinating social and cultural questions,"
said U of S Vice-President Research Steven Franklin.
"These research projects will further understanding in a range of important
areas such as health care, economics, conservation, and culture."
The funding was announced today in Montreal as part of SSHRC's overall
announcement of $81.3 million for 969 research projects at 92 universities
across Canada.
U of S projects approved for funding (over three years):
- Peter Li (sociology) will study how immigrants to Canada perform
economically over time to learn what factors affect their ability to improve
their economic status. His research will provide policy-makers with new
insights into how to best integrate newcomers into the Canadian workforce.
- Geoff Cunfer (history) will investigate the history and causes of dust
storms and wind erosion on the Great Plains in the 19th century when native
grass was unplowed in order to examine critically the standard belief that
misuse of the land created the 1930s "dust bowl" crisis.
- Linda Ferguson (nursing) will study mentorship between senior experienced
nurses and new nurses and identify situations that support new nurses in
their development of clinical judgment while assisting senior nurses in
passing on their clinical expertise and knowledge.
- Maureen Reed (geography) will undertake a social history study of Canadian
biosphere reserves (conservation territories designed to advance
sustainability) to learn how they have evolved and reflect changing
priorities and social values related to conservation, culture, and
governance.
- Laurie Hellsten-Bzovey (educational psychology, special education) will
identify and examine key factors that affect Saskatchewan teachers' early
career paths and commitment to the profession.
- Lisa Vargo (English) will study writings Mary Shelley (author of
Frankenstein) produced in the 1830s, her most prolific period, and will
create a digitized version of her least known work -- five volumes of the
lives of European writers and scientists for the Cabinet Cyclopaedia.
- Christopher Kent (history) will study how and why English gentlemen
dressed the way they did in Victorian Britain to learn what the story of
gentlemen's fashion at this time reveals about the English gentleman at the
height of British imperial and economic power.
- Robert Hudson (philosophy) will probe what experimental dark matter
research can tell us about the structure of knowledge and the nature of
reality. He will consider current scientific inquiry into the existence of
unobservable dark matter which astrophysicists claim constitutes, along with
dark energy, the bulk of the material of the universe.
SSHRC is an arm's-length federal government agency that funds
university-based research and graduate training through national,
peer-reviewed competitions. SSHRC also partners with public and private
sector organizations to focus research and aid the development of better
policies and practices in key areas of Canada's social, cultural and
economic life.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer W. Webber
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1474
jennifer.webber@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
Susan Goodyear
SSHRC Media Relations Officer
(613) 947-4629
Cell: (613) 371-3829
susan.goodyear@sshrc.ca
http://www.sshrc.ca
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June 07, 2006
CSI at the CLS: Forensics Highlighted at Canadian Light Source Users' Meeting at the U of S
Posted June 07, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, June 7, 2006
2006-06-03-OTHER
CSI at the CLS:
Forensics Highlighted at Canadian Light Source Users' Meeting at the U of S
Television's CSI sleuths use cutting-edge technology to help solve their
weekly crimes, but they haven't used a synchrotron - yet.
Using super-bright synchrotron light to fight crime is the subject of one of
five workshops at the Canadian Light Source Annual Users' Meeting June 16
and 17, being held in conjunction with the 3rd Northern Lights Conference of
the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences at the University of
Saskatchewan (U of S) in Saskatoon.
"Forensics draws upon a vast array of techniques from a number of scientific
disciplines," says workshop organizer and CLS scientist Tom Kotzer.
"Forensic analysis involves studying all kinds of different samples in
various states of preservation in a way that is impartial, reliable and, if
possible, non-destructive. Synchrotrons are a great tool for meeting many of
these requirements."
"Synchrotron and Advanced Analytical Techniques in the Forensic Sciences"
features presentations by experts who use synchrotrons to analyze
fingerprints, investigate toxins, counter the threat of nuclear terrorism,
identify human remains and estimate age-at-death. The afternoon workshop
begins June 16 at 1:00 p.m. in Arts Room 146 at the U of S.
Visit www.lightsource.ca/uac/meeting2006/workshops.php for more information
on this and other workshops taking place on June 16. They include:
- Molecular Form and Function: Probing Intact Tissues using Synchrotron
Light (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Commerce Room 18)
International synchrotron experts in life science research present their
experiences using a spectrum of techniques to study living things, from
cells to whole organisms.
- Synchrotron Protein Crystallography (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Arts Room
143)
Protein crystallography is a powerful technique for understanding biology at
the molecular level, paving the way for new drugs and a greater
understanding of disease.
- New Instrumentation for Soft X-ray Photon-In-Photon-Out Spectroscopy (8:30
a.m. to 12 noon, Arts Room 101)
Photon-In-Photon-Out spectroscopy uses the interaction of synchrotron X-rays
with matter to understand how atoms and molecules behave, leading to the
development of advanced materials such as organic light emitting diodes,
molecular wires and next-generation computer chips.
- Research Opportunities in Terahertz (THz) Science and Technology (8:30
a.m. to 12 noon, Arts Room 217)
Studies using terahertz light - with wavelengths, from a micron to a
millimeter -- have only recently become possible, opening news windows in
areas from medical imaging to chemistry.
The Annual Users' Meeting takes place June 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in
the Geology and Biology Buildings at the U of S. The meeting will feature an
address by Isabelle Blain, Vice-President of Research Grants and
Scholarships with the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) on research funding in Canada, facility updates by CLS staff, and
the presentation of the first research results obtained using the CLS. As
well, presentations will be made by synchrotron experts from across Canada
and around the world. The meeting concludes with a poster session and
banquet, featuring U of S president Peter MacKinnon as guest speaker.
-30-
Note to Editors: A condensed schedule with speakers and topics of interest
will be posted at www.lightsource.ca/media. Media planning to attend are
asked to contact Matthew Dalzell. Further information is available at:
www.lightsource.ca/uac/meeting2006/ (CLS Annual Users' Meeting) and
www.cfbs.org/annual49-programsummary.html (Northern Lights Conference).
For more information contact:
Matthew Dalzell
Communications Coordinator
Canadian Light Source Inc
Ph: (306) 657-3739 Fax: (306) 657-3535
Cell: 227-0978
matthew.dalzell@lightsource.ca
www.lightsource.ca
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U of S Music Grad Performs At Prestigious Chicago Concert
Posted June 07, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 7, 2006
2006-06-04-OTHER
U of S Music Grad Performs At Prestigious Chicago Concert
A highly successful music graduate from the University of Saskatchewan, who
has gone on to become one of North America's premiere organists, is now set
to appear as a featured performer at a prestigious concert in Chicago.
Maxine Thevenot, who graduated with a bachelor of music (music education)
with distinction in 1991, will be a featured performer at the opening
concert of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Convention in
Chicago on July 2nd, 2006.
"Ms. Thevenot was chosen for her reputation as an extremely talented
organist and one of the première women organists in North America,"
said Ronald Vanderwest, AGO Convention Coordinator.
"I feel especially honoured to have this opportunity - and to be the only
female on the program," said Maxine Thevenot.
While at the U of S, Thevenot's professors included eminent musicians Mary
Wedgewood, Robin Harrison, and Cécile Desrosiers. Among her
classmates was Tania Miller, now conductor of the Victoria Symphony.
"As the U of S works to build its reputation as a leader in research,
scholarly, and artistic work, Maxine Thevenot's success stands out as a
great testament to the calibre of our students and faculty and to the U of S
music department as a whole," said Peter Stoicheff, U of S associate dean of
humanities and fine arts. "We're very proud of her accomplishments."
Thevenot will be the final performer on the evening's program and will
perform the Concerto for Organ and Strings by Richard Proulx, who will be
given the AGO Composer of the Year award at the convention.
"To play on that stage in Orchestra Hall, on an organ built by the oldest
pipe organ company in Canada - Casavant, with conductor Julian Wachner and
the members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra," said Thevenot, "I would say
it's definitely one of the career high points."
Of which her career has had more than a few.
Since her graduation from the U of S 15 years ago, Maxine Thevenot has
enjoyed noteworthy success throughout North America and abroad as a
respected organist, chamber ensemble musician, and accomplished conductor of
ensembles and choirs.
Thevenot has twice been a featured performer at the Royal Canadian College
of Organists National Convention (1995 and 2004). She is the recipient of
several competition prizes and scholarships, including First Prize in the
Canada Bach 2000 National Organ Competition. Thevenot has also performed in
such venues as la Cathèdrale de Notre Dame, Paris, St. Paul's
Cathedral, London, and Washington National Cathedral, Washington, and at
international music festivals in Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, and Vienna.
She is currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This May, Thevenot received her doctoral degree from the Manhattan School of
Music in New York, at which time she also received, for the second time in
her academic career there, the Bronson Ragan Award for most outstanding
organist.
Thevenot releases her first CD in June 2006 on the Raven CD label
(www.ravencd.com). Without Boundaries will feature music from around the
globe as well as 25 minutes worth of Canadian organ music, including the
première of a composition by Victor Togni (father of CBC radio host
Peter Togni).
Thevenot was born in Zenon Park, a francophone village in east-central
Saskatchewan, and later moved to Lake Lenore where, at the age of four, she
began her first piano lessons. By the age of eleven, Thevenot had begun
playing the organ for both St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Lake
Lenore, and further afield in St. James's Catholic Church.
Her early musical prowess was nurtured by two important teachers, Merne
Amundsen of Naicam, SK, and the late Sister Marie-Reine Ricard (Sisters of
the Presentation of Mary) who taught Thevenot at Rivier Academy in Prince
Albert, SK.
At the upcoming AGO Convention in Chicago, Thevenot will also present a
lecture on Canadian organ music post-1950 to convention participants.
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For more information, contact:
Maxine Thevenot
(505) 250-8614
www.maxinethevenot.com
or
Jennifer W. Webber
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1474
jennifer.webber@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
Please note: Photos of Maxine Thevenot available upon request.
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