The UPEI community, led by the Institute of Island Studies, celebrated today the launch of a new publication about the creative side of enterprise in small island states and territories. Entrepreneurship in Small Island States and Territories documents the considerable resourcefulness these islands and territories display in facing the challenges of size, scale and peripherality. The book is edited by Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino: an Island Studies Teaching Fellow at UPEI.

“In spite of much received wisdom, being on a small island is also a business opportunity, a condition that permits specific island based businesses to emerge, thrive and survive,” said Dr. Baldacchino. “There is ample evidence of this, with Biovectra leading the way on Prince Edward Island.”

The creative endeavours of their residents, facilitated by adroit public policy, has created economic and investment opportunities that translate into some private sector employment and decent livelihoods for many. The contributors to this book explore the local ingenuity, coupled with strategic investments and the support of the diaspora, that has led to a suite of (sometimes unlikely) products and services: from citizenship and higher-level internet domain names, to place-branded foods and beverages; from electronic gaming to niche manufacturing.

The book includes a chapter by Dr. Jim Randall at UPEI on the growth of the biosciences on Prince Edward Island, and specifically, on the company BioVectra Limited. BioVectra, founded by Dr. Regis Duffy, has been a formative actor in the emerging bioscience cluster on PEI. The chapter explores the emergence of this innovative company and sector on an island otherwise dominated by seasonal economic activities.

“The impact of entrepreneurship on PEI in particular has been felt through the development of a number of small and medium size enterprises, including the over 40 companies that comprise the PEI BioAlliance,” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, UPEI’s Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies. “In addition, UPEI has the capacity to transform the entrepreneurship of its faculty into real-world outcomes through Synapse, its recently restructured technology transfer unit.”

There is much more to small island survival than subsistence farming, aid, remittances and public sector workfare. Entrepreneurship in Small Island States and Territories helps to dispel this myth, showcasing an aspect of life in small island states and territories that is rarely documented or critically reviewed.

In his introductory editorial to the book, Dr. Baldacchino uses the phrase 'doggedly perseverant and cleverly opportunistic' to describe the entrepreneurship that has arisen on many small islands of the world, from aquaculture in the Faroes, to the use of coconuts as biofuel in the Solomon Islands, casino tourism in Macao, medical tourism in Barbados, and off-shore banking in Jersey.

Entrepreneurship in Small Island States and Territories is published in New York by Routledge, one of the world’s leading academic international publishers, as part of its Studies in Entrepreneurship series.

A wise Islander, Dr. Ralph Hazleton, once said, “The economy is too important to be left to economists.” As a small island with a small population and limited land and freshwater resources, Prince Edward Island faces significant challenges with respect to economic and social development. The degrowth community presentations and workshops—to be held in Souris, Charlottetown, Breadalbane and Summerside between September 13 and 18—will introduce community leaders and interested citizens to the AHAH! process, which has been used worldwide to stimulate human-scaled, community-based economic activities.

A combination of workshops and presentations, hosted in collaboration with the Building Community Resilience Conference (10^th North Atlantic Forum and 27^th Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation Conference, September 16-19, Summerside) will be held at the following locations and times:

• Sunday, September 13, 2-4 pm at Souris Strikers Ski Lodge, Souris Line Road
• Tuesday, September 15, 12 noon in the Main Building Faculty Lounge, UPEI
• Tuesday, September 15, 6-9 pm at Murphy Community Centre, Charlottetown
• Friday, September 18, 11 am-12.30 pm at Loyalist Country Inn, Summerside (Building Community Resilience conference presentation, http://pei2015.crrf.ca)

The AHAH! process asks participants to share their understandings of what is truly important to people, how their own work connects to the wider economic system, and what resources and opportunities are available for transforming the local economy to meet actual needs while improving environmental health, community well-being and quality of life. We hope that by engaging community leaders, we can start the ball rolling by introducing some ideas, tools, and information that can help you and your community council or organization to develop ongoing processes and projects.

These interactive sessions will be led by FairTrade Canada founder Bob Thomson, who serves on the Executive of the People’s Social Forum and received the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression Integrity Award in 2013. Mr. Thomson, who attended the first degrowth conference (Paris, France, 2008) and introduced the concept of “convivial degrowth” to Canada (Montreal, 2012), has seen the international movement gather momentum from a few hundred participants to a few thousand (Leipzig, Germany, 2008) in recent years. 

A global leader in community-based, co-operative development and social justice, Mr. Thomson will assist Islanders in answering the question: “How do we reduce our societal and industrial metabolism to a point where it is sustainable?”

“A planned way down in terms of physical consumption can be a way up in terms of people, community and culture,” explains Mr. Thomson, who holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, and has worked with degrowth groups in various parts of the world.

Our task as workshop participants will be to take a clear-eyed look at our situation, to discover how we might build alternative economies in a way that benefits individuals and communities as well as our environment. We hope that area residents, community leaders, and local organizations will join us in welcoming Mr. Thomson and work together to imagine and plan a bright future for our Island.

The degrowth sessions are sponsored by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, Council of Canadians PEI Chapter, CUPE PEI, CUPE Global Justice Committee, SSHRC, and the UPEI Faculty of Arts. For more information regarding the movement on Prince Edward Island, please contact Marian White (Council of Canadians) at (902) 368-7337.

For further information about Mr. Thomson’s presentations or about the Building Community Resilience Conference, please contact Emily Thomas, Conference Co-ordinator at naf@upei.ca or (902) 566-0909. 

Seventeen years after the first North Atlantic Forum (NAF) was hosted in Charlottetown, UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies and Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) are pleased to invite Islanders to the 10^th NAF and 27^th CRRF conference—Building Community Resilience: Innovation, Culture, and Governance in Place—in partnership with the City of Summerside. Both NAF and CRRF are committed to supporting healthy communities, as demonstrated in our collaborations with Island-grown businesses, including the Summerside-based Samuel's Coffee House; Island Taylored Meats, Montague; and Charlottetown’s Prince Edward Island Farm Centre and Legacy Garden, during this four-day event.

Building Community Resilience opens at Summerside’s Harbourfront Centre (7:30 pm, Wednesday, September 16) with a public “fireside chat" focused on the effects of globalization. Dr. Kelly Vodden and Dr. Sally Shortall, leading academics in rural community development from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Queen’s University, Belfast, respectively, will speak to "Globalization: Who's Winning? Who's Losing?" The Premier and UPEI President will bring greetings on behalf of the Province and University. The opening is free to attend and includes the launch of Place Peripheral: Place-based Development in Rural, Island, and Remote Regions (ISER Books, Memorial University) and a special journal issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. The evening closes with a reception.

Share your thoughts on “voluntary simplicity” and how you might envision “a planned way down in terms of physical consumption” as part of the Island’s future at one of the pre-conference AHAH! Workshops. FairTrade Canada founder Bob Thomson, who introduced the international “convivial degrowth” movement to Montreal in 2012, will lead sessions in Souris (September 13, Souris Striders Ski Lodge, 2-4 pm) and Charlottetown (September 15, 12 pm, UPEI Faculty Lounge and 6-9 pm, Murphy Community Centre).

On September 17, the Mayor of Summerside, Bill Martin, will be on hand to welcome us to Summerside and to kick-start the conference at the Loyalist Country Inn, followed by a keynote address on indigenous resilience by Daniel G. Pottle, Nunatsiavut Minister of Finance, Human Resources and Information. Stories of international resilience will be highlighted by guest speakers Maura Walsh (Chief Executive Officer, IRD Duhallow, Ireland) and Shey Conover (Vice President, Programs, Island Institute, Maine). The keynote sessions offer opportunities for conversations about youth mobilization, gendered resilience, tourism development, environmental management, Aboriginal issues, and much more.

In order to showcase the Island’s own path to resilience, Friday’s agenda includes tours of Summerside’s wastewater treatment improvements and Slemon Park, as well as field trips engaging with Lennox Island’s heritage, the Kensington North Watershed area’s environmental challenges, and the Evangeline Region’s cultural economy. The conference closes in Charlottetown at the Farm Centre and Legacy Garden on 2:30 pm Saturday, September 19. 

Building Community Resilience will bring approximately 70 unique perspectives from across and beyond the North Atlantic to the Island, through a series of papers, panels, and presentations. The conference draws from CRRF’s countrywide presence and the international network of researchers built as the NAF travelled from Prince Edward Island to Newfoundland and Labrador, Cape Breton Island, the Shetland Islands in the UK, the island of Bornholm in Denmark, and Iceland. The aim is to build momentum and extend support for communities to achieve societal and economic health and stability. French and English simultaneous translation will be available.

Join us to learn about how to get involved in the 11^th North Atlantic Forum, to be hosted in Norway in 2017. Check pei2015.crrf.ca for upcoming details about the post-conference Summerside Youth Forum, planned in collaboration with the City of Summerside. A detailed conference program and schedule are accessible on the website as are online registration options for community tours, daily attendance, and full conference activities.

Contact NAF 2015 Conference Coordinator Emily Thomas at naf@upei.ca or (902) 566-0909. 

University of Prince Edward Island Director of Athletics and Recreation Chris Huggan is excited to introduce Mike Peterson, Stanley Chaisson, Jen Nicholson, and Rob MacKenzie as the coaching staff for UPEI’s varsity Cross-Country and Track and Field Club. All four individuals bring a wealth of experience in the sport.

“I am thrilled to have Mike, Stanley, Jen, and Rob as coaches for our Cross-Country running team. The recent growth of cross-country running on PEI is largely attributed to their passion, effort, and commitment. They will attract the best runners from schools across PEI and far beyond. Under their leadership, it will not take long until we are a force to be reckoned with in the AUS.”

After establishing a successful program at Colonel Gray High School, Mike Peterson, an avid marathoner, is happy to start the process of building a cross-country program at the university level. Whether it is his own children, a new runner, or an elite athlete, he enjoys helping people develop into the best that they can be.

Peterson says, "I am extremely excited that UPEI is joining the AUS cross-country scene. One of my goals at Colonel Gray was always been to keep people running after they finish high school. This will give more local athletes the opportunity to compete at a high level, right here in their own backyard.”

Stanley Chaisson has been involved in running for over 15 years as a competitor and coach. He competed for Dalhousie University in cross-country and track and field becoming a CIS All Canadian in 2004. He has since trained and coached runners of all abilities and distances. He is presently a Physical Education teacher at Kensington Intermediate High School and is eager to be a part of the UPEI coaching staff.

“Running has always been a part of my life,” adds Jen Nicholson. “I ran cross-country in elementary school and off and on throughout my teenage years. There wasn’t a cross-country team at my university, but I wish I had the opportunity because you push yourself harder when you know you have team that’s counting on you. I am really looking forward to passing on my love for the sport and working with such a great group of people”.

Rob MacKenzie of Long Creek, has been running competitively on PEI for the past 15 years. MacKenzie has raced many distances, from the mile right up to the marathon, and enjoys working with other local runners to help them reach their running goals.

MacKenzie adds, “I’m really excited to help UPEI get a cross-country program up and running. This is a great opportunity for Island high-school athletes who wish to run competitively at a higher level upon graduating.”

The varsity club invites all those interested in joining to contact Mike Peterson at mapeterson44@hotmail.com. The next training session is Tuesday and Wednesday at 4:00 pm at the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place track.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

The UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for the week of September 14-20 are Alyssa Ferguson, Field Hockey, and Harminder Singh, Men’s Soccer.

UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Ferguson, a second-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Murray River, PEI, had strong performance for UPEI Field Hockey during the first Atlantic University Field Hockey League tournament at St. FX. The midfielder scored 4 goals on the weekend, two during the Panthers 3-2 win over Dalhousie and 6-0 win over St. FX.

Singh, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student from Cremona, Italy, played strong during the weekend for the Panthers. During the 4-0 win over St. FX Singh scored 2 goals.  The Panthers are relying on the veteran Singh to compete each and every game and provide offensive support.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place and UPEI Turf
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

The University of Prince Edward Island is initiating a new project in response to the ongoing crisis and conflict in Syria. The 'UPEI Syrian Student Project', led by UPEI’s International Relations Office (IRO) and the Robertson Library, will support up to ten students currently living in Syria who are unable to continue their studies due to conflict. The UPEI Syrian Student Project will provide:

• Full tuition for one year via the new Syrian Student Scholarship
• Free access to UPEI’s EAP services
• A student laptop from the Robertson Library

The students eligible for the project will come to UPEI from various stages of their post-secondary education. The project would provide the student’s first full year of study up to $12,000.

The project was conceived in a conversation between colleagues at UPEI’s Welcome Day and moved quickly from there.

“We have watched the Syrian humanitarian crisis on TV and have been moved to help complete strangers,” said Dr. Barbara Campbell, Director of International Relations at UPEI. “With the beginning of our UPEI Syrian Student Project, we have a chance to help young students who are family members of our local Syrian community. This is family helping family as we welcome them to come and study at UPEI.”

The UPEI Syrian Student Project team will also facilitate finding employment on campus for as many of the students as possible. The team is currently seeking additional supports for the students from various organizations for subsequent years of study.

“On behalf of UPEI, I am pleased to support this initiative to create scholarships for post-secondary students living in war-torn Syria," said UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. “I am so proud that many UPEI and community members were able to mobilize so quickly during this ongoing and evolving crisis to develop this unique program that will allow up to ten Syrian students to continue their studies.”

UPEI is working with Prince Edward Island’s Syrian community to identify students eligible for the Syrian Student Project and Syrian Student Scholarships. A number of students have already been identified who are currently enrolled in a Syrian university, but are unable to resume their studies because of the conflict.

A fall tradition that dates back to 1988 will continue this September as students at the Atlantic Veterinary College open the doors for AVC Open House. The free family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, September 26, from 10 am to 2 pm. Visitors will enjoy animal-related fun including demonstrations and exhibits, the ever-popular Teddy Bear Clinic, face-painting, dressing like a surgeon, the parade of dog breeds, and much more. We welcome you to tour our College and learn more about our facilities, our equipment, and what we do every day.

Come and join the fun! Call 902-566-0589 for more information. Personal pets are not allowed at AVC Open House.

The UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for the week of September 7–13 are Danielle Younker, Women’s Soccer, and Brett Strba, Men’s Soccer. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Danielle Younker, Women’s Soccer; and Brett Strba, Men’s Soccer

What: UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week

When: Week of September 7–13

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why:  Younker, a first-year Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown, PEI, had a great debut weekend for the Panthers. During the Panthers 3-0 loss and 2-2 tie, Younker immediately stepped up against the defending AUS champions Seahawks with an excellent display of determination and composure on the ball while also scoring a goal against one of the best defences in the league. Danielle epitomized the Panther spirit throughout both games in her individual and team play.

Strba, a first-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia, recorded a shutout in his first game as a Panther. Strba started both games for the Panthers during the weekend split against the MUN Seahawks. The Panthers took the Saturday game 1-0 while the Seahawks won 2-0 on Sunday.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place and UPEI Turf
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

The University of Prince Edward Island marked a milestone on September 10 when the School of Sustainable Design Engineering welcomed 12 students into the third year of study for its new Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering degree program. The first-ever, third-year cohort was part of an orientation day for all engineering students at Greenwich, Prince Edward Island National Park.

While engineering has a long history at UPEI, the four-year Sustainable Design Engineering degree was announced last year. The unique program has a project-based curriculum that puts a specialized focus on the design process across the various traditional engineering disciplines.

“The beginning of the academic year is always a special time at UPEI, but this week is especially meaningful as, for the first time in history, the University is offering a third-year engineering curriculum as part of our new four-year degree program,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. “These students, in 2017, will represent the first graduating class with a UPEI engineering degree.”

“Students attending UPEI this fall will be among the future leaders of Prince Edward Island. It is important that we are involved in helping them develop their potential,” Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning Richard Brown said. “We are so pleased to see PEI’s investment in the School of Sustainable Design Engineering take shape so quickly, and that the program is welcoming third-year students for the first time.”

Not only is having a third-year cohort new, but also offering it in 2015 was earlier than planned. Because a number of students expressed interest in continuing on to earn their degree at UPEI, the School responded by launching the third-year curriculum this year as opposed to next. Eight third-year students are from UPEI while four are from Saint Mary’s, Cape Breton, Dalhousie, and Brazil universities, respectively.

“I would like to thank the School’s faculty and staff for their strong commitment and determination in initiating this early launch of the third-year cohort,” said President Abd-El-Aziz.

It was also it was the first time the School held its orientation day off-campus. This development was due to the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Parks Canada and the University to explore common areas of interest. The first exploration as a result of the MOU has been with the School of Sustainable Design Engineering around a number of first-year student projects.

“UPEI is so excited to have forged a relationship with Parks Canada as we share similar values as public institutions,” added President Abd-El-Aziz. “This is the first time our Engineering program has worked directly with Parks Canada, becoming the School’s flagship ‘first-year student client’.”

At Greenwich, Engineering faculty hosted students to a number of activities as part of the School’s annual orientation. The students were introduced to the School’s faculty, many of them new to UPEI to accommodate the program expansion, as well to the curriculum and focus areas. The day fittingly included design-related challenges geared to team building and fun design innovation.

Associate Dean of Engineering Nicholas Krouglicof said, “This is a momentous year for UPEI’s new School of Sustainable Design Engineering. We are so pleased to be welcoming our new students and celebrating the introduction of our new four-year program at the Prince Edward Island National Park’s Greenwich site. We will undoubtedly have many more projects, partnerships, and success stories to celebrate in the future.”

Anthony Parker, a third-year UPEI engineering student from Enfield, Nova Scotia, who earned his diploma from Saint Mary’s University, summed it up, “I chose UPEI to complete my engineering degree as the design focus really suited me. The multidisciplinary aspects of program are really different as compared to what other schools offer. I am really enjoying UPEI campus life already and the orientation at Greenwich was a great way to kick the year off!”

The UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for the week of September 21-27 are Amy Andrews, Women’s Rugby and Harminder Singh, Men’s Soccer. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Andrews, a third-year Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown, PEI, was an important contributor during the Rugby Panthers 27-5 win over the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Saturday. Andrews scored 12 of the points and was strong in the front row. Andrews stood out with her agility in loose play, support offensively, and in the rucks defensively.

Singh, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student from Cremona, Italy, continued to perform offensively for the Men’s Soccer Panthers this weekend and earned his second consecutive Athlete of the Week honours. On Friday versus the University of New Brunswick, Singh scored in extra time to help the Panthers tie 1-1, and then at Université de Moncton on Sunday, he scored the game winner during the Panthers 2-1 win over the Blue Eagles.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place and UPEI Turf
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas