Two young eagles fly free again!

Before an audience of over 100 people, two juvenile eagles stretched their wings and flew off into the sky at the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project on Saturday, October 13, in Orwell, P.E.I. Prior to the release of the eagles, Mi’kmaq Elder Junior Peter-Paul led a smudging and drumming ceremony.

After they were found unable to fend for themselves, both juvenile eagles received primary veterinary treatment at the AVC Wildlife Service and then were sent to the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Nova Scotia for rehabilitation

One eagle was found in a field in Orwell on June 19, unable to fly. The young eagle possibly left the nest early because of strong winds. Students and staff built a nest in the flight cage where the bird spent its first few weeks, eating and recovering from its ordeal. Eventually it left the nest and explored the perches in the enclosure. After a month, it was transported to Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre to interact with other eagles and gain flight muscle strength in the “Big Jeezley,” the centre’s huge oval flight cage.

The other eagle was found on July 24 in North Bedeque, Prince County, with a stick protruding from either side of one of its wings. The stick was removed by Dr. Peter Moak, small animal surgeon at AVC, and the bird was treated with antibiotics and pain medication. It is thought that the eagle was probably still learning how to fly when it had a mishap, resulting in the stick being driven into its wing. After receiving medical care at AVC for a month, it also was taken to the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where it continued its rehabilitation.

In releasing these two eagles, the AVC Wildlife Service paid tribute to the late Dr. Helene Van Doninck, AVC Class of 1991. During her veterinary career, she dedicated her life to caring for injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife. She and her husband, Murdo Messer, established the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in 2001. In addition to her remarkable record as a veterinarian, Dr. Van Doninck passed on her knowledge and expertise in the care of wildlife to AVC students. In April, she was presented with AVC’s Award of Excellence in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Care, and in July with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award for her dedication to caring for wildlife.

Click here to read CBC's coverage and here to read The Guardian's story.

UPEI announces the Panther Subway Athletes of the Week, October 15–21

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes student athletes for their achievements and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jolena Gillard and Simon Hofley, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for October 15–21.

Jolena Gillard is a first-year Faculty of Arts student from Deer Lake, Newfoundland and a forward on the UPEI Women’s Hockey team. The Panthers had a terrific weekend, beating both Dalhousie University and Mount Allison University. Gillard scored twice on Friday night and assisted in another in their 5–1 win over Dalhousie. She scored again the next night in the Panthers 5–2 win over Mount Allison University. “Jolena is off to a great rookie start,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “This is a person who loves to play hockey and it shows in how she competes. She showed a great work ethic in both games this weekend and has a nice touch around the net. Our power play has been good in our first four games. Jolena parks herself in front, and it’s up to others to get the puck on net so she can do her thing.”

Simon Hofley is a third-year Business student from Ottawa, Ontario and a goalie on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Hofley backstopped the Panthers to two important road wins over the weekend when UPEI defeated Saint Mary’s University and Acadia University. “We had a very specific game plan for each game and our group was dialled in, but the backbone of any strategy is goaltending,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “Simon was very good all weekend, making big saves at critical times, and giving us the chance we needed to win two games on the road against two very good teams.”

Go Panthers Go!

Panthers at Home, October 26 to 28

UPEI Men’s and Women’s Soccer will honour their graduating seniors this weekend as the Panthers wind down the 2018 season. Both teams play their final games at home Friday night. The women host Saint Mary’s University at 5:00 pm.

“We need to continue our excellent home form and everyone has to come into this game with a positive mind set,” said coach Graeme McDonald. “We need to be creative in possession against a well organized SMU team.”

The men hosts Saint Mary’s later this evening at 7:15 pm.

“UPEI Men’s Soccer is looking to end the season strong and send our seniors out on a winning note,” said coach Lewis Page.

That same night, the Panther Men’s Hockey team plays host to Saint Mary’s University.

“Once again, this is another big weekend for us,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “It is crucial to pick up points at home. We know that we will have a couple of teams coming in very hungry, and we will have to be prepared and energized to continue to have some success.”

UPEI Women’s Hockey team gets its crack at Saint Mary’s Saturday at 2:00 pm.

“The team is looking forward to hosting the two-time defending AUS champion Huskies,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “While their team looks a little different from the past two years, they are still one of the top teams in the league. They have strong goaltending, they play very physical, and they are strong on their sticks. Discipline will be key. It may come down to specialty teams. It should be another great game.”

Also Saturday at 2:00 pm, UPEI Men's Rugby will hit the pitch at MacAdam Field when they host Mount Allison in club play.

UPEI Men’s Hockey hits the ice again Saturday, hosting Acadia University. The puck drops at 7:00 pm.

Meanwhile, UPEI is also hosting the Atlantic University Field Hockey Championships this weekend. The Panthers are looking spectacular heading into this tournament, with an impressive unbeaten record this season, picking up nine wins, no losses, and one tie against defending champions Dalhousie.

“We’ll need a solid effort from everyone on the team,” said coach Lacey MacLauchlan. “To be successful, our defence needs to be tight, and we have to capitalize on our opportunities when they come.”

The Panthers play their first game of the tournament Saturday at noon against UNB Saint John. For a full preview, including a schedule for the weekend, see the tournament preview written by Thomas Becker.

Go Panthers Go!

UPEI announces the Panther Subway Athletes of the Week, October 22-28

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes student athletes for their achievements and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Alyssa Ferguson and Filip Rydstrom, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for October 22 to 28.

Alyssa Ferguson is a fourth-year business student from Murray River, PEI and a forward on the UPEI Field Hockey team. The Panthers won the Atlantic University Field Hockey Championship over the weekend. Ferguson was a big part of that win and was named an AUFH League All-Star. “Alyssa had a great weekend and great season for us,” said coach Lacey MacLauchlan. “She scored six goals this weekend, along with the winning goal in the championship game just two minutes into the game. She used her strength and speed to her advantage all weekend and was a scoring threat. She was also able to create many scoring opportunities and move the ball up the field well for her teammates.”

Filip Rydstrom is a second-year arts student from Stockholm, Sweden and a centre on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. The Panthers lost their first game of the weekend to UNB, but came back in a big way for an 8–3 win over Acadian University. Rydstrom notched four goals and an assist against Acadia and was selected player of the game. “Filip has taken his game to a new level this year,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “He has been a different and better player from day one. Saturday night, he was rewarded with a huge effort on the score sheet.”

Go Panthers Go!

Here to help

One month into first semester classes, UPEI students are adjusting to class schedules, completing assignments and labs, studying for mid-term exams, and trying to find time in between with friends or for themselves. As students try to manage the transition from summer to study, UPEI is ready to help. From personal health and wellness services, to non-academic activities to boost students’ social enjoyment, to academic support and active course-related help centres, UPEI students should know there’s always someone to talk to and something to do. The Health Centre, located in UPEI’s W.A. Murphy Student Centre, partners with community health organizations to provide comprehensive health services for students. Students can visit the Health Centre’s physicians and nurses for assessments and treatment of illnesses and injuries; prescriptions; immunizations and injections; women’s and men’s health counselling; sexual health counselling including pregnancy and STI testing and education; and referrals to community health organizations and services. In addition to a wide assortment of medical services for students, the Student Affairs department is dedicated to helping students maintain their personal health and academic success. Counsellor James Reddin says students face a variety of experiences and emotions that make it difficult to stay confident and on track. “A fair number of students come in with concerns about how their relationships (romantic, friendships, workplace, classroom, and family) are impacting their lives,” he says. “A lot of students fall into unhealthy lifestyle patterns [including] not enough sleep, substance misuse, poor diet, poor stress coping skills, and not enough exercise. Not only do these poor patterns have what we'd traditionally think of as physical impacts, but also emotional and cognitive ones. It can be hard to identify or change those patterns alone, and connecting with a counsellor can help.” UPEI Counsellor James Reddin leads mental health first aid sessions for students, faculty, and staff. Student Affairs staff also lead training sessions in mental health first aid and suicide intervention. Students, faculty, and staff use real-life stories shared during the 12-hour mental health first aid course to learn how to intervene or support students who may be experiencing difficulty or may be in crisis. ASIST, or Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid, teaching participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Academic supports include accommodations and services for students with disabilities, access to writing tutors in the UPEI Writing Centre, a tutoring program led by student mentors for many courses in all faculties, and workshops available to all students through the Gateway Program. “The reality of the student experience is one of competing priorities,” said Keith Lawlor, the program’s co-ordinator. “We often think of university in an academic context only, when the reality is that our students are facing many other things that command their attention at this phase of life. The Gateway Program recognizes that both our new and returning students have multiple priorities, and helps students balance those priorities while giving their academic work the attention it needs. ” The Gateway Program offers peer mentoring for students, who are paired with an upper-year student mentor who will meet with them on-campus for approximately one hour a week. The goal of the mentor is to work with each student to determine what responsibilities they have coming up, and to make a plan to accomplish and complete these tasks as effectively as possible. The program also holds hour-long workshops throughout the year in topics such as time management and organization; motivation and goal-setting; reading, studying, and note-taking; learning styles; and, preparing and planning for exams. The Chaplaincy Centre at UPEI provides a location for students to meet, eat, socialize, pray, and hold religious services. Campus Minister Sr. Susan Kidd provides spiritual accompaniment and pastoral counselling, and welcomes opportunities for worship of all faiths. The Chaplaincy Centre also houses the Campus Food Bank for students experiencing food insecurity. Additional support services are available to Indigenous students through UPEI’s Mawi’omi Centre. As part of the UPEI Student Affairs support team, the Centre offers an open, welcoming, safe space for students to share their concerns. “We offer academic, personal, and social supports,” says Sherri Russell, the Centre’s co-ordinator. “We also offer cultural and spiritual support with the addition of our Elder in Residence [Elder Judy Clark]. Judy is a wonderful addition to our team. She is a listening ear and a calm voice.” Students can contact Student Affairs by email message, telephone call, or simply drop into their offices to access all support services. “Our staff is really good at protecting students privacy, so they don't ask a lot of prying questions about what's wrong,” Reddin says. “There is no such thing as a problem too small or a problem too big,” he says. “While we value the chance to help someone early in their journey where little changes can make a big difference, we also appreciate that it can be tough to access help and sometimes it takes a crisis to motivate change.”
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