Diane and Ron Watson are celebrating 40 years of marriage in July 2018 but instead of focusing on themselves, they are concentrating on the next generation.

Over the last few years, the Thunder Bay couple have established seven funds at Lakehead that have benefitted our students and varsity athletes as well as students in need of emergency funding due to personal or financial hardships.  The Watsons have ensured the sustainability of these funds through a gift in their will - allowing them to leave a lasting legacy.

Why are they such unwavering and generous supporters of Lakehead students? "I want to be a role model who motivates other community members to donate to young peoples' education," Diane says. "We want to leave a legacy of good," Ron adds.

The couple are longstanding advocates of a university education.  Diane a Lakehead alumna, believes that "postsecondary education teaches critical thinking and fosters a more resilient society."  Ron, for his part, is convinced that "university opens up a lot of career fields and gives you control over your life." 

Their committment to Lakehead is rooted in their own experiences - both Diane and Ron faced major financial hurdles on the road to university.  Diane's family teetered on the edge of poverty. "I never saw my father because he had two jobs," she says, "and my mother was blind so I had to help take care of her."

Things weren't any easier when she was at Lakehead. "I had a full program of arts, science, and practical work as well as a job." Diane says. "I was so stressed." Despite those challenges, she graduate in 1971 at the top of her class with a diploma in Library Technology and then worked in Lakehead's Faculty of Education library.  "It was definitely the best job I ever had."

Ron, who is a York university grad, was confronted by similar obstacles and at one point had to drop out of school until he could earn more tuition money.  "I was a jock in university and sports were the only thing that relieved stress."

Diane and Ron would go on to run an extremely successful pizza business before selling it and retiring while still in their 50s.  The two became active volunteers and philanthropists dedicated to community service.  "Our philosophy is to help others and hope that someday they will be in a position to pay it forward," Ron explains. 

"Our family is the family of man," Diane says. "People should remember that you can't take money with you, so why not use it for the betterment of others?" She also has some advice for graduating students and alumni. "Find a job that's your passion and you'll be happy for the rest of your life."

Thank you Diane and Ron Watson for Leaving a Lakehead Legacy:

• Diane & Ron Watson Bursary
• Diane Buhlman Scholarship in Education
• Diane and Ron Watson Emergency Bursary
• Diane and Ron Watson First Responder Bursary
• Shirley and Fred Buhlman Athletic Scholarship
• Diane and Ron Watson Student Athlete Enhancement Fund
• Diane and Ron Watson Student Athlete Mental Health Fund

What kind of legacy would you like to create?

If you would like to support Lakehead University, please contact External Relations Gift and Database Administrator at 807-343-8010 ext. 8194 or by email at gdadmin.er@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

When World War II broke out in the fall of 1939, an 11 year-old girl from the northwestern edge of London spent the autumn days wandering among the ancient oak and beech trees of Epping Forest.

School ad been cancelled because of the threat of a German bombing campaign and she wasn't going to waste a minute of her time indoors.  In her hand was a wildflower identification book and at her heels was her high-spirited terrier named Dan.

Eighty years later, that young girl is a distinguished botanist and a passionate field naturalist.  Joan Crowe has also become a woman who has had a lasting impact on Lakehead University as a student, a lecturer, a volunteer, and as the curator of the University's Claude E. Garton Herbarium.

Joan and her late husband, Professor Emeritus of Business Administration, Dr. Walter Crowe, have also given Lakehead students a brighter future with their generous donations to the University.

This year, Joan made a $16,000 gift to Lakehead's Claude E. Garton Herbarium to establish the Joan Crowe Bryophyte and Lichen Collection (bryophytes are a group of plants consisting of liverworts, hornworts, and mosses.)

The Claude E. Garton Herbarium, located in the Centennial Building, has over 100,000 dried plants.  "Herbaria are used for plant identification and mapping plant distribution," Joan explains.  Because of her generosity, the Herbarium has been able to purchase equipment and supplies, continue digitizing the collection, and hire a work-study student.  

So how did Joan end up on the other side of the Atlantic far from Epping Forest?

"Walter and I liked to travel and in 1966, he saw a job posting for an assistant business professor at Lakehead University and he applied," Joan says.  Walter quickly settled in and turned his attention to shaping the fledgling Faculty of Business Administration and mentoring his students.

Joan, meanwhile, spent her first year in Thunder Bay as a teacher in the public school system before completing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology at Lakehead.  She subsequently did a Master of Science at the University of Manitoba - while based in Thunder Bay - and used the Herbarium for her research.  Once her master's was finished, Joan went back to teaching Grade 7 and 8 students.  

Her retirement in 1985 gave her the opportunity to teach plant courses at Lakehead and volunteer at the Herbarium.  Then in 1990, Joan was appointed as the Herbarium's curator, a post she held until Walter retired in 1993 and they moved to Owen Sound.  Despite starting a new chapter, the couple continued to support Lakehead students.

With Walter's death in 2016, Joan and her children sought out ways to honour his legacy.  They became one of the first donors to Lakehead University's Teaching Commons campaign, making a $25,000 gift to dedicate a space "In memory of Professor Walter Crowe" outside the office of Learning Technologies and Innovation.  In addition, the family donated $30,000 to create the Walter Crowe Business Bursary.

"We want Walter to be remembered- the University was a big part of his life and he did a lot for Lakehead," she says.  

His loss was grieved by his family and friends as well as the Lakehead community.  In an online condolence, one of his former students said:

"He was the best teacher that I had (and lots of them were very good.) He was so down to earth and approachable, with an incredible sense of humour...Thank you Dr.Crowe.  The world is a better place becase you were here."

If you would like to support Lakehead University, please contact External Relations Gift and Database Administrator at 807-343-8010 ext. 8194 or by email at gdadmin.er@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

It was a January day in one of the remotest corners on Earth and Shirley Symington was in her element.

She, her husband Jim, and their daughter Sarah had sailed from Argentina to the frigid Southern Ocean before disembarking with their fellow tourists at an island off the Antarctic coast. They were soon walking through a colony of thousands of squawking king penguins. The three-foot-tall birds were completely unperturbed by the visitors in bright red parkas.

“Antarctica has incredible wildlife – seals, whales, and birds,” Jim says. “It was a thrill to see them.”

For Shirley – a passionate animal lover – going to Antarctica had been one of her long-held dreams. “She was an adventurous and feisty lady,” Jim explains. Before she passed away on July 13, 2018, Shirley, a retired nurse, and Jim, a retired chartered accountant and financial controller, had travelled throughout the globe. “We’ve been to Antarctica twice as well as Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Arctic,” Jim says, “but Africa and Antarctica were Shirley’s favourite destinations.”

Jim is now honouring Shirley’s bold spirit and her community leadership by establishing the Shirley (Ricketts) Symington Memorial Nursing Award.

“I’d like to leave something for our children, our grandchildren, and the people whose lives she touched to remember her by,” he says.

Shirley’s long nursing career ranged from home visiting and hospital care to teaching and public health. She was also a dedicated Girl Guide leader and an active member of many Thunder Bay organizations.

“She was a very caring person – it showed in her work and how she treated people,” Jim says.

Shirley grew up in London, Ontario, and met her future husband while they were both working in Toronto. Jim was sharing an apartment with two friends and Shirley was living on the same floor with two roommates as well.

“One evening we were having a party and we needed a cup of gin,” Jim recalls. “I asked my roommates to borrow some.”

They knocked on all the doors along the corridor before reaching Shirley’s place. Fortunately, she had some gin to spare and a lifelong partnership was born. After they had children, Shirley and Jim moved to Thunder Bay – Jim was originally from Northwestern Ontario and they thought it would be a good place to raise a family. It didn’t take long for the couple to become vital members of the community.

Shirley and Jim Symington’s commitment to their hometown prompted them to become generous Lakehead University supporters. They have donated to multiple awards and bursaries because

“Lakehead allows a lot more young people in this area to get an excellent postsecondary education,” Jim says. “Many of my classmates couldn’t afford university even though they had the ability.”

Pictured above:  Shirley and Jim Symington enjoy a summer afternoon at their home in Thunder Bay.

The new Shirley (Ricketts) Symington Memorial Nursing Award will be given to a fourth-year nursing student from Northwestern Ontario with demonstrated financial need to assist with the travel costs of an international clinical placement.

“When the School of Nursing told me about their overseas clinical program,” Jim says, “I thought it would be a good idea to help a student nurse see life from a different perspective and get their clinical training at the same time – and it epitomizes who Shirley was. She would be very proud of this award.”

If you would like to support Lakehead University, please contact External Relations Gift and Database Administrator at 807-343-8010 ext. 8194 or by email at gdadmin.er@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

Lakehead students are in good hands with champions like Lahama Naeem and Farhan Yousaf on their side.

"We want to give students the opportunity to learn, grow, and create happy memories," Lahama says.

She's the president of the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU). Farhan, LUSU's executive director, agrees.

It's about investing in students and breaking down barriers to the university experience. It's especially crucial coming out of the pandemic with inflation on the rise. We don't want finances to hold students back.

In honour of its 40th anniversary last year, LUSU has made a record-breaking gift of $150,000 to create new student bursaries and an additional gift of $150,000 to go to areas of greatest student need. Their kindness and generosity will offer a lifeline to young people struggling to get by—it's all part of the organization's commitment to students.

"LUSU provides essential services, like our health plan and the uPass for public transit, that create a more equitable playing field for students," Lahama says.

One of their most recent achievements is the expansion and renovation of LUSU's Food Resource Centre.

"Food insecurity is increasing," Farhan says, "but there's a stigma attached to using a food bank, so we created an inviting space—like you're walking into your kitchen to grab something to eat and then having lunch in your living room."

Farhan and Lahama both have a stellar history of helping their fellow students. Lahama, who graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in June 2022, has served on Lakehead's senate, established university clubs, organized fundraisers, and, as LUSU president, she represents the voice of students to all levels of government, the University, and community groups. She's also had an impact with the henna art business she started in high school, which she used to connect with the Thunder Bay community.

"A lot of people weren't familiar with Muslim culture, and it was a great way to break down stereotypes," she says.

Then, when the pandemic hit, Lahama began selling cupcakes online through her business Bakeology Thunder Bay and donating the proceeds to local charities.

"I love baking—I watch a lot of Cake Boss."

Farhan juggled a heavy workload at LUSU with his academic studies before graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering. He served four years as LUSU's operations and finance VP and is now capably steering the organization as its executive director. Throughout his time at Lakehead, Farhan has excelled at improving international students' lives and fostering multiculturalism through events like LUSU's Culture Days. He's also a founding member of the Racialized Young Professionals Network.

Now, LUSU is stepping up with bursaries for both Orillia and Thunder Bay campus students based on financial need. They've also ensured that international, Indigenous, disabled, and trans students are eligible for bursaries. Combined with their second gift, LUSU is throwing the doors to a university education wide open.

"Our tagline says a lot," Farhan notes. "LUSU is 'For students, by students.' We create a space for all students to reach their true potential through mentorships, financial support, spaces, and clubs."

Dr. Darlene Steven's influence is still felt in Lakehead's corridors and classrooms. The former nursing professor, who passed away in 2014, continues to change Lakehead and Northwestern Ontario for the better.

"Darlene was spirited, effervescent, and generous to a fault," says her friend Stephen Hessian. "Her true passion, though, was that all students should receive a quality education and achieve their potential, including those in financial need."

Known for his own generosity as a Lakehead donor, Stephen is also a Fellow of the University who served as a member of Lakehead's Board of Governors for 15 years, including as board chair. In addition, Stephen is the trustee of Dr. Sabah Mansour's estate – a distinguished Lakehead electrical engineering professor and Darlene's husband.

Lakehead quickly became home for Darlene and Sabah. Darlene earned a BA and a nursing degree at the Thunder Bay campus in 1977 before going west to complete her education, where she met Sabah. She returned to Lakehead in 1988 and became the first School of Nursing professor with a PhD.

She immediately began transforming the program.

"Darlene was energetic and very student focused," says retired nursing professor and researcher, Rhonda Kirk-Gardner. It was through Darlene's leadership that Lakehead's Master of Public Health program was created.

She also expanded the School of Nursing's activities. "She had a thirst for research at a time when limited nursing research was being conducted," Rhonda says.

After Darlene's passing in 2014, Sabah created the Dr. Darlene M. Steven Scholarship in Nursing to continue her powerful health care legacy.

In her obituary Sabah noted: "Darlene's dedication to the fight against cancer and to cardiac care was a driving force in Northwestern Ontario receiving much needed equipment including the Mobile Breast Screening Unit."

The Dr. Darlene M. Steven Scholarship in Nursing and the new Dr. Darlene Steven Master of Nursing Award are helping train Northwestern Ontario health care professionals.

Like his wife, Sabah made Lakehead a better place. He oversaw a transformational shift in the Faculty of Engineering from a purely theoretical focus to a combination of theoretical learning and applied research. As the electrical engineering chair from 1995 to 2013, Sabah championed the development of an interdisciplinary Master of Science in Control Engineering and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

"Dr. Sabah Mansour was a true engineer!" says former Lakehead president, Dr. Bob Rosehart. "He was also very much a student's professor. Some time ago when I was chairing the board of a high-tech company, a new board member turned out to be a successful electrical engineering grad from the eighties. He immediately told me about Sabah's positive impact on his engineering education."
Stephen agrees with this assessment. "Sabah was kind, gentle, and he had a boundless desire for students to prosper."

Become Part of a Lasting Legacy

Through Sabah's generosity, Lakehead has established the new Dr. Darlene Steven Master of Nursing Award and the Dr. Sabah Y. Mansour Scholarship in Electrical Engineering – ensuring that we can continue to help students and celebrate the lives of two people who are changing the lives of many.

If you'd like to give students a better future, like Darlene and Sabah, please contact Philanthropy Director Kathryn Davidson at kjdavids@lakeheadu.ca or 807-343-8010 Ext. 8476.

Memories of a life well lived are what inspired Alan Boyce to establish an award at Lakehead in his wife's honour.

Alan and Joyce shared many happy times.

In 1979 and as a young graduate of Lakehead University's School of Nursing, Joyce Hodgins launched her nursing career in New Osnaburgh (now Mishkeegogamang First Nation), north of Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Working in this community helped establish Joyce's commitment to respect and social justice. A career that led her in many directions over the span of four decades was firmly rooted in her belief that everyone deserves access to quality health care.

The Joyce Hodgins Memorial Nursing Award recognizes the importance of nurses as a part of Canada's health-care system and encourages improved health services in under-serviced communities and regions of Canada. This award champions diversity and inclusiveness, with preference given to candidates who have self-identified as a member of an under-represented group.

It was on a sweltering day at Oro's World Fair that Duncan McDonald realized that Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton wasn't a typical politician.

Usually, officials arrive at an event, shake a few hands, pose for photos, and leave. But on that afternoon, Bruce was volunteering with Duncan – a longtime Conservative party member – at a food stand.

"Bruce worked at the deep fryer for three hours and he stayed cheerful and friendly the whole time, just like he is in parliament," Duncan says. "I thought, 'This is what public service looks like.'"

 Duncan was so inspired by Bruce's commitment that when he learned he was retiring after 15 years, Duncan decided to establish a Lakehead University bursary in Bruce's honour.

"It's certainly humbling to have a bursary in my name, but it's the effect it has that's important," Bruce says. "Helping students who need a hand and cultivating a sense of public service in our young people."

"Public service is an essential part of being a good human being," adds Duncan, who has served as a church minister and a University of Calgary ombudsman.

As an ombudsman, Duncan found that many students needed financial help to get through school, that's why assisting them was a career highlight for him.

Bruce Stanton served as Simcoe North's Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2021.

"Often first-generation university students and students whose parents are immigrants are the hardest working," he says.

Bruce's civic spirit has had a major impact on Simcoe County. He helped Lakehead Orillia secure $13.5 million to construct the 500 University Avenue campus and obtained funding to expand the Lake Simcoe Airport and rebuild the Trent-Severn Waterway's crumbling infrastructure. He is also the longest serving deputy speaker in the history of the House of Commons.

How did Bruce develop his sense of public service?

"Most of the things that have helped me succeed in political ventures were hard learned in the hospitality service," he says.

He forged his career at Bayview Wildwood Resort, a business on Sparrow Lake that his family has owned for generations.

"Although we had industry competitors, there was a strong sense of collegiality. I learned that there's a lot more advantage to building bridges rather than tearing them down."

Bruce believes that his biggest accomplishments were the small things he was able to do for the citizens of Simcoe County, like benefits or program funding he helped them get. "They are the stories that never make the news, but they were important to those individuals," he says.

 "His character, his humility, and his service are the things I will always think about when I think of Bruce Stanton," Duncan says.

The Bruce Stanton Public Service Bursary will be awarded annually to a Lakehead Orillia student studying in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences who has shown commitment to their community.

An Outstanding Deputy Speaker: "The mark of a democratic system is that everyone will have different ideas about how to improve the quality of life, so we shouldn't put other people's ideas down," Bruce says.

Contact Jacquie Kent at 705-330-4010, Ext. 2080 or jkent@lakeheadu.ca if you'd like to make a gift that transforms a student's life.

The William G. Tamblyn Legacy Society was launched on October 2, 2015, to celebrate the people who are making postsecondary education possible.  The Legacy Society recognizes donors leaving a gift in their estate to Lakehead University - and connects them to special events, presentations, and seminars throughout the year.  

Legacy gifts - gifts made after one's lifetime - help students of all backgrounds and are essential to ensuring Lakehead University's sustainability.  They can include portions of assets such as savings, investments, real estate, retirement plan benefits, life insurance policies, and personal property.  Every donor is able to choose the specific area their gift will be used to support.  

Fittingly, the Society is named after a man who was passionate about Northwestern Ontario and Lakehead University - our first president, William (Bill) Tamblyn.  Bill was an engineer, businessman, and community leader.  "My father was very energetic and driven by curiosity," says his son David Tamblyn, a current member of Lakehead's Board of Directors.

Between 1965 and 1972, Bill oversaw the establishment and dramatic expansion of Lakehead University.  In a 1966 report to the Board of Governors, President Tamblyn noted:

"Lakehead University was created to fill the void of higher education facilities which was limited the opportunities of young people and indeed the entire potential of Northwestern Ontario for so many years."

Although David was just five years old when his father became Lakehead's president, he has many memories of the early years of the Thunder Bay campus - including its construction.  "I remember a bulldozer sinking into the mud without a trace when the lake behind the Centennial Building was being dug," David says.

Under Bill Tamblyn's leadership, Lakehead transformed from a small college with less than 500 full-time students into a flourishing university with 3,000 full-time students.  Bill's enthusiasm was contagious.  "We saw the school as our seventh sibling," David says.  The Tamblyn's links to the University deepened when David (BA'84, HBA'86, BEd.'88) and four of his brothers and sisters became Lakehead students themselves.  

Before Bill Tamblyn passed away in 2009, he lived to see the opening of a second campus in Orillia, Ontario, and the evolution of Lakehead into a truly comprehensive research university.  His vision of young people being able to study in their own communities had been realized. This is the vision the William G. Tamblyn Legacy Society is building upon.  

Pictured above:  Bill Tamblyn relaxes at home with his son David in 1969.

Already, donors are using legacy gifts in their long-term tax and estate planning to benefit themselves, Lakehead, and the community in life-changing ways.  "That's why," says David, "I believe this new endeavour will become an integral part of Lakehead's future development."

Contact Lee-Anne Camlin at 807-346-7792 or email rlcamlin@lakeheadu.ca to learn more about the William G. Tamblyn Legacy Society.

Forests from the Canadian north to the southern tropics protect every aspect of our global ecosystem.  Trees play a key role in carbon storage, flood control, soil stability, and clean air and water.

No one understands this better from empirical example than Dr. John Naysmith - the former director of Lakehead's School of Forestry and the founding dean of the Faculty of Forestry.

Now Dr. Naysmith's daughter Jean-Ann and son-in-law Bob Rooney have established an endowment, to which John's wife Etoile immediately made a substantial contribution, to honour John Naysmith's legacy.

On September 30, 2016, Lakehead University announced that $2,000 will be awarded annually to the individual selected as the Naysmith Scholar - an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry or Honours Bachelor of Environmental Management student who has completed their third year.

"This award will further encourage Lakehead students to cultivate informed dialogue concerning global human needs and nature's capacity to meet them," Dr. Naysmith explains.

His love of forests is longstanding.  In 1947 while still a high school student, he had a summer job with an Abitibi Power and Paper Company timber cruising party responsible for sampling tree stands.  The job entailed walking through dense forest, sleeping in tents, and canoeing uncharted water.  "I loved every minute of it," Dr. Naysmith says.

Since then, he has helped transform and strengthen the field of natural resources.  One of his internationally-recognized achievements was his leadership in the development and writing of the National Conservation Strategy for Nepal.  Another fulfilling aspect of his career has been working with Lakehead students.  "They were so enthusiastic - it was inspiring for me." 

In the 1990s, Dr. Naysmith established an international exchange program involving students from Lakehead, Ghana in West Africa, and Nepal in Southeast Asia.  "This sparked discussion between young people from different parts of the world about approaches to forest stewardship," he says.

Dr. Naysmith's continuing relationship with Lakehead includes judging undergraduate thesis presentations.  "The skill with which these young people express themselves is remarkable - their ability to connect with others is precisely what is needed today."

That's why he is so thrilled with Julia Ieropoli, a fourth-year forestry student and the inaugural Naysmith Scholar.  Julia is the co-president of the Lakehead Natural Resources Student Society and she's currently organizing a symposium on stewardship.

Pictured above (l. to r.):  Bob Rooney, Jean-Ann Naysmith Rooney, Dr. John Naysmith, Julia Ieropoli, Lakehead President Brian Stevenson, Natural Resources Management Dean Ulf Runesson, and Sasha Naysmith McMonagle (Dr. Naysmith's granddaughter.)

"It's been amazing to get to know Dr. Naysmith," Julia says.  "I wish I'd had the opportunity to have a class with him.  He's so intelligent and such a gentleman - there's really no one like him."  When she graduates in June 2017, Julia will be working as an assistant forest engineer for a forestry company on Vancouver Island.  

You can contribute to the well-being of our planet and its people by making a gift to the Naysmith Scholar endowment fund.  Please contact Meghan Hanbury at 807-343-8010 x. 8910 or by email at meghan.hanbury@lakeheadu.ca