September 27, 2013 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, ON

Lakehead University officials will visit Queen’s Park on Monday, Sept. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 1 as part of its annual Lobby Days visit with provincial leaders.

Lakehead’s President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, began the Lobby Days initiative three years ago in order to highlight Lakehead’s strategic priorities to the Ontario government and opposition parties.

Dr. Stevenson will be joined by Deb Comuzzi, Vice-President External Relations, and Richard Longtin, Director of Government Relations, as they meet with key ministers, critics and party leaders.

University officials will also host a reception for all Ontario MPPs to advance Lakehead’s relationship with key public office holders and staff.

Cameron Clark, Chair of Lakehead’s Board of Governors, will attend the reception with several other board members. The University delegation will be recognized in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Sept. 30.

“As our provincial leaders may not always have the chance to visit our Orillia or Thunder Bay campuses,” Dr. Stevenson explained, “Lobby Days is Lakehead’s effort and opportunity to share our University’s priorities and concerns with Party Leaders, Ministers and MPPs.”

Dr. Stevenson will be available for phone interviews on Monday, Sept. 30 from 4 until 5 pm and Tuesday, Oct. 1 from noon until 3 pm.

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Media: For more information, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

One of Canada’s most famous philosophers, Mark Kingwell, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Morris Lecture, hosted by Lakehead University’s Department of Philosophy.

“Mark Kingwell is Canada's pre-eminent public intellectual, one of our best philosophers, an excellent writer, and a dynamic speaker,” said Lakehead Philosophy Professor Todd Dufresne.

“Kingwell’s work combines scholarship and an unusual understanding of contemporary issues ranging from politics to culture. In this presentation, he promises to address a common problem of everyday life: procrastination. 

“Who couldn't benefit from some quality time thinking about why it is we often put off doing things until tomorrow,” Professor Dufresne said. 

Many readers know Kierkegaard as the philosopher of irony, faith, and anxiety, but he was also intimately acquainted with the mundane conditions of boredom and procrastination. Kingwell describes his lecture as an exploration of the “deeper meanings of why we put things off and how we can disappear into the full fridge in which there is, apparently forever, nothing to eat.”

The annual Morris Lecture is free to the public and usually draws large crowds. 

“With Kingwell as our special guest this year, I am expecting a full house. The last time he spoke at Lakehead in 2008, it was a very popular lecture,” Dufresne said.

Kingwell has appeared on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin many times. He has written several books, including In Pursuit of Happiness: Better Living from Plato to Prozac, The World We Want: Restoring Citizenship in a Fractured Age, and Concrete Reveries: Consciousness and the City. He is a professor of philosophy and associate chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto.

Morris Lecture - We Shall Look Into It Tomorrow: On the Art of Procrastination

Date: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013
Time: 7-8 pm
Cost:  Free
Location: ATAC 2001

The 2013 Morris Lecture is sponsored by Lakehead University’s Dr. Gillian Siddall, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Department of English and the Department of Sociology.

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Media: To arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

September 23, 2013 – Orillia, ON

Over the past few months, students at Orillia’s Lakehead University, as part of an innovative project with a local plastics company, have learned the value of field studies – in a field adjacent to the University Avenue campus.

Under the leadership of Lakehead professor Chris Murray and Derek Rynard of EcoPoly Solutions, a 100-foot by 100-foot trial farm was cultivated at the campus to test a ground-breaking plastic mulch developed by the local company. Coupled with lab results, the farm findings will be used by the company to back up its own testing.

The results from the trial farm – where vegetables were grown using traditional methods alongside vegetables grown under the agricultural mulch – were dramatic.

“The difference between the two was night and day,” said Murray. “It was pretty incredible to see the results in a tangible way.”

Murray, an amateur gardener, was surprised by the effectiveness of the plastic mulch.

“I’ve tried to grow carrots at home and I have never achieved anything close to what we were able to grow here,” said Murray, who noted the bountiful crop blossomed despite very little weeding and very little water. “I can only imagine how well this would work for farmers who put in the necessary work.”

While the carrots, onions and broccoli flourished under the mulch – which simulates a greenhouse while suppressing weeds and conserving water – the vegetables that did not have the advantage of the mulch were smaller and less plentiful.

“Basically, it confirmed our lab studies, but it did so in such a way that was a real eye opener for our students,” said Murray. “We were able to observe exactly when the mulch started to break down – and under what conditions. And, for the company, it was really a confirmation of their own studies.”

Rynard said Lakehead’s independent field and lab studies are critical for the company as it continues to plant roots in a multi-billion-dollar industry.

“If Lakehead University wasn’t here to conduct this testing, it’s really our word against our competitors’ word,” Rynard explained. “This provides us with third-party credibility that is really important to us as we enter global markets with these products.”

He said the field tests are of particular importance. “We have reams of data, but to have real-world data that shows exactly how and when the product breaks down, how the crops performed … that’s what our agricultural clients really want,” he said.

To date, the partnership has proven beneficial for Rynard’s company and for Lakehead University. For that reason, they have decided to extend the project, which has been supported by the Ontario Centres of Excellence.

“There’s really no reason not to continue,” said Murray. “Now, we can see how they perform in the winter … we can capture fall, winter and early spring data.”

Farmers, especially those in Europe, have used plastic mulch more and more in recent years, said Rynard.

“But these have always been single-use products. A farmer has to rip it up, bury it on the farm, burn it or send it to the landfill,” he said.

With EcoPoly Solutions’ revolutionary new product, a farmer, after harvest, can simply plow the mulch into the earth to decompose into biomass. The green-focused company is working on a variety of designs for a variety of applications: a six-week film, a three-month film and a six-month film for various growing conditions.

“What we want to be able to tell prospective clients is that when you grow carrots, for example, here’s the best film to use,” Rynard said. “That’s why this research is so important.”

The project is also important to Lakehead’s students – and its reputation – Murray said.

“Kayla Snyder, who has worked on this project and, like some of our other students, had the opportunity to work in (Rynard’s) impressive state-of-the-art lab in Newmarket, has become our first master’s student in chemistry and will continue to work on this project,” said Murray. “For our students to have access to this lab and to their world-class staff is incredible.”

Murray hopes it’s just the beginning.

“We’re becoming a leader in research,” said Murray, a Park Street Collegiate Institute graduate whose field of study is biodegradable plastics. “We have taken baby steps with this project … and we are excited about what the future might hold.”

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Kayla Snyder, of Everett, was part of the team of students at Lakehead University who conducted wind, water and soil tests in the trial garden at the Orillia campus. Snyder is showing the dramatic results of the field study: in her right hand are carrots grown under plastic mulch, while in her left hand, are the smaller, less plentiful carrots grown without the mulch.

Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson announced the creation of the President's Advisory Council on Economic Development for Northwestern Ontario.


September 18, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

Lakehead University President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, has announced the creation of the President’s Advisory Council on Economic Development (PACED) for Northwestern Ontario. The council will meet regularly, and is comprised of regional industry and business leaders.

“PACED’s purpose is to advise me on how Lakehead University can fulfil an even more integral role in the economic development of Northwestern Ontario,” said Dr. Stevenson, who will serve as Chair of the new council. “Council members will help me determine where this University can best contribute to our region and how to measure that success.”

PACED members were selected based on individual skill sets and include private-sector business representatives from the Aboriginal community, as well as various industries such as transportation, mining, banking, and construction:

• Harvey Cardwell… Vice-Chair of PACED, and CEO, Northco Group
• Rob Bell… President & General Manager, Dingwell's North America
• Don Campbell… former President & CEO, TBaytel
• Andrew Cheatle… President, Chief Executive Officer, Director, Unigold Inc.
• Ed Collins… Manager of Economic Development, Fort William First Nation
• Barb Courte… President & CEO, North Star Drilling and Cobra Drilling
• Silvio Di Gregorio… Secretary Treasurer, Bruno's Contracting
• Tim Heney… CEO, Thunder Bay Port Authority
• Irene Kozlowski… President & CEO, Sencia Canada Ltd.
• Ian McCormack… Director of Business Operations, Tetra Tech, and Chair, Thunder Bay Airport Authority
• Joe Moses… Account Manager, Commercial Banking, RBC Royal Bank
• Doug Murray… President & CEO, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission
• Robert Poulter… President & CEO, Mitomics Inc.
• Madge Richardson… Executive Director, North Superior Workforce Planning Board
• Murray Walberg… Regional Vice-President, RBC Royal Bank
• Frederic Gascon… Vice-President Manufacturing, Bombardier

“I want to thank all council members who have stepped forward to give of their time and expertise,” said Harvey Cardwell, Vice-Chair of PACED, and a Fellow of Lakehead University. A former member of Lakehead’s Board of Governors, Cardwell added, “We look forward to this group’s recommendations and counsel, as Lakehead endeavours to make an even greater impact on economic development in Northwestern Ontario for years to come.”

A PACED for Central Ontario will be established in Simcoe County, in the coming months, to guide Lakehead University’s economic development activities in that region of the province, as well.

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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

From left is Paterson Foundation President Don Paterson, Lakehead Faculty of Law Founding Dean Lee Stuesser, Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson, Lakehead University Board Chair Cameron Clark, Maximilian Paterson and Lori Paterson. 

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

Lakehead University has graciously accepted a $1 million gift from the Paterson Foundation. The donation is intended to help further ongoing renovations to the Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and the University’s new Faculty of Law. 

“The Paterson Foundation and the Paterson Family have been supporters of Lakehead University from the beginning,” said Don Paterson, President of The Paterson Foundation. “It is our hope that this support to the University will help to highlight the importance of Lakehead University, particularly the Faculty of Law, in our community and will encourage others both in the community and beyond our borders to become involved.”

In recognition of this most generous gift, the Faculty of Law’s main auditorium will be named The John N. Paterson Faculty of Law Auditorium.

“This gift will help transform PACI into a space where our students will be inspired in their studies,” said Lakehead University Faculty of Law Dean Lee Stuesser. “I’m very thankful for the support of the Paterson Foundation.”

Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson praised the Paterson Foundation for its continued support. 

“The Paterson Foundation has been a remarkable supporter of our University, and we are honoured and humbled that the Paterson family would, again, choose to give to Lakehead and our new Faculty of Law.”

The Paterson Foundation’s previous gifts to Lakehead include to the University’s main library — for which the Chancellor Paterson Library was named — and its Advanced Technology and Academic Centre.

“The Paterson Foundation has been instrumental to the success of Lakehead University and communities in Northwestern Ontario,” Dr. Stevenson added. “We deeply thank the Paterson family for its continued support and look forward to applying their exceptional gift to the transformation of the former Port Arthur Collegiate Institute into a Faculty of Law Northern Ontario can be proud of.”

The inaugural Faculty of Law class consists of 60 students from Ontario and other Canadian provinces.

The Paterson Foundation was started in 1970 by Senator Norman McLeod Paterson. Since then, the Foundation has been a devoted supporter of community organizations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

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Media: To arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

September 16, 2013 – Orillia and Thunder Bay, ON

Lakehead University researchers are receiving more than $1.5 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for exciting projects relating to new media, First Nations renewable energy initiatives and economic development, weight bias and more.

SSHRC’s Insight Grants aim to build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in the social sciences and humanities.

Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Lakehead Orillia and coordinator of Media Studies for Social Change, has been awarded an Insight Grant of $497,482 over five years for her program of research, Indymedia 2.0: New Media Activism in the Digital Economy. This is the largest Insight Grant that Lakehead has ever received.

“This SSHRC grant will allow us to deepen our understanding of grassroots global media activist networks, politics and strategies in the digital media landscape,” said Dr. Jeppesen. 

The seven-person feminist research team, which includes co-applicant Dr. Adrienne Hurley of East Asian Studies at McGill University and various students, will examine anti-racist, queer, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist and anarchist media practices by interviewing 150 grassroots activists around the world to analyze how they are adapting old and new technologies to support radical social movements.

“This project will also create a network of feminist activist-scholars and facilitate the development of online resources for grassroots media activists,” Dr. Jeppesen added.

Dr. Chander Shahi, Associate Professor and Chair of the Forest Science Program at Lakehead Thunder Bay, is receiving an Insight Development Grant of $73,000 to examine First Nations Renewable Energy Initiatives and Economic Development in Northern Ontario.

This funding enables Dr. Shahi to meet with more than 30 First Nation communities in Northern Ontario and hire four First Nation students from Lakehead University to assist with the research.

“The goal is to create a policy framework for a new renewable energy model that can help First Nation communities with economic development opportunities,” Dr. Shahi said.

This project is the result of an expressed interest by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA), along with community leaders, to understand the role of the renewable energy sector in the economic development of Northern Ontario’s First Nation communities.

These communities often struggle to survive due to limited shelter, health care, transportation networks and electricity, with many relying on expensive diesel-generated electricity.

The use of renewable energy to improve the socio-economic status of First Nation communities provides an important opportunity. This project will identify, explore and create community-based policy alternatives for renewable energy that will enhance the sustainability of these First Nations communities.

Erin Cameron is in Lakehead's Joint PhD Program in Educational Studies and her field of study is Social, Cultural & Political Contexts of Education. Cameron is receiving a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship Award of $40,000 over two years for her project, Reclaiming the Other F-Word: Addressing Weight-Based Oppression in Higher Education.

“This SSHRC funding allows me to focus on my research, which is aimed at developing teaching strategies that will help to reduce weight bias and help students understand that obesity is more complex than just calories in and calories out,” Cameron said.

“We live in a society where we are bombarded with messages about obesity, where we  have become obsessed with the thin ideal as a marker of health, yet evidence points to the fact that it is fitness not fatness that matters. As a result, weight bias is now more  prevalent in schools and health care and it’s been suggested that there’s unintentional harm being caused because of that,” she said. “I hope my work will start to change how we teach and think about obesity in schools and universities.”

Cameron will interview faculty members specializing in kinesiology, health sciences, psychology, geography and other disciplines from universities around the world.

“These impressive research projects show that Lakehead University is making an impact on society in many important ways,” said Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson.

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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.


2013 Lakehead University SSHRC Grant Recipients

Insight Grants (five-year grants):

Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Interdisciplinary Studies (Orillia), “Indymedia 2.0:  New Media Activism in the Digital Economy”, $497,482.
Co-applicant:  Dr. Adrienne Hurley, McGill University.

Dr. Lori Chambers, Department of Women’s Studies, “A Legal History of Adoption in Ontario”, $181,305.

Dr. Chander Shahi, Faculty of Natural Resources Management, “Enabling Community Based Forest Management in Northern Ontario”, $207,000.

Co-applicant:  Dr. Peggy Smith, Faculty of Natural Resources Management.

Insight Development Grants (two-year grants):

Dr. Ruth Beatty, Faculty of Education (Orillia campus) “Equity and Math Education: Connecting Anishinaabe Agindaasowin and Western Mathematical Ways of Knowing”, $74,815.

Dr. Kristin Burnett, Department of Indigenous Learning, “Feeding My Family": Northern First Nations, Food History, and Canadian Indian Policy in the Post World War II Period”, $74,524.

Co-applicant:  Dr. Lori Chambers, Women’s Studies.

Dr.  Curtis Fogel, Interdisciplinary Studies (Orillia Campus), “Sexual Violence in Amateur Canadian Sport”, $30,550.

Dr.  Valerie Hebert, Department of History (Orillia Campus), “Post-Atrocity Justice in Colonial French Congo: The Gaud-Toqué Affair, 1903-1905”, $33,068.

Dr.  Cheryl Lousley, Interdisciplinary Studies (Orillia Campus), “Planet and Narration: Narrative Testimonies and World-Making at the Brundtland Commission Public Hearings”, $42,509.

Dr. Chander Shahi, Faculty of Natural Resources Management, “First Nations Renewable Energy Initiatives and Economic Development in Northern Ontario“, $73,000.

Graduate Student Funding:

PhD Students – Doctoral Fellowships Program ($20,000/year)

Jocelyn Burkhart (Education) – three-year award.

Erin Cameron (Education) – two-year award.

Sarah Sinclair (Psychology) – two-year award.

Master’s Students – Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships (one-year awards worth $17,500)

Jamilee Baroud (Education with specialization in Women’s Studies).

Kyee Bo (Biology).

Aaron Keffer (Northern Environment and Cultures).

Hannah McNinch (Education).

Jenny Morgan (Psychology).

Justin Raposo (English).

Jordan York (Northern Environment and Cultures).

Standing Ovation raised funds for Lakehead University's inaugural Faculty of Law class.

September 12, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

Lakehead University donors, alumni and friends got together to raise funds for student scholarships while enjoying an evening of great food, live music, and a silent auction at Standing Ovation, the institution’s annual fundraiser.

“Tonight’s event will assist students in our Faculty of Law’s charter class, which means these scholarships will benefit Northern Ontario by improving access to justice,” said Lee Stuesser, founding Dean of Lakehead’s new Faculty of Law.

“Access to justice is of paramount importance to the people of Northern Ontario. It’s the reason our University’s Faculty of Law was established,” Stuesser added.

Lakehead University’s inaugural Faculty of Law class consists of 60 students from Ontario and other Canadian provinces.

“Our students are excited to pursue their education and work as lawyers – these scholarships will help them do that,” Stuesser said.

“I am always moved by the support Lakehead University receives from donors, alumni and this community,” said President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson. “This evening’s celebration is a show of gratitude to people and organizations who support this University and take an active role it its success and the success of its students.

“By helping increase student access to our Faculty of Law, these scholarships not only affect the lives of those studying here, but the communities and people these students will one day serve as lawyers in the North,” Dr. Stevenson explained.

Funds were raised through ticket sales and a silent auction that included numerous items, including original aboriginal artworks and the mountain gear worn by Lakehead alum, Chris Drewes, when he climbed Nepal’s Island Peak.

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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

(Lakehead column, Huronia Business Times – September 2013)

A group of aspiring scientists began their studies at Lakehead University Orillia early this fall, as the first cohort of fourth year Environmental Sustainability students embarked on an intensive three-week field study course in August.

Lakehead Orillia’s Honours Bachelor of Arts & Science - Environmental Sustainability program, introduced in 2010, is a degree program within the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. The field study course is taught by Dr. Gerardo Reyes, who will lead the students on a series of field trips to various natural habitats, including the Algonquin Park Wildlife Research Station.

“The course will physically immerse the students into the subject matter, taking what is taught in our Biology and Environmental Science classes and bringing these theories and concepts to life,” explains Dr. Reyes. “It’s difficult to fully appreciate what we talk about in class as some of these concepts can remain abstract; being in the field allows us to get our hands dirty and experience biology in action.”

The students will learn sampling techniques and will collect various organisms to understand why they are there, if and how they are being impacted by human activity, and what can be done to preserve or manage ecosystems to ensure sustainability in the future.

“Our program is unique because it combines arts and science,” says Lakehead’s Dr. Sree Kurissery, who led the designing of the program.  “In addition to scientific knowledge, the students study environmental sustainability from a socio-cultural and Aboriginal focus and also learn about environmental philosophy and ethics.”

The objective of the program is to graduate environmentally conscious citizens who are capable of finding scientifically-based solutions to environmental problems and issues. “The field study course helps us achieve this,” says Dr. Kurissery. “The students will visit areas impacted by pollution and other sources of environmental destruction, as well as conservation centres and parks that are protecting nature.  This comparison and first-hand knowledge will help them to find scientifically-based solutions.”

Lakehead Orillia’s Dr. Gerardo Reye (seated left) meets with a group of Environmental Sustainability students to plan their three-week field study course.

“These students are our future leaders,” says Dr. Reyes.  “We’re providing them with the tools to carry out research projects, and to be able to make informed value judgments in the field when facing difficult environmental choices.”

The field study will help students generate ideas for research projects that are required to graduate and also prepares students for the job market or graduate studies.

“This kind of field experience will be a valuable asset to the students,” says Dr. Reyes. “Whether they are applying for positions with environmental consulting firms or for government and other research institutions, this practical knowledge and understanding will create many opportunities for them.”

Dr. Kurissery reports that the unique Environmental Sustainability program is becoming more popular each year.  As of this year, the degree program will also be of special interest to graduates of Georgian College’s Environmental Technology diploma program. A recently signed articulation agreement with the College means that eligible students can complete the degree program in just over two years.

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Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne helped cut the ribbon with Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson, Faculty of Law Dean Lee Stuesser, Thunder Bay dignitaries and the faculty, staff and students of the Faculty of Law.

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

Ontario’s first Faculty of Law in 44 years officially opened its doors, today, with a large ribbon cutting ceremony at Lakehead’s Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (PACI), home to the University’s newest Faculty. Attendees of this historic event included the school’s first cohort of students and faculty, as well as dignitaries and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

The inaugural class will teach 60 students everything they need to know to be lawyers and more, by focusing on aboriginal law and understanding aboriginal issues, the needs of small practitioners and natural resources law.

Professor Lee Stuesser, founding Dean of the Faculty of Law, was excited that the grand opening had finally arrived.

“This is a great day for Lakehead University, for Thunder Bay, and indeed for Northern Ontario. A new law school is opening that is different and that is intended to serve the communities in Northern Ontario and in smaller centres throughout Canada,” Dean Stuesser said. “A new law school is born. It is small; it is personal; and it is tailored to prepare students for professional practice.

“The Faculty of Law at Lakehead University is a creation of the community. Many said it would never happen – they were wrong. The communities in Northwestern Ontario fought for this school and together they succeeded. We are very proud of this new school and Thunder Bay should be proud,” Stuesser said.

Lakehead’s new Faculty of Law will educate lawyers who will play a vital role in Northwestern Ontario for First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities. The Faculty will provide its students with a fundamental legal education, while focussing on aboriginal law, natural resources law, and single or sole practitioner law.

“This Faculty of Law is in the North for the people of the North,” said Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson. “Our focus is on preparing students who wish to practice law in rural and smaller centres, where there is a need to enhance and increase access to justice.”

“On behalf of Lakehead University, I welcome our new law students, staff and faculty, and hope they decide to stay in Northern Ontario to help fill the demand in this region,” Dr. Stevenson added. “We are also extremely grateful to the provincial government, First Nation and Métis communities, our local MPP’s, Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle, the County and District Law Presidents’ Association, municipal organizations across Northwestern Ontario, and the Thunder Bay Law Association for their support in establishing this new and special Faculty of Law.”

In July 2011, Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) committed to support Lakehead University’s Faculty of Law. The MTCU fully funded the Faculty of Law with a $1.5 million investment for capital improvements made to the historic PACI building in Thunder Bay where the Faculty of Law is housed.

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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

August 28, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON

Lakehead University International (LUI) is looking for people in Thunder Bay who are interested in participating in the University’s Homestay Program. The program is seeking those who would enjoy hosting international students coming to Canada to learn English and study.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to experience a new culture while helping our international students adjust to life in Canada,” said LUI’s Director, Leigh-Ellen Keating.

“Our Homestay programs vary in length. They are usually 15 weeks at a time, from September to December, January to April or May to August, however we have special cases that are sometimes shorter. This program helps students practice their English in real life situations while allowing them to experience Canadian culture, first-hand, by living with Canadians,” Keating said.

Lakehead’s international students, as well as the people and families who host them, benefit from the experience in many ways — culturally, financially, and personally.

Thunder Bay Homestay host, Rob*, who, himself, enjoys travelling and meeting people from other countries, has embraced the opportunity to welcome international students to Canada. “The students bring us a wonderful new perspective on life and also expose our young kids to a new culture,” he said, adding, “Hosting two students makes for a fun family atmosphere at dinnertime.”

Rob explained that life at his house is enriched by these students who bring a whole new perspective to Thunder Bay and its culture. “I think we are helping them with companionship and conversation that is improving their English and intercultural skills,” he said. “In return, we’ve made two new friends who are teaching my kids about Brazil and the global community we share, the extra monthly income helps pay bills, and our house is much more interesting to be in. Everyone benefits.”

LUI’s Keating added, “Being a Homestay host is a great way to interact with a whole new culture while helping to pay rent, or a mortgage.”

Priscilla, a student who has recently arrived in Thunder Bay and is currently with a Homestay host, said of her experience, “It is very hard speaking and understanding what [my Homestay hosts] say, but this is a great opportunity to improve my English.” She added that while it has only been a month since her Homestay experience began, “I'm enjoying everything! The family is very nice and I try and learn about the daily life of a Canadian family — their habits, food, and so on.”

Lakehead University President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, acknowledged how LUI’s Homestay program benefits not only the students, but our community and our economy. “Our University, our Homestay hosts, and the people of Thunder Bay are just the first to realize what international students have to offer. These students are wonderful ambassadors of their respective countries who want nothing more than to immerse themselves in our multi-cultural community as they grow into productive members of a global society,” he said.

Homestay Program

Homestay hosts receive $700 per month when providing a student with a room and meals; or $475 per month when only providing a room. Students must be able to commute by bus to Lakehead’s PACI building within 45 minutes of their host’s residence in order for the home to be eligible.

For more information about hosting a student, please contact International.Homestay@lakeheadu.ca

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* Homestay hosts and students requested that only their first names be used.

Media: For interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.