Alumnus John MacPhail's (HBA in History 1996, BEd 1997, MA in History 2000) Grade 7 class at St. Dominic Elementary School in Oakville has been awarded The Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement. This award recognizes the most exceptional individuals and groups that have contributed to conserving Ontario’s cultural and/or natural heritage. 

The student's in John's class received the award for producing a book that is a collection of oral history interviews the students conducted with veterans in their community. The students compiled the stories into an oral history book, planned and held a ceremony to present the book to veterans and produced a video to document the event. The ceremony was held in Bronte Veteran's Park and involved members of the community, including local veterans, politicians, students and their families. At the ceremony, the students also unveiled a plaque commemorating VE Day to ensure that their work would have a lasting and visual impact on the community. 

More information about this year's recipients can be found at
http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/News-and-Events/2016/Feb/Lieutenant-Gover...

In 2007, John was one of  six recipients of the Governor General's Award (GGA) For Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. Sponsored by Canada's National History Society, the GGA annually salutes history teachers in the classrooms of our nation who have inspired and challenged students to explore Canada's past (see more at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/departments/history/news/articles/200...) 

Congratulations to Lakehead student Shayna Parker (MHSc) and Dr. Pedram Fatehi who won innovation awards from the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) at its recent awards ceremony.

Shayna won the Young Innovator of the Year award.

She was recognized for a video game she is developing for mobile devices to help post-stroke and brain-injury patients regain the use of their hands.

Her project was also awarded $50,000 last fall from the Ontario Brain Institute's (OBI) Entrepreneur Program. The OBI program provides funding over a one-year period to help post-graduate students focus full-time on commercialization activities related to a neuroscience-based opportunity. 

Dr. Fatehi was awarded the Innovation Hero of the Year Award, which is given to an individual who takes an innovative approach to improve his/her organization, business, or community.

According to NOIC, “Dr. Fatehi’s focus on cross-disciplinary learning, combined with his research and commercialization efforts into green and environmentally friendly pulp and paper solutions make him deserving of this award.” 

Lakehead Public Schools is pleased to announce that Darren Lentz (HBOR, BSc. Bed ’96, MEd.’07), Kingsway Park/Hyde Park Public School Principal has been named as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals of 2017. Principal Lentz joins 39 other Principals from across the country, as announced today by the Learning Partnership’s Canada’s Outstanding Principals program.

Ian MacRae, Director of Education, Lakehead Public Schools said: “This award is a testament to his innovation, leadership and creativity in finding solutions and opportunities within the school community that he serves. We are extremely proud of this recognition for Principal Lentz.”

Principal Lentz will attend the Canada’s Outstanding Principals ceremony February 28, 2017 in Toronto to receive his award. He will also attend an executive training program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management later in the year. With this award, Principal Lentz becomes a member of the exclusive National Academy of Canada’s Outstanding Principals with a membership of over 400 Principals from across the country.

Full media release from Lakehead Public Schools is available here.

Letizia Tremonti, Principal of St. Martin School in Thunder Bay, was named Principal of the Year by the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario and selected by her peers as Outstanding Principal in 2017.

Letizia is a Faculty of Education BEd alumnus, who graduated with First Class Standing in 1986.

In a press release, she stated: “There have been many wonderful moments over my 31-year career but being nominated for Principal of the Year by my colleagues is one of my greatest moments.”

For more information, see the article here.

The City of Thunder Bay announced that Kimberly Baskin (BA'11), Program Supervisor – Children & Youth, Recreation & Culture Division, was awarded the 2017 Parks and Recreation Ontario Award of Excellence in the Emerging Leader category. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of a professional in the early stages of their career. Only two individuals across Ontario were recognized in this category. 

Jacky WL Chan (HB OEd'16) is an outdoor educator and the co-founder and director of Zen’s Outdoor Leadership Camp for Youth (ZOLCY) – a volunteer driven Canadian NGO. ZOLCY’s mission is   to cultivate self-development, outdoor leadership, and the pursuit of continuous education. Jacky leads groups to Jamaica and Nepal where he facilitates volunteer-driven service learning programs   grounded in critical social justice initiatives.

Jacky has trained in martial arts for over twenty years and spent several months in China where he trained with the legendary Shaolin Warrior monks. He currently holds the title of “Sensei” as a third  degree black belt in the art of Shotokan karate-do. He has studied yoga and meditation in India and Nepal and is a certified Laughter Yoga instructor.

Jacky is an avid traveler and has explored many regions of the world in pursuit of adventure, knowledge, and cultural understanding. In 2014/15 he cruised down the Amazon River in a cargo boat,   trained in Chinese kickboxing in China, and motorcycled across Nepal and Northern India.

He received his Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation from Lakehead and is currently working on his Masters with a focus on social justice.

Former ORPT lecturer and Lakehead alum, Dr. Janet Dyment (PhD '05) is Australia's Teacher Educator of the Year, as awarded by the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) at a conference in Brisbane in July.

The "judges were struck by Janet's fantastic work in online teacher education," said ATEA President Professor Joce Nuttall.  "Training teachers online is a challenge.  Janet's work shows teacher educators can influence student teachers wherever they live."

Originally from Kanata, ON, Janet received her Ph.D from Lakehead's joint PhD Program, and worked in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities as a lecturer in the Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism program.  She has worked at the University of Tasmania as a lecturer since 2005.  "I'm passionate about my work with student teachers," said Janet.  "I'm thrilled to have my work recognized in this way."

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has presented Lakehead teacher Lisa Dampier (BA '92, B.Ed. '93) with its 2017 Anti-Bias Award for her work in teaching global citizenship and social justice to grades 7 and 8 students.

The award is presented to an ETFO member or group of members who develop and teach units, and/or incorporate practices which work toward the elimination of bias.

A teacher at Westmount Public School, Lisa established a Learning Academy for her students in which she taught all subjects from the perspective of global citizenship and social justice. Students learned about different cultures and important world issues and developed respect for and appreciation of differences. They studied the negative impacts of bias, racism and stereotypes and in the process developed compassion and acceptance of others. 

Student broadened their horizons by studying different religious and cultural celebrations and exploring equity issues such as availability of clean water and other essential resources around the world. They also repaired and restored bicycles to give to local needy children. Additionally, Lisa had her students prepare videos for social media that addressed youth issues such as bullying, racism and the rights of children. The videos were designed to inspire others to make the world a more inclusive place to live. Several were posted on You Tube. 

“What’s exciting is that Lisa embedded this focus on global citizenship and social justice across the curriculum in all subjects,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond. “Lisa’s work embodies the social justice principles that our members are teaching to ensure that public elementary students value inclusive and supportive classrooms and communities.” 

(credit: ETFO.ca website)

How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life is a memoir of how Karl Subban (BA '83, BEd '84) and his wife Maria prepared their five children to live up to their potential. The two girls became teachers. The three boys were all signed by the NHL. P.K. is a defenseman with The Nashville Predators. Jordon plays for the Boston Bruins and Malcom was recently traded to the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Both Karl and co-author Scott Colby have close ties with Thunder Bay. Karl, who was born in Jamaica, played basketball for Lakehead University. Scott grew up in Thunder Bay. They first met when Scott was in Grade 9 and attended Karl`s summer basketball camp.

Karl will be on a book tour, travelling throughout the country attending book signings and guest speaking events during the Fall of 2017.

On Thursday, November 30th, the Wilson Institute unveiled their list of the 37 scholars named as Wilson Associates for 2017-2020. Located in every province of Canada, the Wilson Associates have been selected as scholars who are pushing the field of Canadian history in exciting new transnational directions. Each of these dynamic scholars is asking new questions and bringing new perspectives to the writing of Canadian history. Each will be entitled to contribute to the selection of the most boundary-breaking publication in Canadian history and to benefit from the support and services of the Institute.  The Wilson Institute hopes, through building a network of fellows and associates, to create a community of scholars inside and outside Canada exploring transnational history. We hope not only to put these scholars in contact with our Institute, so that we might expand our role in Canadian intellectual life, but also to put them in touch with one another, in a country all too often fragmented in ways that far-ranging transnational approaches stand to remedy. The study of Canadian history is undergoing a renaissance—and these scholars are indispensable to making it happen. Welcome to the Institute!

Press release about Dr. Michel Beaulieu, one of the newest Wilson Associates:    

Michel S. Beaulieu is the Chair of the Department of History at Lakehead University and holds the rank of Associate Professor. His research is wide-ranging, but generally deals with historical political, economic, and social issues relating to Northern Ontario.

Michel is the incoming President of the Champlain Society, a Vice President of the Ontario Historical Society, Vice-President of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, President of the Thunder Bay Branch of the Canadian International Council, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Multicultural History Society of Ontario.

His work within the community and as a historian has been recognized by numerous awards. These include a NOVA 20 under 40 Award, the City of Thunder Bay’s Heritage Award, the Lakehead University Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award, and the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society’s M. Elizabeth Arthur, Gertrude H. Dyke, and J.P. Bertrand awards.

A much more extensive biography of can be found at http://msbeaulieu.lakeheadu.ca