No words can add to their fame, nor so long as gratitude holds a place in men's hearts can our forgetfulness be suffered to detract from their renown. For as the war dwarfed by its magnitude all contests of the past, so the wonder of human resource, the splendour of human heroism, reached a height never witnessed before. — Arthur Meighen, prime minister of Canada, 1921

Waterloo will pause to remember

Observations will extend over several days this year as UW, and all of Canada, marks Remembrance Day, mourning the country's war dead and honouring those who, daring to die, survived, in wars past and present.

The official date of the commemoration is always November 11, the anniversary of the day in 1918 when the guns felt silent at the end of the First World War. As national leaders mark the occasion in Ottawa tomorrow, local dignitaries will place wreaths at the Cenotaph beside Waterloo City Hall on Regina Street, and veterans will parade.

A wreath on behalf of the university will be placed by two graduate students whose work with Geoff Hayes, a history professor specializing in military affairs, led them to be interested in helping to honour the soldiers of the past. "I am involved as both a historian and a grateful Canadian citizen," says one of them, Tavis Harris. "Although the gesture of laying a wreath is a small one, I consider it a great honour and sign of deep respect for the men and women of the armed forces who sacrificed so much in conflicts all over the globe."

The other student, Kyle Harris (no relation), explains how he became involved: "I wrote an undergrad thesis for Professor Hayes last year on the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I and how it was understood by Canadians of the time. This year I am back at UW and going to be writing my master's research papers on the same topic."

Saturday morning is not a busy time on the campus, but provost Amit Chakma has asked those who are at work tomorrow to pause for the traditional minute of silence. "I would ask,” says the provost, “that, if possible, whether you are alone, with a group, or in front of a class, you take time at 11 o'clock on November 11 to observe a minute's silence, remembering and honouring our Canadian veterans."

Meanwhile, there will be a Remembrance Day service this morning (Friday), organized by UW chaplains of various religious denominations. "The focus," organizers say, "will be on praying for peace and for all those affected by war, including victims of war and military personnel." The service will begin at 10:45 today in Notre Dame Chapel, St. Jerome's University.

The customary Remembrance Day service organized by the student Engineering Society will be held Monday morning at 10:45 in the lobby of Carl Pollock Hall.

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UW helping fix Sri Lankan damage

from the UW media relations office

UW and three other Canadian universities will work collaboratively with local partners to restore the economy and environment of six villages in Sri Lanka devastated by the tsunami of December 2004.

A $2-million project, entitled Environmental and Livelihood Restoration and Development in Tsunami-affected Coastal Areas of Sri Lanka, will be co-ordinated by the RESTORE consortium consisting of UW, University of Guelph, University of Manitoba and Queen's University. With $1.75 million in funding from the Canadian International Development Agency and $195,000 in contributions from the four universities, the three-year project started in September.

The consortium will partner with Ruhuna University in Matara, Eastern University in Batticaloa and Southeastern University in Akkaraipattu. The Sri Lankan partners represent the three major socio-cultural and religious sectors of the country — the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim cultures. Additional partners will include non-government organizations and government agencies in the country.

"This project is a fine example of our commitment to environmental health and sustainability on a global scale," said Deep Saini, dean of the faculty of environmental studies. "It brings into focus the four themes of our faculty, which are environmental decision-making and governance; environmental informatics; biophysical processes, such as ecosystem remediation; and community planning, design, infrastructure and development."

David Wood, a research associate professor of international initiatives in the faculty, said the proposal results from a collaborative exercise involving all the partners. "The purpose of the project is to implement a multi-sectoral approach to environmental restoration, sustainable livelihoods and development, with full community input and participation in the specific tsunami-affected districts."

Wood added that the project will develop six model villages showcasing a process of community development, which can be replicated in other tsunami-affected regions. The selected villages will join in community development initiatives to restore damaged and destroyed environmental assets, such as coral reefs, mangroves and other vegetation, lagoons and beaches, and restore traditional livelihoods and develop alternative livelihoods.

The tsunami killed approximately 35,000 people in Sri Lanka, destroyed more than 80,000 homes and 5,000 village industries, and wrecked natural coastal features and ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, lagoons, inter-tidal zones and beaches. Particularly vulnerable groups — small-scale fisherman and farmers, local entrepreneurs and wage-workers dependent on coastal environmental assets — had their livelihoods eliminated, causing greater poverty. It has been estimated that 443,000 persons were displaced by the tsunami. The most significant environmental damage is coastal, especially the loss of fisheries and related habitats, damage to reefs and saline contamination of surface water, groundwater and soils.

Wood said UW researchers will train local staff and faculty from academic partners, non-government organizations and government agencies. As well, they will develop demonstration projects related to environmental restoration, community development and geomatics (geographical data management). "We will provide direct assistance in the establishment of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing capabilities at Ruhuna University," he said, adding that opportunities for graduate students to undertake their degree field work in Sri Lanka will be provided.

In May 2005, UW participated in a trip to Sri Lanka organized by World University Service of Canada, involving people from four other universities. The mission resulted in a concept paper that was approved by CIDA for development as a full proposal. Late last year, Wood joined in a mission to Sri Lanka to develop the full proposal, which now has been funded.

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Accounting honours students, donors

The School of Accountancy will hold an Awards Night celebration at the Waterloo Inn this evening to honour outstanding students along with alumni and donors who have made significant contributions to the field of accounting and financial management and have shown their commitment to UW and the school.

"This inaugural event," organizers say, "will recognize this year’s scholarship winners, exceptional alumni and donors as well as Fellowship winners and their honourees from each year of the Fellowship Program. This event provides an opportunity for faculty, students, alumni and donors to connect and network. Students will have a chance to speak with alumni who are willing to share their knowledge and experience. This opportunity is invaluable for the students who can, in turn, learn from the alumni’s experiences as they venture into a career in accounting or finance."

The Fellowship Program began in 2003, and 61 students to date have received such awards. Each student receives up to $6,000 coupled with the opportunity to serve as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and peer leader during their senior years. The Fellowships are named after an alumnus or former faculty member who will be a role model to student. "The naming of each Fellowship after an illustrious alumnus or former faculty member provides an opportunity for the School of Accountancy to recognize the achievements and support they have shown to the School, UW and the accounting and financial management professions."

Says Grant Russell, director of the school's Accounting and Financial Management program: “This celebration is one small way for the School to thank those who have contributed greatly to the School of Accountancy and to showcase some of the exceptional projects and programs we have been working on. It also provides an excellent opportunity for our students to develop their communications and networking skills."

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Political science professor Bob Williams appeared on CTV's "ProvinceWide" last weekend to talk about the Ontario municipal elections that are scheduled for Monday. Dozens of candidates are seeking office at two levels of local government in Waterloo Region. Polls (including one in UW's Student Life Centre) will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Provincial law requires that eligible voters have three hours off work to be able to vote. "I wouldn't anticipate many circumstances, if any, at UW where employees would not have three consecutive hours to vote," says Neil Murray of human resources.

CAR

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