"Three Ds" are key to North, says UW prof

a news release from the Centre for International Governance Innovation

Canadian interests in the Arctic are ill-served by politicians and nationalists who fuel a flag-waving fervor instead of pursuing concrete policies in the circumpolar world, says Whitney Lackenbauer (left) in a paper released by the Canadian International Council.

“Nationalist arguments that feature alarmism and more than a little paranoia only conceal the facts about Canada and the Arctic,” says Lackenbauer, one of the CIC’s inaugural fellowship recipients. “You only have to look at the alarmist fanfare over Hans Island. Denmark and Canada quietly disagreed over ownership of the island for decades until political theatre and hyperbolic rhetoric developed into a crisis. Rather than stoking these easy flames, we have to re-engage in circumpolar diplomacy and take a leadership role in promoting regional cooperation.”

The author suggests that ending the sabre-rattling internationally that is predicated on a wild race for resources, with Canadians pitted against outsiders instead of working to ensure the North is more Canadian and Canada more northern, is the route Canada should take. Canada should embrace the ‘three Ds’ — defence, diplomacy and development – as quickly as possible.

Lackenbauer is a professor and department chair at St. Jerome’s University, University of Waterloo, and one of eight fellows chosen earlier this year by the CIC to contribute new perspectives leading to further debate and discussion in vital areas of Canadian foreign policy. The program’s initial areas of focus for 2008-09 are China, Border Issues, Arctic Sovereignty and Security and Energy.

The Canadian International Council is a non-partisan, nationwide council established to strengthen Canada’s role in international affairs. With 13 branches nationwide, part of the CIIA national branch network, CIC seeks to advance research, discussion and debate on international issues by supporting a Canadian foreign policy network that crosses academic disciplines, policy areas, and economic sectors.

The CIC will feature a privately funded fellowship program, supported by a network of issue-specific working groups. Carefully selected CIC fellows will focus on important foreign policy issues, working out of universities and research institutions across the country.

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Optometry expansion is on track

by Andrea Carthew. Optometry

In 2002, the School of Optometry initiated a gradual 50 per cent increase in enrolment from a total of 240 to 360 students. With this process almost complete and to accommodate the significant increase in class sizes, the school has initiated an ambitious expansion and renovation project.

In June 2007, the school hosted the ceremonial groundbreaking of the 40,000-square-foot addition with construction beginning that September. Since then, you will have noticed that the front of the school, facing Columbia, has seen some extensive activity as the two-storey expansion comes together. (The photo above was taken July 28 this year.)

We are pleased to report that construction is currently on time and on budget and that Bondfield’s crew is at its “height of production” (according to the site manager). With things well underway, we anticipate that the addition will be completed in late January 2009.

The addition will be made up primarily of teaching and student space and will include a 125-seat lecture theatre, a new home for our TLC Laser Centre, our Museum of Vision Science, a new food services area, a new elevator, the Witer Learning Resource Centre, student group study rooms, and open study areas, as well as student computing spaces.

When the addition is complete, we will take on the enormous task of renovating our current facilities, which have remained virtually unchanged since we opened in 1974. This renovation will include changes to our public clinic to update and improve this important resource, the hub of clinical education and patient care.

To fund this initiative, the school has embarked on a $12.4-million expansion and renovation campaign. We are pleased to report that we have raised more than $7 million to date through the generosity of friends, alumni and corporate partners.

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Olympic update and other notes

UW kinesiology student Keith Beavers barely missed making the final in the 400-metre swimming individual medley on Saturday at the Beijing Olympics. He beat his own personal best by four seconds but still came ninth in the semifinal. (Only the top eight went on to the final on Sunday.) Beavers has two more chances at an Olympic final on Wednesday, when he’ll be competing in the 200-metre backstroke and 200-metre individual medley. . . . UW grad Leigh Hobson (BA ’95, Geography and RLS) came 17th in a field of 66 riders from 33 countries in the 126.4-kilometre women's cycling road race on Sunday. She was the first Canadian to finish, only a few seconds behind the leaders.

Dana Porter Library renovations are still under way. This photo taken on August 6 shows the library's north-east corner, on the ground floor just north of where Browser's used to be. "We are working hard to have the floor ready for staff and furnishings to begin moving back sometime in the week of August 25," says Alex McCulloch, Porter renovations chair. The main floor is expected to re-open for service the week of September 1.

Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre is holding auditions today, tomorrow and Wednesday, 6 to 9 p.m., in Hagey Hall room 334, for a production of Twelve Angry Men, by Reginald Rose. Says the notice: "We are looking for male actors age 18 and up, technicians, and production staff (publicity, front of house, and general production). The cast has a wide range of ages." More information here.

Two more summer camps start this week on the UW campus. The Ontario Mennonite Music Camp began yesterday and goes to August 22. The UW Girls' Hockey School starts today and goes to Friday. Still in progress are the Arts Computer Experience and Engineering Science Quest, both until August 22.

On August 6, I reported that Sharon Kimberly, CECS, was a member of the Outer Harbour Dragon Boat Club senior women's team that won gold and two bronzes in the Club Crew World Championships held in Penang, Malaysia recently. I have since learned that Michele Dunsford, a special constable with UW Police Services, was also a member of the winning team. Michele comments: “I left Canada with a global perspective, excited about the opportunity to compete in a world-class event alongside 158 teams from 23 countries. I returned with a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie, purpose and pride. The experience was priceless, transformative and life-enriching. It taught me that believing in oneself is the recipe for success in life.”

The Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research (WIHIR) and National Institutes of Health Informatics (NIHI) invite early registration for a series of eHealth Risk Workshops to be held in October for senior and middle management personnel in health organizations. The regular fee of $495 per workshop reduces to $425 if you register by September 5. Workshops will cover issues of risk, privacy, and security, and will be held between October 7 and October 10. More information is online.

CPA staff

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