KenWo Golf Club in New Minas held its annual closing social in October, and it was a special night for long-time club member and Acadia alum Winnie Horton (’64). She was recognized for her contributions to the KenWo Golf Club with a special Honorary Lifetime Membership, only the sixth in the history of the club. Winnie is a multiple time women’s division president, women’s club champion, Nova Scotia senior champion, and team member. Congratulations, Winnie, on a storied lifetime in golf!

Seven ’66 grads resume summer reunions

In July 2023, seven grads from the class of 1966 convened in Wolfville from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario to resume their annual summer get-togethers, which had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They met in 1963 during their early days in Tully (Whitman House), later moving as a group to Dennis House. Their annual get-togethers alternate between the Valley and South Shore. As the years pass, in addition to the Acadia memories shared, conversation inevitably turns to how fortunate they are to still all be able to gather from afar for this annual tradition. In the photo are, left side, front to back: Cathy Rand, Ruth Anne (Morse) Nicholson, Barbara (Schnare) Rafuse, Jeanne (Palmeter) Allen; right side, front to back: Pat (Nickerson) Davis, Margaret (Hankinson) Prime, and Pam (Roberton) Barker.

How about this note from Bill Buckingham (’73)? “My wife, Sharon, and I have been keeping active in the sport of outrigger canoe-racing for the past decade. These craft originate in the islands of the South Pacific and this sport is huge over most of the Pacific, and also in Europe and elsewhere. The current version of the six-person racing canoe is 45 feet long and only 19 inches wide with a supporting pontoon on the port, or left, side. We also race one-person versions of the same type of canoe. Every year there is a World Championship for racing these canoes, alternating between sprint courses one year and distance courses the next. Last year the sprint races were in London, England, on the big rowing venue there. This year, the distance races were on the island of Samoa, in the South Pacific, near Fiji. I tried out for, and made, the Canadian National Team for the 70+ division. The age groups for this event are under-19, open, 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+, 75+, 80+; very inspirational for older athletes! There were 27 countries and almost a thousand athletes competing. Our 65-member Canadian team did really well in the medal standings, coming in fourth. We were right up with the heavy hitters, being beaten by only New Zealand, Tahiti, and Hawaii, and coming ahead of powerhouses Australia, US, and Great Britain. My crew of 70+ old guys won a bronze in our 16 km race, which was completed in sauna-like conditions (30°C with really high humidity, making it feel like 38°C). We had a great battle with the Hawaiian crew throughout the whole race and manage to beat them in the end. In the canoe pictures, I am in seat five, the second from the stern (rear). In the medal presentation picture, I am third from the left.”

Jack Graham (’78) received an Honorary Degree from CBU in May, 2023. He is Chair of the Board of Directors and a Senior Partner at Halifax law firm, McInnes Cooper. Jack has been recognized as a leading Canadian labour and employment lawyer by Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Global and Lexpert. He has also served as President of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, which is the national association of management side labour and employment lawyers. He is known for having outstanding strategic abilities and over the past 34 years, he has represented clients in some of the most complex public and private sector labour matters throughout Atlantic Canada. In addition to his achievements in the practice of law, Jack has been extensively involved in the sport of tennis locally, nationally and internationally. He served as Chair of the Board of Tennis Canada from 2006 until 2009 and is widely regarded as one of the key architects of the success of Canadian tennis over the past 15 years. In 2009, Jack became the first Canadian ever elected to the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which is the world governing body of tennis. He has since been re-elected on four occasions and is currently the longest serving member of that prestigious Board. Since joining the ITF Board, Jack has led major governance reforms and has played a leading role in transforming

Former hockey Axeman Dr. Warnie Richardson (’82) and his wife, Dr. Carole Richardson (’83), have retired after illustrious academic careers at Nipissing University. Warnie was a Professor of Educational Psychology, Special Education and Mental Health within the Schulich School of Education and Carole was the Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research. Congratulations to you both!

Steve Typhair ('83), a former Acadia hockey Axeman, recently retired from a lengthy career in the high-tech Industry. His wife, Beth (Ettinger) Typhair ('81), is currently an HR professional in the federal government, and both are proud parents of their son Christopher, a resident doctor in internal medicine in Providence, Rhode Island. Beth and Steve currently reside along the 1000 Islands in Ontario.

Tony Munden (’85) is now a Board member of the Design and Construction Institute of Nova Scotia (DCI Nova Scotia). Tony was born and raised in Halifax, attended Queen Elizabeth High and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University. He is the President of Munden Enterprises, a manufacturers’ representative agent in the electrical industry, located in Bedford, NS. Tony and his wife Pat have just relocated to Halifax from Toronto. For the past 37 years, Tony has worked in the electrical industry with manufacturers, distribution and the last 18 years as an agent at Munden Enterprises. He is active in the Electrofederation of Canada, sitting on the national board for three years; the Canadian Electrical Manufacturers Representative Association, CEMRA, Board for the past 10 years; and the National Electrical Representative Association, NEMRA, as the Canadian rep for the past two years. Tony has been very active with Acadia, fundraising for Acadia Axemen football and the University for the past 18 years.

Colleen Arsenault (’02) of Beard Winter LLP is one of a number of lawyers to have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™ in the practice areas of personal injury litigation, corporate and commercial litigation, insurance law, family law, and trusts and estates. Colleen is a partner at Beard Winter LLP who has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, including the Court of Appeal. Over the course of her career, she has conducted hundreds of Examinations for Discovery and mediations. She is a tireless advocate for her clients’ interests and finds the personal relationship aspect of her practice to be both interesting and rewarding. She is a member of the Bar in both Ontario (2006) and Manitoba (2023).

Lindsay Cross (’05) was recently named President (Chair) of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, effective September 26, 2023, following three years of board tenure. Lindsay is currently the Director of Marketing and Brand Integrity at Shannex, a family-owned business and trusted provider of accommodations, services and care to seniors in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario.

Emily K. Drake (’06) was recently named one of the top 100 most influential women in oncology: key opinion leaders to follow on social media, by OncoDaily. Emily is a cancer researcher, co-founder of #AYACSM, and adolescent and young adult cancer advocate. A social innovator, Emily co-founded Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Societal Movement (#AYACSM) in 2013. This active, multi-disciplinary X (Twitter) community continues to grow and is changing the way stakeholders interact and share information regarding adolescents and young adults living with cancer on multiple social media channels. Emily currently lives in Halifax where she runs her own consulting business (EmilyDrake.ca) and is a PhD in Health candidate at Dalhousie University. She is a Killam Laureate, a Healthy Populations Institute scholar and a Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Cancer Research Training Program trainee. Prior to this she was working with Hope and Cope at the Jewish General Hospital/McGill University as the Director of their young adult cancer support program, which offered in-person and digital support services. Follow Emily on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. OncoDaily.com is a daily source for cancer-related news, updates, and inspiring stories. Their blog is dedicated to providing valuable information about cancer, highlighting the work of professionals in the field, and fostering a community where individuals can come together to raise awareness and support one another.

Jasmine Parent (’12) has been named Equity Officer at the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia. She comes to the role with over 10 years of experience and says, ““we all want to feel like people are listening to us, that we’re seen and we’re heard. And we know that certain people within our society are often listened to more. Whether or not people are doing it on purpose, it happens. I think that’s really going to be my first real focus, just making sure people know who I am, and know that I’m genuine in what I want to do and authentic in wanting to support others.” Congratulations, Jasmine! To learn more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3ryKGRY

DIY Family by author Lorraine McQueen is a literary novel set in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Lorraine was an Acadia University librarian who is now retired and living in Hantsport, Nova Scotia. DIY Family is the first in a two-book series. It’s full of quirky characters with a novel storyline, lovely descriptions of Valley locations, activities and what Wolfville has to offer locals and tourists alike. The book was published last summer and can be ordered directly from WindyWood Publishing (editpat001@gmail.com).

Summer may be over, but mysteries are always in season. Tuck into The Summer of Mystery: A Katie Brunswick Whodunit. The chapter book by Lea Storry (’94) is for middle-school children. It’s about an 11-year-old girl who peeks through a dirty window in a deserted house and spies a body! Find the book at Coles in New Minas or ourfamilylines.ca. Besides detective novels, Lea also writes, edits and publishes memoirs for people. “Our stories give our past, a future.”