1960s

On March 6, 2021, former Axemen basketball great STEVE KONCHALSKI (’66) retired after 46 years as head coach of the StFX X-Men basketball team. Acadia Athletics Director Kevin Dickie presented Coach K with a gift from Acadia University and offered congratulations to Steve from his alma mater on an outstanding career.

1970s

Check out PETER CLEVELAND'S (’72) latest book, Double Shot Of Scotch. Follow the journey of Hamilton St. James as he solves crimes that lead him through many twists and turns, including threats, murder and love. Teaching part time at a university and taking on the occasional investigation, St. James’s glory days of racing around the continent chasing down criminals and exposing fraud at the highest levels seem to be coming to an end. But when a top-flight accountant goes missing along with $23 million of company money, St. James is the man called in to track him down. He must navigate a shady world of offshore accounts and hired killers — and maybe find love in the process. Peter is the author of three previous books and a number of articles. He also works as a business strategist residing in Ottawa. He spent most of his career with Ernst & Young, where he gathered experience that greatly influenced the writing of Double Shot of Scotch. Awarded the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award in 2012, he is a Fellow Certified Professional Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and former Trustee in Bankruptcy. When Peter retired, he looked for the commercial crime fiction genre and found very little. It was then that he decided to develop a commercial crime detective character who worked with an unusual eclectic team, drawing on the murder mystery theme at the same time. Learn about Iguana Books and their cutting edge model that puts Canadian authors first.

In September 2019, Formac Books published Birchtown and the Black Loyalist Experience, a history written by STEPHEN DAVIDSON (‘75). In October 2020, the same publisher released Stephen’s second book The Black Loyalists in New Brunswick, recounting the stories of eight free Blacks who settled in that province in 1783. Stephen’s 1975 honours thesis dealt with an aspect of Nova Scotia’s Black history, and he has avidly researched this chapter of Canada’s past ever since.

MICHAEL W. THOMAS'S (’77) new poetry collection, Under Smoky Light, has just been published by offa's press (https://offaspress.co.uk/). A recent 'transatlantic Zoom' launch for the collection, with Philadelphia poet Barry George, attracted audience members from Ontario, British Columbia, UK, US, China and Japan. For more information about Michael’s writing, please visit: www.michaelwthomas.co.uk

REV. BARRY COOKSLEY (’79) returned to campus before the pandemic with daughter Ava and purchased matching T-shirts at the bookstore. He was surprised to see the theatre on Main Street in Wolfville still there. He says he spent many nights in production, particularly in My Fair Lady, as he played Alfred Doolittle. Lastly, his house on Prospect Street was still there, across from the home of Mrs. Beatty, Warren Beatty’s and Shirley MacLaine’s mother. Sounds like he had a wonderful time!

1980s

THE HONOURABLE JEAN M. DEWOLFE (’81), a Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Kentville, has been appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division. Madam Justice Dewolfe fills one of three remaining positions allocated to the Family Division. Learn more here.

The Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Halifax announced on Jan. 1, 2021 that SHELDA COCHRANE (‘89, current Manager of Community Engagement) was appointed as a Co-Executive Director, with responsibilities aligned to her current portfolios. Shelda has worked in the charitable sector for more than 25 years, with expertise in communications, fundraising, development and public relations.

From Acadia Dept. of History and Classics professor STEPHEN HENDERSON (’89, ’91): “I just got my Fall 2020 issue of the Bulletin (congrats!) and it reminded me to send this notice for next Spring’s issue. My father, Terry Henderson (’57), published Brookfield: Home of the Elks: A Sports History in the summer of 2020. Dad played hockey for Acadia and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. He played on many provincial and Maritime championship Elk hockey teams in the ’50s and ’60s, and had even more success as a player/coach with the fastpitch softball teams, culminating in a Senior Men’s national championship in 1980. Four of his children – Lisa (’81), Laura (’80), Donald, and yours truly (’89, ’91) attended Acadia. The second run of the book has almost sold out, but those interested in buying it can contact me at stephen.henderson@acadiau.ca .

1990s

Here’s a lovely update from CHRISTOPHER AYER (’91), who writes to say, “I attended Acadia from 1987-1991, receiving a BME degree. I currently teach music at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, and my wife and I have released an album of music for clarinet and piano by Canadian Composers. I grew up in Fredericton around the St. John River, so the cover art, Dog, Boy, and St. John River (1958) by Alex Colville, is especially meaningful to me. Alex Colville was the Chancellor at Acadia while I was a student there and we were given permission by his estate to have his painting on the cover of our new album. More information is available at: http://www.duokarudan.com

Congratulations to alumna CINDY (MONTGOMERIE) TYE (’94) on her new title as Associate Athletic Director at Dalhousie University in Halifax, along with her duties as the Women's Soccer head coach. Cindy is an Axewomen soccer grad and 2011 Acadia Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Read more: http://ow.ly/8cxl50EbbOy

AMY WALSH (’99), Hockey Nova Scotia’s executive director, was named to the NHL’s female hockey advisory committee this spring. Her appointment is designed to improve diversity and representation in the sport. It comes at a time when the organization, along with the NHL Players’ Association, is taking steps toward gender equity in hockey. Congratulations, Amy!

2000s

CHARLES WARREN (’03) is now a Managing Partner at TMC Law. The Bear River, Nova Scotia native joined the firm in the summer of 2006 as a law student and then full-time in June 2007, when he began articling. He graduated from Acadia with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in sociology and currently specializes in corporate and commercial transactions.

JUSTIN OLIVER (’06) and his wife Megan welcomed their second child, Noah Alexander Oliver, on Jan. 11, 2021. Stand Up and Cheer!

2010s

Here’s an update from alumna and PhD student RACHEL MCNALLY (’18), who graduated from Acadia with a BA with Honours in Politics. “Part of my Honours thesis research was published as a book chapter called ‘The Blended Visa Office-Referred Program: Perspectives and Experiences from Rural Nova Scotia’ in an edited collection called Strangers to Neighbours: Refugee Sponsorship in Context by McGill-Queen’s University Press. It was cool to see my research from Acadia contribute to a larger national and international conversation about the role of refugee sponsorship as a response to the global refugee situation. That research has also launched me into my graduate studies.”

History grad EMILY ELLIS ('19) has been awarded the Edinburgh University Prize, which is awarded to the student or students with the highest dissertation mark in Postgraduate Training Programs offered by Edinburgh University or Glasgow University. She received the prize for her MSc dissertation in Glasgow University's Filmmaking and Media Arts program, based on her short film entitled, "Sometimes Nothing is Heaviest".

This is cool! Bahamian artist and Acadia alumna LILY NOTTAGE (’20) made her filmmaking debut in Halifax in February. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3aIJikv

KEVIN GARBUIO (’11, ’13), a former football Axemen, has been named a 2020 Top 50 Under 50 by Your McMurray Magazine. Garbuio is a Vocational Education Teacher at Father Mercredi High School in the Fort McMurray Catholic Division who is helping to provide students with special needs with skills to achieve some form of independence in adulthood. He has called Fort McMurray home since the fall of 2013 and lives his life to the fullest with his partner Megan (a registered nurse) and their two fur babies. In addition to teaching and home life, he loves coaching sports.

A ‘better late than never’ update from BOB FLECKNELL in the Philippines: “I just received my very first hard copy of the Bulletin on February 21, 2021. Mail is very slow in this "emerging country." Great to catch up on the AU news. I have many wonderful and enduring memories of students, administrators and faculty colleagues, employees and Wolfvillians from my 26 years of service to Acadia as Director of Personnel (HR, 1975-2001) as well as extracurricular stints as varsity sports coach (two sports), residence don, and guest lecturer. Best regards to all and anyone who might remember me, and stay safe.”

Congratulations to DR. SANDRA BARR, the 2021 Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) Mentorship Medal Recipient! Sandra is recognized for her role in training and fostering several generations of geology students in Canada – and at #AcadiaU since her arrival on campus in 1976 – and for her second-to-none contribution in the advancement of the geological understanding of the Northern Appalachians in Atlantic Canada.

Congratulations to recently retired Acadia University Vice-President, Advancement DR. ROD MORRISON on receiving this year’s Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) Outstanding Achievement Award. Dr. Morrison retired in February after leading the historic Campaign for Acadia to a successful conclusion that exceeded its goal by more than $12 million. He was among several Distinguished Service Award recipients named by CCAE, a volunteer-led organization that promotes excellence in educational advancement. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3cYB9bx

Life Officers for the Graduating Class of 2021, from left to right: Meaghan Penny – Secretary; Samantha Balfour – Vice-President; Olivia Shive – President; and Cassidy Churchill – Treasurer.