A message from Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor

The idea of “place” has been on my mind a lot this term. 

In October, I was at an event for Islamic Heritage Month where Cheryl Whiskeyjack, MacEwan Distinguished Alum and Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society executive director, spoke about land acknowledgments. She explained that they should be about our relationship to the land – the place where we are. At MacEwan, that is O-day’min, the heart through which the North Saskatchewan runs. 

A while later, as I was walking with a friend up Mount Royal in Montreal, she told me about taking her students on a dérive – a way of moving through space without a direction or destination – and having them do psychogeographic assessments that emphasize interpersonal connections to place. 

Those two experiences got me thinking about how we are positioned on the land – the geography of our campus. The fact that people have always gathered here. The sense of connectivity and energy expands beyond these physical structures. And how the spaces we currently inhabit are about more than just buildings. 

In November and December, we shared several MacEwan.ca stories connected to the theme of “spaces and places.” In one article about place-making, Dr. Jennifer Long said, “A space is a bit like a container. It’s how people interact with each other that creates meaning and turns a space into a place.”

It resonated with me and I couldn't agree more. I love to take people who come to meet me on campus on tours, but things just didn’t feel right as I walked visitors through our wonderful but empty facilities during the pandemic. Empty common areas are just not as vibrant as the busy gathering spaces I can bring people to now. It was a reminder of how it really is the people who bring our campus to life. 

I’d like to celebrate what it has meant to see people back on campus in a meaningful way and just a few of the many things we have accomplished this Fall.

November 5 was my first time experiencing MacEwan’s Open House in person. What an incredible way for thousands of prospective students to see our faculty's passion, our staff's energy and the enthusiasm of our student volunteers. In the mix to greet them was Brett Farquharson, manager of student life, with his unmatched energy and genuine passion for helping students find their next step.

Dr. Lucio Gelmini at Open House.

Open House was also a chance to illustrate what we mean by Teaching Greatness. I know Dr. Lucio Gelmini’s chemistry experiments excited our next cohort of chemists. Budding painters, singers, nurses, chemists and biologists all got a chance to witness the passion of our faculty in person – and get a preview of what happens in their classrooms every day. 

I think every prospective student who came to MacEwan that day left with a sense of how the people here make this university a warm and welcoming place. 

A great example of that warmth is kihêw waciston. As a centre of Indigenous knowledge and learning, it is a critical space to realize Teaching Greatness for our students and our place in O-day’min. It’s because Magen Alexis greets you with a welcoming smile, as if she has known you for decades, that you know you can stay as long as you want. Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Cynthia Jim echoes a genuine approach to engagement, adding a special meaning to our events around campus. This October, she led the march for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women through the campus, turning hallways into reflective spaces through her thoughtful approach to engaged learning. Cynthia, Magen and the rest of the kihêw waciston team have transformed the beautifully designed spaces of MacEwan into places where people want to engage and return to because they know they will be greeted with warmth and an attitude that provides space for learning.  

Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Cynthia Jim leads a march across campus on the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

I feel this same energy in the new Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity. As Dr. Kris Wells said at the ribbon cutting in October, every university needs a centre like this. It is an open, vibrant space, and it’s welcoming because of the people who run it. When I think of students asking questions, trying to find their place, or looking for resources to build understanding, I am grateful to know that Jessica Scalzo and Kristie Benson greet them. They are creating a space where students can be supported on their journey. 

Jessica Scalzo and Kristie Benson in the new Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity.

Over this year, we have worked hard to welcome new members of our community who have joined us from Ukraine. Larisa Hayduk, director of the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC), has worked diligently to support these students. She has also worked to create a space where MacEwan’s community affected by the invasion of Ukraine can support each other and the academic community across the world. In September, she helped to organize efforts to celebrate Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Day with a flag-raising ceremony and a cooking class. In October, we marked the 35th anniversary of URDC with the creation of the Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence – a program I’m excited to see start in the spring.

Celebrating the announcement of the Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence program with members of the Zwozdesky family, Dr. Steven Kashuba and Larisa Hayduk.

This Fall, I also witnessed the energetic dialogue in our classrooms firsthand. Dr. Aimee Skye invited me to participate in a discussion on science communication, where she encourages diverse discourse and critical thinking. At the launch of Earth Common Journal, a student-driven publication focused on sustainability, conservation and climate adaptation, I saw how Dr. Lucille Mazo continuously engages her students in dynamic ways: hosting roundtables filled with experts, creating podcasts and publishing the journal. Faculty like Dr. Skye and Dr. Mazo, and so many others like them across all disciplines, are working to build real engagement for our students. They are creating classrooms where students are encouraged to create, discuss and feel safe putting out new ideas and bringing Teaching Greatness to life.

Our faculty are also setting new trends and breaking old ones. This Fall, the university submitted its next applications for Canada Research Chair (CRC) funding with the intent to create a centre of excellence in social entrepreneurship led by Dr. Leanne Hedberg, and one in urban wellness led by Dr. Marielle Papin. The dynamic space of Roundhouse has encouraged new connections and idea creation grounded in community since 2018. It’s exciting to think how CRC funding and the leadership of Dr. Hedberg will strengthen our Social Innovation Institute and position it as a centre of excellence. Just as Dr. Papin’s work will help us to advance ideas of urban wellness and encourage us to think about our role in the downtown community and revitalization. As we think of ideas of place and people, it is truly an exciting time to welcome their expertise and build on our centres of excellence. 

This November, we also celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Mitchell Art Gallery (MAG). At the event, I saw the work Carolyn Jervis, MAG’s curator and director, has done to build the gallery as more than just a space reserved for creativity. She has helped to create a community hub on our campus that is interdisciplinary, one that offers opportunities for students to build real skills through mentorships, work-integrated learning opportunities, and project partnerships with community organizations. She has ensured the gallery is connected to the community needs around us and is a part of the vibrant downtown arts community.

Carolyn Jervis speaks at the event marking the fifth anniversary of the Mitchell Art Gallery.

We have many staff members who may not stand in front of classrooms but whose work also helps to build our community. Marg Leathem has been my chief of staff since I started at MacEwan, and after years with the university, she is retiring this spring. I’d like to point out her work in helping to build community on campus and connections off campus. We’ll miss seeking her advice, but I know that MacEwan’s staff, faculty and leadership will continue to benefit from having had access to her knowledge and experience.

As we look to the future – specifically to a new calendar year – there is much to be excited about. Our continued work to advocate for a new School of Business building. Progress on our growth plans and equity, diversity and inclusion work. Events like our Indigenous Youth Rising conference, Black History Month, Mental Health Week, Pride Week and many others. 

The interconnectedness of these initiatives and events reminds me of how this column began – those two conversations about our connection to the land and the spaces we inhabit. We are not just in relationship with each other, but with everything. 

Relationship also happens to be a theme we will explore on the university’s news feed and social media channels during the Winter Term. I hope that you, too, are looking forward to reading more about the interesting and creative ways the work of our university community – faculty, staff, students and alumni – connects us and our extended community.

Those connections are perhaps what I have enjoyed most about 2022, and I look forward to connecting with even more of you in 2023. Until then, I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy a restful and rejuvenating winter break.  

Dr. Annette Trimbee
President and Vice-Chancellor