Retirees Association

SMU Retirees Association

Past News and Events

2024 Events

Wednesday, June 12, at Pilot's Pub, Dartmouth, next to Woodside Ferry Terminal. SMURA held its annual general meeting (AGM) overlooking the fog banks running up Halifax Harbour from the Atlantic. Keith Vaughan appointed himself Past-President before the meeting, with subsequent changes to the Board of: David Turner, Acting President, Wendy Katz, Acting Vice-President, Sandi Galloway-Howell, Secretary, and Hanka Hudak as Board member.

Sunday, June 2, James Morrison presented the second talk in the SMURA Lives/Lives biographical talks, "The Inspirational Work of Alfred Fitzpatrick."  Alfred Fitzpatrick was the unsung Canadian literacy hero who created Frontier College by teaching workers in railway and lumber camps how to read. Jim Morrison found great inspiration in Fitzpatrick's legacy by spending a brief time himself working for Frontier College.

Sunday, April 28, Colin Howell presented the first talk in his proposed series of SMURA Lives/Lives biographical talks, "Growing Up with Baseball and Music in the Fifties and Beyond." The series is intended to explore the backgrounds, inspirations, and twists of fate that brought individual SMURA colleagues to Saint Mary's and resulted in their various contributions to the development of the university and its goals.

Thursday, March 14, Pi Day, SMURA held its annual mid-winter luncheon at Le Bistro by Liz in Halifax. Le Bistro arranged convenient seating for 23 of us at the front of the restaurant, with lovely food and service. Even the stormy weather of the 2024 winter subsided for the occasion.


2023 Events

Thursday, December 14, SMURA held its annual pre-Christmas luncheon at the popular Henry House Restaurant. It was a last chance to socialize with SMURA colleagues in the congenial atmosphere of Henry House.

Sunday, October 29, John Reid gave an invited talk on "The History of a Settler Sport: Cricket in Nova Scotia," for those unaware of the proliferation of cricket in Nova Scotia during the early settler times up to present times. 

Thursday, October 19, the funeral and celebration of life for past-President Ron Cosper was held at Atlantic Funeral Home, and was well-attended by SMURA and Cosper family members.

Sunday, October 15, Andy Seaman and Jane Archibald gave an illustrated talk on "A Russian River Cruise: Moscow to St. Petersburg," that was well-attended. 

Sunday, September 10, the annual SMURA pot-luck picnic and social gathering was once again hosted by Sandi Galloway-Howell and Colin Howell. Live music was provided by the Strawberry Jam band, including Alastair MacDonald, a well-known Nova Scotian songwriter, Peter Harrison, co-host of C-100’s morning show, Lucille Niven, a bilingual vocalist and former member of “The Novelty Salesman.” John Brennan, a bass player with a number of bands (Late Night Lover, Tom Collins, etc.), and Colin Howell on keyboards. A most wonderful time was had by all.

Wednesday, July 12, the SMURA Annual General Meeting was held in a private dining room of Deerfield Pub at Arbour Glen Golf Club, off Hammonds Plains Road. Because of the  death of our secretary Wally Mills in April, minutes were kept by Marion Sensen and Keith Vaughan. Barry Gorman was appointed as a new member of the Board.

Friday, May 26, Bob and Peggy McCalla repeated their talk of two years ago  to SMURA on "William C. McCalla, Educator, Photographer and Naturalist". The presentation concerns  the work of Bob's grandfather, William C. McCalla, a noted educator, photographer and naturalist in Western Canada.

On Sunday, April 23, David Turner, SMURA spoke on     "Diseases from Space and the COVID Pandemic."   The first edition of Diseases from Space by Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe appeared in 1979, a second edition in 2020 following two papers by Wickramasinghe in 2017 and 2019 warning about the prospects for a new pandemic arising from the low sunspot numbers in 2018-19. The rationale and various arguments in Diseases from Space are outlined briefly here, with anecdotal evidence from the presenter’s own experiences as a potential victim of incoming rhinoviruses. Interestingly enough, the topic generates far more discussion in courses in introductory astronomy than black holes or supernovae. Are bacterial and viral pandemics the result of regular influxes of cometary pathogens unto Earth, as argued by Hoyle and Wickramasinghe? 

On Sunday, April 2, our President, Keith Vaughan, talked on "Creating Photo Essays from Concept and Creation to Presentation".   He showed us how to use a  powerful method of sharing one’s images is through audiovisual presentations. A photographic essay, or photo essay, is a form of visual story-telling, a way to present a narrative through a series of images that take the viewer along a narrative story. Examples of photo essays include travel sequences (‘travelogues”) that showcase aspects of interests such as sports or nature, or that highlight photographic creativity. Some photo essays have few words, and rely primarily on images to express their point. A photo essay can include music to enhance the visual; experience, in which case the essay might be described as “audio-visual” (A/V). Creating a photo essay incorporating still images and videos has similarities to making a movie or documentary. It involves planning from an original concept, organizing a story line, preparing images and video clips to show one’s best work, and using various software tools to create a polished show. This presentation covers the approach to A/V creation and presentation and includes a number of shows Keith has created to demonstrate and showcase the concepts and methodology. 

A fine Ides of March luncheon was held March 15 at Le Bistro by Liz, Halifax. Over 20 members came to a lovely event that we look forward to annually in order to celebrate approaching Spring. Especially after the long COVID break, it was great to reconnect and catch up.

On Sunday, February 26, Dr. Wallace Mills spoke on "Diet and Health".

As a result of technological developments beginning late in the 19th century, there was a massive change in the American diet, a change that quickly spread to all industrializing countries. Beginning in the 20th century, there was an onset of several health diseases and conditions that over the decades became epidemics. They included hypertension, diabetes, obesity, macular degeneration, heart disease, and heart attacks. Were the diet changes and the epidemics linked? If so, what elements of the diet changes can account for the onset of epidemics? The presentation addresses such questions and challenges some of our most deeply held beliefs. 

On Sunday, January 8, Dr. Colin Kerr  spoke on:  "Producing Energy through 'Green' Hydrogen".   Because of the present climate crisis, attributed largely to use of carbon-based fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, development of carbon-free fuels is a topic of growing research.  In particular, the production of "green" hydrogen, meaning without the use or release of carbon at any point in its making, is considered the most promising technology for energy generation, and it is very close to becoming reality. 

2022 Events

On Sunday, December 18, 2022, Dr. Keith Vaughan spoke on the topic "What in the World Isn’t Organic Chemistry?"  This is Dr. Vaughan scientific specialty, which he taught for many years at Saint Mary's.  There has been some recent discussion about the interest and utility of this field, so this timely discussion was of much interest to the audience.  After a brief introduction to the definition and scope of the subject of organic chemistry, Dr. Vaughan discussed the importance of organic chemistry for health, diet, agriculture, clothing, and other concerns in every day life.  Interested discussion ensued.

Our annual fall picnic was held  Sunday September 11, 2022, 2:30 p.m. at the lovely home of Sandi Galloway-Howell and Colin Howell in Oakfield, Nova Scotia.  Even mother nature smiled on this excellent event, cooperating with fine September weather.  It was well attended with social gathering beginning at 2:30 p.m. and the picnic began at 4 p.m. Many thanks to our hosts for staging this popular event once more.

June 26.  Richard Arnold,  Atlantic Tours, Spoke on New Atlantic Tours Planned for 2022-23 (talk originally scheduled for April 10)

Since becoming co-owner of Atlantic Tours, Richard has developed some new tours of Atlantic Canada (in some cases, unique) that combine a variety of popular destinations. He talked about travel in general and some of the trips that Atlantic Tours is planning for this summer, fall, and into 2023

On May 15, Dr. John Young, with a chemical engineering background, gave a fascinating talk entitled "A Thermal Stratification Trilogy" on the natural occurrence and presence of water in the earth.  "In freshwater lakes and ponds and elsewhere, something important happens when the temperature of their water cools below 4 degrees Celsius."

April 3.  David Turner, Images of Ukraine in Peaceful Times, presented camera shots from his four different conference visits to Ukraine in 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010, and, in particular, to Kyiv, Mykolayev, and Odesa, all images taken prior to the outbreak of the war with Russia.

2021 Events

Owing to the global pandemic created by the onset of the COVID-19 virus in early 2020, there were no SMURA presentations during the year as a result of SMU restrictions on the use of university rooms. Such concerns also limited the possibility of luncheons or an Annual General Meeting during the year.

2020 Events

Sunday, September 22, Sheila Kindred of Saint Mary's University, spoke on the life and letters of Jane Austen's sister-in-law, Fanny Palmer. This fascinating talk showed the connections between Halifax and the naval world during the Napoleonic Wars. Sheila bought some copies of her book for sale to atttendees.

Friday, September 6, the annual SMURA pot-luck picnic was held at the lovely and inviting home of Keith and Marion.    This event was also  dedicated to the 50th anniversary celebration of the faculty members who joined the Faculty of SMU in 1969.  The weather cooperated, and the food and company were excellent as usual.  Thank you to you hosts and to those who attended.

Thursday, May 16, the Annual General Meeting was held at Indian Lake Golf Course.  The meeting was enhanced by a luncheon at the fine restaurant in the  beautiful outdoor setting. 

Tuesday evening, April 23, Saint Mary's University Faculty Union hosted its annual appreciation dinner (the 11th) for retired faculty.   The fine food and entertainment provided the background for meeting and socializing among faculty and staff.

Sunday, April 28, Wallace Mills gave a provocative talk entitled "Humanity is better off than ever before".  He argued that despite widespread criticism and pessimism, many indices of human well-being are showing steady improvement throughout the world.

Friday, March 8, a late winter luncheon was held at the Bistro on South Park Street.  More than 2 dozen hungry and thirsty retirees turned up on a sunny day to toast  the eventual arrival of spring!

Friday, February 8, Bob and Peggy McCalla talked  to SMURA on "William C. McCalla, Educator, Photographer and Naturalist". The presentation concerns  the work of Bob's grandfather, William C.McCalla, a noted educator, photographer and naturalist in Western Canada.

 2018 Events

Tuesday, December 11, the annual Christmas luncheon was held at the Henry House.

Sunday November 25th Keith Vaughan and Marion Sensen spoke on “Following the Trail of the Habsburg Dynasty”. 

Friday, November 2, 2018.  Talk by Dr. David Richardson on "The life and times of Thomas Richardson, 1782-1874, industrial chemist and yachtsman"

September 9, End of Summer Picnic.  Hosted by Colin Howell and Sandi Galloway.

Friday, June 29.  Annual General Meeting of SMURA, at Indian Lake Golf Course and luncheon.

May 23, 24, and 25 the CURAC national meeting was held in Halifax, and co-sponsored by Dalhousie with Saint Mary's.

Sunday, April 22, "Astronomy at Saint Mary's.  Talk by David Lane.

Sunday, March 25, "Behavioural Economics."  Talk by Wallace Mills.

Friday, February 23, luncheon at the Bistro on South Park Street. 

Friday, February 2  Talk by David Richardson on the artistic work and life of his Grandfather, Frederci Stuart Richardson.  The talk is entitled "To meet Longfellow and a journey through the Adirondacks: The New World seen with a young artist's eyes." 

 2017 Events

Sunday, January 22, "Yellowstone National Park". Talk by Keith Vaughan and Marion Sensen.

Friday, February 17, luncheon at the Bistro.

Friday, March 31, luncheon at Salty's.

Sunday, April 23,  "Ticks".  Talk by Andrew Hebda.  Co-sponsored by Halifax Field Naturalists.

May 24, 25,26, CURAC meeting at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario

Sunday, June 4, "Nova Scotia Wild Bees."  Talk by Emily Walker, SMU Ph.D. Student.

Friday, June 23, the annual general meeting was held together with a luncheon at Boondocks Restaurant, in Eastern Passage.  A nice lunch was followed by the business meeting.

Sunday, October 29,  "Making the Dictionary of Cape Breton English:  An Afterward and the Dictionary's Distinctiveness."  Talk by William Davey, Cape Breton University

Sunday, November 26, 2:30 David Turner gave a presentation on Scenes from Scotland's Highlands and Islands".

 Friday, December 8, annual Christmas luncheon, Henry House.

 2016 Events

Sunday, April 24, "Berlin behind the Iron Curtain, 1945-1991. Talk by Fred Young and Ann Cameron.

Friday, June 19, Annual General Meeting at the Boondocks Restaurant, and luncheon.

Sunday, September 18,  Pot Luck at home of Nickie and John Young.

Sunday, September 25, "The Scholarship Boy, Europhilia, and Liberalism:  David Lodge's Novels and Post-War British Politics."  Talk by Richard Perkins.

Sunday, November 6, "The Solitary Walker:  Thoreau, Russell and I."  Talk by Michael Herrick.

Friday, December 9, Annual Christmas Lunch at Henry House.

 2014-2015 Events

Our annual Christmas celebration was held at Henry House, December 17. There was a good turn out for this annual tradition of  SMU Retirees' Association, with many older and newer friends.

This year our nearly annual session on investments was again hosted by Mary Ellen Byrne of TD Wealth. It was held in the historic Halifax Citadel in the coffee shop for the casernes.  A delightful reception was followed by a presentation by Mr. Chris McRae, regional vice-President, on financial strategies to prepare for retirement. The session was well attended and enjoyed by the members.

On Friday, November 7, Doug Wright gave a seminar on planning estates, and preparing wills. He has his own financial consulting firm, and is considered an expert in that field.  This was a very interesting and well-attended meeting.  We expect to do more along these lines, because of member interest.

 A summertime luncheon was held at the Inn on the Lake in Waverly.  The Inn is on old highway 2, the original road to Truro, and it is a picturesque drive along Waverly Road from Dartmouth. About 20 people came to enjoy the view of the lake on a summer's day.

A large number of members went to the home of John and Nicki Young for our annual September picnic.  Everyone said the company, food and drinks were wonderful.   Thank you, Young family.

2013-2014 Events

Betty Haigh speaking to SMURA.

This year the AGM was combined with a talk on symbolism in public communication. Existing officers were re-elected, and two new board members selected:  Burt Hartnell and Shripad Pendse.  Congratulations to these new appointees.  Futures activities and issues were also discussed for the coming year. Our President, Geraldine Thomas, gave a report and discussed current activities of CURAC, the national retirees' body, for which she serves on the advisory board.  Peter Daly, Professor Emeritus of German, gave a talk on symbolism in business, ads, politics and religion. The day's agenda was followed by a social hour and reception. 

Dr. Elizabeth Haigh, an expert on eastern European history, put current events in perspective for us at a talk on Ukraine on Sunday afternoon, May 25.  This timely lecture helped us understand the complexities of the happenings in eastern Europe. The event was followed by a reception and light meal.

A luncheon was held on the waterfront at Salty's;  it was great to get out in the early spring and renew acquaintances.

We once again got together at the Henry House on December 17 for a our annual seasonal celebration.  A good time was had by all.

In September we were invited to the picturesque home of Janet and Mungo Ireland in East Dover, where our unreliable weather once again seemingly magically cooperated to form the backdrop to a wonderful welcome back picnic. Thanks to the Irelands for their warm hospitality

Dr. Jock Murray, former Dean of Medicine at Dalhousie and renowned expert on medical history, gave an illustrated talk November 3 on "The Medical Situation around the Halifax Explosion." It proved to be a fascinating presentation that was well received by a substantial audience.

We had a fine lunch at Salty's on the Halifax Waterfront on Friday, November 15.   It was good to get together in such a historic location before the winter weather seriously set in.

2012-2013 Events

Members met at the Henry House pub for a relaxing Christmans get together in December, and a "good time was had by all".  Then a luncheon was held at Salty's, on the Halifax Waterfront, in January.

Ron Folley McDonald gave another presentation on Halifax in film.  Thank you to the good many who turned out on a cold day in February for this event.  Two other major events were held.  One was the photographic presentation in November by George Mitchell, retired professor of astronomy, on the wildlife of Costa Rica.  Also another faculty research seminar was with excellent presentations by John Young on energy research and Alan Young on Shakespeare.  Many thanks to these "young" scholars.

Retirees were also invited to a reception for Ron Cochrane, Director of financial services at the University for many years, who retired this year.

Our annual September picnic was held at the lovely home of Collin Howell near Grand Lake.  The weather was fabulous, after a prior anointing by rain, and a good time was had by all. We even had live music and song provided by some talented local players.

The annual meeting of CURAC Atlantic was held at the University of Moncton, that included representatives from Saint Mary's and several other universities. The general theme was health and services in today's long lived society.

2011-2012 Events

The year began with a picnic at the summer home of Geraldine Thomas.  It was a beautiful day -- perfect for an out of doors event.

We also got together for a luncheon at Inn on the Lake.  Another lovely day greeted us on the shores of Lake Thomas (not to be confused with the Thomas cottage, which is on another lake.)

Luncheons have also been held at Inn on the Lake, and at the Best Western on Chocolate Lake, and the Indian Lake Golf Course.  All events were appreciated and well-attended.  Sometimes the even the weather cooperated!

On October 1, the Atlantic regional meeting of CURAC was held at Saint Mary's.  It was well attended, with talks on engagement in the university, academic pursuits, and the community.  We learned about activities at other institutions in the region, including three models for seniors' colleges.  

This year's seminar sponsored by TD Waterhouse on investing for capital maintenance and growth was held , November 30,  at the Radisson Hotel. We had an informative presentation on markets in North America and the rest of the world, accompanied by excellent wine and hors d'oeuvres which facilitated interesting discussion and interaction afterwards.

On Sunday, January  29th, Ron Foley MacDonald, Film Curator at the Dalhousie University Art Gallery, spoke on “Halifax and Film”; intriguing excerpts were shown depicting Halifax from the turn of the 20th century to the post-war period.  This proved to be a fascinating and popular event.

The annual retirees' recognition dinner sponsored by the Faculty Union was held March 28, at 6:00 in in Conference centre in Loyola.  At this marvelous evening, drinks and a great dinner were accompanied by the music of a string quartet.

On April 29, Sandra Barrie spoke on the Nova Scotia Poet, Elizabeth Bishop.  A fascinating talk and slide presentation was followed by a reception and a chance to discuss the talk with the presenter.

Then on May 23, we were honored to have a speech by MP Megan Leslie who talked about issues facing Nova Scotians, especially those of interest to seniors..

The Annual General Meeting was held on June 12, at 2:30 in the Faculty Lounge. The existing board and officers were returned for next year by acclamation. Plans and issues were discussed for the following year. 

2010-2011 Events

That year two luncheons were held, one at the Victory Arms on a fine spring day, and the second at a warmer day on the water front at the Bicycle Thief.  A good time was had in the company of other retirees.

A session on health care insurance for retirees was held on June 14.  Over 30 members of SMURA and SMUFU attended and participated in a lively discussion following the presentation. The plans of different providers were outlined, and a comparison made between underwritten and open plans. That was followed by lunch in the Faculty Lounge, sponsored by Saint Mary's University Faculty Union. 

The annual general meeting was held on Tuesday, May 17. The present board was re-elected, with the addition of George Mitchell as Member at Large.  Plans for future meetings were discussed, and a social hour was held.  Minutes for this meeting can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

TD Waterhouse again hosted a financial information seminar and reception at the stylish Radisson Hotel. Such updates have proven to be valuable and well-attended.

Our annual "End of Summer" party was held for current and prospective members on Sunday, September 12.  The gathering, which took place at the home of Lilian and Michael Falk, was a great success. 

As part of our discussion of non-financial issues in retirement, Michael Devenney gave a talk in October on "Using Analytics to Make the Best Retiree Decisions." In November we had another session on investing pension funds for retirees, beautifully catered by TD Waterhouse at the Radisson Hotel. Many SMURA members gathered at Henry House for a Christmas celebration.

Terry Gordon spoke in January on Housing Considerations for Seniors.  Dr. Gordon is not only an emeritus professor from Dalhousie, but also at the same an experienced realtor.  This interesting and useful presentation addressed housing in retirement, alternatives to the single house, real estate as investment and the Competition Consent agreement.  Several members of the Dalhousie retirees' association were welcomed to the meeting, also.  We hope in the future to continue our cooperation with other universities for the advancement of retirees.

On February 13, Dr. Henry Roper, of the University of King's College, gave a fascinating talk on "Thomas Raddall as Warden of Halifax.   The presentation focused on Raddall's classic work Halifax, Warden of the North in the context of the challenges of writing urban history, and was followed by discussion and a catered reception..

In this vein, last year a representative of SMURA attended the national meeting of CURAC at York University in May, 2010, and participated in discussions on the role of retirees in Canadian universities (CURAC).  At many institutions, retirees participate actively in the teaching, research and administrative activities of their universities, and we are soliciting ideas from members for changes that could be made here at Saint Mary's.

SMURA is beginning discussions with the other retirees' associations in Nova Scotia to work more co-operatively, and welcomes suggestions from members as to directions these talks might lead.