Proudly

UNB Awards:

2009 recipients

In 2005, the UNB Associated Alumni broadened its awards program to recognize more groups and individuals who have made significant contributions to the work of the Association and to the University of New Brunswick. We are proud to present the 2009 recipients.

Alumni Award of Honour

The UNB Associated Alumni’s most prestigious award recognizes truly outstanding service and commitment to UNB and the Associated Alumni. The 2009 recipients are:

Christine Coldwell (BA’75, BEd’76), Calgary

Christine Coldwell was president of the UNB Alumni Calgary Chapter from 2001 to 2008. She was the face of UNB alumni in Calgary over that period of time, leading a number of initiatives and activities that supported the mission of the UNB Associated Alumni. Christine became active in the UNB Associated Alumni immediately after she and her husband Steve (BSc’73) moved to Calgary in 1979. In those early years, she was a member of the executive of the local group. In 2001, Christine stepped in to become president. Her impact was immediate, with the first of many successful alumni lobster boils. This event has become the highlight of the annual alumni calendar in Calgary, attracting more than 100 people each and every year. Over Christine’s seven years as president, the Calgary Chapter organized numerous UNB events: new and returning student send-off receptions; student recruitment support at local high school fairs; fundraising efforts for a Calgary scholarship fund; local support for UNB athletes nominated for the athlete of the year awards; co-ordinating events for N.B. politicians visiting Calgary; UNB alumni participation in Calgary Run for the Cure; UNB alumni skating at the Olympic Oval; and support for the fundraising effort related to the UNB Alberta Alumni Recreation Room in the CURRIE CENTER. In recognition of Christine’s tireless effort and strong leadership, she was awarded the Alumni Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award in 2005, the same year the Calgary Chapter was awarded the Outreach Group of the Year Award. Through she has stepped down as president, Christine remains involved with the chapter.

J. Steven McGill (BScF’86), Toronto

If you were to jot down the names of the handful of people credited with building the UNB Toronto Chapter that we know today, Steve McGill would be on that list. In fact, he might even be at the top. With all the challenges of bringing people together in a large city, UNB Toronto has been extremely successful in engaging and keeping involved its alumni over the years. Few (if any) would be more responsible for that than Steve McGill. Steve came to UNB in 1981 from the Toronto area. While on campus, he lived in Aitken House and was active in a number of campus activities, including two years as assistant chief of the UNB Campus Police and three years on the CHSC board of directors. Steve graduated in 1986 with his BScF, and moved back to the GTA, where he lives today and is a successful sales executive with The Data Group. Not long after becoming a young alumnus, Steve became active in the alumni association, being elected to Alumni Council, where he served for nearly a decade. During his time on council, Steve was a highly engaged and active member. He chaired committees, debated ideas and was never shy to challenge the status quo. He has been responsible for recruiting many of the council members who have come from Toronto in the past 20 years. He ended his Alumni Council career in 1997 as second vice-president of the association. But Steve’s greatest contribution came “in the field,” as one might say in the sales business. For many years, Steve McGill was the face of the UNB Toronto Chapter and was a tremendous ambassador for UNB. Steve served as the Toronto Chapter’s president for more nearly two decades, and worked tirelessly to link UNB alumni living in the GTA. For anyone who has ever lived in Toronto, each year, you could count on an early November UNB at the Vanier Cup event and annual Spring Lobster Boil. For more than 20 years, Steve has been one of UNB’s strongest ambassadors anywhere.

Dr. Robert Quartermain (BSc’77, DSc'09), Vancouver

Dr. Robert Quartermain was born in St. Stephen, N.B. His family moved to Saint John in 1963, and he started his UNB career on the Saint John campus in the early 1970s. Bob went on to graduate from the Fredericton campus in 1977 with a BSc in geology and from Queen’s University in 1981 with an MSc in mineral exploration. Bob then joined Teck Cominco and in 1985 was named president of Silver Standard Resources Inc., a position he has held ever since. He also has been involved as a director or officer of a number of public resource companies, including IAMGold Corp., Esperanza Silver, Vista Gold Corp., and Canplats Resources Corp. But his primary commitment has remained with Silver Standard. He took a small, debt-ridden company and over the past two decades transformed it into an internationally-known corporation controlling the largest silver resources of any publicly-traded silver company in North America. Throughout the years, his devotion to UNB, both in terms of personal financial support and as an active member, for example, of the Forging Our Futures Campaign Cabinet, has been matched by few. Bob’s loyalty and commitment to UNB have been remarkable. His considerable financial support contributed to the establishment of the Quartermain Centre for Earth Sciences, dedicated to the creation of new labs and integrated classrooms. In addition, Silver Standard Resources Inc. contributed significantly to establish the Silver Standard-McAllister Mineral Deposits Study Fund at UNB to support field excursions for both undergraduate and graduate students. Most recently, Dr. Quartermain established the Quartermain Sports Medicine Centre at the Richard J. CURRIE CENTRE. As a resident in Vancouver, he has taken an active interest in the local alumni group and has graciously hosted alumni events in that city. Without a doubt, Bob’s generosity and dedication to his alma mater make him a worthy recipient of the Alumni Award of Honour.

Alumni Award of Distinction

This award recognizes the significant contributions made by UNB alumni in their local communities and beyond, for which they have been recognized regionally, nationally, or internationally. The 2009 recipients are:

Dr. Theodore Bremner (BScCE’60), Jemseg, N.B.

Dr. Theodore Bremner has spent his professional life in university teaching, research and engineering practice. After graduate school, he spent six years with a Canadian cement company and a consulting engineering firm. From 1967 to date, he has been heavily involved in research and university teaching, including 30 years as a fuIl-time UNB faculty member. In the latter period, he twice received UNB Merit Teaching Awards. During the past 10 years he has been first an honorary research professor and later a professor emeritus at UNB. Dr. Bremner has established a world-wide reputation in the related fields of lightweight concrete technology, and the durability properties of concrete in marine environments. This reputation is reflected in his list of research papers, which total 277 over a 30-period. Dr. Bremner has served in leadership roles in a number of both provincial and community organizations, among them: member of the Jemseg Area Recreational Council, 1973-75; president, Cambridge Home and School Association,1973-75; member, provincial executive of the N.B. Home and School Association,1974-76; president, Queens County Historical Society, 1983-85; volunteer engineering consultant, Queens County Museum, on the Flower House relocation and renovation, 2004-07; and, director, N.B. Standard Breeders and Owners Association. Although Dr. Bremner retired from his alma mater 10 years ago, he spends an average of three days a week on the Fredericton campus directing research, and is currently advising two graduate students.

The Hon. Mr. Justice Gérard La Forest (BCL’49, DCL'85), Fredericton

Justice Gérard La Forest was born in Grand Falls, N.B., on April 1, 1926. After studying at St. Francis Xavier University, he studied law at UNB. In 1949 he obtained a BCL and was called to the bar of New Brunswick. Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, he continued his studies at Oxford University, earning a BA in 1951. He also completed an LLM in 1965 and a JSD in 1966, both at Yale University. Following a short period in private practice, he served in the federal Department of Justice from 1952 to 1955 and then as a legal adviser for a private corporation before embarking on a teaching career. From 1956 to 1968, he taught at UNB, and from 1968 to 1970 he was dean of law at the University of Alberta. He returned to government in 1970, serving as assistant deputy attorney general of Canada until 1974. In 1975 he was named a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He then became a member of the Law Reform Commission of Canada for five years. In 1981, after teaching for two years at the University of Ottawa, he was appointed to the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. He was awarded a DCL in 1985 by UNB. On Jan. 16, 1985, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice La Forest served on the Supreme Court for 12 years and retired on Sept. 30, 1997. In 1993, he was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Society of American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been awarded honorary degrees by six universities around the world. Justice La Forest was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2000.

Barbara McGill (BN’74), Rothesay, N.B.

Barbara McGill has built an outstanding nursing career that spanned nearly 40 years until her retirement in the fall of 2008. Through her administrative roles and nursing leadership, Barb’s life’s work has had a profound influence on her colleagues in the health-care system and on health-care services delivered to patients. She took on the challenges of developing and managing the New Brunswick Health Centre at the Saint John Regional Hospital. When the province moved to disband hospital boards and create health regions, Barb became a member of the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation (AHSC) senior management team, taking up the post of vice-president of programs for Region 2, a role that involved the introduction of matrix management structures, and administrative responsibility for hospital-based health care delivery systems throughout southern New Brunswick. Barb was always visible in this position, travelling the miles from Sussex to St. Stephen to Grand Manan to the units of the Saint John Regional. In addition to her status as a UNB alumna, Barb has maintained an ongoing positive relationship with UNB and in particular with the Saint John campus. She was the co-lead on the Health Canada Interprofessional Education and Practice Project, representing AHSC (2005-2008). Barb also promoted a collaborative relationship between the AHSC and the department of nursing on the Saint John campus. In 1998 she was approved for a term as an adjunct professor through the Nursing Graduate Academic Unit. She was a willing guest speaker in classes, kept the faculty members updated on innovations at AHSC, and invited faculty member participation in AHSC nursing committees. In her roles of health-care administrator, nursing leader, and friend of UNB, her outstanding contributions at the local, provincial and national level make her a worthy recipient of the Alumni Award of Distinction.

Peter McGill (BBA'71), Rothesay, N.B.

Peter McGill is a well-known figure in the educational and business community in Saint John. The recently retired college principal spent the last 31 years as both a teacher and an administrator at the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC). During his time at NBCC, Peter worked closely with the administrators at UNB Saint John enhancing program development between the two campuses and also taught undergraduate courses in the business faculty at UNBSJ. Peter not only has immersed himself in the educational environment in Saint John, but also within the business and non-profit sectors. He has been a member of the Saint John Board of Trade since 1988, and served as president of the board with the United Way of Saint John in 2006-2007. He also was campaign chair at the United Way in 2005 and led a group of volunteers who raised $1.2 million for dependent agencies in the greater Saint John community. Between 2001 and 2003, Peter was president of the board of the South End Play Park. He also sat on the premier’s task force of university presidents and principals investigating how best to improve post-secondary education in the province. Dr. John Johnson, current assistant vice-president at UNB Saint John, says “Peter was always ahead of the curve, always thinking about what was best for students and how could we make their experience better. Well before the public was aware of the potential for co-operation between UNBSJ and NBCC in health care, Peter was initiating conversations between government, UNB and NBCC officials. He was a visionary and we see the results of his work even today. Without Peter’s willingness to talk about how NBCC and UNBSJ could work together towards sharing facilities and ideas, we wouldn’t be where we are today in terms of open and constructive co-operation.”

The Hon. John Wallace (BBA'71, LLB'73), Rothesay, N.B.

John Wallace has distinguished himself through outstanding service to UNB and to his community, commitments that were recognized earlier this year with his appointment to the Senate of Canada. Following a corporate/commercial legal career in Saint John from 1973 until his retirement in 2006, John was appointed to the UNB Board of Governors and has served on several board committees. Most notably, John showed tremendous leadership, loyalty and support for UNB Saint John in 2007 during the difficult times following the release of the report on Post-Secondary Education in N.B. Moreover, he has continued to be one of the strongest defenders and advocates of UNB Saint John, both on the UNB board and with the greater Saint John community and beyond. From 2001 to 2004, John was the founding president of the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership. He also has served as vice-president and president of the Saint John Development Corporation, director of Uptown Saint John Inc.; and member of the Business Advisory Committee, Enterprise Saint John Inc. John has had a strong passion for athletics, having played on both the UNB varsity basketball (Red Raiders) and football (Red Bombers) teams during his student days. He served as chair of the City of Saint John’s Recreational Facilities Committee, which undertook a detailed assessment of recreational facilities in greater Saint John, and also made numerous recommendations regarding the present and future recreational needs of the community. He has been actively involved in a number of charitable fundraising campaigns, such as the Imperial Theatre Capital Campaign.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

This award recognizes those who received a bachelor’s degree within the last 10 years or a graduate degree within the last five years.The 2009 recipients are:

Emily Black (BBA’08), Harvey Station, N.B.

After graduating from UNB in May 2008, Emily Black went to work for the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) International Youth Internship Program, training women entrepreneurs in business skills in rural Kwa-Zulu, Natal. The six-month internship program was sponsored by Bow Valley College in Calgary, and the host organization was Embocraft Training Centre in Botha Hill, South Africa. Many of the rural people have excellent skills in sewing, beading, weaving, etc., but struggle with turning those skills into income generation. A woman working for EED Germany worked there for three years doing product development then Emily came in to do costing and pricing of products, organization and time management, and quality control. She also conducted basic computer training. Often times she conducted the training in the communities, but the organization she was working for asked her to create a business centre at their training centre, where they could conduct training and where the local entrepreneurs would have access to computers. They named it the eBlack Business Centre. Most 23-year-olds do not have any kind of centre named for them! In receiving the Young Alumni Achievement Award, Emily says she is “happy to share my experience with you as I take any opportunity I can to bring awareness to the importance of education and training in the developing world.”

Jason MacLean (BBA’99), Saint John

As a student, Jason MacLean was very active in the student community. He is passionate about the growth of Atlantic Canada, and is playing a key role in helping to accelerate the growth agenda for Saint John. He is active in both his personal and professional life, participating in many activities, committees and organizations, with the goal of attracting and retaining young talent in New Brunswick. He lives in the uptown Saint John heritage area, and has a keen entrepreneurial spirit. He is the founder and lead instructor with The Yoga Outlet. As a leap of faith, he left his full-time job at Aliant, where he worked for several years as an online marketing manager, to take time to pursue his yoga business. In 2008, Jason was selected as one of 21 Leaders of the 21st Century. The leaders were chosen by an inter-disciplinary panel of judges based on a combination of criteria, including their vision,their academic, professional and extra-curricular contributions, and their capacity to have an impact on the province and its people. 21inc. is a not-for-profit organization committed to creating the capacity for change in New Brunswick by developing the best community leaders in Canada. Jason recently was appointed by the Saint John City Council to the board of the Saint John Community Arts Board, and he also sits on the board of Uptown Saint John. As president of the Fundy Skateboard Association since 2004, Jason managed and helped raise a project budget of more than $650,000. In October 2008 Jason’s dream of a skate park in Saint John became a reality when it opened uptown. Since 2006, Jason has also been an active member of the Saint John Alumni Action Team.

Chief Jesse Simon (BA’96, BEd'06), Big Cove, N.B.

Jesse Simon is chief of the Elsipogtog First Nation, a Mi’kmaq community of about 2,800 near Richibucto, N.B. Since graduating from UNB in 1996 with a degree in psychology, he has worked as a counsellor to the homeless in Toronto, and as a youth centre director in Victoria. Jesse then returned to Elsipogtog, where he worked with a youth organization and as a deckhand on a friend’s lobster boat. After returning to UNB for his education degree in counselling, he worked for two years as a counsellor at schools in Richibucto and Elsipogtog. He said these experiences have helped him better understand the challenges facing the community, and particularly those who are caught in the most dire straits. Elected chief in 2008 at the age of 35, Jesse said at the time he is excited about the possibilities for a community that has such a young population. “It’s not to say that the older generation is not important because they always are, but it’s this next generation that is going to drive this community forward,” he said, noting that 65 per cent of his constituents are aged 18 to 25. An elite wrestler while a student at UNB, Jesse has set up a successful wrestling program for the students he counsels, a program that has gained provincial and national recognition. He said the program helps the kids leave their frustration on the wrestling mat, and he plans to continue coaching. Jesse believes the network of contacts he fostered at UNB and his experience in working with various organizations will help him negotiate with governments and the private sector as he works on projects such as a convention centre, and other economic development plans that include innovative forestry projects. In the words of the individual who nominated Jesse for a Young Alumni Achievement Award, he “embodies all the characteristics set out in the award criteria, and makes a great ambassador for UNB.”

Outreach Volunteer of the Year

The recipient has made a significant contribution to advancing the objectives of the Outreach Program, either by being a member of an outreach group or individually.

Ellen Creighton (LLB'06), Ottawa

Ellen Creighton, president of UNB Chapter of Ottawa, developed her strong work ethic and willingness to give back to both UNB and her community as a student. While attending UNB Fredericton, she served as vice-president of the N.B. Student Alliance, became a member of UNB’s Honour Society, was a representative on the law faculty’s curriculum committee, was co-editor of the UNB Law Journal, served as vice-president (external) of the Student Union, where she helped to focus media attention on various student concerns, and was one of two student representatives on the campaign committee for the Forging Our Futures Law Campaign. Today, Ellen lives and works in Ottawa and graciously volunteers her time to the Ottawa Chapter. As president of the UNB Chapter of Ottawa, Ellen has been very active over the past 12 months. Amid demanding work at the Competition Bureau, Department of Justice, and extra law studies, Ellen has demonstrated positive leadership to guide UNB’s longest running alumni chapter. She has volunteered her time and talent over the past year to such chapter events as the annual golf tournament, a student send-off party hosted at her home, an Ottawa Chapter food and wine event, and two UNB pub nights, one of which attracted between 40 and 50 alumni. To promote Ottawa Chapter events, Ellen has set up an Ottawa Chapter Facebook group to further connect with alumni. Ellen is indeed a wonderful ambassador for both UNB and the UNB Associated Alumni.

Honorary Membership in the UNB Associated Alumni

This honour will be conferred on any person who has rendered outstanding service to the Association and UNB.

Mary Duffley, Quispamsis, N.B.

Mary Duffley, who graduated from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax in 1986 with a bachelor of public relations, has been the one and only staff person on the Saint John campus for the UNB Associated Alumni since 1993, when she began in a position shared between the association and the Saint John campus Registrar’s Office. From the outset, Mary went above and beyond the basics of her job description. She became supportive of and involved with current students, especially successive graduating classes, long before it became entrenched in the association’s strategic plan. Because of her work ethic, strength of personality, and willingness to be involved in the life of the campus, Mary has become completely integrated into the fabric of the campus as a whole. Mary probably knows more people on campus than anyone else, certainly more students than any other single person. She is widely respected. Largely due to Mary, the profile of the Alumni Office on campus has been raised way beyond what its physical presence would suggest. The high regard in which she is held by students was exemplified a couple of years ago when she was a recipient of the Honorary Class Graduate award by the graduating class at Convocation in Saint John. In the 30-odd years in which the graduating class has presented this award to a faculty or staff person, very few staff people have been so honoured. Mary’s commitment to UNB goes way beyond her job description. She has shown time and time again that her heart and soul are with UNB. We’re sure that recognizing Mary with Honorary Membership in the UNB Associated Alumni will make her very proud and do justice to her commitment to UNB and the association.

Wayne Jollineau, Saint John

Wayne Jollineau is rightly regarded as the “father” of business administration on the Saint John campus. He received his bachelor of science in business administration from Michigan Technological University, and his MBA from the University of Alberta, where he also taught. Now a professor emeritus on the Saint John campus, Wayne Jollineau is credited with much at UNB Saint John over his 27-year career, including guiding the establishment of the four-year business program, ensuring the campus’ participation in the MBA program, developing and implementing a co-op program, and developing the proposal for a joint hospitality and tourism program with NBCC St. Andrews. Wayne’s commitment to his students’ education is evident through his being awarded the excellence in teaching award. When a member of the Senate and Board of Governors, Wayne was noted for his advocacy for students. He also had a catalytic effect on alumni participation over the years, particularly prior to there being a formal alumni association presence on campus. The BBA graduates from the ’70s and into the ’80s formed the backbone of alumni participation at that time. Wayne was the focal point of class reunions for a couple of decades. Wayne and his wife Marilyn have been very supportive of events on campus, especially the ‘Celebration’ events to mark the significant campus anniversaries. The UNB blood which flows through Wayne’s veins might have come from a transfusion, but it is no less strong for that. As a result of Wayne’s persistent drive while at UNB Saint John, he built business administration into a major player within the campus, the university and also within the Saint John business community. He has contributed to the university with distinction, in both teaching and service.

Dr. Jsun (Jean) Wong, Saint John

Dr. Jsun (Jean) Wong taught in the faculty of business at UNBSJ from 1972 until his retirement in 2004. It is difficult to put into words Jean’s attachment to UNBSJ, and to generations of students. Jean has been one of the campus’s few real eccentrics. At times a registrar’s nightmare, he became almost a mascot in the business faculty. In the days of Friday student socials on the campus in the blue lounge, Jean rarely missed one. He taught quantitative methods for the most part, and he had a very long and distinguished career as a researcher, probably the most significant ever in the faculty of business. He was beloved by many students. He is one of only two people who have ever been named their honorary graduate by the graduation class on two separate occasions. There is no question that for Jean, UNBSJ was, and remains, very close to his heart. He gave as much as he received.

• For more photos from the 2009 Proudly UNB Awards dinner, click here.
• For more information on the awards program, click here for a PDF brochure.
• For a nomination form in PDF,  click here.