NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING’S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021
NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
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                               Table of Contents
                                                                                                                                                                                          Edmonton, Alberta
                                                                                                                                                                                          Canada T6B 2H3
                                                                                                                                                                                          780.465.8318

                               Message from the President����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4                     Direct comments
                                                                                                                                                                                          regarding articles to:
                               News briefs ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
                                                                                                                                                                                          Nikolas Vander Kooy
                               Interdisciplinary Science (I.Sci) program approved����������������������������������������������������������������7                                       Director of Marketing

                               Building community, apart������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8                    780.465.3500 ext. 8131
                                                                                                                                                                                          nikolas.vanderkooy@kingsu.ca
                               Program profile: Computing Science����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10

                               Behind the exhibits������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11

                               Beethoven Project unites singers across the world��������������������������������������������������������������12

                               Wait well��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14

                               Pandemics past ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������17

                               Making space, being saved ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������18

                               Our connection to the land����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19

                               Playing the long game ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������21

                               English professor recieves federal research chair designation������������������������������������������24
                                                                                                                                                                                          Cover
                               New deans bring new leadership������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������25
                                                                                                                                                                                          “Waiting has become that rare thing
                               Alumni news & notes����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������26                in today’s world: a universal state of
                                                                                                                                                                                           being that we all share.”

                                                                                                                                                                                          Waiting, at times frustrating or down-
                                                                                                                                                                                          right unenjoyable, is an unavoidable
                                                                                                                                                                                          part of every life. To wait well is to be
                                                                                                                                                                                          still, to find and share the goodness of
                                                                                                                                                                                          each moment, and to know that God’s
                                                                                                                                                                                          restoration of creation continues even
                                                                                                                                                                                          in the face of human powerlessness.

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
NEWS

                               Message from the President
                               Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart;
                               Wait, I say, on the Lord! – Psalms 27: 14 NKJV

                               In any ordinary year, I take heart in the      In the midst of responding to the COVID-19
                               memories and stories of God’s incredible       pandemic, our attention was captured by
                               faithfulness to The King’s University. This    the murder of George Floyd – images of
                               has been no ordinary year! The challenges      the kind of racial violence that has been
                               of the COVID-19 pandemic have been             perpetrated against Black and Indigenous
                               formidable. And yet, God is faithful!          communities for years. We committed, as      Over $35,000 was raised during this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign. Along with a matching gift from King’s Board of Governors, these funds will
                                                                              a university, to educate ourselves about     be used to renovate the Alumni Lounge (inset) and Student Commons in the North Academic Building this winter.
                               Waiting can have the connotation of            racism, to listen and conduct a review of
                               being stuck. You will see from the pages       policy and practice in order to become
                                                                                                                           KING’S HIRES EQUITY, DIVERSITY,
                               of this edition of Connection that this year   a consciously anti-racist institution. We
                                                                                                                           AND INCLUSION CONSULTANT
                               has been anything but. We pressed even         reaffirmed our commitment to cultivating
                               more deeply into our mission and vision        a safe inclusive environment of mutual       This fall, King’s welcomed Osayi Ogieva in
                               as we adapted how to go about teaching         respect, where all may belong and flour-     the role of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
                               and learning together. We launched new         ish.                                         (EDI) Consultant. This position, funded
                               programs and welcomed new people. We                                                        through a federal grant, will help the
                               cared for one another as we adjusted to        I am of good courage as we look to the       university to grow as a community. With
                               changing health and safety protocols and       future.                                      eight years of experience in EDI, Osayi is a
                               the fatigue of dealing with a prolonged                                                     Certified Inclusion Professional and holds
                               global health crisis.                                                                       a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Masters of
                                                                                                                           Public Health.

                                                                              Dr. Melanie Humphreys
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Witty Sandle (left), career and vocational
                                                                                                                           DR. KRIS OOMS ASSUMES ROLE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                counselling, and Dr. Tetyana Khramova,
                                                                                                                           OF INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT OF
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                job search and internship advisor.
                                                                                                                           ACADEMICS AND RESEARCH
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                CENTRE FOR CAREER AND
                                                                                                                           In August, The King’s University was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                CALLING OPENS FOR STUDENTS
                                                                                                                           pleased to announce the appointment
                                                                                                                           of Dr. Kristopher Ooms to the position of                                                            This fall marked the launch of King’s
                                                                                                                           Interim Vice President of Academics and                                                              Centre for Career and Calling. The cen-
                                                                                                                           Research. Over the past twelve years, Dr.                                                            tre is aimed at assisting students and
                                                                                                                           Ooms has served the university in various                                                            alumni in career discernment and ex-
                                                                                                                           capacities including as a researcher, Pro-                                                           ploring pathways toward employment,
                                                                                                                           fessor of Chemistry, and Dean of Natural                                                             professional programs, and graduate
                                                                                                                           Sciences.                                                                                            studies.

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS                                                                         ONE LIFE, FIVE CALLINGS
King’s is proud to celebrate with faculty                                                    The King’s University collaborated with
members who published new books this                                                         B.C. Christian Reformed Churches this
year. 2020 saw the publication of Resur-                                                     winter on a public lecture series enti-
recting Justice by theology professor Dr.                                                    tled “One Life, Five Callings.” The free
Douglas Harink, Practicing Transcendence                                                     five-part series features lectures from
by psychology professor Dr. Chris Peet,                                                      King’s professors on faith formation,
and Re-forming History, co-authored by                                                       global mission, mercy and justice, ser-
history professors Dr. Mark Sandle and Dr.                                                   vant leadership, and gospel proclama-
William Van Arragon.                                                                         tion and worship.

                                                                                             25 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
                                                                                             STUDIES AT KING’S
                                                                                             2020 marked the 25th aniversary of
                                                                                             the Environmental Studies (ENVS) pro-
                                                                                             gram. Launched in 1997, ENVS was the
                                                                                             university’s first 4-year major.

                                                                                             With numerous field learning experien-
                                                                                             cies and a required internship compo-
                                                                                             nent, the ENVS program continues to
Vice President of Finance and Operations, Ralph Troschke, as King’s virtual banquet emcee.   inspire and equip students to harmo-
                                                                                             nize their passion and love for the envi-
OVER $36,000 RAISED IN SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE CHRISTIAN
                                                                                             ronment with pursuits in other fields.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AT KING’S
                                                                                                                                         New Interdisciplinary Science (I.Sci) program
                                                                                             The program has seen hundreds of
An estimated 200 members of the university community joined together for the annual          graduates go on to careers in sustain-

                                                                                                                                         approved by Alberta government
Harvest Banquet and Silent Auction in November. The event, held online over video chat,      ability, business, the natural sciences,
raised $36,000 in support of student scholarships.                                           and many other callings.

                                                                                                                                         September 2021 will see the introduction of a new program at           optometry, and nursing—and those looking to enter the work-
                                                                                                                                         King’s — Interdisciplinary Science. Approved by the Government         force directly after graduation. The program also allows aspiring
ONLINE PUBLIC COURSES AND LECTURES LAUNCHED
                                                                                                                                         of Alberta last fall, this flexible 4-year Bachelor of Science major   science teachers to easily complete teachable majors and minors
The university launched a professional development and continuing education initiative                                                   will allow students to specialize in any of King’s existing science    within the course of their degree prior to entering the after-de-
this fall in the form of new online public access courses. Courses ranged from Popular                                                   concentrations in addition to new B.Sc. concentrations in kine-        gree program in education.
Music to Paul’s Epistles and Theology as well as various business and political science                                                  siology, psychology, and mathematics. The make up of the I.Sci
courses. With between ten and twenty courses listed per semester, the initiative has                                                     program will allow students to focus on collaborations between         “The I.Sci program is a fantastic addition to our science offerings.
seen strong uptake from communities across Western Canada.                                                                               disciplines, such as chemical biology, computational chemistry,         It provides new flexibility in the sciences, letting students com-
                                                                                                                                         or mathematical biology.                                                bine perspectives from two or more scientific disciplines to find
This year also saw the introduction of public lectures given by faculty experts from all                                                                                                                         new insights and build new connections,” remarks I.Sci program
corners of the university. These lectures make lifelong learning with King’s more accessi-                                               I.Sci has been designed to help students think critically about         director, Dr. Rem Kooistra. “The program serves a wide set of
ble than ever. The first ten lectures are available to watch on King’s YouTube channel and                                               problems from diverse scientific perspectives and is particu-           interests in the sciences and sets up a variety of future career
range between 40–90 minutes in length. To date, the project has explored topics related                                                  larly geared toward graduates looking to pursue professional            paths. It deepens King’s commitment to equip students to be
to the coronavirus, social justice, and education.                                                                                       programs in the clinical health sciences—such as medicine,              agents of change in the world.”

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
King’s hybrid model has allowed students to
                                                                                                                                            attend on campus classes and labs at least
                                                                                                                                            once per week per couse. Outdoor, distanced
                                                                                                                                            social events have also been possible when
                                                                                                                                            provincial guidelines have allowed for them.

                                                                                                                                            “These improvements are the first steps in an extensive three-year IT strategic plan which is being fast-
                                                                                                                                            tracked to meet the requirements of COVID-19 and the changing world it is bringing.”

Building community, apart
                                                                                                                                            Viens checks in with students regu-             in-person experiences where safe and            Academic Services & Registrar, stated.
                                                                                                                                            larly. Tim Wood, King’s campus minister,        possible. Students have recognized these       “Maintaining our high standards for course
                                                                                                                                            reaches out to students who are self-iso-       efforts and really appreciate them.”            delivery, student-to-faculty, and stu-
                                                                                                                                            lating to ensure they have a full meal or                                                       dent-to-support connection would not
Innovative thinking builds learning community in a time of distance                                                                         hot coffee and are keeping in good spirits.     To ensure students had the safety, connec-      have been possible were it not for these
BY LINDSAY ECKERT                                                                                                                                                                           tion, and community required to thrive in       investments and the extraordinary efforts
                                                                                                                                            “The hardest factor is we’re all weary—         their courses this year, King’s increased       of a committed IT team.”

W      hat do you do when a culture
       of community is faced with the
demands of isolation? King’s got creative.
                                              that students and instructors value in-per-
                                              son contact, mentoring, and engagement.
                                              How can we do that while keeping every-
                                                                                              patio heaters, and a warmly lit ice skating
                                                                                              rink have seen a lot of use from students—
                                                                                              especially those living in residence.
                                                                                                                                             students, staff, faculty. But we want
                                                                                                                                             to stay passionate, to come alongside
                                                                                                                                             students and understand what they need
                                                                                                                                                                                            IT funding by 42 percent. This covered
                                                                                                                                                                                            the installation of video conferencing
                                                                                                                                                                                            equipment, new wiring in classrooms,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The improvements are the first step in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           an extensive three-year IT strategic plan
                                              one safe?”                                                                                     in this time.”                                 dedicated workstations to run online           which is being fast-tracked to meet the
“That’s the approach we took the whole                                                        That’s not to say COVID-19 hasn’t proved                                                      lectures, increased network bandwidth,         requirements of COVID-19 and the chang-
 year,” said Megan Viens, Dean of Students.   It was evident that King’s needed to find       challenging.                                   Bajaro said that professors have been          and a range of new virtual education           ing world it is bringing.
“How can we be creative and still do what     new ways to support students to thrive.                                                        sympathetic to the difficulties of the year.   tools including a complete overhaul of its
 we do?”                                      This led to developing new models of            Adrian Bajaro, president of the Students’     “Crises bring people together,” Bajaro          course delivery platform, Moodle.              Crossroad, King’s student information
                                              education and making strategic updates          Association and third-year student says        noted. “You see that in how profs and                                                         system, is slated for replacement next
When COVID-19 demanded limited to no          in IT to keep the community connected.          that endlessly staring at Zoom lectures        students are more understanding of each        “Having a hybrid model has been crucial,”      year. The university will also swap-out
in-person contact, students and employ-                                                       can feel isolating.                            other. There’s a sense of community and         says Chief Information Officer, Becky         close to 20 disparate platforms with a
ees faced the daunting task of main-          Dr. Humphreys proposed a hybrid                                                                solidarity.”                                    McCaffrey. “For students who prefer to        single ERP (enterprise resource planning
taining high standards of education and       classroom model where students could            “Online classes are both good and bad,”                                                        be in the classroom, it’s safely offered to   software) which will allow for new effi-
community while ensuring safe practices       physically attend classes in appropriately       Bajaro explained. “It’s great you can stay   Bajaro added that students have stood            them. For students who are more comfort-      ciencies and streamlined administrative
at every turn. It provided a chance for       distanced settings or virtually via Zoom         home if you need to. That said, when         up to this year’s challenges admira-             able learning online, they have an option     functions in order to redeploy resources
innovation.                                   depending on their circumstances and             online attendance spikes, class participa-   bly. “It’s a display of the tenacity of the      that replicates the in-class experience as    to better serve students in other ways.
                                              preferences.                                     tion goes down. The temptation is to get     students and staff to fight for the best         best as possible.”
“Surely we can do something different,”                                                        distracted instead of engaging”              education experience possible. It would                                                        “Our goal is to make things as seamless
 encouraged President Dr. Melanie Hum-        There was also an intentional renewal of                                                      have been easy for the university to say        “King’s is committed to mentoring and           for students as possible,” McCaffrey said.
 phreys last spring. “What can we do that     outdoor spaces for safe social and physi-       What students and staff have noticed          everything was online but they decided           equipping our students to bring renewal,”     “Each investment is ultimately focused on
 would be beneficial to students? We hear     cal activity. New fire pits, outdoor seating,   above all this year is a culture of caring.   to take the extra step of maintaining            Allen Verbeek, Associate Vice President        improving King’s directly or indirectly.”

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
Behind the exhibits
                                                                                                                                              Second-year history student tells indigenous stories through well-curated galleries
                                                                                                                                              BY NIKOLAS VANDER KOOY

                                                                                                                                              W       hat goes into creating the hun-
                                                                                                                                                      dred word plaques you read at a
                                                                                                                                              museum? Second-year History student,
                                                                                                                                              Isaiah Wiltzen, found out there is a lot
                                                                                                                                              more to it than you might first think.
PROGRAM PROFILE

Computing Science
                                                                                                                                              Isaiah belongs to the Athabasca-
                                                                                                                                              Chipewyan First Nation. He moved from
                                                                                                                                              Nova Scotia to the small town of Fort
                                                                                                                                              Smith, NWT (population 2,500) with his
Understanding creation through the lens of technology                                                                                         family when he was in the fourth grade,
BY EMILY FAUCHER                                                                                                                              his father having deep roots in the area.

                                                                                                                                              During the summer break, Isaiah interned

K      ing’s computing science program
       came to fruition from humble
beginnings. “When I came to King’s in 2010,
                                              “Computing Science is no more the study of computers than astronomy
                                              is the study of the telescope . . . "
                                                                                                                                              at the local museum in Fort Smith. Despite
                                                                                                                                              its size and isolation — the nearest com-
                                                                                                                                              munity is a three-hour drive away — Fort
the department was in flux; the program                                                                                                       Smith’s museum, the Northern Life
was small and needed attention,” says Dr.     Beyond career preparation, the program         through chapel and prayer can be easily          Museum & Cultural Centre, houses the
Andrew Tappenden, Associate Professor         asks students to consider their relation-      taken for granted until they are missed          largest collection of traditional First
and Dean of Natural Science. Newly-hired      ship with technology through courses like      elsewhere, at conferences or in other            Nations and Métis artifacts in the North-
professors were launched into an abrupt       Perspectives in Computing Science. This        academic settings. “It makes you realize         west Territories and is lauded as a top
start with a clean slate, a chance to com-    course involves no programming and             that we have something different.” The           collection of “northern native and early
pletely rework the curriculum into one        instead focuses on lectures and discussion     sense of community extends beyond the            white settlement artifacts in Canada.”
that equips students for future careers       designed to encourage reflection on the        student-teacher relationship: “Faculty
and engages them in discovering the           use and orientation of technology. How         and staff enjoy working with each other,”        Toward the end of August, the museum
world God created.                            much do you use technology and why?            Janzen observes. “I take that for granted        lost its curator amidst plans to reno-
                                              How has engagement with technology             because that’s how a place should be.”           vate its lower galleries. Isaiah asked the
“Our grads get good jobs!” notes Dr.          changed? What does the future hold?’                                                            museum manager how he might be able to        A diorama on the Dené, part of the “The Land Provides” gallery curated by 2nd year history
 Michael Janzen, Assistant Professor of                                                      “At King’s you don’t have to choose              help move the project forward. Soon after,    student, Isaiah Wiltzen, at the Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre.
 Computing Science. The program has           “Students learn about God’s creation            between doing God’s work and going to           he and two other employees were tasked
 developed a strong reputation for equip-      through these tools we’ve created that         university,” Tappenden adds. “There are         with curating the exhibit from an initial     historically called the Thebacha region         “I can’t imagine how terrifying that would
 ping graduates in their fields. “Employers    can do incredible things,” says Tappenden,     people who don’t know that they have the        concept to a professional final product.      (northern Alberta and southern NWT)              be,” he laughs.
 want our computing science students,”        “Zoom and video calls don’t come close to       choice to do both, to go somewhere that                                                       home. The themes of the exhibit cover the
Janzen adds; “There are not enough grad-       normal life, and we all mourn the loss of      honours both your spiritual and disci-          With an extensive collection of artifacts     techniques developed in response to the          With full creative freedom came a deep-
 uates to keep up with demand.”                [in-person] interactions, but we have real-    plinary convictions. I’m blessed to work in     containing everything from ancient arrow-     challenges of hunting and gathering.             felt responsibility to get things right.
                                               ized recently how much we rely on com-         a department that honours identity, curi-       heads and bows, to Qulliq — traditional                                                        Wiltzen and his peers spent endless
 Dr. Tappenden emphasizes that comput-         puters and the role computing science has      osity about the world, and the ways God         oil-based heaters — there was plenty of       Wiltzen shares one of the more interesting       hours poring over available literature and
 ing science at King’s is not only about a     in overcoming global challenges. Comput-       has wired people with different interests.”     material to work with, but a narrative was    strategies he came across in the course of       source material. Wiltzen credits the work
 career path, however. It’s about passion      ing Science is not about the medium, it’s                                                      required to bring it together. Isaiah and     his extensive research:                          he’s done in his first years of his history
 for the subject and for uncovering more       about the things it can enable.”              For Dr. Tappenden, the holistic approach         his team landed on developing an exhibit                                                       program with preparing him to research
 about the complexities of the world.                                                        he finds at King’s is the cornerstone of         conveying indigenous relationship with        In early winter, when black bears began          properly and write effectively.
“Computing science is no more the study       Students are welcomed and encour-              teaching computing science. “Everywhere          the land in the early European contact era.   their hibernation, Dené hunters would
 of computers than astronomy is the study     aged to speak with their professors, an        you look, you are using some sort of                                                           find a bear cave and quietly hide at the        “I’ve learned what actually goes into an
 of the telescope,” he explains. “Computers   element of King’s culture that Dr. Janzen      system,” he concludes. “We are preparing         The exhibit, entitled “The Land Provides,”    exit while others made as much noise as          exhibit. You don’t realize the amount of
 are the tools we use to study God’s cre-     appreciates. “I have to go outside King’s      students for careers, but in a way that          contains a wide variety of stories and        possible. When the startled bear emerged         work that goes into each detail. I have way
 ation. It’s about understanding the world    to really realize why I enjoy it here so       says jobs, skills, interest, and faith convic-   artifacts from the Dené, Métis, and Inu-      from its den, hunters would jump down on         more appreciation for how galleries are
 through a different lens.”                   much,” he says. The integration of faith       tions all matter.”                               vialuit peoples — three groups who have       top of it, armed with stone clubs.               created and the people behind them.”

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
“You have to be so adaptable this year,”
                                                                                                                                         says Dr. Turgeon, “but the possibilities
                                                                                                                                         are endless. The Beethoven Project has
                                                                                                                                         opened up new ways of thinking for music
                                                                                                                                         faculty at every university.”

                                                                                                                                        Many guests have participated while
                                                                                                                                        navigating the challenges of time zone
                                                                                                                                        differences, singing and teaching with
                                                                                                                                        project participants at odd hours, and out
                                                                                                                                        of the kindness of their hearts.

                                                                                                                                        “A highlight for me is the invited guests
                                                                                                                                         who provide expert insight about various
                                                                                                                                         choral music topics,” says Norm Hill, who
                                                                                                                                         has been singing with King’s Community
                                                                                                                                         Chorus since its beginning. “This is valu-
                                                                                                                                         able for me as an untrained musician.”
                                                                                                                                                                                      Left: ‘Duck bill’ singing masks allow section leaders to rehearse safely. Above: Dr. Melanie
                                                                                                                                        The choice to open project participation      Turgeon, director of King’s choral groups, conducts an international group of choristers from a
                                                                                                                                        to the Community Chorus at King’s was         pop-up recording studio in Knoppers Hall.
                                                                                                                                        very intentional, Turgeon notes. Beetho-
                                                                                                                                        ven’s ninth is “such a beast to sing and      “You have to be so adaptable this year but the possibilities are endless.
                                                                                                                                        it demands significant endurance.” The        The Beethoven Project has opened up new ways of thinking for music
                                                                                                                                        Community Chorus is open to singers of
                                                                                                                                        all levels, and the piece requires vocal      faculty at every university.”
                                                                                                                                        maturity, but the group was looking for a
                                                                                                                                        challenge.                                     have been able to gather in person, when        “Truthfully, I did not expect any choral
                                                                                                                                                                                       provincial guidelines have allowed for it.       activities to be available this year,” Hill
                                                                                                                                        The 2020-21 academic year has demanded         For the Community Chorus, this looks like        admits. “The making of choral music is
                                                                                                                                        much patience and creativity from the          hundreds of singers joining from home            the closest thing I have to a team sport in
                                                                                                                                        music department. “This year requires a        with a quartet leading vocals on-campus.         my recently retired life, especially during

Beethoven project unites
                                                                                                                                        different thought process when it comes       “The rehearsals have gone exceptionally           the pandemic. I appreciate the opportu-
                                                                                                                                        to structuring music instruction,” notes       well,” Turgeon says, a note of excitement        nity provided by King’s music department,

singers across the world
                                                                                                                                        Turgeon. Thanks to her hard work, singers      in her voice, “We’re really enjoying it.”        Melanie, and all the others.”

                                                                                                                                        New names for choral groups reflect dedication
BY EMILY FAUCHER

L    ast December marked the 250th
     anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. To
                                             “The connection between The King’s
                                              University, Concordia, and the University
                                                                                           performance of a section of the fourth
                                                                                           movement. To produce a high-quality                                                                                 The King’s University is pleased to introduce new names for its
celebrate, The King’s University Commu-       of Victoria exposes us to a huge range of   ‘performance’, recordings of each singer          Community Chorus                                                   performing choirs. These changes reflect the high level of ded-
nity Chorus is partnering with the choirs at musical expertise and talented additional     will be layered by a sound technician to                                                                            ication and hard work choristers pour into their performances
Concordia University of Edmonton and the voices,” says Ruth Vander Woude, a singer         create a virtual chorus.                         Alumni & Community Chorus                                          and add prestige and character to much-deserving groups of
University of Victoria to pursue a “Bee-      participating as a member of both King’s                                                                                                                         committed musicians.
thoven Project.” This project unites over     and Concordia’s community choirs. “I also   “I’ve been so appreciative of the immense
                                                                                                                                            Concert Choir
200 singers every three weeks for online      appreciate the inclusion of informational    amount of energy Melanie has dedicated                                                                              A new name for King’s Community Chorus was needed to more
rehearsals of Beethoven’s ninth symphony. sessions on singing techniques, lectures         to our small group this year,” says Cheryl       King’s Cantorum                                                    precisely represent the changing composition of this group. The
In addition to the work of Dr. Melanie        on Ukrainian and Scandinavian traditions,    Mahaffy, an alto with The King’s Alumni &                                                                           new name also reflects a strong desire to see continued alumni
Turgeon (King’s), Dr. Joy Berg (Concor-       and specific information about the ninth     Community Chorus. “Some singers have                                                                                engagement and participation with this chorus and the music
dia), and Dr. Elizabeth MacIsaac (Victoria),  symphony itself.”                            chosen not to be involved this year and it       Chamber Choir                                                      program moving forward.
online rehearsals include diverse presen-
tations from expert singers, vocal coaches, At the project’s inception the hope was
                                                                                           would be understandable if Melanie had
                                                                                           chosen to give this year a miss as well.
                                                                                                                                            King’s Chamber Singers                                             Year after year, the university enjoys professionalism and joy
musicologists, conductors, and other          to perform live this spring but partic-      Instead, she has arranged a diverse menu                                                                            embodied by its choirs. With these new names, the university
professionals from across the world.          ipants are now preparing for a virtual       of singing, listening, and learning.”                                                                               honours those with a passion for choral music at King’s.

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
W
Wait Well
                                                                                                                             aiting.                                The war was very different from our               Combatants spent so much time just wait-
                                                                                                                                                                    pandemic times, of course, and we should          ing to move. Prisoners and internees lived
                                                                                                                                                                    be careful of drawing parallels with our          in an almost perpetual state of waiting:
                                                                                                                    What have you waited a long time for?           current predicament. But, having said that,       waiting to be liberated. Waiting for the
                                                                                                                    What are you still waiting for? Who are you     there are, I believe, some things that might      hunger to subside. Waiting for something
                                                                                                                    still waiting for?                              resonate with us if we listen carefully to        to quench their thirst. Waiting to die. Of
     BY DR. MARK SANDLE, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY                                                                                                                       their voices. What can we learn about how         all the forms of waiting experienced in
                                                                                                                    I have been thinking about waiting for          to wait well from the people who lived            WW2, probably the one that speaks most
                                                                                                                    quite some time now.                            through these times?                              directly to us is the waiting generated by
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      the deep uncertainty of wartime. When
                                                                                                                    This has, in part, been prompted by living      There were different types of waiting in          will it end? When will we see our loved
                                                                                                                    through this pandemic. We are, all of us,       WW2. Much of the waiting was episodic,            ones again? Will we see our loved ones
                                                                                                                    waiting. Waiting for a vaccine. Waiting for     intense, replete with dread and fear: the         again? Will I survive?
                                                                                                                    a test result. Waiting to see people again.     combatants who were waiting to go into
                                                                                                                    Waiting to travel. Waiting for “normal life”    battle; the civilians waiting for the drone       Tragically, much of the waiting of wartime
                                                                                                                    to return. Waiting for anxiety and dread        of the engines to pass overhead — unsure          went on long after the war was over. This
                                                                                                                    to disappear. Waiting for the package to        if it was their turn to be bombed; the            Belorussian woman reflects on the empti-
                                                                                                                    arrive. We wait for other things, too, in       prisoners waiting for their punishment to         ness of waiting for her lover to return:
                                                                                                                    non-pandemic times. Waiting for that text       begin. Eric Lomax relates a terrible story of
                                                                                                                    message. Waiting for that phone call from       waiting. POW punishments could last for          “I look out the window, it’s as if he’s sitting there
                                                                                                                    the doctor. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.          hours, sometimes days. As one person was         …Sometimes in the evening something seems to
                                                                                                                                                                    being slowly physically degraded or killed,       be there...I’m already old, but I always see him
                                                                                                                    Waiting has become that rare thing in           the others waited their turn. Would it be         young. The way he was when he left. If I dream of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      him he’s always young. And I’m young too…The
                                                                                                                    today’s world: a universal state of being       them? The waiting was interminable. Time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      women all got death notices, but I got a scrap of
                                                                                                                    that we all share (even though of course        disappeared. You were frozen in an intense
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      paper - “Missing in Action.” Written in blue ink. For
                                                                                                                    the type, intensity, and duration of the        moment, driven to the edge of insanity:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      the first 10 years I waited for him every day. I wait
                                                                                                                    waiting is felt very differently in different                                                     for him even now. As long as we live we can hope
                                                                                                                    communities). I too am waiting for this         “There was nothing we could do about it now; we   for anything…”
                                                                                                                    pandemic to subside. I am longing for the        stood there knowing it was coming . . . We stood
                                                                                                                    return of face-to-face teaching. There is        there for 12 hours with our back to that hut. The    The waiting here is endless, unrequited.
                                                                                                                    one exception, though — I have given up          nerves and flesh of the back become terribly sen- The woman waits. And waits. And waits. It
                                                                                                                                                                     sitive and vulnerable when turned to an enemy. stretches out before her. That tiny phrase
                                                                                                                    waiting for the England soccer team to win
                                                                                                                                                                     At any moment I expected to feel a rifle-butt on
                                                                                                                    the World Cup again. I will die long before                                                           — “missing in action” — is both a fragment
                                                                                                                                                                     my spine, a bayonet thrust between my shoul-
                                                                                                                    that ever happens.                                                                                    of hope and a nagging torment. With
                                                                                                                                                                     der-blades. All we heard was their talk, the occa-
                                                                                                                                                                     sional rough laughter. The intense heat of the sun, both uncertainty and possibility, each
                                                                                                                    This personal waiting time has intersected       the irritation of flies and mosquitoes feeding on    day brings both hope and despair as the
                                                                                                                    neatly with my professional activities. The      sweat, itching skin, the painful contraction of eyes waiting continues. The war is over but the
                                                                                                                    research for my latest book — about the          against the light and even the fear of violent death waiting—the waiting is never over.
                                                                                                                    experiences and emotions of humans               has been superseded, by the evening, by the even
                                                                                                                    living and dying in WW2 — has given me           more powerful sensation of a burning thirst… the     One of my favourite WW2 poems is called
                                                                                                                    pause to consider what waiting must have         gang came back out at night. My special friend Mor- “Wait for me” by Konstantin Simonov.
                                                                                                                    felt like for everyone who lived in those        ton Mackay was called forward. I was next in line… There is a line towards the end—“You
                                                                                                                                                                     The moments while I was waiting my turn were the
                                                                                                                    times. How did people feel living through                                                             alone knew how to wait”—that has given
                                                                                                                                                                     worst of my life. The expectation is indescribable;
                                                                                                                    the war? As I comb through the diaries                                                                me pause to reflect upon the “how” of
                                                                                                                                                                     a childhood story of Protestant martyrs watching
                                                                                                                    and the stories, I am struck by the words                                                             waiting. How do we wait well? What does
                                                                                                                                                                     friends die in agony on the rack flashed through
                                                                                                                    that I read, and by the emotions that lie        my mind. To have to witness the torture of others    it mean to wait well? How do we remain
                                                                                                                    behind them. The constant gnawing fear.          and see the preparations for the attack on one’s     hopeful in the face of deep abiding uncer-
                                                                                                                    The grief and the despair. The love and the      own body is a punishment in itself, especially when  tainty and fear? Those who learnt to wait
                                                                                                                    hate. The loss. The anger and the sadness.       there is no escape. The experience is the beginning  well came over time to know the following
                                                                                                                    I have become preoccupied with some of           of a form of insanity.”                              things.
                                                                                                                    the more everyday feelings that people
                                                                                                                    had. The stoicism. The living through a          But there was also a much slower, seem-          James Stockdale was imprisoned for
                                                Wait for Me, Daddy – Claude P. Dettloff                             protracted global conflict. The fragile          ingly endless form of waiting that people        seven years during the Vietnam War. He
                                                British Columbia Regiment, DCO, marching in New Westminster, 1940   hopes. And waiting falls into this category.     in WW2 experienced: everyday waiting.            experienced torture, deprivation, and
                                                City of Vancouver Archives online database                          For central to the experiences of WW2 was        People had to wait in line. People had           uncertainty. How did he survive? He says
                                                                                                                    the act of waiting.                              to wait for water supplies to be restored.       that he was able to survive because he

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
forced himself to acknowledge the
 terrible reality that he was now living in.
 He remarks that those who were optimists
 did not fare well:

“… they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to
 be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come,
 and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re
 going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come,
 and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and
 then it would be Christmas again. And they died of
 a broken heart … This is a very important lesson.
 You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in
 the end—which you can never afford to lose—with
 the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of
 your current reality, whatever they might be. I lived

                                                                                                                                                                                       Pandemics past
 on a day-to-day basis . . . .”

To wait well means to live on a day-to-day
basis. To face and accept the reality of the
situation we are in every day. We must
                                                                                                                                                                               How crises have inspired courage, selflessness, and compassion
recognize the pain and the stress, the
despair and the longing, that we are all                                                                                                                                                 BY DR. CAROLINE LIEFFERS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY
experiencing. But the key is not to allow                “Faith that we will get through this has to go hand-in-hand with the
this acceptance to move us into passivity
or a spiral of despair. Instead we should
ask ourselves: what then shall we do today,
                                                         acceptance each day of the reality we are living through. It takes
                                                         patience and discipline to focus on the day that stands before us.”
                                                                                                                                                       E     pidemics and pandemics are
                                                                                                                                                             terrifying events. They shake up any
                                                                                                                                                       easy understanding of dominion over
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Milan experienced a wave of plague in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                     1570s, and the city was put under a gen-
                                                                                                                                                                                                     eral quarantine. But Cardinal Carlo Borro-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    established in 1919 to help coordinate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    collective response to disease. Wellness is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    a shared project.
given where we are at? Faith that we will                                                                                                              nature or the social order. We are made to    meo, knowing the importance of worship
get through this has to go hand-in-hand                  other direction. So how do we find hope in     the great illusions of modern life is that     wait, to acknowledge that time is not our     and civic connection, arranged for parish      Courage and selflessness, too, are recur-
with the acceptance each day of the real-                a time of waiting? It is important to recog-   many of us “control” our lives. Instead, in    own. And in their mystery and ferocity,       bells to ring seven times each day as a call   ring themes in the history of epidemics
ity we are living through. It takes patience             nize that hope is different from optimism.     recognizing our relative powerlessness,        pandemics and epidemics press us to ask       to prayer. As musicologist Remi Chiu has       and pandemics. In 1954, around 1.8
and discipline to focus on the day that                  Hope, according to Vaclav Havel, is not        we can focus on the everyday virtues of        fundamental questions: How do we deal         noted, one group of people would chant         million children participated in the trial
stands before us.                                        optimizm, which expects things to turn out     solidarity, empathy, patience, and perse-      with the unknown? What are we willing         litanies or supplications from their doors     of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, receiving
                                                         well, but is rooted in the conviction that     verance.                                       to sacrifice? How do we reckon with our       or windows, and another group would sing       a “Polio Pioneer” card and badge for
 Secondly, to wait well is to wait “with” as             there is good in the world worth working                                                      own mortality? The mortality of strangers?    in response. Milan’s nearly 300,000 voices     their efforts. This spirit of altruism is also
 well as to wait “for”. Just waiting “for”               for. Waiting with hope means doing the         Finally, waiting well can help us to rethink   How should we love one another?               rose together in song. A commentator           famously remembered by Salk’s response
 something or someone stretches out the                  work of gathering the fragments of hope        our understanding of time. Waiting for                                                       compared the ambiance to a cloister of         to the question, “Who owns the patent
 time in front of us and forces our atten-               we find around us each day. Where are the      something to be over can lead us into a        There is much evidence that pandemics         religious brothers and sisters, or perhaps     on this vaccine?” He answered, “Well, the
 tion onto a not yet realized future. This is            fragments of hope, the glimmers of light?      way of thinking that we are ‘wasting’ time     can bring out the worst in people, ampli-     heavenly Jerusalem itself. Even in isola-      people, I would say. There is no patent.
 natural of course, but it can be problem-               Find them. Keep them close.                    and that when the waiting is over we will      fying fear, xenophobia, and selfishness in    tion, people nurtured one another’s faith.     Could you patent the sun?” The remark-
 atic because we do not see what is directly                                                            be able to resume our ‘normal’ lives. This     the guise of self-protection. Jewish people                                                  able terror of polio inspired an equally
 around us. Instead of waiting for — or                  Fourthly, to wait well is to recognize our     leads us to see time as a resource to be       experienced egregious violence in Europe      Pandemics and epidemics have also              remarkable magnanimity.
 perhaps as well as waiting for — this to be             powerlessness and our lack of control. In      consumed, rather than a gift to be enjoyed.    during the Black Death, while the Chinese     helped people see the need for unity and
 over, we should wait with intention. Don’t              WW2 millions were put into positions of        We might just want to give pause to dream      population was scapegoated during the         charity. Commentators in the early twen-       Pandemics and epidemics cut deep into
 pass up the opportunity to find life in each            powerlessness by forces outside of their       of another, better world than the ‘normal’     San Francisco plague of 1900. People          tieth century sometimes talked about           a society. You could say they dissect
 moment. We don’t know how long this                     control. This is an important reminder,        we were in before this happened. The war       experiencing poverty, without access to       “the socialism of the microbe.” Disease        it, showing us its bones and sinews, its
 season will be. The temptation is to spend              particularly for those of us who are for-      caused people to dream of a better world       good housing, nutrition, and health care,     did not necessarily respect wealth and         vulnerabilities and prejudices, its political,
 it perpetually longing for it to be over. But           tunate enough to be wealthy, educated,         and to take steps to realize that. Maybe, as   also suffered disproportionately in many      privilege, and some working-class activ-       economic, and spiritual priorities. The
 simple practices and rhythms can help us.               and privileged in today’s world. Billions      we wait, we can allow ourselves to dream       epidemics, and they were all too often        ists were able to get funding for improved     strengths and weaknesses of its moral
 Be a good friend. Be a good neighbour. Do               of people around our world today live          a little too.                                  blamed for their illnesses. We can find       housing and sanitation by arguing that         bonds. Today, we might reflect on our
 your work well. Connect with your loved                 lives at the mercy of markets, climate,                                                       sobering parallels in our own society, and    illness in their communities put everyone      own communities, the importance of the
 ones. Perpetual longing might also mean                 and the arbitrary actions of others. They      We are all waiting and longing for this time   there is much to grieve. But pandemics        at risk. Similarly, during the 1918 flu epi-   collective, and the courage and selfless-
 we miss a new way of being in the world                 are almost totally powerless. Waiting          to be over of course, just as the people in    past offer hopeful lessons, too. In them,     demic, Canada recognized that its patch-       ness of those who work to keep us well.
 that is emerging slowly in this waiting time.           can remind us of the lives of others and       WW2 waited and longed for the conflict to      we might appreciate the resilience of com-    work of private health care providers and      And from this place of hope, we might be
                                                         deepen our sense of empathy. To wait well      end. As we do so, let us learn to wait well,   munity, the importance of the collective,     under-resourced local health boards was        guided to our next acts, and ensure that
Thirdly, hope. Hope disappears quickly and               requires an acceptance of our lack of con-     and to work for the good that there is in      and the beauty of courage and selfless-       not up the task of protecting the nation.      COVID-19 is remembered for the ways that
comes back slowly. Despair works in the                  trol and an acknowledgement that one of        our world.                                     ness. And we might be inspired to act.        The federal Department of Health was           it compelled us to be better.

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NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE KING'S UNIVERSITY WINTER 2021 - The King's University
the given life is enough. We can draw on        social media posts and advertisements as          the logic that underpins the worst impulses
                                                                                                                                              the spirit of the God who gives gener-          invitations to want something else, some-         of our culture?
                                                                                                                                              ously, deeply, surprisingly — to turn from      thing more, something better.
                                                                                                                                              ourselves and toward others. In my better                                                         Sometimes I can answer yes to those ques-
                                                                                                                                              moments, the pandemic has been an               So I’ve tried to ask myself some questions        tions but often my answer is ‘sort of’ or ‘no,
                                                                                                                                              invitation to return to this simplicity and     that help me move away from a pervasive           not really.’ I know that answering ‘no’ is a
                                                                                                                                              practicality in pursuit of a more just world.   fear of scarcity and toward a sense that the      path to diminishing myself and others.
                                                                                                                                                                                              God of abundance has given me enough:
                                                                                                                                              For me, this strange season has not been                                                          We do not have time — now, in this pan-
                                                                                                                                              an opportunity to start a new exercise          Can I live more simply, even now, to make         demic season, or afterwards — for those
                                                                                                                                              regime or learn another sourdough starter       space for generosity toward others? Can           things that diminish us. But, to misquote
                                                                                                                                              recipe (though there has been time for          this season help me in this?                      Stanley Hauerwas, God-in-Christ has given
                                                                                                                                              that as well). It has been an invitation to                                                       us all the time we need to make space for
                                                                                                                                              remember that — even in complicated and         Can I live within limits to better live in        others and allow others to make space
                                                                                                                                              uncertain times — ‘who God possesseth           solidarity with others? Can this season help      for us. We have been given all the time we
                                                                                                                                              in nothing is wanting’. This is not easy to     me do this?                                       need to resist distress and embrace the
                                                                                                                                              recognize in a world marked so profoundly                                                         spaciousness of Christ’s salvation.
                                                                                                                                              by the power of savage global capitalism        Can I live well with myself, resisting the pull
                                                                                                                                              that constantly prompts us to see others’       to compare my life to others and so avoid         May we use our time well.

                                                                                                                                              Our connection
                                                                                                                                              to the land
Making space, being saved                                                                                                                     R     ae Madge is a fifth-year sociology student with a minor in
                                                                                                                                                    English from Leduc, Alberta. Rae recently took the
Recognizing God’s abundance in uncertain times                                                                                                Literature and the Environment course taught by English
BY JONATHAN NICOLAI-DEKONING, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, MICAH CENTRE FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT                                                      professor Dr. Elizabeth Willson Gordon. These poems come from
                                                                                                                                              a class project that encouraged students to spend time in

I   n her recent book Opening Israel’s
    Scriptures, scholar Ellen Davis notes
that the Hebrew word for salvation is
                                                 spaciousness? How do we make space for
                                                 others? How do we allow others — and our
                                                 Creator  — to make space for us?
                                                                                               love still holds us and can make space for
                                                                                               us to flourish.
                                                                                                                                              thoughtful reflection with natural environments inside the city.

rooted in notions of ‘making space.’ In the                                                    Early Celtic Christians witnessed this         THE EVIDENCE                                                             IMPLANTED BRIDGES
ancient Hebrew imagination, to ‘save’ is         Throughout the pandemic, a common             wisdom. Many of the communities that           The beach is peppered, wholly,                                           What good is a bridge?
to make space for another. Tellingly, sal-       Celtic prayer with deep biblical roots has    gave rise to the tradition of Celtic prayer    In fire pit debris and stones in their glory.                            For humans, passage, mobility.
vation’s opposite in ancient Hebrew is dis-      given me pause: ‘Who God possesseth in        were subsistence farmers and labourers         A history of who was here, and who stayed.                               Making things far away closer.
tress, which is literally to ‘be constricted.’   nothing is wanting; alone God sufficeth.’     in Scotland and Ireland who asked God to       If a rock could tell me its story                                        Making land the stakeholder of our ease.
                                                                                               ‘number their days’ as they found shelter      Would I listen fully?                                                    There are peoples who travelled by horse-back,
During this long season of lockdowns,            There is a beautiful simplicity to this       in the simple abundance of God’s ordinary      Would I be patient enough to hold on to                                  Single file through the trees.
quarantines, and self-isolation, we are          prayer: those who are held by the triune      gifts of life and love. In times of scarcity   The details of billions of years of servitude                            An impact no wider than one man.
easily led to distress. How often have           God of love may live lives of simple abun-    and of plenty, their work and prayer           Of compaction, heat, and pressure,                                       But this bridge, it bulldozes through valley
we felt constricted, penned up, fenced           dance, of ‘enough’ — wanting nothing          cultivated a sense that an abundant God        To develop the necessary elements all together                           The width of four lanes and more,
in — not just by the four walls around us,       beyond what is necessary, giving to oth-      had given them enough to live deeply and       Just so I could look upon a rock in awe for a moment,                    Slicing deep into the sides of her hills.
but by our feelings of anxiety and despair,      ers, thanking the Giver for the given life.   wisely, despite very difficult lives.          Then toss it away back into the river without even holding it?           Implanting itself without checking if it matches her tissues.
that we or our neighbours may not make it        While many of us shelter in place, while                                                     As if it hadn’t spent millions of waves                                  How long will it take for her to overtake it?
to the far side of this pandemic?                vulnerable sisters and brothers around        That witness — echoed in the lives of          Aching toward the surface.                                               How deep are the claws of its grasp?
                                                 the world and down our street feel the        subsistence farmers and labourers around       Could I bare even one beach’s worth of tales                             How loved is the land by creator?
How do we move from feeling ‘fenced              sharpest edges of the pandemic’s force,       the world today — is a reminder of the         If to know just one intimately would indict me?                          How many generations before it forgets?
in’ to salvation, from distress to               this prayer is a reminder that the God of     profound simplicity of biblical wisdom:

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Playing the long game
                                Planting the seed of conservation and watching it grow
                                BY NIKOLAS VANDER KOOY

                                V     ern Peters grew up in Winnipeg
                                      and when he was 12, his family
                                moved to a property along the banks
                                of the Assiniboine River. As a young boy,
                                his passion for conservation emerged
                                out of a desire for adventure. He loved
                                to canoe, explore the banks of the river,
                                and above all, fish! His parents, as most
                                practical parents would be wont to do,
                                insisted their twelve-year-old lad knew to
                                clean any fish he kept. This small request
                                turned Peters into a “catch and release”
                                fisherman. It got him thinking inten-
                                tionally about his role in conserving the
                                environment.

                                As an aspiring wildlife biologist, Peters
                                entered a Bachelor of Science program in
                                ecology at the University of Manitoba. In       Professor of Biology, Dr. Vern Peters, at age 12 holding a fish caught at his family home along the
                                time, his love and experience for explor-       Assiniboine River in Winnipeg, MB.
                                ing nature afforded him opportunities
                                to work with senior graduate students           employment with Ducks Unlimited Can-               Though he was well on his way toward
                                on fire ecology projects – their research       ada, working to restore natural grasslands         building an impressive resumé as a
                                sites being located along the undisturbed       on agricultural properties throughout              researcher, Peters had a feeling that it was
                                remote waters of northern Manitoba and          Manitoba and Saskatchewan.                         all in preparation for a larger calling yet to
                                accessible only with the guidance of an                                                            come.
                                experienced canoeist. Peters himself            While working on his Ph.D. from the Uni-
                                conducted his own senior thesis on urban        versity of Alberta, Peters gained valuable         “I really had a passion for environmental
                                biodiversity using his family home on           experience in the forest industry, applying         education, specifically amongst Christian
                                the Assiniboine as one of 15 properties         findings from his research to the develop-          communities, in thinking about elevating
                                included in the course of his field research.   ment of more sustainable forest manage-             our commitment to stewardship of cre-
                                                                                ment techniques and practices. He then              ation,” states Peters.
                                Although Peters’ first passion as an            landed his dream job as a fire researcher
                                emerging professional was wildlife conser-      with the Canadian Forest Service. In that           He had known about King’s for the
                                vation, opportunities in plant and forest       role, Peters observed patterns of fire              better part of his life, having had several
                                ecology presented themselves more               behaviour all over Canada and explored              childhood friends travel from Winnipeg to
                                readily. Amongst other things, he pursued       various implications of climate change.             Edmonton to pursue an education there.

20   CONNECTION | WINTER 2021                                                                                                            CONNECTION | WINTER 2021                21
red squirrels, using fire as a recovery tool      and hopefully instilling a love for nature
                                                                                                                                                 for the whitebark pine, and minimizing            and a desire to protect it in the process. In
                                                                                                                                                 cattle trampling in rangelands.                   time, many of those Peters has partnered
                                                                                                                                                                                                   with will think more critically about
                                                                                                                                                 While the full impact of the —restoration         their relationship with the environment.
                                                                                                                                                 work won’t be seen for several decades or         More than a few have already gone on to
                                                                                                                                                 more, there have been more immediate              post-secondary programs and careers
                                                                                                                                                 returns on these efforts. Summer research         related to conservation.
                                                                                                                                                 projects on private cattle ranches have
                                                                                                                                                 uncovered fascinating intersections               “Christ taught from the creation by taking
                                                                                                                                                 between protecting natural woodlands               people out into the field. In bringing stu-
                                                                                                                                                 and increased range efficiency due to              dents to important natural sites and the
                                                                                                                                                 enhanced shelter forests. Landowners               people and landowners we are working
                                                                                                                                                 have also gained new tools and data to             with, we’re telling the parable of the pine.     Students from Immanuel Christian High in
                                                                                                                                                 advocate for the agricultural activities that      There is an incredible story here in terms       Lethbridge planting limber pine seedlings.
                                                                                                                                                 happen on their land and the ecological            of how people live in this province and
                                                                                                                                                 viability of their properties, for example,        how they can delight in God’s nature and          courses and opportunities for students.
                                                                                                                                                 in regard to proposed transmission lines           his wisdom in the creation. We are declar-        The installation will also provide a new
Observing bird activity and monitoring acoustic recording devices, Landslide Lake Trail, Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve, Alberta (2020).     and sewer treatment plants.                        ing God’s good works.”                            site for skill set development in grass-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      lands and seismic line restoration work
As a graduate student at the U of A, Peters      bark trees were noted as being critical in        patterns of bird behaviour to gauge the       Another immediate payoff of Peters’ work                                                            – applicable and employable skills on the
had also been invited to a conference at         preventing and deterring similar disasters        importance of alpine avian activity in        has been conservation education and                                                                  Canadian prairies and oilfields.
King’s exploring the role of Christians in       in the future.                                    post- fire tree regeneration. Some of the     inspiration. Each year, entire classes of         This spring, Dr. Peters’ research and con-
creation care.                                                                                     trips were completed in long 17 hour days,    King’s students have had opportunities            servation efforts are poised to pivot a lot       “While we’re restricted with travelling off-
                                                 Dr. Peters’ research on these trees at            others involved overnight stays high up in    to get involved in data-collection and            closer to home. Peters will be heading up          site due to COVID-19, we have the perfect
“I filed King’s away in my memory until,         King’s started as a summer survey on seed         the mountains.                                analysis—real-world experiences that              a grasslands restoration project right on          opportunity to push forward a new grass-
 one day, I became aware that a position         production with a student worker back                                                           provide exposure to industry best prac-           King’s campus. Natural prairie grasslands          lands feature on campus. This will allow
 was open here.”                                 in 2007. In 2013, as a complement to his         “There is an incredible story here             tices. Peters’ small-scale community tree         are some of the most threatened eco-               us to engage more regularly with conser-
                                                 research, Peters began running active                                                           planting and restoration projects have            systems in Canada, largely due to their            vation-related activities as well as wildlife
                                                 small-scale conservation and restoration          in terms of how people live in this           also grown in scale. Today Peters regularly       easy conversion to agriculture and other           monitoring, plant restoration techniques,
                                                 projects with groups of friends and mem-          province and how they can delight             takes high school classes into the field on       purposes. When complete, King’s prairie            and more,” explains Peters.
Since starting at King’s in 2005, Dr. Peters     bers from his home church in Edmonton.                                                          tree planting excursions, teaching them           installation will allow natural science
has conducted an extended research               Ever since, Peters has engaged in annual          in God’s nature and his wisdom                about conservation concerns, the work             faculty to further develop additional edu-        “The goal of the project is to develop a one
project with various annual summer field         summer restoration and monitoring                 in the creation.”                             that’s being done to mitigate these issues,       cation, research, and conservation related         acre prairie that is resistant to change over
research focuses on the decline of the           projects with his students and faith-based                                                                                                                                                           time and which will permanently retain
limber and white bark pines.                     community groups from across Alberta.                                                                                                                                                                the character of a grassland through
                                                                                                  “What’s interesting is that the Clark’s nut-                                                                                                        strong establishment of species we plant
Unmitigated, the disappearance of these          Summer 2020 was as close to business as           cracker, both collects and plants the seeds         EXISTING
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      there. Sod will be removed this May and
endangered high-altitude trees will affect       usual as possible for Peters. As in previous      of these pines. Those it forgets about are          TREE NURSERY                                                                                   piled to create berms. There are also plans
many of the places Canadians love to live,       years, Peters and a student researcher            the only ones that germinate. It’s a won-                                                                                                          for a trail system to connect the grassland
visit, and vacation in each year. These two      drove out to a designated research site—          derful story of a bird with a very specific                                                                                                        with the existing woodland swale, soccer
pines alone directly support over 35 spe-        though in separate vehicles to maintain           function and a highly important pathway                                                                                                            pitch, and future naturalized coniferous
                                                                                                                                                                               MULTI-USE TRAIL
cies of vertebrates — the most charismatic       distancing—in the ongoing attempt to fill         for natural regeneration.”                                                                                                                         areas. If all goes well, a specially selected
of which is the grizzly bear. Indirectly, they   in knowledge gaps on the disappearance                                                                COMMUNITY                                                                                      seed mix of native species will be planted
                                                                                                                                                       GARDEN
support hundreds more. Should these              and recovery of these species.                    It has taken over thirteen years to get to                                                                                                         this fall.”
pines be left to diminish, or vanish, the                                                          this point, but the cumulative efforts by
effects would be devastating.                    This summer’s project was a third study           Peters and his partners are paying off.                                                                                                           The grassland installation will diversify
                                                 on the relationship between fire and                                                                                             EDUCATION NOOK                     When complete, King’s nat-      the types of natural areas available to stu-
Peters points out that the large mam-            the regeneration of the pines along the           The research is being directly used by the                                                                        uralized grasslands will fea-   dents on campus and expand the proper-
                                                                                                                                                       NATURALIZED
mal wildlife that visitors have come to          northern edge of Banff National Park.             province and industry to inform invest-             GRASSLANDS                                                    ture restored prairie grasses   ty’s naturalized areas by about 35 percent.
expect and enjoy in Alberta’s mountain           The two launched a series of treks across         ment and maximize efforts to restore                                                      TOP                     and wild flowers, raised        Seed mix trials will be run out of King’s
                                                                                                                                                                                     SLOPE
parks would certainly be detrimentally           landslides and snowfields, climbing over          these two important species to more                                                12'
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     berms, comfortable seating      campus greenhouse and students will
affected, but the effects on humans would        2000 meters in a five hour period, to reach       sustainable numbers. A number of recov-                                                                           areas, and multipe test plots   propagate wildflower plugs to be added to
be greater. For instance, after the 2013         the high elevation field sites. The pair          ery actions have been put in place such                                                                           for student lab work and        select areas of the grasslands installation
Calgary and High River, Alberta floods,          replaced memory cards and batteries in            as the monitoring of cone crops for seed                                                                          courses on conservation and     for student research, monitoring, and
the restoration of the limber and white          various audio recorders and monitored             collections, protection of seed trees from                                                                        ecological restoration.         testing purposes in future years.

22   CONNECTION | WINTER 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                             CONNECTION | WINTER 2021                23
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