Ashbury AshburyNews News Spring 2013
Winter 2020
HEADED FOR THE FUTURE Ashbury launches new strategic plan
ENSEMBLE VERS 2025 Un nouveau plan stratégique
125TH YEAR
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Ashbury
Ball
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Homecoming
2019
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Roya
Shams ’15
Ashbury News Winter 2020
Table of Contents
Ashbury News is published twice a year and sent to over 4,000 alumni, parents and friends.
News & Notes
Ashbury News is printed on 35% recycled paper. Online magazine updates are available at ashbury.ca
A transformational donation
Please submit news, story ideas, alumni updates, and any address changes to:
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Ashbury Ball
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Ashbury College Communications Office 362 Mariposa Avenue Ottawa, ON K1M 0T3 communications@ashbury.ca Phone: 613.749.5954
Volunteer Recognition
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Ashbury College Charity Golf Classic
Inside front cover: Students performed Avenue Q School Edition during a four-night run in December. Inside back cover: Julian Procter, Grade 7, presented on ‘Regular Medical Checkups and Screenings’ at the fifth annual TEDx event in November.
Ashbury Alumni 8
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Reunions
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Back cover: Grade 9 Geography students learned about rocks and geology thanks to visitors from Carleton University’s Department of Earth Studies.
Homecoming
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From Afghanistan to graduation stage
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@ashburycollege
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Home and Away
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Ashbury Chatter MOVING? Update your address. alumni@ashbury.ca
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In Memoriam
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Head of School
From the
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s we enter a new decade, Ashbury College has its sights set firmly on the future. Within these pages, you will be able to explore the renewal to our strategic plan that will guide us for the next five years. Building on our rich history, we will continue to develop our strong teaching and learning programs while reaching outward to create stronger ties with the world around us. Aiding in that goal are our unique relationship with two membership organizations, Round Square and CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools), both of which have provided students with some incredible opportunities of late. Following on the heels of our own hosting of the Round Square International Conference (RSIC) last fall, a group of Ashbury students travelled to India in October for the same conference, exploring the theme of ‘Sarvodaya—the world we wish to see.’ Both our visiting students and faculty had a unique perspective on this particular conference, as they engaged with the experience of hosts still fresh in their minds. All returned back to Canada enriched and newly committed to the Round Square IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, Service) here at home. In early November, we welcomed a team of faculty and staff from other independent schools as they conducted an accreditation visit for CAIS. As a founding member of CAIS schools we are committed to school improvement through the rigorous accreditation process, which takes place every seven years, and standards that CAIS offers. Through the cycle of re-accreditation, our internal evaluation—which took more than a year of intense planning and preparation—allowed us to reflect on the quality of our programs, our operations and of course the sense of community that we seek to build at Ashbury. The three-day CAIS visit was full of activity, but the accrediting team left impressed with the school. We will receive the full accreditation visit report in the coming months and
look forward to reviewing and implementing its recommendations and suggestions. In addition to these initiatives, our campus was busy throughout the fall with such events as Homecoming and associated reunions; our much-loved annual House Run; a well-attended Admissions Information Session for prospective families; our fifth student-led TEDx Ashbury, which saw presenters address the theme of WhyNot?; the U13 CAIS soccer tournament, hosted here; the Parents’ Committee Careerscope, focused on preparing for the future; a masked-soiree Ashbury Ball in support of students; curriculum evenings; parent-teacher interviews; fall concerts; Music Art Drama night; numerous athletic competitions and championships; and more. Our community remains energized, and I look forward to harnessing that energy as we move together— and beyond. Ensemble vers 2025! Probitas, Comitas, Virtus, Norman Southward Head of School–Directeur
NEWS & NOTES
c hampionships
A trio of
Three wins on the same day a first for Ashbury
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From top to bottom, Senior Boys Football, Senior Girls Basketball and Senior Boys Volleyball
A huge well done to all the players and coaches for this historic victory for Ashbury.
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ovember 19 will go down in Ashbury’s history books, as more than 60 Ashbury students competed in three separate city championship games—and won. In one of the busiest days on the school’s athletic calendar, Ashbury’s Senior Boys Football team, the Senior Girls Basketball team and the Senior Boys Volleyball team each vyed for a championship in their respective sport. Senior Boys Football led the way as they played first on the schedule. The game started off close, but it wasn’t long before all the nights of long practices paid off. When the final horn sounded the score was Ashbury 42–Colonel By 12, led by the outstanding play of Brad Hunger with three touchdowns. The victory earned the team a spot to represent Ottawa at the provincial championships, OFSAA, on November 28. Despite a valiant effort on the field at McMaster University, where the game was held, Ashbury couldn’t hold on to the title they earned last year. The Senior Girls Basketball team had a home game that saw the Benloulou Gym packed with students, parents and teachers for the match against Louis Riel. An early lead by the opposing team put a win in doubt, but slowly the team chipped away at the lead and at the end of three quarters of play it was 34–34. The final eight minutes of the game saw the lead change back and forth. Emily Gay was spectacular down the stretch, dropping long shots to put us ahead by as much as six at one point. An exceptionally strong defence by Ashbury prevented a last-minute shot from being taken and we won 48–46. The crowd went wild, emptying onto the floor to join in the celebrations. The team had little time to revel in their victory as the next morning they boarded a plane for Halifax where they competed in the CAIS National Championship, returning with another win. And finally, our Senior Boys Volleyball team played the last of the three matches. They had drawn A.Y. Jackson as opponents, a team known for having a strong volleyball program. A sluggish first game handed the boys a 25–8 loss, but the boys rallied and won the next two sets, led by the athleticism and energy of Will Nguyen. The team was close to victory, but the opposition took the fourth set. Determined, Ashbury dominated the fifth set 15–9 and the championship sweep for the day was complete.
Experiential learning Students make memorable cultural visit to Indigenous community
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rade 12 IB Global Politics students spent a day at Kitigan Zibi, a reserve of the Anishinabeg First Nation, an Algonquin band, in October. The trip to the community of over 2,300, located near Maniwaki, Quebec, included participating in a smudging ceremony, visiting with community elders and hearing from residential school survivors as they shared their history. Students also had the opportunity to tour the Kitigan Zibi cultural centre, view the monument dedicated to children who were part of the Indian Residential School
system, and take part in a traditional lunch with their hosts. In the afternoon, the class visited the community school, where they joined Kitigan Zibi children for PE class in the gymnasium. The visit was part of Ashbury’s commitment to Indigenous education and was organized with the help of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa through Ashbury board member Dr. Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, and Ashburian family, the McGregors. Migwech and thank you to the Kitigan Zibi community for welcoming Ashbury with such open arms.
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Photos courtesy of Chris Miedema
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NEWS & NOTES
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A transformational donation Entrepreneur and Ashbury parent Olivier Benloulou lends his support to Ashbury
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livier Benloulou’s entree into the working world started young: at 11, he was a dishwasher in a local Gatineau restaurant. Benloulou worked hard and was quickly promoted to busboy, with a paper route on the side. By 15, he was a full-time busboy at a Quebec nightclub, which meant he was working most nights, returning home close to dawn. His work ethic was strong, as was his keen interest in business and entrepreneurship. Benloulou rose the ranks from busboy to waiter and by 18, he was working at Les Halles, one of Montreal’s best five-star restaurants. He credits this experience with teaching him about business and by the age of 22, Benloulou owned his first restaurant, Le Panaché, a French restaurant on rue Eddy in Hull. Le Panaché quickly grew from a 17-seat establishment to a 70-seat restaurant and he ended up buying the building, marking his foray into real estate investing. From the early days of his career, Benloulou was living and breathing the business, working seven days a week. He notes that people often link entrepreneurial success to luck, when in reality, it is more often a result of hard work, mind-set, and a high tolerance for risk. After more than a decade dedicated to the restaurant, Benloulou felt it was time to pivot, and it was a happenstance connection made at the Ritz hotel in Paris where he would meet his future business partner, Dr. Tran Tien. Benloulou’s emerging interest in fitness, nutrition, and physiology, coupled with Dr. Tran Tien’s health protocol, would eventually become Ideal Protein, a medicallydeveloped ketogenic weight loss/management protocol,
which includes a line of food products. Benloulou started the business out of his living room “warehouse” and the business expanded rapidly, growing to 450 employees and 3,500 medical partners across Canada, the U.S. and internationally. The commitment to the business and its explosive growth meant 100-hour weeks for Benloulou, where he travelled an average of 300 days out of the year for over a decade. The success of Ideal Protein has given Olivier the opportunity to expand his business portfolio: today, he owns more than 10 companies and believes in diversification, both in business and in personal investments. Benloulou says he is now at a stage where he can enjoy more quality time with his children and loved ones—after years of hard work—to travel, make memories, and pursue his passions. One of those passion is cars, and Benloulou has successfully channelled his love of automobiles into a passiondriven business: OB Prestige Auto. Car aficionados might already be familiar with Benloulou’s world-class collection
Ashbury has been the direct beneficiary of Benloulou’s generosity, with a transformational donation supporting the Centre for Science & Innovation.
NEWS & NOTES
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Olivier Benloulou with fiancée Pascale Emmanuelle Roy and children Alys and Samuel with the commemorative plaque that hangs outside the gymnasium, which now bears the family name
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Olivier Benloulou with a young Samuel and Alys
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Olivier Benloulou and family, flanked by James Baxter from the Ashbury College Foundation, Rachel Baxter campaign co-chair for the Centre for Science & Innovation campaign, Lori O’Neill, chair of Ashbury’s Board of Governors, Head of School Norman Southward, and athletic prefects Giulia Rhodes and Kade Erickson at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Le Gymnase Benloulou—the Benloulou Gymnasium on October 1, 2019
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of automobiles, housed within his Gatineau-based showroom. The public are invited to visit OB Prestige Auto to see the impressive collection first hand. Admission is free for children, while adults pay a small entry fee, which is donated to CHEO and the Gatineau Hospital. Benloulou says he believes that if every business owner did something, small or large, to benefit others, the collective impact would be remarkable. Ashbury has been the direct beneficiary of Benloulou’s generosity, with a transformational donation supporting the Centre for Science & Innovation, gifted in the spring of 2019. The donation will help propel the Centre for Science & Innovation from a vision to reality as the project nears substantial completion, and bestowed the Benloulou family name onto the school’s double gymnasium. Benloulou believes in the mission and vision of Ashbury and sees the impact on his own children (Samuel, Grade 11 and Alys, Grade 7) as their interest in school, and their motivation to be their best selves, flourishes. Education is important to Benloulou; while it was not part of his path to success in a traditional sense, he sees it as a way to empower young people to have choice. Choice in their post-secondary opportunities, choice in their co-curriculars and passions, and choice in their future. He says this is what fuels his desire to support Ashbury. Benloulou’s start in the working world was unconventional by traditional standards, but the path he travelled led to where he is today: successful entrepreneur, father, mentor, automobile enthusiast, and philanthropist. Ashbury is most grateful for the tremendous support from Olivier Benloulou.
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Ashbury Ball La Belle Époque, Le Bal Masqué
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he 2019 Ashbury Ball—La Belle Époque, Le Bal Masqué, patroned by Jamilah Taib-Murray and presented by Sezlik.com and Star Motors of Ottawa/Mercedes-Benz Ottawa Downtown, was an elegant and fun evening with guests donning masks and enjoying themed entertainment, delicious Frenchinspired cuisine, and dancing! The event was a fabulous success with approximately $250,000 raised, and a celebration of bringing our community together in support of our student programs and financial assistance. Thank you to the Ashbury Guild, the Ashbury Ball Executive Committee (Tracy Rait-Parks, Micheline Saikaley, Vanessa von
Finckenstein, Kim Haaland, Tara-Leigh Mierins, Jill Dickinson, Karen Haebe, Janet Goodall, Ewa Johnson, Jenny Shinder and Chantal Gingras) and the Ashbury Ball Committee.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS FOR THE EVENING PAT R O N
M U S É E D U LO U V R E
PA U L C E S A R H E L L E U
Jamilah Taib-Murray
Ginsberg Gingras Taggart Parkes Foundation District Realty Excel HR Great West Life Dilawri Auto 1251 Capital
Smith & Reid Dinardo Homes Gowling WLG Hendrick Farm Smith Petrie Carr & Scott
PRESENTING SPONSORS Sezlik.com Star Motors of Ottawa/Mercedes-Benz Ottawa Downtown
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TOUR EIFFEL Scotia Wealth Management, The Fallis Group Hickman Specialist Group
CLAUDE MONET Ottawa MediSPA Orleans Gallagher Brown’s
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE DONORS OF IN-KIND ITEMS AS WELL AS THE LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION ITEM DONORS—YOUR SUPPORT IS MUCH A P P R E C I AT E D !
IN-KIND Vittoria Trattoria Howard Fine Jewellers Flora Hall Beer Wedecor Le Moulin de Provence EU Embassy Avenue Lock and Security Dairy Distillery Allegra Artistic Landscape Design
NEWS & NOTES
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The 2019 Ashbury Ball Committee
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Aijie Tao, Xiaodong Yang and Dan Jiang
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Presenting sponsors Arnie Mierins ’78 and Vicki Mierins from Mercedes-Benz Ottawa, and Jeff Mierins ’82 with his wife, ball committee member Tara-Leigh Mierins, from Star Motors of Ottawa. (photo by Caroline Phillips)
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Presenting sponsors Charile Sezlik ’86 and Dominique Laframboise from Sezlik.com
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Guests admired the four-foot-tall chocolate Eiffel Tower, decorated with French Macarons. Claude Bonnet, owner of Le Moulin de Provence, donated the tower, which was auctioned off at the event
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Volunteer Recognition
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shbury’s spring volunteer appreciation reception celebrated the school’s varied community of volunteers, including parents, past parents, alumni, and friends. This special evening provides the opportunity to recognize Ashbury’s most devoted volunteers. Pawan Dilawri ’87 (Nikhil ’16, Sameer ’18, Romi ’20) received the Outstanding Alumnus Volunteer Award for his many years of service at the school. Pawan’s most notable volunteer commitment includes the Ashbury College Golf Committee, where he has been a member since 2011, including serving as Chair since 2014. Pawan has also volunteered as class rep for his reunions and became a Director of the Foundation Board in 2018. Pawan’s dedication and commitment to Ashbury College is truly appreciated.
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This year the Outstanding Parent Volunteer Awards were presented to Crickett Lindgren (Drax ’14, Noelle ’19), Karen Haebe (Josh ’16, Emily ’19), Mashooda Syed (Sana, Manzoor ’10, Samah ’11, Mubashir ’19) and Montsé Bouvier (Sofia ’12, Ariana ’19, Jordi ’19). The countless hours these parents dedicated to help so many different initiatives are incredibly generous gifts to our school and students. Crickett has been volunteering since 2010, as Parent Fund Committee, Community Engagement Committee, parent liaison for the SPARK campaign and Creative Learning Centre, Guild member, Guild President and Ball Chair. She has also opened her home for many gatherings that have benefitted Ashbury in a multitude of ways. Karen has been volunteering since 2010, with the Guild for nine years, including a term as Guild President in 2018–19, a Board Member, and serving on the Grandparents & Grandfriends Day committee. She was also responsible for organizing used uniforms and sending these to support different countries and organizations around the world. In 2019, Karen organized the used book exchange, an economically and environmentally-friendly initiative. Mashooda has also volunteered with the Guild and Parents’ Committee. She has helped with several groups, including the Refugee Sponsorship Committee and Grandparents & Grandfriends Day, and she has chaperoned trips and other events. She also chaired the Ashbury Ball in 2018. Montsé has volunteered with the Parents’ Committee, serving as its Chair and as a Board member. She has also assisted with the A Club and the Community Engagement Committee among other initiatives and events. It is remarkable that this group, even after the graduation of their children, is still highly involved with the school.
NEWS & NOTES
The Jean Teron Award is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the school and its community. Tony Tattersfield, past parent and father to Matthew ’96 and Ian ’06, was the ideal recipient of this esteemed award. Tony has volunteered in many areas of the school, starting in November 1991 as a Term Governor with the Board of Governors and went on to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors from 1995–97. In addition to his involvement with the Board of Governors, Tony served on the Finance Committee and chaired the committee in 1996. In 1997, Tony joined the Foundation Board where he became the Treasurer in 1998
and Chair from 2002–10. Tony continued to sit on various committees and he attends the Board of Governors meetings to this day as a Governor Emeriti. Tony’s wife, Sharleen, was also an active Ashbury volunteer, serving as Chair of the Parents’ Committee and sitting on the committee from 1989 to 1993. Sharleen also served on the Guild from 1993 to 2004 and chaired the annual antique fair in 1994, and from 2001–03. Thank you to all the Ashbury volunteers. Your spirit, energy and commitment to students makes a difference every day at Ashbury!
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Tony Tattersfield, the 2019 recipient of The Jean Teron Award, with Chris Carruthers
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Crickett Lindgren, 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Parent Volunteer Award, with Jill Dickinson
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Karen Habe, 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Parent Volunteer Award, with Jill Dickinson
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Pawan Dilawri ’87, 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Volunteer Award, with Andy Thompson ’87
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Montsé Bouvier, 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Parent Volunteer Award, with Jill Dickinson
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Mashooda Syed, 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Parent Volunteer Award, with Jill Dickinson
AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO ASHBURY COLLEGE
Ashbury regularly recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions made to the school by members of its parent, alumni or volunteer communities. Ashbury is seeking nominations for future recipients of these awards, which will next be presented in the spring of 2020 at a reception. To nominate an individual from the Ashbury community, please send an email to volunteer@ashbury.ca with the nominee’s name, relationship to the school and why their contributions are significant.
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Ashbury College Charity Golf Classic 2019
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Aliferis family, Glenview, Nautical Lands Group, 1251 Capital Group, the Giernalczyk Family, IOSi, and Doherty &Â Associates. Thanks to our on-the-course sponsors: CIBC Wood Gundy, Huntington Properties, Tamarack Developments, Taggart Wealth and Estate Planning, Sezlik.com, Gallagher Benefit Services, and Ottawa Luxe Limo. On behalf of the 2019 Golf Committee, thanks again to everyone who participated in and supported the Ashbury College Charity Golf Classic 2019. See you all next year for another amazing event!
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he Ashbury College Charity Golf Classic had another successful tournament on June 3 at The Gatineau Golf and Country Club. Guests enjoyed an afternoon on the golf course and a ladies’ spa in the clubhouse. This year, with the help of all those involved, we raised over $60,000 to help support the Ashbury College Association Scholarship Fund. The day ended with a reception that brought all guests together to kick off the evening portion of the event. Guests also enjoyed delicious food and wine alongside an exciting live and silent auction. A special thanks goes out to our event sponsors, without whom the day would not be possible: Dilawri Auto, the
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NEWS & NOTES
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Jane Forsyth, Vanessa von Finckenstein, Montsé Bouvier, Laurie Oppenheimer
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Rachel Baxter
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Nick Pantieras, Wayne Kerrick, Don Finless, Walt McGinn, Marc Theriault
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James Baxter ’83, Alex Patrick ’03, Chris Manion, Henry Burris
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Sameer Dilawri ’18, Pawan Dilawri ’87, Nikhil Dilawri ’16, Paul Rodrigues ’16
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Mike Wilson, Daniel Alfredsson, Shawn Malhotra ’98, Mike Nicolini ’97
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This year’s winning foursome: James MacMillan ’03, John Bethune ’98, Derek Noble, Ross Rowan Legg
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John Rogan ’59, Rob Dunn ’60, Ray Anderson, Vicky Wilgress, Bruce Hillary ’57
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Norman Southward, Angela Zhang, Oliver Han, Alan Mimeault
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Kelly Mecredy, Jon Landon, James McKellar, Ross Holman
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Philanthropy
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ike most independent schools in Canada, tuition fees only cover the basic operating costs at Ashbury. As a non-profit organization, Ashbury relies on donor support from our community to provide needs-based student bursaries, to build new facilities, and to provide important enhancements across academics, arts, athletics, and student opportunities that impact students across all grade levels. Our Annual Giving program (think: chequing account) is the cornerstone of all fundraising activities at Ashbury, and everyone in our community is asked to make a donation, every year. Recent examples of Annual Giving impact include iPads with cases and Apple pencils, egg-hatching incubators, musical instruments and choir supplies, the revitalized Junior School reading program, special guest speakers, outdoor education equipment, kinesthetic classroom furniture, fitness centre equipment, science lab equipment, and Duke of Edinburgh supplies, among many others. The Ashbury College Endowment (think: savings account), which now stands at over $13-million, provides meaningful financial assistance for 10% of students (increased from 7% in 2018). Support for the Ashbury Endowment can be made through one-time donations, monthly gifts, major gifts pledged over several years and deferred gifts (also known as Planned Gifts). In some cases, families, individuals, and classes—in discussion with the
Donations at all levels are gratefully received and eligible for a tax receipt (this includes U.S. donors!) Your support makes a tangible difference at Ashbury, both in financial terms and in the sense of community and shared purpose it represents.
Advancement Office—thoughtfully create their own named fund to exist within the Endowment. The principal is invested, and the payout is disbursed annually to fund student needs-based bursaries. The power of these funds is their permanence: they provide financial assistance every year and exist in perpetuity, impacting the lives of countless numbers of students. Campaigns, or special initiatives—a recent example being the Centre for Science & Innovation—help Ashbury bring a vision, underpinned by the school’s strategic plan, to reality with the help of individuals, families, and foundations who make commitments pledged over several years, supporting the project. Events, including the Ashbury Ball and annual Golf Tournament, bring the community together for friendraising and fundraising opportunities. Ashbury is grateful to the tremendous volunteer commitment required to make these events successful! Funds generated from these flagship events have, and continue to support many impactful projects, programs, and bursaries. Donations at all levels are gratefully received and eligible for a tax receipt (this includes U.S. donors!) Your support makes a tangible difference at Ashbury, both in financial terms and in the sense of community and shared purpose it represents. If you would like to get involved, please contact Stephanie Young, Director of Development, at stephanie.young@ashbury.ca or 613-749-9630 ext. 283.
ASHBURY ADVANCEMENT
Every year
Chequing Account
Foundation for the future
Stability Lasting security
Enhancements not covered by tuition
Immediate needs
Ac c es s i b l e s h or t- t er m
Investment
Savings Account
Endowment will exist in perpetuity
Small gifts making lasting impact
Philanthropy [f 'lanTHr pe-]: Love of humankind e
L o n g- t er m
ANNUAL GIVING
what’s the difference
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ENDOWMENT
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Reunions 2019 Honoured Years: 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014
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eunion weekend was busy for our honoured years, with an on-campus reception at Ashbury on Friday evening, and an off-campus reception on Saturday evening. Classmates were able to catch up and connect in an informal setting, in addition to the Homecoming activities. On Friday evening Ashbury College also invited some old boys back to campus to celebrate retired staff member Ray Anderson’s 90th birthday.
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Thank you to our dedicated class reps for their efforts. • Class of 2014: Raymond-Elias Rizk • Class of 2009: Bobby Kelly • Class of 2004: Liz Miller and Matt Grey • Class of 1999: Sarah Bresolin Silver and Kathy Boate • Class of 1994: Mandy Miller • Class of 1989: Adrian Harewood • Class of 1974: Peter Copestake • Class of 1969: Robert “Bobby” Berger
ASHBURY ALUMNI
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The class of ’99 (and some of their kids!) gathered at Homecoming
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Saman Akhavan ’14, Michael Henley ’14 and RaymondElias Rizk ’14
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Bobby Kelly ’09, Charlotte McKenzie ’09 and Stella Job ’09
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The Class of ’94 gathered on Saturday evening
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Brook Simpson ’04, Liz Miller ’04 and Steve Street ’04
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Lisa Inderwick ’84, Andrew Inderwick ’84 and Bari-Leigh Myers ’84
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The Class of ’99 gathered on Friday evening
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Ray Anderson
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The Class of ’94 gathered at Homecoming
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The Class of ’14 and friends gathered on Saturday evening
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The Class of ’69 gathered at Homecoming
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Peter Copestake ’74, Bob Pimm ’74 and Peter Croal ’74
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The Class of ’09 gathered on Friday evening
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Homecoming 2019
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hank you to everyone who attended Homecoming 2019 and made it a huge success. Despite the rainy weather, hundreds of alumni made the trip to campus to catch up with former classmates, Ashbury staff, parents, current students, and enjoy a delicious BBQ. Highlights of the day included the Terry Fox Run, alumni and student sporting events, Guild Welcome BBQ and canteen, Kids Zone, and hospitality tent. A special thanks to our beer sponsor, the Clocktower Brew Pub.
We hope to see you all for Homecoming and Reunions 2020 as we celebrate all reunion years ending in an ’0 or ’5: September 26, 2020
ASHBURY ALUMNI
ASHBURY ALUMNI
d iplomatic career
A distinguished
Michael Shenstone ’45 was one of Canada’s first diplomats posted to the Middle East
Michael Shenstone ’45 passed away in September at the age of 91
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orn in Toronto in 1928, Shenstone spent most of his childhood in Princeton, N.J., where his Torontoborn father was a lifelong professor of physics at Princeton University. He attended Ashbury during the war, then went on to study history and modern languages at Trinity College at the University of Toronto. He received an MA from Cambridge University before joining the foreign service. A career civil servant, Shenstone was one of the first Canadian diplomats posted in the Middle East. After joining the Department of External Affairs in 1952, he was soon sent to Lebanon in 1954, just six years after the creation of the State of Israel. He underwent a year of Arabic language training to aid in the job before taking up a post at the Canadian embassy in Beirut. It was the start of a distinguished career that saw him become one of External Affairs' foremost experts in Arab and Middle Eastern issues, at a time when such issues were becoming of paramount importance. Shenstone’s first ambassadorial posting came in 1973, as Ambassador to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, in Geneva and Helsinki. In 1974 he was appointed Canada's first resident ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Back in Ottawa in the late 1970s, he played a significant role in the “Canadian Caper” that saw the rescue of six American diplomats during the hostage crisis of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. As Director-General of African and Middle Eastern Affairs at the time, Shenstone was intimately involved as the key point of contact in Ottawa for Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador in Tehran who spearheaded the top-secret operation. The event was later dramatized in the 2012 film Argo. Shenstone later served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Political and International Security Affairs, and then, in 1985, he embarked on his final overseas posting, in Vienna, where he served for five years as Ambassador to Austria,
Head of Delegation to the talks on Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions in Europe and Permanent to the United Nations agencies in Vienna. In 1992 he retired from the Department of External Affairs after 39 years. Among his many post-retirement activities, Shenstone co-founded and chaired an Ottawabased human-rights organization, Action Canada for Population and Development. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002 in recognition for his distinguished diplomatic career and his efforts to “enhance Canada’s reputation abroad.” Shenstone is survived by his beloved wife Susan, children Thomas, Barbara and Mary, and four grandchildren.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
g racious host
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Sir Michael Marshall ’50 attended Ashbury during the war—and remained forever grateful
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ir Michael will be familiar to those who attended the Ashbury receptions in London. In 2018, he hosted our event at the Royal Aeronautical Society and was a gracious host to many Ashburians in Cambridge over the years. His connection to Ashbury began in 1940 during the Second World War, after he was sent to Canada by his parents at the age of 8 as an evacuee, having briefly been a student at the Abinger Hill School. When he returned to England at the end of the war, Sir Michael attended Eton College, afterwards completing National Service as a pilot with the Royal Air Force. He then attended Jesus College, Cambridge, where he read History and competed on the rowing team. He went on to row for England in the 1955 European championships. He joined the family firm in the same year, an automotive and aerospace business founded by his grandfather. He became Managing Director of the Marshall of Cambridge group of companies, Cambridge’s largest employer, in 1963, serving as chief executive, chairman and president.
Sir Michael was High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire in 1988 and Vice Lord-Lieutenant from 1992 to 2006. He chaired fundraising appeals for the Prince’s Trust and was a benefactor of Jesus College. He was also involved in numerous industry bodies for the motor trade and manufacturing, and was active in all aspects of air training. Both in business and in public life, he was passionately concerned with helping young people to realize their potential. He was appointed CBE in 1999 and knighted in 2010 in recognition for his philanthropic and voluntary work. A member of the Royal Air Squadron, Marshall held a private pilot’s licence for 70 years and (with his 75-year-old co-pilot) had planned to fly his single-engine MoraneSaulnier Rallye Minerva to Morocco in the fall. Sir Michael remained connected to Ashbury throughout this life, visiting the school in 2016 during the 125th anniversary celebrations, where he attended Homecoming and visited several local landmarks he remembered from his time as a student. In a presentation to Ashbury students, he shared his memories of the school and talked about leadership— specifically the leadership Canada showed in providing homes and education to students like him, who were under threat of war. He was extremely grateful for the role Canada played in accommodating evacuees during the Second World War, and to Ashbury for the experience it provided him at distressing time in history. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, Lady Sybil, two sons, two daughters, and two stepsons. *with files from the Cambridge Independent
Sir Michael Marshall during his visit to Ashbury in 2016
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Sir Michael Marshall ’50, an active alumnus of Ashbury in the U.K., passed away on July 27, at the age of 87, while on holiday in Spain.
Grateful memories Sir Michael Marshall attended Ashbury from 1940 to 1942. He returned to campus in 2016 for the school's 125th anniversary and delivered the following address to students.
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anada is a great country and I really loved my time here. If I could not be in the U.K., it would be my number one choice of places to live. What have you learned at school about the Second World War? Do you know that the U.K. and Canada and other members of the Commonwealth were involved in the War against Nazi Germany? You may have learned that Germany, later joined by Italy, conquered most of continental Europe, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, and France, and the war lasted from 1939 through to 1945. The U.K. became involved in September 1939 and was then subject to German bombing raids and the threat of invasion. My parents lived in Cambridge and my father had a job running a flying training and aircraft repair business, and because of the dangers of bombing decided that it would be safer for me, then aged seven, and my younger brother aged five to live with an uncle of my mother’s in Wales, right over beyond the west of England where they thought there was no risk of German bombing. I had a very happy six months there attending the local village school and spending a lot of time walking in the hills with the shepherd and looking after sheep. I bottle fed an orphaned lamb and took it back to Cambridge, where it lived in a small orchard behind our house when we returned there in April 1940. I was then sent to Abinger Hill School, just south of London. I was there for six weeks when, because of the increased threat of invasion, Abinger Hill, under its headmaster James Harrison, decided to evacuate to Canada and I was very kindly taken in by Ashbury College.
At the same time, my grandmother was very active in Canada, lecturing to various organizations about the U.K. at war and a friend of hers put her in touch with Senator Cairine Wilson, who was the first lady Senator in the Canadian Parliament and who lived in Rockcliffe Manor. Her eight children had all grown up and she very kindly agreed to take in our family of three little English evacuees comprising me aged eight, my brother aged six and my one-year-old little sister. My mother brought us across on a passenger ship called the Empress of Athlone, which sailed from Liverpool in June 1940 on our 10-day voyage. We were in a convoy of about 10 boats going across with some protection from naval warships because the German U-boat submarines were very active and boats were being sunk all too regularly in what Winston Churchill called The Battle of the Atlantic, in which over 3,500 ships were sunk. We arrived in Montreal and then were taken to the Wilsons’ wonderful summer estate called Clibrig at Saint Andrews in New Brunswick. We had a wonderful time there living in a wooden cabin in the grounds and I am told that I went down with measles. My mother left us there to return to help my father with the war effort where she ran a transport organization to collect wrecked aeroplanes and aircraft parts round the U.K. We came back in a steam train from New Brunswick to Ottawa and lived in the nursery quarters at the wonderful Manor House where we were looked after by Eva, who had been the Wilsons’ family nanny in past years, and Frances the cook. I found Ashbury very strange to start with. It was a boysonly school and I was terrified of the tough large boys who
ASHBURY ALUMNI
information to the U.S. military. Our boat docked in Liverpool and I was met by one of the drivers who worked for our family firm and was brought back to Cambridge. My brother came back with one of my aunts, who had also been an evacuee in America and arrived back about two months later in a neutral Portuguese boat, which took him from the USA to Lisbon in Portugal and then a flight back from there to the U.K. Similarly, my young sister, who was still only three years old, went back with our grandmother who had been in the United States and she too went back via Portugal. When we got back to England, we had to get used to a world of strict rationing, particularly of sugar, butter and meat. There was also strict control of lights at night because of the remaining fears of bombing, and I remember spending a few hours on several occasions in the bomb shelter at the bottom of our garden. World War II continued until Germany finally surrendered in May 1945 and then Japan surrendered in August of the same year. So, for me, happy memories of Canada included living first at Saint Andrews and then at Rockcliffe Manor, playing with the Wilsons’ two black and white long-haired spaniels, Laddie and Paddy, and occasionally being produced as curiosities after the Wilsons’ Sunday lunch parties. On my return to England, I was sent to various local schools in Cambridge before finally gaining entry to a public school. At the end of my schooling, I had my next experience of Canada. In those days we had to do two years’ National Service in the Navy, Army or Air Force. At the age of 18, with my flying background, I naturally chose to join the Royal Air Force and was very fortunate to be posted to Gimli, 60 miles north of Winnipeg, where I spent most of 1951. We kept in contact with the Wilson family, particularly Angus, but sadly most of them are now dead. Clibrig House in Saint Andrews has been demolished and Rockliffe Manor is now the home of the Papal Nuncio, who has kindly agreed to let me see the house later this morning.
“I have very fond and grateful memories of Canada, and particularly of our very special Ashbury College, with its great contribution to Canada and the world.” 23 | Ashbury News
played ice hockey in the winter on a specially-formed rink in the grounds at the back of the school. We were well looked after by Mrs. Hunter, the teacher in the junior school who taught us all about Huron, Iroquois and Algonquin Indians and a bit more about Canadian history. For the first few days at school, my brother and I were taken there by Clifford, who was the Wilsons’ driver and that was my first experience of a car crash because we had a minor collision at a crossroads just before arriving at Ashbury—a good beginning! I was soon equipped with a bicycle with wonderful back-pedal brakes, which were a huge novelty to boys from Britain, as I brought it back to the U.K. two years later. Communication with home was difficult. We kept in touch with my parents by occasional letters. There was no e-mail, no telephone and the only communication was by pen and ink and the post, which took two or three weeks to arrive. I will always remember one of the early letters from my father, in which he told me that they had eaten my pet lamb! To keep me busy in my spare time from school, I was given an old typewriter and I developed a magazine called ‘Michael’s News’ in which various friends very kindly submitted articles, and a copy of this was sent to my home in the U.K. I think there were probably three issues of ‘Michael’s News’ before it was finally wound up when it was decided that we should return to the U.K. Overall, we had a great time at Ashbury, although I remember being told off by a Junior Master ‘Buggy Brain’ who seemed like a bruiser of a man, for having copied someone else’s article in my ‘Michael’s News’ magazine! We saw Mr. Archdale, the Headmaster, when we had school assemblies in the big hall. It was a very happy time getting used to the Canadian climate of very hot in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. We were lucky to be able to toboggan and ski and then, during the summer season, from the Manor House we would see the great flotations of logs being taken from the lumber camps down the Ottawa River to Montreal. This was something we would not see in Britain. It was not possible to send any money from England and after we had been in Canada for two years the lovely Wilson family asked my parents to appoint them as our guardians in case anything should happen to them. With the threat of invasion having been lifted, our parents were keen to get us home. We were sent back one at a time as the German U-Boat submarines were still very active sinking those 3,500 allied merchant ships and 175 warships in the Atlantic. I was taken back to England in a Banana Boat in a convoy in the care of Professor Thompson of Cambridge University, who had been in America giving all our atomic bomb
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From Afghanistan to graduation stage Armed with a university degree, Roya Shams ’15 looks to empower others
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oya Shams ’15 dreamed about her late father almost every night in the week leading up to her graduation. It happens every time she’s feeling deeply emotional, whether it’s sad or happy. This time it’s the latter. Shams, Class of 2015, who escaped to Canada from Afghanistan in 2012 to pursue an education, graduated on November 1 from the University of Ottawa. It was the longtime dream for both the 24-year-old and her father, who was killed by the Taliban in 2011 after championing her right to go to school. “He would just be happy and he would even encourage me more,” said Shams, who plans to stay in Canada to pursue either a master’s degree or go to law school. “I think I will have his blessings, and with his blessings I can go as
We girls need to hold each other’s hands in order to be strong. In the future, I’m hoping that even if one person could hold a hand and get taken out of the situation they are in, that would be a life accomplishment for me.”
far as I can. I’m sure he is here with me in spirit, especially on graduation day because it was one of his dreams.” Instead of the regular two tickets most graduates request for their ceremony, Shams needed 25 to accommodate all the people, including journalists, school administrators and friends, who wanted to witness her receiving her degree in international development and globalization. Afterwards, an 80-person celebration took place at Ashbury College, the prestigious high school Shams attended in 1 Ottawa after it waived her tuition, charting her path to Canada. “I was crying,” Shams said about the moment she heard about the party. “I can’t say I made it, I say we made it, because I have all these amazing people on my side.” Shams’ journey to this country, and the achievements she has seen since, depended largely on the generosity of all these people and more, she said, but those who have seen her grow said her tenacity and drive propelled her to success. Now, as she progresses through another major milestone in life, she is thinking of her father, her family still in Afghanistan, and the promises she made to herself to eventually go back and help shape her country into a better place for women. “We girls need to hold each other’s hands in order to be strong,” Shams said. “In the future, I’m hoping that even if one person could hold a hand and get taken out of the situation they are in, that would be a life accomplishment for me.” Then just a teen, Shams met Toronto Star reporter Paul Watson in 2010 when he wrote about the Afghan schoolgirl defying authorities and most of society to go to a school funded in part by Star readers, a right denied to women in Afghanistan at that time. (Star readers donated more than $7,000 to the Canadian International Learning Foundation in 2010 to support its work with the AfghanCanadian Community Centre school). She had always faced glares of disapproval in Kandahar, and even burned her hand when her school was set ablaze
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My mom has given her daughter to a cause, basically. That’s her desire that one day I will help the children back home.”
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during riots. But after her father, police Col. Haji Sayed Gulab Shah, was assassinated, direct threats against Shams and her family intensified. Attending school safely was out of the question. Reporting on her plight, Watson wanted to do more than just observe. So, he reached out to Ashbury College and then Headmaster Tam Matthews immediately agreed to do all he could to help. Watson and the Star’s then-editor Michael Cooke facilitated an international student visa for Shams and travelled to Afghanistan under dangerous conditions to bring her to Canada. The young woman, travelling alone with two white men, drew suspicion and faced hurdles—such as being questioned relentlessly by police at the airport who asked how her parents were letting an unmarried girl leave the country alone—right up until her plane took off in January 2012. “Roya didn’t squirm during the 20-minute interrogation,” Watson wrote in his Star article. “Your country or a coffin” was the patriotic credo her father often repeated to her. But Shams knew that to help her country, she had to leave, at least for a while. “Once you taste the fruit, you cannot leave it,” Shams said about getting an education, which she said is essential for both boys and girls in Afghanistan in order for the country to progress. Getting through Ashbury’s intensive program wasn’t easy, and Shams had to improve her English at Brockville’s Fulford Academy before returning for Grade 10. But Shams was determined to keep going and, with some accommodations for her language barrier, she graduated and earned a spot at the University of Ottawa. One of the many people helping her with that transition was the university’s director of donor relations and stewardship, Kelly Gray. Gray read up on Shams in the Star before meeting her, so she’d have a better understanding of the struggles she’d been through. “I was really taken aback because she was just a remarkable young woman and the strength that she had was
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inspiring,” Gray said about meeting Shams. “I’ve seen her grow and become even more eager to make a difference, and wanting to get involved in different communities and just to give back. The passion has definitely grown.” Gray helped Shams navigate scholarships, bursaries, residence and other logistical issues since she was a young student. Over the years, the two have developed a deeper relationship, with Shams even meeting Gray’s family. Now that she’s graduating, even though she wants to continue with school, Gray said it’s “very emotional” to see Shams’ journey come full circle. “Just to see her get to what her father really wanted for his daughter, to see that happen, that to me is just…there are no words at this point. I’m just so happy for her and so proud, very proud,” Gray said. “She’s definitely someone who we will hear about doing some amazing things in the years to come.” Guylaine Renaud, awards administrator at the university, has been similarly impressed with Shams, whom she describes as “an extremely kind person” with a “very, very big heart.” “The biggest thing is her perseverance, her will to achieve. She wanted to make it happen and she’s going to do the effort that needs to be done,” Renaud said, adding Shams was at first struggling academically, but was determined to succeed. “She said to me from Day 1, ‘I’m going to help again because so many people helped me and I want to give back.’” Academics aside, some of the hardest moments for Shams were when parents would visit students on campus and she’d see happy families milling about, and yearn for her own. “Part of your heart is missing and it’s back home with your family,” said Shams, the youngest of nine children. She communicates with her family through old-school calling cards because the internet isn’t always reliable. Afghanistan’s 18-year war continues today. Though more than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the country since 2001, the last of them left in 2014. Today, an estimated 3.7 million children are out of school in Afghanistan, according to UNICEF, and 60 per cent of them are girls. “I’m the luckiest one who got an education, who got outside of the country,” Shams said, adding many military families have lost their parents. “Some of them might never get that.” Though it was a heartbreaking decision for her mother, Maghan, to let “her baby” go abroad to pursue her education, Shams said her mother did it so she could fulfil the dreams of her father, a “liberal” man in a “closed society.” “My mom has given her daughter to a cause, basically,” Shams said. “That’s her desire that one day I will help the children back home.” Shams has been deeply involved in volunteering, becoming engaged in Ottawa’s local community, attending conferences on women’s empowerment and serving as an ambassador for Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.
I’m the luckiest one who got an education, who got outside of the country. Some of them might never get that.” She said she would eventually like to work inter nationally in gender rights and helping children either through not-for-profit organizations or government, or through advocacy. “(The journey) has been, to some extent, painful, but I also feel like the struggles make you strong. Out of all the things that have happened to me, as a result of it I am who I am. I personally see this (as a way) to turn this pain into passion,” Shams said. “I have been through this so I’m hoping to help somebody else (so) that they should never go through such a thing. I might not be able to help hundreds but I’m hoping to make a difference in as many people as I can.” This story originally appeared in the Toronto Star on November 2, 2019. Written by Sahar Fatima and reprinted with permission.
Many in the Ashbury community were involved in Roya’s journey, starting with Kevin Farrell, Ashbury’s former Director of Admissions, who received the email from Toronto Star reporter Paul Watson in 2011, asking if the school would consider accepting an ambitious Afghan student who was under threat from the Taliban. The request struck a chord with Farrell. “I believed that we should give people like Roya an opportunity: I just kept thinking, ‘Why not?’ ” After acknowledging concerns about what the precedent might mean for the school, then Headmaster Tam Matthews was convinced that admitting Roya was the right thing for Ashbury to do. The school’s board of governors approved the acceptance plan, and, after Roya passed the school’s admissions tests, she was afforded scholarships and bursaries to cover the full cost of her tuition and boarding fees. Along the way, Ashbury reached out to its community to seek donations in support of Roya’s schooling. Roya became part of the boarding community at Ashbury, where she lived alongside students from around the world. Teachers supported Roya in learning often new and unfamiliar concepts and subjects. Even retired Ashbury teacher Hugh Penton pitched in by tutoring Roya in language and literature throughout her Grade 12 year and beyond, well into Roya’s university studies.
Patrick Doyle for the Toronto Star Photos: Patrick Doyle for the Toronto Star (except for 1 and 3)
Since leaving Ashbury, Roya has been helped by an ever-widening network of supporters, but it’s her determination that propels her forward. Ashbury is fortunate to count Roya among its alumni and we’re looking forward to seeing what she does next.
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CTV News Chief Anchor, Lisa Laflamme and former Toronto Star editor Michael Cooke with Roya Shams at a graduation party held at Ashbury in November. Laflamme and Cooke have followed Roya’s story and supported her education since her arrival in Canada
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Guylaine Renaud, awards administrator at the University of Ottawa, escorts Roya at the graduation ceremony. (Photo: Patrick Doyle for the Toronto Star)
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Retired Ashbury teacher, Hugh Penton, tutored Roya with her studies at Ashbury
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Home and Away
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all was a busy time for the Ashbury alumni community! Successful receptions were held in Montreal and Kingston, where alumni of all ages were able to connect and catch up. Kingston alumni gathered at Stone City Ales on October 29 and Montreal alumni gathered at the McGill Faculty Club on November 7.
Upcoming Alumni Events
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February 20: Ashbury Alumni Winter Classic March 5: Toronto Alumni Reception May 9: Springfest at Ashbury College June 1: Ashbury College Charity Golf Classic June 12: Alumni Welcome Reception at Ashbury College
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Alumni gathered in Kingston
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Gabrielle Hicks ’18, Elias Kerrick ’18, Christophe Gauthier ’18, Emma Jones ’18, Mackenzie Holman, Kelly Godkin ’19
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Ross Holman, Simon Hicks ’16, Mario Bassi ’16, Nikhil Dilawri ’16, Sameer Dilawri ’18, Jake Denison ’18
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Chris Miedema, Charly Griffin ’19, Rhea Mital ’19, Jena Hall ’06, James McKirdy
Montreal:
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Justin Rapp ’18, Victor Belmonte Piattier ’17, Anna von Finckenstein ’17, Anna Rumin, Pierre Murzereau ’16, Edward Southward ’17, Sarah Vickers ’17
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Laura Lee-Chu ’19, Robin Kennedy ’19, Mirella Deng ’19, Nathalie Clement ’19, Radin Masoumzadeh ’19, Lavinia Rangel ’18, Olivia Russo ’19
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Joey Bidner ’07, Alison Bailey ’07, Ioana Varlan ’07, Alyssa Novick, Dustin Kennedy ’06
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Alumni gathered in Montreal
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Kingston:
Chatter
Ashbury
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raham Jackson ’54 was conferred the Order of the Diocese of Quebec in October 2018. Graham has worked as a teacher, counsellor and educational administrator for the educational administrator for the Eastern Quebec School Board. In addition, he chaired the now defunct Protestant Committee of the Superior Council of Education of Quebec, served on many charitable foundations, provided his services to Quebec region Anglican churches as a Lay Minister, and is currently a student teacher supervisor at Bishop’s.
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ay Anderson, retired staff, enjoyed a game of golf with Bruce Hillary ’57 and John Rogan ’59.
Ben Benedict ’77 is a talented artist with a focus on wood sculptures. He recently competed in the Ward World Championships where he placed Best in Division, Advanced Interpretive Sculpture. The piece Ben competed with is a raven carved from a single piece of black walnut that took him three months to complete.
Patrick Lahey ’81 completed the Five Deeps Expedition (FDE) at the end of August as the submarine designer for the expedition. The Five Deeps Expedition was the first to reach the deepest point in each of the Earth’s five oceans: the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic, South Sandwich Trench in the Southern Ocean, Java Trench in the Indian Ocean, Challenger Deep in the Pacific and Molloy Deep in the Arctic. The FDE has been a remarkable journey and took Patrick over four years to complete. Patrick said that even though he is exhausted, he’s thrilled at the success of his team.
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ohdan Zaporski ’60 spent many years working for IBM in Brazil, but has been enjoying retirement since 2000. He is photographed with his wife Claudia, daughter Helena and granddaughter Karolina.
Michael Bennett ’79, director of Culver City California Relations for the Lethbridge Twinning Society, was recently in Culver City, California to present official gifts from Canada to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sister Relations with Lethbridge Alberta. Michael has been involved with Washington DC-based Sister Cities International (SCI) for over 15 years, an organization with over 6,000 sister cities, towns and villages around the world. SCI was founded by President Dwight D Eisenhower during the Cold War Era in 1956 to promote citizen-to-citizen diplomacy as well as cultural and educational ties to promote peace. Culver City was amongst the first sister cities in the world and is the historic home of Hollywood’s legendary MGM studios, now known Sony Pictures.
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evin Reeves ’76 received the good news that his film Sarah MacDougall Meets the Ghost of Beethoven was selected to play in the KIDS FIRST film festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film was made available to more than 50 venues that partner with the festival. Kevin wrote the film back in the early 1980s when he was living in Toronto.
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raeme Clark ’78 was recently appointed the Canadian Ambassador to Mexico.
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orge Avalos ’87 stopped by Ashbury with his family on July 18 while they were in Ottawa on vacation. Jorge was a boarding student from Mexico in 1981 and had not been back to Ashbury since. Jorge said the only part of the school that remained the same from when he was a student was the chapel. He currently lives in Monterrey, Mexico.
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he Class of 1988 got together on July 4. Alumni in the photo are Charles Haines, Kelly Cook, Karen Wyatt, Gema Madalena, Caroline Wilson and Don Cook.
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rian Cheng ’96 met with Bruce Mutch, Ashbury’s Executive Director of Enrollment and Advancement, in Shagnhai, China in November. Brian was eager to know when Ashbury will open a Shanghai campus.
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hris Scullion ’88 and his wife, Bronwyn, welcomed a baby boy, Hugh John Pavey Scullion, on May 6, 2019 in Ottawa. Hugh’s big sister Maeve is very excited to have a little brother. Chris and his family also moved to Ottawa recently.
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arim Al-Zand ’89 is a composer and had his piece, City Scenes, performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the end of September. Karim is an associate professor of composition and theory at Rice University.
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atthew Boswell ’90 was appointed Commissioner of Competition by the Government of Canada on March 5, for a five-year term.
E ema Madalena ’88 stopped by Ashbury with her two sons Gonzalo, age 11, and Miguel, age 13. After studying Fine Arts in Madrid and working in New York City for three years at Sotheby’s, Gema now runs a family events business in Madrid in an old traditional Spanish home.
Elspeth Day ’97 caught up with Ashbury teacher, Alyssa Novick, in Milan, Italy.
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ric Hardie ’90 transitioned from being the Principal of Experiential Learning with the Upper Canada District School Board to the OttawaCarleton Distric School Board in April. He is now a Superintendent of Instruction responsible for Innovation and Adolescent Learning, as well as the Kanata family of schools. He has also had several works published with ASCD. Eric lives in Carleton Place with his wife and three daughters.
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hristine Zadorozny ’00 and Sarah Penich ’00 stopped by Ashbury in August during one of their regular get togethers. Christine is a family and palliative care physician in St. John’s Newfoundland. She is married to a radiologist and she has three children. Sarah is the group lead, molecular oncology at Quest Diagnostics near Washington D.C.
Ben Strunkmann Meister ’98, boarding student from Germany in 1996, had a surprise visit to Ashbury in September. Ben is now a financial controller for the energy provider of the Canton of Zurich. He has also recently become a Swiss citizen. In his free time he is a singer songwriter and works with LGBT refugees in Switzerland.
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onathan Estabrooks ’02 was back in Ottawa at the Music and Beyond festival in July, where he sang a variety of folk songs from around the world. Attending the performance were past parents, Sharyl and Doug Estabrooks, Jean Teron, Richard MacDonald, Vicky Wilgress, and John Connolly.
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arah Merani ’01 was presented with the Trailblazers Award for contributions made to the Canadian film industry by the Reel World Film Festival at a gala on October 20. The Trailblazer Awards recognize outstanding achievements by racially diverse professionals in the Canadian entertainment industry. Farah is a graduate of the Drama Centre London and has performed in Canada and the U.S., throughout Europe and in Russia. In addition to being an actor, she has produced dozens of films with her company, Lifeguard Productions, cofounded a non-profit called Women on Screen, and contributes regularly on a variety of professional panels and conferences, speaking specifically to diversity and gender issues in the film industry.
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ulianna Zussman ’04, former team Canada rugby player, made her debut as a HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series referee in October.
Emily Shore ’03 married Adam Gold on September 8 in Montreal. Emily’s sisters, Amanda ’03 and Victoria ’07 served as maids of honour. Adam is well aware of just how special Ashbury College is to Emily and often wonders whether the prefect blazer will ever depart from the closet.
Alex Robinson ’05 married Liz Lumsden on August 24 by the Ottawa River.
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Christine McLellan ’07 married Chris Waskom in New York City on May 3. The couple had an intimate ceremony with their family, including their dog, Peanut. Both Christine and Chris live and work in New York City.
Tyler Ham Pong ’06 married Jamie Miller on August 10, in San Juan Capistrano, California. The wedding was next to the Mission San Juan Capistrano, a historic former Spanish Mission from the 1700s. One of its oldest traditions is the ringing of the Mission bells, which happened during the wedding vows. Tyler and Jamie were thankful for the love and support of close friends and family, from Ottawa to Los Angeles.
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lyssia (Morena) D’Angelo ’08 and her husband, Roberto D’Angelo, are excited to announce the birth of their sweet baby girl, Cecilia Rose. She was born on July 15 at the Ottawa Hospital.
Mata Kranakis ’07 married Philippe Berger at Agreco Farms in Crete, Greece on July 4. Philippe is the son of David Berger ’68 and nephew of Robert Berger ’69. Alumni guests included Shikha Dilawri ’07, Jessica Brus ’07, Terry Doucet ’07, Phil Dales ’07 and Alex Polis ’07.
Emily (Manley) Aiello ’07 married Daniel Aiello on September 21 surrounded by family and friends in Ottawa. The couple currently lives in Ottawa, where Emily works as a product marketing manager at Shopify and Daniel is the general manager of his family’s business, Cityscape. Alumni in attendance included Rachael (Rodrigues) Stevenson ’07, Lorin Adams ’07, Brendan Manley ’10 and Joey Manley ’06.
ana Achtemichuk ’08 and her husband, Simon Wallace, welcomed their first child, Poppy Joy Wallace, on September 16 in Toronto. Dana and Simon are overjoyed with the arrival of their baby girl and becoming a family of three.
tephanie Grand ’08 married Michael Domingo on August 24 in Toronto. Stephanie and Michael both live and work in Toronto.
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rendan Pidgeon ’08 caught up with Brian Storosko at a RedBlacks game this summer. Brendan is currently a barrister at the Bar of Ireland.
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mily Baxter ’09 and Jacob Jackson ’09 were married in Mont Tremblant on September 7 after almost a decade of dating. Many Ashbury alumni were in attendance!
Pamela Kajjouni ’08 married Matthew Zahalan on August 24 at St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral followed by a reception at the Infinity Centre in Ottawa. Ashbury alumni in the wedding party included Monica (Kajjouni) Nassar ’05, Alyssia (Morena) D’Angelo ’08, Elyse Malouf ’08, Alannah (Saikaley) Stevens ’08, and Adam Kajjouni ’11. Pamela and Matthew both live and work in Ottawa and are very excited to start this next chapter of their lives together.
Ian Mutter ’08 and Diana Nicholls Mutter were married on June 15 at Geneva Park in Orillia, Ontario. Many Ashbury alumni were in attendance, including groomsmen Andrew Mutter ’05 and Will Robinson ’08. Ian and Diana met at Western Law and now live and practise law in Toronto.
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élix Lavoie ’08 and his spouse, Angela, welcomed their first child, Georges Lavoie, on June 6.
Olivia Taggart ’08 married Arthur Manhire on September 7 in Ottawa. They had a private ceremony followed by a large reception with friends and family at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Many Ashbury alumni were in attendance, including Olivia’s brothers Danial Taggart ’05, Teddy Taggart ’11 and Riley Taggart ’15. Olivia works as Ashbury’s Advancement and Alumni Relations Coordinator.
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atherine Boxall ’11 met up with Anna Kramer ’11 in Asheville, North Carolina. Anna currently lives in Aachen, Germany where she works at architecture firm Carpus+Partner and travelled to Knoxville, Tennessee for a business trip. Katherine lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where she is an artist represented by The New Gallery of Modern Art. The two friends decided to meet in the middle for a weekend trip.
Anita E ’09 married Corey Bainerman on August 24 in Toronto at Hotel X. It was a perfect sunny day and there were lots of Ashbury alumni in attendance, including Anita’s sisters, Iris E ’06 and Julia E ’10, and Larissa Fulop ’09 who were in the wedding party. Anita and Corey met in Toronto, where Anita went to dental school, but are settling down in Ottawa.
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Pat Norton ’10 and Tori McIntyre ’13 have been named to Bobsleigh Canada’s National team. This is Pat’s second year with the team and we’ll see him move into the pilot seat. This is Tori’s first year with Bobsleigh Canada and she joins the team as a brakeman. Congratulations to both Pat and Tori!
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ane Scholes ’09 and Andrew Hemphill celebrated their wedding on July 6. They live in London, Ontario, where Jane practises health law and commercial litigation at Lerners LLP and Andrew has a family medicine and obstetrics practice. They travel the world as often as possible; a recent highlight being their honeymoon to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
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aughan Rawes ’13 and Charlie Maclaren ’71 have known each other for over 10 years as Vaughan received the Duncan Maclaren ’68 Memorial Bursary throughout his senior years at Ashbury College. Always grateful for the opportunity of attending Ashbury, a highlight was his annual meeting with Charlie Maclaren, his donor. The two continue to meet annually over breakfast or lunch. This fall Vaughan is off to Osgoode Law School in Toronto.
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age szkabarnicki Stuart ’13 had an exhibition of her artwork in Toronto this past summer that featured several of her pieces on the streets of the distillery district.
Veronica Bleeker ’12 and Michael Vered ’12 got married on August 4 in the Jubilee Gardens across from Ashbury College. Many Ashbury alumni attended the wedding, including those in the wedding party—Elie Vered ’11, Alexander Bleeker ’10, Bennett Bleeker ’16, Daniel Altshuller ’12, Katrine Lightstone ’12, Stephanie Shenassa ’12, Meghan Boyd ’12, Ariel Vered ’01 and Tori Vered ’13. Veronica and Michael are currently living in Dublin, Ireland pursuing their passions in law and medicine.
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essica Broomfield ’13 and Ping Ping Lu ’13 stopped by Ashbury this fall for a visit while they were in Ottawa. Jessica currently teaches diving and was off to Vietnam for work. Ping Ping lives in London, U.K. where she is pursuing a Master’s of Finance at the London School of Economics.
Michael Henley ’14 (second from right) was at Ashbury this fall with Big Smoke Brass Band performing for Junior School students. Big Smoke Brass was formed in Toronto in 2017 by a group of friends from the University of Toronto’s Jazz Performance program. Michael plays the trumpet for the band.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
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illiam Richardson ’14 published his first academic, peerreviewed article in the Journal of Military and Strategic Studies. The article was a study of the interoperability of fourth- and fifth-generation NATO fighter aircraft.
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ascha Jammes ’15 presented in Grade 11 economics classes this fall. Sascha currently works at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) and talked to students about types of credit, loans and mortgages.
Ariana Kokkinakis ’19 and Mac Goodwin ’19 stopped by the Grade 12 biology classes in October to talk about their university experience in the sciences. Ariana is currently at the University of Ottawa studying Biomedical Sciences and Mac is currently at the University of Ottawa studying Health Sciences.
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oah Kirkwood ’17, now in his second year at Harvard, holds the current title of Male Rookie Athlete of the Year for his skill on Harvard’s Men’s Basketball team. Head of School, Norman Southward, dropped by to watch Noah compete during a trip to Boston in December.
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ulat Sargaskayev ’19 stopped by Ashbury recently to talk to Grade 12 students interested in architecture. He helped answer questions and work on application portfolios. Dulat is currently studying at Carleton University.
Sam Scrivens ’16 and his brother Jacob ’13 caught up with Ashbury’s Deputy Head, Teaching and Learning, Brian Storosko, at the Blue Door Gala for the Ottawa Mission in November.
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oan Allen ’16 competed at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Montreal in July with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. He became the first Ottawa athlete in 40 years to win the senior men’s javelin (68.25 metres).
Jen Boyd was at Ashbury in the spring with some of her uOttawa Gee Gees Women’s Rugby players. Jen works full-time at the University of Ottawa, however, she still stays connected to Ashbury. Jen’s uOttawa Gee Gees recently won the bronze medal at the U Sports National Tournament, held in Ottawa, in November. Sophie Duguay ’18 is also a member of the uOttawa Women’s Rugby team.
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itchell Kurylowicz ’15 moved to Israel for a year to pursue a Global MBA specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation at Tel Aviv University.
In
Memoriam
John Crabb ’42 Elizabeth (Liz) Chen-Craigen, past parent (Ailsa ’11 and Cailin ’17) Robert Lind Defries ’63 Duncan Edmonds, past parent (Rob ’84) June Gensey, former staff Andrew Gillean ’67 Arthur Max Hardy ’53 Dr. Andrew Hill, past parent (Fraser ’13 and Sarah ’15) H. Maxwell (Max) Hughson ’41 Ashellla Huxtable ’01 Sir Michael Marshall ’50 Peter W.M. Martin ’63
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William Mulock, past parent (Frank ’75, grandparent to Ian Gillespie ’05, Caroline ’12 and Courtney ’14 Mulock) Cindy Sezlik, past parent (John ’79 and Charlie ’86, grandparent to Sebastien ’18 and Lucas ’21) Michael Shenstone ’45
Two Words
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Dirty sneakers under the bed
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UN Peacekeeper urges students advance humanity through global relationships experience the similarities and realize that all humans are human, and one is not more human than the other. “Borders are artificial,” he said. “True humanity is every human being considerate and equal.” General Dallaire’s 1997 revelation that he suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder as a direct result of his mission in Rwanda paved the way for destigmatizing the condition among military veterans and first-responders. He is the author of an award-winning book, Shake Hands with the Devil: the Failure of Humanity in Rwanda and They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers, and a bestselling memoir, Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD. Medically released from the Canadian Army in 2000, the General has devoted his life to eradicating the use of children in war. He founded the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, and is a celebrated advocate for human rights, a respected government and UN advisor and former Canadian Senator.
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General Dallaire met with a small group of students before his presentation
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Addressing Grades 7–12 in Maclaren Hall
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ieutenant General (ret) Roméo Dallaire spoke to students in December and reminded them that they are the generation without borders and that youth activism is fundamental to humanity continuing to survive. General Dallaire led a United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994 prior to and during that country’s genocide, which ultimately resulted in more than 800,000 lives lost in three months. After the UN denied permission to intervene and denied its peacekeeping, Dallaire, along with a small contingent of Ghanaian and Tunisian soldiers and military observers, disobeyed the command to withdraw and remained in Rwanda to fulfill his ethical obligation to protect those who sought refuge with the UN forces. In his talk, General Dallaire recounted his Rwandan experience, and relayed the horrific scenes he witnessed, many involving child soldiers. Despite the grim reflections, his speech took a decidedly optimistic tone as he told students they possess the tools to achieve change and reduce conflict in the world. “The balance of power in our democracy is in your hands,” he said. Focused on the importance of civic-mindedness and service, General Dallaire encouraged students to get involved in their local communities, but to also experience the international community in a more direct way. “You need to get your boots and sneakers dirty,” he said. “Go and see and touch and hear from people in developing regions of the world. By engaging with them, you will
NEWS & NOTES
& thank you
Goodbye
We say farewell to these Ashbury teachers
Ben Hérique
D Hérique a commencé sa carrière à Ashbury en 1984—il y a 35 ans comme prof de français à l’école junior. Beyond the classroom, he has been a valued sports coach, supporting our teams, with a particular passion for rugby. Il est un vrai maître de la langue et culture française. In 2010, he was honoured by the French Government at the Embassy in Ottawa for his career and doctoral work from L’Université de Sorbonne as the recipient of the “ordre des palmes académiques”. Dr. Hérique, France has thanked you, Ashbury is here to say “merci” pour vos 35 ans de service!
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Caroline LeGresley
Mme Caroline LeGresley made Ashbury her home—and the home of our boarding girls—for 15 years in Heather Gillin Residence. A committed coach and teacher, she moved to her home province of Nouveau Brunswick with her family in the summer. We are thankful to her work front-lining life for 50 boarding girls each year. Nous vous remercions pour votre service ces 15 dernière années.
Chris Miedema
Mr. Chris Miedema started teaching science at Ashbury in 1994 and his work at has touched many aspects the school—a boarding Houseparent, as head of the Science department, coaching girls volleyball to many OFSAA appearances, and keen historian of Ashburians fallen in war. Mr. Miedema remains connected to Ashbury through his camera lens, as he continues to capture Ashbury history and document student life. Thank you, Mr. Miedema.
Dwayne Smith
Mr. Dwayne Smith, who has been on leave for several years from Ashbury, has been appointed Assistant Principal at Qatar Academy in Doha. Mr. Smith spent 17 years at Ashbury teaching Business, working in Boarding and as a Housemaster, and coaching football. Thank you, Mr. Smith!
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