Canada NOW

“scales of innovation”

Making In 2010, former University of Waterloo President, David Johnston, was appointed the 28th Governor General of Canada.

UW’s President for over a decade, His Excellency made many important contributions to research, development, and international agendas. His work also included a strong determination to move the idea for a university research park into a reality.

When David Johnston first arrived on the Waterloo campus, the Research Park was a large section of land bordered by major transportation arteries. Today, the R+T Park houses many different buildings, individuals, ideas and inventions. It is also making its name known in the Waterloo region and beyond its borders.

At the university, His Excellency was well known for his approachability, insight and ability to make new connections. Underpinning his natural talents, he was also recognized for his “barn raising” philosophy and profound belief that many hands makes for light work, drawing people together toward one common purpose.

He used his unique brand of energy, drive and creative thinking to push the park forward, paving the way for what it is today.

“This area knows how to generate knowledge – how to teach in an extraordinarily different way with life-long learning that combines theory and practice and constantly revises it against practical experience. Then they extend that into every community, every region, and every country across the world.“

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With this in mind, the university executive felt it only fitting to mark His Excellency’s accomplishments at the university with something as lasting as the impact he made on the campus and at the park. On June 5, 2011, the university honoured his Excellency’s achievements by renaming the park the David Johnston Research + Technology Park.

At the unveiling, His Excellency shared his thoughts on why the park has become such a success and how it integrates within Canada’s role to be a smart and caring nation. KC

David Johnston Research + Technology Park, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

Contact Count “Our call to service has 3 pillars: family and children, learning and innovation, and philanthropy and volunteerism. All of these together are based around knowledge. Our questions are - how do we have equality of opportunity and excellence and how do we ensure that the opportunities to advance one’s talent through a great public education system reaches all of our population so every person can advance as far as possible in their intellectual and other development? And further once we’ve done that - how do we put that talent and knowledge to work to improve the human condition?

This nation works harder at those things than any other nation in the world, but I think we have to work even harder in making a smart and caring nation, which brings me back to this park.

This park represents that kind of work. There are many chapters of the story in how this park came to be against all the odds. The story is of collaboration and clusters, and the story is what makes the park so special, and in turn, this region the knowledge capital of the world.

The University of Waterloo joins theory with practice through a belief in co-operative education - where no barrier exists between the place of work and the place of thinking. They also have a research agenda that is not only driven lineally - from basic or fundamental research to experimental research to application to what’s taught in the classroom - but goes back and forth in that spectrum, bringing industry right into this university at this park.

Technology transfer and knowledge is a contact sport.

You’ve got to be in contact with other people to make it work - intimate contact. This area knows how to generate knowledge – how to teach in an extraordinarily different way with life-long learning that combines theory and practice and constantly revises it against practical experience. Then they extend that into every community, every region, and every country across the world.

That’s collaboration. That’s the lesson that Waterloo region has for the country. That’s how we make a smart and caring country and why this region is the knowledge capital of Canada.

I am so pleased and humbled to have my name associated with this park. Not to attribute significance to one particular individual, but to use this park as one of those pinnacles, one of those great flags that make a smart and caring nation and to demonstrate to this country how important the lessons of barn raising are here in the Waterloo area.”

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P R O F I L E Ken Daley Canada NOW commissioned Ken Daley to create a piece of art for this year’s cover using his unique approach and artistic interpretation of the magazine’s theme.

From as far back as he can remember, Ken Daley was certain of one thing: he would live his life as an artist. As Ken explains, “Art is what I am.”

Ken draws inspiration for his work from his Caribbean roots, his life experiences and the people and cultures he encounters along the way. He explores art through different styles and materials – oil, acrylic, ceramic tiles and wood - each one spilling onto and infusing the other.

His work is an explosion of colour and emotion, indelibly marking forever impressions onto the mind of the viewer.

Ken Daley was born in Cambridge, Ontario to parents who emigrated from Dominica, West Indies. Ken is an honorary graduate from the Art Centre of Central Technical School as well as an architectural technology graduate from Humber College. He has exhibited his artwork within Canada and the United States, and his work can be found in numerous private collections. Ken has been featured in many print publications as well as on television and radio. KC Prints of Ken Daley’s “Scales of Innovation” are available for purchase starting at $120 for a 16 x 20 print.

Contact Ken directly at art@kendaley.ca to order yours.

WEBSITE: www.kendaley.ca

Ken Daley: Artist at Work

“Art is what I am.”

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