The Alumni Magazine Dalhousievol.23 no.1 spring 2006 A new face of justice Engineering safety on the roads A ‘kindred spirit’ in song Straight from the Trailer Park Canada Post Return undeliverable Canadian Publications Mail addresses to: Agreement Alumni Office No. 40065040 Dalhousie University Halifax NS B3H 3J5 O n t h e I n s i d e THE POWER OF DISCOVERY The Dalhousie Annual Dinner The frontiers of space, the future of science, the boundaries of exploration. Join fellow Dalhousie alumni and friends as Physics and Atmospheric Science faculty member Dr. Tom Duck takes us on a mission of discovery with the Phoenix Mars Lander project. We will also recognize the outstanding contributions of our Alumni Association award winners: A. Gordon Archibald Award Dalhousie Alumnus Achievement Award John S. Christie, DDS’71 David B. Fraser, MD’58 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Teaching Excellence Award Patricia Benoit Chafe, Peter Aucoin, MA’66 BSc’88, BScHC’89, BEd’92, PhD’99 Thursday October 19th, 2006, 6:00 for 7:00 p.m. Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, 1181 Hollis Street, Halifax NS Please order tickets by October 10th, 2006 To reserve tickets or tables, contact Dalhousie External Relations 902.494.1697 or 1.866.225.8043 Or by e-mail: [email protected] Or online: www.dal.ca/alumni www.dal.ca The Alumni O n t h e I n s i d e DalhousieM a g a z i n e vol. vol.18 23 no. no. 11 spring 2001 spring 2006 THE POWER OF DISCOVERY On our cover Naiomi Metallic (BA(Hon)’02, LLB’05) was photographed by Tony Caldwell at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa. Behind her looms the statue Justicia, repre- senting justice. Photo: Lemay Photo: 36 Building balance Features Departments 12 18 Unprecedented: Mi’kmaq legal Lyrical tribute links Island writers 2 Editor’s Message perspective across time Naiomi Metallic (BA(Hon)’02, LLB’05), Songwriter Nancy White found a kindred 3 Campus Profile first Mi’kmaq law clerk at the Supreme spirit in Lucy Maud Montgomery, creat- Court of Canada, plans to specialize in ing a musical tribute to the popular Prince 4 Upfront on Campus aboriginal law. Edward Island novelist. What else do they by Marie Weeren (BA(K)’93) have in common? Dalhousie, of course. 8 Research That Matters by Nancy White (BA’67) 14 24 Dalumni Driven to distraction 20 Engineering’s A walk in the park 26 Class Notes Vehicle Safety A hit TV show. A sum- Research Team mer movie. Straight talk 36 At Last has found ways to from the character Ray on Photo: Pearce Photo: make our vehicles Trailer Park Boys – alias and roads safer Barrie Dunn, producer Photo: Abriel Photo: for the past three and lawyer. decades. Now, it's asking us to take a good by Dawn Morrison look at ourselves, as research increasingly (BA(K)’93) focuses on driver behaviour. by Marla Cranston Dalhousie, The Alumni Magazine Dalhousie is the official periodical of the Dalhousie Alumni Association and appears three times a year. Editorial deadline for the next issue is July 28, 2006. s p r i n g 2 0 0 6 1 The Alumni F r o m t h e E d i t o r DalhousieM a g a z i n e vol. 23 no. 1 spring 2006 Slightly more than a year ago a small group of alumni, myself included, were driving from a book club weekend in EXECUTIVE EDITOR New Brunswick. Our van was in good repair, our driver was JUNE DAVIDSON Photo: Abriel Photo: focused, the weather was sunny, and the road was dry. EDITOR AMANDA PELHAM We began climbing the Cobequid Mountains, which rise just E-MAIL: [email protected] over 300 metres in a band linking the Minas Basin and the Northumberland Strait. Sharp winds were knifing through the valleys at right angles DESIGN AND PRODUCTION to the highway. A truck was lumbering its way up an incline, so we started a routine JANE LOMBARD, Dalhousie Design Services pass. Just as we were pulling even, both vehicles were rocked by a blast of wind from ASSISTANT EDITOR/ADVERTISING MANAGER the side. Simultaneously, the road beneath us turned white. KERI IRWIN E-MAIL: [email protected] As the truck driver wisely backed off, the van began to fishtail, heading directly TEL: (902) 494-6039 FAX: (902) 494-1472 toward a guardrail and precipitous drop-off, then at the last moment snaking back PRODUCED BY toward the dividing median. When the tires bit gravel, the van lofted into a rolling DALHOUSIE ALUMNI RELATIONS sequence. The longest few seconds you can imagine later, four of us were hanging ISSN 1185-4014 from our seat belts inside the flipped van. Moments later, I was euphoric to walk TEL: (902) 494-2071 1 (800) 565-9969 away with my friends – shaken but intact, picking glass out of my palm. FAX: [902] 494-1141 YOUR REMARKS TO: Almost everyone has a story about how they – or someone close to them – have been Dalhousie Magazine touched by an accident. For 34 years, Engineering’s Vehicle Safety Research Team Communications and Marketing has helped to improve our safety on the roads (see “Driven to distraction,” page 14). 218 Hicks Building, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia It’s just one example of the meaningful research that takes place on campus every day. In addition, we’re sharing a special section on “Research that Matters” for the ADDRESS CHANGES first time in your alumni magazine, building on an outreach initiative by Dr. Carl TEL: (902) 494-6857 1 (800) 565-9969 Breckenridge, Vice-President (Research). This fascinating look into the world of E-MAIL: [email protected] diverse researchers was prepared by Julia Watt, editor of Dal’s new research maga- Alumni Records, Macdonald Building zine OutFront. The Research that Matters section contributes to making this the Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia largest edition of your magazine to date. Our contributors Marla Cranston is editorial manager with the Communica- Spring brings all the pageantry of convocation to campus, as we celebrate together tions and Marketing team. Amidst racing around the Armdale Rotary to buy a home in Purcell’s Cove, she wrote her first with our 3,035 most recent graduates (see “Meet the class of 2006,” page 7). We feature for Dalhousie on a topic that matters to us all – safety welcome them into the alumni family and hope to follow their lives in years to come on the roads. as they encounter unlimited possibilities. Our cover profile is of an outstanding Dawn Morrison (BJ(K)’93) enjoyed her assignment for young alumna, Naiomi Metallic (see “A new face of justice,” page 12), who caps her this issue, discussing the finer points of the Trailer Park Boys academic career with a clerkship at the Supreme Court of Canada. with producer Barry Dunn. Dawn is a communications manager and the editor of Dalhousie News. Sincerely, Marilyn Smulders has recently joined Dalhousie’s Communications and Marketing team as a web writer and editor and can now negotiate the subterranean hallways for her coffee fix all by herself. A resident of Bedford, AMANDA PELHAM, Editor she enjoys cycling, fitness classes, sewing and being the mom/chauffeur of three terrific kids. P.S. – Know any high school students considering university? Dalhousie is hosting Marie Weeren (BJ(K)’93) is president of 10th Floor Solutions, a Halifax business specializing in public relations an Open House on October 20; this is a great opportunity to encourage anyone writing and editing. In this issue, she explores the worlds of you know to visit the campus. Discover the Unexpected, the Open House, will let diamond exploration geologist Joe Kidston and Supreme Court students experience hands-on activities, engaging lectures, residence life and much of Canada law clerk Naiomi Metallic. more. Watch www.dal.ca for details. Nancy White (BA’67) went on from play- ing Katisha in The Mikado at Dal to writing topical songs for the CBC radio show Sunday Morning for 15 years. Her recordings include Momnipotent: Songs for Weary Parents, Pumping Irony, Gaelic Envy, Nancy White: Unexpected and Stickers on Fruit. She lives in Toronto with her two daughters. 2 dalhousie alumni magazine Campus Profile Developing potential Alumni leader moves on Photo: Abriel Photo: ALHOUSIE TOOK A RISK. Ac- Communications and Marketing. Most opment and organizational development. cording to Dale Godsoe of all she is proud of the people she’s She looks forward to a deeper community D(BA’65, BEd’66, MEd’87, worked with and their work as a dynamic involvement, both locally and nationally. LLD’97(MSVU)), 10 years ago when team. She has enjoyed working collabora- At the same time, Dale is excited about it selected a community volunteer of 30 tively with others on campus, specifically further advancing her own education and years to become the next Vice-President building relationships with senior “wise enriching her cultural side, specifically (External Relations), the university’s women” leaders. “Things that wake me in music, art and theatre. As her time at search committee did something she her- up and make me happy are spotting the Dalhousie comes to a close, she’s identify- self today empowers others to do – be a potential in people and helping them to ing new personal agenda items: travelling risk taker. realize it,” she says. to India, indulging her love for fly fishing Whether she’s looking back on her Dalhousie recognized the potential in and spending time with her family. time at Dalhousie as a student or on her her just as Dale has recognized the poten- – Keri Irwin career as she retires, Dale has nothing but tial in so many others, and helped them fond memories.