Sure, as retirees, when the summer draws toan end, we aren’t forced to go back to classes,but have you noticed howwe still seem to gear up fornew activities as theleaves begin to turn?That’s just my way ofsaying that UGRA has alot going on and manythings coming up that wehope you will findinteresting.

Looking back just a little,many of you had a chancein late August to attendPresident FrancoVaccarino’s RetireesSocial, held in theMcLaughlin Library. We had a chance to tourthe building and admire new renovations thataccommodate not only shelves of books andstudy spaces, but also provide places wherestudents can use the latest technology toaccess information for their studies. SeveralSpecial Collections have new housing anddisplay areas, and overall the Library looks abit different than I recall – the coffee shopright inside the entrance for one thing! TheRetirees Social gave a chance to meet andcatch up with old friends, as well as see howour campus continues to grow and develop.

UGRA much appreciates the willingness ofmembers of the Administration to keepretirees up-to-date with what’s going on at theUniversity. In June, between Convocationceremonies, Provost Charlotte Yates took timeto attend the UGRA Annual General Meetingin the Arboretum Centre to fill us in on theUniversity’s strategic priorities and innovationactivities. Vice-President External DanielAtlin and the staff in Alumni Affairs andDevelopment have provided great help andadvice in the past year as we work tostrengthen the close ties that retirees havewith the University of Guelph. We arefrequently reminded that all retirees areconsidered to be Alumni! UGRA is gratefulfor this support.

We are also pleased that the generosity ofretirees clearly demonstrates the close ties wehave with the University. The UGRAScholarship fund is now fully endowed and

continues to grow. Thisnot only means there isfinancial aid to a deservingstudent who is a child orgrandchild of a retiree, butbecause the awards are nolonger paid out of UGRA’sannual operating budget,members’ contributionscan now be applied toother projects andprograms. But please dokeep contributing to boththe Scholarship and toUGRA as both studentfees and our own expenseskeep increasing. The 2018

Campus United Way Campaign has alsobegun, another place where the impact ofretirees is significant in supporting the widerGuelph community… Please and Thanks!

A bit more on the subject of money, we alsovery much appreciate those of you who are“Contributing Members” of UGRA – givingus $25 a year (and sometimes more!) tosupport the activities we plan and carry out.Those donations support things like therental, organization and refreshments for ourFall and Spring Forums and Annual GeneralMeeting, as well as communication and web-site expenses. We encourage and thank youfor your contributions!

UGRA represents all retirees of the Universityof Guelph, and we can do a better job if YOUparticipate with us. One thing we have beenlooking at is how to keep in touch withretirees, and we can only do that with yourhelp. Let us know if your address or emailchanges and encourage other retirees (newand old) to keep in touch with UGRA. Ourwebsite www.ugra.ca provides informationbetween newsletters, and we areexperimenting with occasional email “blasts”for things we hope you won’t want to miss.

The coming year will be busy! Our Fall Forumis scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday,

Fall 2018

U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  G U E L P HRETIREES ASSOCIAT ION

UGRA

UGRA

www.ugra.ca

In this issue

P2 UGRA Fall Forum

Recent Retirees

P3 2018 Annual GeneralMeeting

UofG President’sSocial

No Pension Increases

P4 CURAC Conference inGuelph

Passings

P5 UGRA China TripAdventure

Calling all College ofBiological ScienceRetirees

P6 Did You Know?

P7 Classified Ads

Be a ContributingMember of the UGRA

Mark Your Calendars

P8 The United WayCampaign

Contact Us

Editor: Charlotte McCallum

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Peter Kevan

2

UGRAFall 2018

Campanion Animals and You

At the Arboretum CentreThursday, November 15, 2018Doors Open: 1:00 p.m for refreshments and socalizingProgram: 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.Please note that a service dog may be present

Themes and Speakers

The Bello Project: Strengthening theHuman/Animal Bond and How You CanHelp with Tracey Robertson, Co-Founderand CEO of Home Hospice Associationwww.HomeHospiceAssociation.com

The Guelph Humane Society; Overviewand Opportunities with Debora Lobbezoo,Director of Development, the GuelphHumane Society

The St John Ambulance Therapy DogsProgram; History, Mandate and Functionwith Sid Gratton, Assistant CoordinatorFacilities, St John Ambulance TherapyDogs, Hamilton

UGRA Fall Forum

Recent RetireesJune 1, 2018Joyce Buck Int. BiologyEric Giesel Phys. Res. CustodialKenneth Hough AVP AgrifoodMarlene Oliveri Office of the CIOHelen Remigis BA Counselling OfficeKaren Richardson Population MedicineTannis Slimmon SC GreenhouseJuly 1, 2018Sharon Beach Student FinanceAlan Filewood Engl & Theatre StudiesStephane Hayes RC Cont. EducationJohn McLeod Student Housing Serv.Donna Reimer AdmissionsAngela Schmidt Library TUGAugust 1, 2018 Ingrid Alexy-Ferrede OVC HSC COO OfficeJoachim Barth Hosp. & Tourism Mgmt.Lisa Borghese PR/SHS Environmental Susan Mannhardt Biodiversity Inst.Dennis Watson Campus Comm. PoliceYvonne Yates Engl. & Theatre StudiesSeptember 1, 2018Lorne Bennet GeographyMichael Boterman HistoryStephen Bowley Plant AgricultureDoug Campbell PathobiologyChris Duiker Phy. Res. Structural Patricia Flood Engl. & Theatre StudiesHung Lee Env. ScienceRuth MacDonald Hosp. Services Beverly McEwen LSD – Animal Health Lab.Rick McNabb OVC HSC Clinical Sup.Eva Nagy PathobiologyMichael Ridley Office of the CIODavid Robinson Biomedical SciencesAlan Sullivan Plant AgricultureGloria Weirmier Phys. Res. Custodial October 1, 2018Fernanda Clark OVC Dean’s OfficeLinda Damaren Office of the CIODavid Glenn Phys, Res. CUPJanet Mersey GeographyDaniel O’Brien Phys. Res. Transport.

Contined from page one

November 15th at the Arboretum, withspeakers on subjects relating to pets andservice animals. A very big event will beheld on campus May 22-24, 2019, andthat’s the national CURAC Conference,which we are hosting! CURAC is theCollege and University RetireesAssociation of Canada and this is theirmeeting of retiree delegates from acrossthe country. It’s not just a businessmeeting, but also a chance to exploretopics of interest to retirees in general –and also profile campus research onhealthy aging. The conference also spreads

the word about practical things going on inthe City of Guelph to make it an age-friendly city. Mark those dates, as you willbe invited to join us for the conference orfor special activities!

UGRA members still have itchy feet andwe invite you to join our next GreatAdventure – travel to China in October2019. More on that elsewhere in thisnewsletter and on the UGRA web-site.We are also making plans for shorter,closer-to-home jaunts and socialopportunities, so stay in touch, and alsotell us what else you’d like to see happen!

Roz Stevenson, President, UGRA

3

Fall 2018UGRA

2018 Annual GeneralMeetingOn June 14 UGRA members met at theArboretum Centre for our Annual GeneralMeeting. The University Provost and VicePresident (Academic) Charlotte Yatesaddressed the meeting, giving a wide-ranging talk on The Bright Future of theUniversity of Guelph – Academic,Administrative and Fiscal Visions. TheAGM agenda, draft minutes and asummary of Dr. Yates’ address are availableon the UGRA website www.ugra.ca underthe “About Us” and then the “UGRAAnnual General Meetings” tabs. At thebusiness meeting, reports were given, theyear’s accomplishments and new planspresented and the Executive Committeemembers were elected/acclaimed:

Officers: President - Roz StevensonVice President -Vikki Tremblay Secretary - Janis Randall SimpsonTreasurer - Glenn WhitePast President - Peter Kevan

Members-at-Large:Doug BadgerCharlotte McCallumDana ParamskasKent PercivalFrances SharomSue Wi-AfedziOne other member to be selected by theExecutive

With thanks to all.

Charlotte McCallum

UofG President’s SocialOn August 29 a good number of UGRAmembers met at McLaughlin Library toenjoy some time with each other, indulgein some delightful refreshments, and tohear a presentation by Franco Vaccarino,the university’s recently reappointedPresident and host of the occasion. Hespoke on the university’s current StrategicFramework and its “Path Forward.” Ofspecial importance to him are themes ofInternationalization and Sustainability.Practical emphasis is also given toDiversity and Inclusion. Readers may befamiliar with the university’s slogan “ToImprove Life” and know that it is oftenreferred to as “Canada’s Food University.”The contributions of retirees to the UnitedWay Campaign, the UGRA Scholarshipand CURAC were acknowledged. RozStevenson, UGRA’s new President, thenspoke on our accomplishments, plans and

social activities.

We then toured some of the newlyrenovated spaces of the library, whichturns 50 years old this year and now holds1.3 million volumes. Many improvements

have been made to increase seatingcapacity and to access online and otherresources. The new carpeting and coffeeshop are attractive amenities.

Charlotte McCallum

Another Year - No Pension IndexationIncreaseAs all UofG pension recipients (should)know, our pension plan has some “cost-of-living” indexation provisions. Thecommon description of this provision is“CPI-2%”. What may be confusing to

some retirees is the current “headline” CPIpercentage (3% as of July) whichcomputes the difference between the mostrecent month and the index reading forthat same month last year.

The actual calculation for UofG’s plan isquite complex, and is based on the 12month period from May 1 to April 30.The complexity arises from comparing

the average CPI for each month in thecurrent fiscal year compared to theaverage index for the prior year. For thefiscal year ending April/18 the calculationequals 1.68% (verified with HumanResources), and therefore there is noindexation increase in our pensions thisyear.

Doug Badger

4

UGRAFall 2018

PassingsCharlotte Allan May 19, 2018Wilda Blacklock July 7, 2018Donald Cunningham September 3, 2018Richard Goy August 5, 2018Jaromir Hurnik June 10, 2018Harry Hurwitz August 4, 2018E. May James July 1, 2018Patricia Keeler June 26, 2018Douglas Mast August 11, 2018Gisela Molyneux June 4, 2018Marie Rossit July 8, 2018Alice Sim June 14, 2018Colette Mary Tracy June 9, 2018Thorald (Sandy) Warley September 10, 2018Betty C. Weiler September 10, 2018Nonita Yap May 19, 2018

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CURAC is the College andUniversity RetireesAssociation of Canada, andtheir annual meeting ofretiree group delegates fromacross the country is beinghosted by UGRA at theUniversity, May 22-24, 2018. While theconference will have its board meetings andsessions on best practices for retireeassociations, the real highlights will bemuch more exciting! We hope manyUGRA members might want to attend asregistered attendees to the wholeconference, to an open reception, or to asession. Why come? Well, our overalltheme is “Healthy Aging” and severalsessions will have speakers on many aspectsof that topic, highlighting research atGuelph on food, gut health, pets, sexualhealth, and age-friendly cities. Specialevents will include a reception at the ArtGallery of Guelph, the CURAC Banquet atthe Arboretum – with a famous guestspeaker and guitar (NOT Elvis!) - and avisit to the Library Archives to see the L.M.Montgomery, Culinary History, CanadianTheatre, and Scottish Studies Collections.

Information about the conference scheduleand registration will be posted shortly onthe UGRA website and the CURAC

webpage. A great thing to know isthat your registration fee of $185covers continental breakfasts,

coffee breaks, lunches, and theArboretum banquet – all by the

University of Guelph’s renowned andexcellent Food Services. You’ll want to be here!

CURAC Conference in Guelph - May 22-24, 2019

CURAC Award Recipient Jan Kaufman

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For members of the University of Guelph Retirees Association

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Call for a quote on car or home insurance — or tell us your policy renewal date — and you could win the grand prize

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5

Fall 2018UGRA

Hope you had a great summer and arelooking forward to our 17-day China trip,departing October 6, 2019. I am nowaccepting bookings. Only 40 spots areavailable, so don’t delay! Please use thefollowing email for your booking:victoria.tremblay@transat.com

To see the video again, here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrZooJblFKU

Here are the full cost details, inCanadian dollars:

• $5,779 per couple, or $2,889.50 perperson, based on double occupancy

• If traveling single, add $1,050 for thesingle supplement

• $180 per person for China Visaprocessing, to be arranged by Nexus

• $210 per person for prepaid gratuities

• $56.50 per person for bookingadministration fee

The above costs include:

• Return international airfares fromToronto/Vancouver, airport taxes, andtransfers

• All transportation (internal flights,cruise, coach)

• All deluxe hotel accommodation (basedon double occupancy)

• Meals, featuring regional delicaciesmentioned in the itinerary

• All visits and admission fees, includingentertainment shows mentioned in theitinerary

• English speaking guide

• Chinese Visa Application fees formultiple entries: $180 per person

• Prepaid tips and gratuities: $210 perperson for entire trip

Not included are:

• Travel insurance (I will provide quotesfor Manulife Travel Insurance uponrequest for full travel and medicalcoverage to protect your investment)

• Personal expenditures

• Additional optional excursions, such asto the Panda House ($40 per person)

Payment Terms:

Our tour company is Nexus Holidays,which will allow us to make monthlypayments. A down payment of $300 perperson is to be paid at booking. A further$1,200 is due by April 1, 2019. Thebalance is due three months prior todeparture (that is, by July 6, 2019). HappyFall!

Vikki Tremblay

UGRA China Trip Adventurers - It’s Time to Book! Calling all College ofBiological ScienceRetirees!Greetings CBS retirees. As Dean, Ihave been concerned for some timethat we aren’t doing a great job ofcommunicating with you. Invitationsaren’t getting to you, announcementsabout social events are not beingpassed on, etc. I can certainlyappreciate that you no longer wish tobe on the Departments’ LISTSERVs.After all, you probably no longer careif Christie Lane is having potholerepairs, or whether there’s a new formfor requesting building maintenance;and that’s fair enough! However, Iwould like to ensure that you aregetting notices that you might careabout. Toward that end, I’d like toinvite you to subscribe to the CBSDigest, a summary of key news fromacross the College that comes outelectronically every two weeks. To dothis please email Hillary Dort athdort@uoguelph.ca Additionally, wewill be starting a LISTSERV just forretirees. We will use this only forannouncements we think will be ofinterest to you. If you would like tohave your address added to this, pleaseemail Joanne Scarrow atjscarrow@uoguelph.ca I look forwardto better communications with you,and I hope to see you more often inthe future!

Jonathan NewmanDean, College of Biological Science

6

UGRAFall 2018

Did You Know?UGRA members include all retirees ofthe university, whether those drawing amonthly pension or those who retired andtook their pension as commuted value.However, especially for the latter, we maynot have your contact informationthrough the usual channels. Don’t hesitateto get in touch to provide this!

The U of G Gryphon Statue on GordonStreet has achieved icon status!Commissioned to help celebrate theuniversity’s 50th anniversary, it was

created by a team of art professors andstudents in honour of the school’s varioussports teams. It bears a close resemblanceto Lewis Carroll’s gryphon in Alice inWonderland, illustrated by John Tenniel.Indeed, a toast is in order!

Third Age Learning Guelph

On Wednesdays the Arboretum Centre isthe venue for what promises to be a veryinteresting set of lectures until November7. The Morning Series is themed “WriteNow: English-Canadian Fiction in theTwenty-First Century; the Afternoon

Series is “ON and OFF the BEATENPATH.” Go towww.thirdagelearningguelph.ca or call226-790-1339 for more information.

Also at the Arboretum Centre

Apart from UGRA’s own events, theArboretum hosts many interestingactivities for the university and beyondand for all ages. In all seasons, it is a truetreasure of nature and culture. To find outwhat’s on, explore the website athttps://uoguelph.ca/arboretum/

25% o�!

7

Fall 2018UGRA

Be a Contributing Member of the UGRA (2019)We hope you enjoy this newsletter, our informativewebsite, and our various functions throughout theyear. While membership in UGRA isfree, we depend almost entirely onvoluntary financial contributions fromyou, our members, to finance theNewsletter, room rentals,refreshments and other operatingexpenses. Our board members offertheir time and talents freely, ontop of their financialcontributions. A contributionof even $25 from you would goso far towards sustaining UGRAso we can supporting continue to work onyour behalf. Please use the form below or make acontribution at the next event.

University of Guelph Retirees Association Contributing Membership (2019) Form

� YES! I want to help promote the welfare of retirees and to foster a mutually beneficial relationshipbetween retirees and the University by contributing to the UGRA’s administrative costs.

My contribution is $..................................

Name................................................................................................................. Date..................................................

Address...........................................................................................................................................................................

City/Province...................................................................................................... Postal Code.......................................

Email.................................................................................................................. Phone................................................

(Note that the email address will be used for UGRA communications only.)

Please make cheque payable to the University of Guelph Retirees Association.

Mail this form with your cheque to:

University of Guelph Retirees Association • PO Box 48-4916 • University of Guelph • Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1

Electronic Payment

Instead of mailing in a cheque you can now make a secure donation to UGRA electronically using PayPal andyour credit card on our web page at: http://www.ugra.ca

Mark Your Calendars!

Classified AdsDo you have something to sell,rent, buy, or announce for theWinter edition of the Newsletter?For a modest price, you maypurchase space for a classifiedadvertisement by contacting theeditor (see the contact info on p. 8). You may also purchase alarger box or banner forcommercial purchases. Thedeadline for the Winter edition isearly February, 2019.

• Fall Forum: Thursday, November 15, 2018, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Arboretum Centre(Please note there will be no Spring Forum in 2019)

• CURAC Conference: (at UoG) May 22-24, 2019, location TBA

PUbLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40064673RETURN UNDELIVERAbLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: ITEMS TO

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH RETIREES’ ASSOCIATIONP.O. bOx 4916UNIVERSITY OF GUELPHGUELPH, ONTARIOCANADA N1G 2W1

How to Contact UsDon’t hesitate to contact uswith your questions,comments, and concerns. Toadvocate on your behalf, wetruly want, and need, to hearfrom you. Here are the ways tocontact us – don’t forget toprovide your name andcontact information in yourmessage so we can follow uppromptly.

By Email:president@ugra.ca

By using the ‘Contact Us’ tabon the UGRA website:

www.ugra.ca

By Phone:519-824-4120, Ext. 52197

By Letter:University of Guelph Retirees AssociationP.O. Box 48-4916University of GuelphGuelph, ON N1G 2W1

Hi there UGRA friends! We welcome youto join us for another exciting Universityof Guelph United Way campaign! In 2017,we met and exceeded our goal, and wehave high hopes for another successfulyear that will raise $620,000…and Beyondin 2018! Our 2018 Campaign Kick-Offwas a resounding success, filled withmusic, food, entertainment and, moreimportantly, a collection of people whowish to make a positive difference in theircommunity. From cook-offs to rafflesmixed with laughter and care, there’s somuch going on around campus – we’d loveto see you here!

It would be frightening if you missedCollege Idol on October 31st, theUniversity of Guelph’s Got Talent event!A hot lunch and a cauldron of homegrownentertainment, come dressed in yourHalloween best for this spook-taculartime! Email Stephanie atscraig02@uoguelph.ca for tickets! OurUnited Way Closing Lunch on December3rd will celebrate the shared commitmenttoward our common goals of improvinglives in our own community, highlightingthe outstanding generosity andcontributions generated by this campaigneach year. Email Julie atjhutchin@uoguelph.ca for tickets! But

wait…there’s more. A Time to beGrapeful on March 21, 2019 is anexclusive Ontario wine tasting and foodpairing fundraising gala. Come cultivateyour own wine tasting expertise at thiscan’t miss event of the year! Email Garrettat mayg@uoguelph.ca for tickets!

YOU are the reason we can make such apositive contribution year over year. Wecannot wait to see you there!

Your United Way Steering Committee

The United Way Campaign