The University of Prince Edward Island, along with the PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture and the PEI Department of Health and Wellness, released today the results of the 2014-15 School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES-PEI) Provincial Student Health Profile. SHAPES-PEI gathers information from students in grades 5 through 12 about healthy eating, physical activity, mental fitness, bullying, and tobacco/substance use, in collaboration with the Canadian Student Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS), and the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact. This is the fourth release of data since SHAPES-PEI began in 2008.

“The findings from this fourth cycle of SHAPES-PEI tell us that researchers, schools, and communities must continue to fight for the health of our youth,” said Dr. Donna Murnaghan, co-principal investigator of SHAPES-PEI and adjunct professor of nursing at UPEI. “The flat or plateau results around physical activity levels point to no significant improvements in physical activity levels even though there have been concerted efforts to promote youth being physically active. The rising tobacco and alcohol use among PEI youth changes the conversation to we are not done yet with these risks. These are complex problems that require continued timely monitoring and surveillance to inform action for the future.”

“The information collected through SHAPES reflects students’ health and well-being not only at school, but within their homes and communities as well,” said Sterling Carruthers, School Health Specialist for the PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture. “Although we are seeing some positive changes in both the mental fitness of students and a decreased consumption of ‘other foods,’ we need to continue our partnerships with student, teachers, parents, community, and government to support improved health and well-being for students in other areas identified in this report.”

Highlights from the 2014-15 SHAPES-PEI survey include:

• 71% of PEI students reported having high mental fitness, compared to 66% in 2008 (mental fitness describes a student’s sense of emotional and psychological well-being)
• 37% of PEI students (30% males, 42% females) reported being bullied in the past 30 days
• 45% of PEI students meet national physical activity guidelines (unchanged since 2010)
• 38% of PEI students reported eating fruit and vegetables more than six times the day before the survey (mostly unchanged since 2008)
• 15% of PEI students reported eating high fat/salty/sugary snacks or drinks seven or more times the day before the survey (down significantly from 2008)
• 58% of PEI students reported eating breakfast every day, while 12% of PEI students reported not eating breakfast at all in a usual school week (up from 8% from 2012)
• PEI has the second highest rate of current smokers (among 10-18 year olds) in the country at 6.6%, which is almost double the national average of 3.4%.
• In the last 12 months: 25% of PEI students reported using marijuana and—of the 43% of students who had a drink of alcohol—32% reported engaging in binge drinking, which are the highest rates in Canada.

“One of our three key education priorities is to support the social and emotional well-being of students, and this data is very useful in informing this work,” said Education, Early Learning and Culture Minister Doug Currie. “We continue to use the SHAPES data to develop priorities and policy, and to inform our collaborative work with parents and school communities on improving student well-being and achievement.”

“Instilling the values of wellness, such as healthy eating, avoiding tobacco use, regular exercise and activity at a young age is probably one of the greatest investments we could make for our young people, as they will lead to lifelong healthy choices,” said Minister of Health and Wellness Robert Henderson. “SHAPES-PEI provides valuable information which helps direct our decision making and long-term planning for health promotion in this province.”

Full copies of the 2014-15 SHAPES-PEI Provincial Student Health Profile are available by request, or by visiting:

discoveryspace.upei.ca/cshr/SHAPES

https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/education-early-learning-and-culture/school-health-action-planning-and-evaluation-system

https://www.uwaterloo.ca/propel/

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The University of Prince Edward Island wishes all YDAY participants well in their discussions as they gather in Charlottetown today. YDAY is bringing together more than 120 young people, including several UPEI students, who wish to make PEI an attractive place to work, grow and thrive. The discussions and brainstorms shared by this diverse representation of island youth will help to catalyse new initiatives, programs, and policies that will help shape and direct the island’s cultural and economic future.

YDAY is part of a longer-term strategy that will help to change the narrative for island youth and their futures on Prince Edward Island. The Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning has placed a strategic emphasis on youth and their needs.

“As a province, we will continue to work with young Islanders to assist them in making a successful transition to the workforce and to launch new careers here on Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Richard Brown. “YDAY is a wonderful opportunity for our Island youth to be heard and engaged on matters that affect their lives now and into the future.”

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz said he is grateful for the opportunity to support YDAY and its mission to help transform the narrative for youth and shape the island’s future. “Young minds gather on our campus every day where they are encouraged to work together and produce new ideas and solutions to today’s problems,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “ UPEI is excited for this historic event to take place and we look forward to hearing the recommendations and advice put forth at YDAY PEI.” 

The University of Prince Edward Island is celebrating Open Access Week with a series of informative events.

On Monday, October 24 at 1:30 pm in Robertson Library 312 (or from the comfort of your own office), we are hosting a webinar by Robin DeRosa (Plymouth State University): Open Education: Reducing Costs, Transforming Pedagogy.

On Thursday, October 27 at 10:00 am, Robertson Library 312, Robert Gilmour will introduce and re-launch the new IslandScholar and data.upei.ca. Dawn Hooper and Donald Moses from the Robertson Library will demonstrate the services and answer questions.

Also on Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 pm, the Robertson Library will partner with the Open Data Book Club to host a special event in Robertson Library 312. First, the Open Data Book Club will introduce its activities related to Open Data. Following that we will have two speakers: Dr. Adam Fenech, Director of UPEI Climate Lab, will speak on “The Value of Open Data in Research” and Mary-Ann MacSwain, Data Analyst at the UPEI Centre for Health and Community Research, will speak on “Health Data in an Open Data World.” 

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

October was Cyber Security Awareness Month in Canada, but UPEI encourages students, faculty and staff to “protect while you connect” year-round.  There are several simple ways to stay safe online, says Dana Sanderson, UPEI’s Chief Information Officer.

“Whether you're sending emails, downloading files at work or school, banking online, connecting with friends, the Internet has become an essential part of everyday life,” explains Sanderson. “It’s also a breeding ground for criminal activity and where your information can be compromised. If you take the time to learn about the common threats and risks, online security and protecting yourself can be easy.”

Know the threats.
Online threats include email scams, phishing attacks, botnets, viruses, and trojans. Knowing where they come from and what they look like is the first step to keeping them at bay.

Watch out for fake software.
Cyber criminals develop schemes to trick you into downloading and installing malware on computers, mobile devices and networks. Learning to spot the tricks can keep your precious customer and financial information under locks.

Protect your social networks.
By sharing personal information on social media sites that can be used to build a profile of your responsibilities and activities, it can then be used to develop a convincing scam, tailored to you specifically.

Watch out for phishers.
Cyber criminals use fake emails, text messages and websites to trick you into giving up important info. It's called phishing. Passwords, usernames, credit card numbers can be are taken, sold, and used. Criminals may even impersonate organizations and businesses like UPEI to try to scam clients.

Never respond to emails requesting private information, or click on links from unknown sources. Be on the lookout for email scams where the message is alarmist, has spelling mistakes, offers a deal that's too good to be true, or requests sensitive information.

Know how to spot risky URLs.
By taking the URLs of recognized sites and tweaking them slightly, cyber criminals can catch unsuspecting people in a scam. Signs that a URL is untrustworthy include hyphens, numbers, spelling mistakes and @ symbols in place of regular characters. Manually type URLs in the address bar, rather than clicking on email links. This can help ensure you are going to a legitimate site and not a malicious or spoofed site.

Don't write down passwords. Choose strong ones and change them frequently.
Avoid writing down your passwords on scraps of paper by your work areas. They can be nabbed by people passing by and used to access your accounts. Also, choose strong passwords that aren’t easily guessed and change them on a regular basis to keep your accounts secure.

Lock computer screens.
Lock your screens when you are away from your desks, to help ensure your work areas are secure.

Protect laptops in public.
If cyber criminals get a hold of your computer or mobile device, they can mine it for the important information you've worked so hard to keep secure. Be mindful of where and how you keep your devices.

Don’t connect to unknown Wi-Fi networks.
Choose your network wisely. "Evil twin" Wi-Fi hotspots are sometimes created in the same location to lure and attack unsuspecting mobile users. Turn off settings that automatically search for Wi-Fi networks to prevent your phone, tablet, or laptop from connecting to unsecure and unknown networks. When on public Wi-Fi, look for secure connections that require a password.

Maintain anti-virus software and firewalls.
While most personal computers come with trial versions of anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spy software, after a certain length of time you will need to purchase them or replace them with an alternate software in order to stay protected. Don't ignore updates when prompted on your computer, but make sure they come from your anti-virus software or operating system. If you're not sure, take your computer to an expert. If you are using a UPEI computer, ITSS has installed/subscribed to these protections.

Contact ITSS in an emergency.
In the case of a potential breech or theft, employees should contact UPEI Security Services or the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465 or helpdesk@upei.ca immediately to limit the damage.

Get more tips at the Government of Canada's Get Cyber Safe website. 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Alysha Corrigan (Women’s Rugby) and Mark Smith (Men’s Soccer), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for October 17-23!

Alysha Corrigan is a third-year Business student from Charlottetown and plays centre on the UPEI Women’s Rugby team. The Panthers lost a very close 22-17 game to Acadia in the AUS semi-final Saturday evening. “Alysha was a major force in both the Panthers attack and defense,” said Coach John LaBoyne. “In attack she lead the backs with play decisions and outstanding running plays. In defence, she covered the field, stopping many of the opposition breaks with difficult open field tackles. Alysha also contributed to the scoring line with a convert.”

Mark Smith is a second-year fullback on the UPEI Men’s Soccer team, and a second-year Business student from Charlottetown. The Panthers defeated Memorial University (2-0) and the Université de Moncton (3-1) in games over the weekend. “Mark provided outstanding leadership at the back during both games on the weekend, and scored the pivotal first goal versus MUN," commented Coach Lewis Page.

It’s not too late to purchase your Panther Package, the best sports deal on Prince Edward Island! Your $75 season ticket gets you into every home Panther home game, in every sport (except Men’s Hockey). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

The Open Pages series at UPEI’s Robertson Library welcomes John Cousins to discuss his book New London: The Lost Dream. The event is Wednesday, November 16 at 7 pm, in the second floor common area of the Robertson Library.

New London: The Lost Dream tells the true story of brave Quakers from London, England who settled along PEI’s north shore in 1773. This book is an excellent recreation of how some of the Island’s first European settlers arrived, survived, and occasionally thrived in the “new world.”

The Quaker settlers were different from other early settlers, not only because of their religion, but because their goal was not to farm or fish, but to build a new commercial outpost on what they considered to be the doorstep to the new world. They were tradespeople and entrepreneurs, many of them city dwellers, who saw the dream of a new life in the abundant fish and timber stocks of PEI. They called their settlement New London after the city they had left. It was located at what is today the end of the Cape Road in French River and lasted from 1773 to 1795, before succumbing to harsh weather and lack of funds.

Island folklorist John Cousins is a marvellous storyteller. He brings these Quaker settlers alive in this new book. Thanks to three diaries, which survived from that time, he recreates their daily lives—what houses they built, what hardships they faced, and what dreams they saw dashed.

New London: The Lost Dream is published by Island Studies Press at UPEI. For more details, see “Recent Titles” at http://projects.upei.ca/isp/.

Open Pages features local authors speaking about their books: what inspired them, what they learned, and what they shared. The public is warmly invited to this evening, which takes place in the common area on the second floor of the UPEI Robertson Library. Light refreshments will be served, and books will be for sale and signing by the author.

For more information, contact Joan Sinclair at Island Studies Press at ispstaff@upei.ca, or Simon Lloyd in the Robertson Library, slloyd@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Micayla Darrach received the Canadian Red Cross’ young humanitarian of the year for PEI award on October 19. Darrach was honoured at the PEI convention centre during the annual Red Cross PEI fundraising dinner.

The Argyle Shore native is an honours student whose volunteer efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2012, Darrach volunteered at orphanages in Jamaica and upon returning to PEI she organized a fundraising dinner that raised more than $2,000 for the Jamaica School for the Deaf. Following this global service she embarked on a student medical service trip to Haiti, providing nursing care at clinics in impoverished communities.

“Her dedication to caring for and supporting others, especially vulnerable seniors and students with disabilities, is inspiring,” said Laura Johnson-Montigny, provincial director of the Canadian Red Cross in P.E.I. “I have no doubt she will continue to make important contributions to the well-being of others moving forward in her career.”

In addition to her studies, Darrach also works as a shift Supervisor at Andrews Residence in West Royalty, helping ensure the well-being and dignity of elderly residents, and she volunteers with the UPEI Best Buddies program that offers peer-to-peer support to students with disabilities.
 
“Micayla exemplifies exactly what the spirit of this award represents,” said UPEI’s Dean of Nursing, Dr. Gulrose Jiwani. “Micayla is a strong leader in our community, and her outstanding achievements in nursing, academics, and community involvement make her a model student in our program. Micayla ‘gets it' and this recognition is a testament to her dedication and service.”

UPEI is proud of Micayla and congratulates her on this prestigious and well-deserved award!

Teams from UPEI’s School of Business won first and third place at the Atlantic Schools of Business (ASB) Case Competition. The competition was part of the 46^th Annual ASB Conference—one of Canada’s longest running academic business conferences, this year held at Saint Mary’s University.

UPEI competed on Saturday, October 22 against five other teams from Atlantic Canada, including Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, Crandall University, and Cape Breton University.

“The students really came together in their respective teams and impressed the judges,” said Mary Whitrow, program coordinator and coach of the UPEI teams. “All of us at UPEI can be proud of what they achieved this weekend.”

Teams were given a business case (a narrative about a real-life company and the problems it is facing) they had never seen before. They had three hours to analyze the case and create a solution to the company’s problems. The teams each had 15 minutes to present their recommendations to a panel of academics and industry professionals, followed by a five-minute question period. Judges indicated both UPEI teams showed an excellent understanding of the concepts presented in the case; both presentations stood out for being comprehensive and clearly communicated.

The first-place team included Hannah Dawson (fourth-year BBA, marketing specialization), Shanna Blacquiere (second-year BBA), Krista Oliver (fourth-year BBA, accounting specialization), and Carter MacDonald (fourth-year BBA, accounting specialization).

“I'm so proud of our team's performance at this competition,” said Blacquiere. “We couldn't have had a better start to the season.”

Members of the third-place team are Kate Kinsman (fourth-year BBA, accounting specialization), Alex Dunne (third-year BBA, accounting specialization), Andrew Chapman (third-year BBA, accounting specialization), and Sydney Gallant (third-year BBA).

“Being able to compete at ASB provided a fantastic opportunity to apply the concepts we’ve studied in class to a real-life situation,” said Dunne. “Our result at ASB makes me very excited to see what we can achieve moving forward this year.”

These results continue a tradition of great results for UPEI at the ASB. Last year, UPEI teams placed first and second. In 2014, UPEI placed third. UPEI teams also won first place in 2012 and 2011.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

It’s a busy couple of days for the Panthers at home for the weekend of October 28-30. UPEI will see action in soccer, hockey, and the Atlantic University Field Hockey Championships.

The UPEI Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams are in the home stretch as they play their last home games of the regular season this weekend. Both teams play Mount Allison on Friday evening. The women’s game begins at 5 pm. The men start at 7:15 pm.

“The players are focused and feeling positive going into our last home game,” said Graeme McDonald, coach of the UPEI Women’s Soccer team. “We will have to show a strong attacking mentality and aggressive defending. We are ready to go all out to get the win.”

“UPEI Men's Soccer is looking forward to finishing the regular season at home versus Mount Allison on Friday night,” said Lewis Page, coach of the men’s team. “We will be looking for a victory on a night when we honour our graduating seniors.”

Friday is Seniors Night for UPEI Soccer, and special tribute will be paid to the graduating senior members of the teams.

The UPEI Men’s and Women’s Hockey teams play a pair of games each at home this weekend. The men play Friday night at 7 pm against St. Francis Xavier, and Saturday at 7 pm against Dalhousie University.

“These are two big games with two opponents that are off to a great start their respective seasons,” said Forbes MacPherson, coach of the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. “We are somewhat familiar with both teams, having played them last weekend. We will need to be at our very best to secure a win both nights.”

The women’s hockey team plays Saturday at 3 pm against the Université de Moncton, and again Sunday at 6 pm versus Mount Allison.

“The players have had a strong week of practice and are looking forward to playing both games at home this weekend,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “We look forward to getting our offence production going and having stronger success with our specialty team opportunities.”

UPEI also hosts the Atlantic University Field Hockey (AUFH) Championship this weekend.

“Going into the final tournament the team is feeling confident and focused,” said UPEI Field Hockey coach Sheila Bell. “With strong leadership from captain Sydney Stavert and a balanced team approach, we are taking it one game at a time.”

Sunday’s games in the tournament will all be broadcast live on AUStv. Find a complete schedule at http://www.austv.ca/.

It’s not too late to purchase your Panther Package, the best sports deal on Prince Edward Island! Your $75 season ticket gets you into every home Panther home game, in every sport (except Men’s Hockey). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

Scientists at the University of Prince Edward Island and Memorial University of Newfoundland are partnering with industry partner EWOS/Cargill to develop new therapeutic diets for farmed Atlantic salmon. The initiative could lead to healthier fish and significant savings for the Canadian aquaculture industry.

The $4.5 million Integrated pathogen management of co-infection in Atlantic salmon project was announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Science, Mr. Terry Beech. It is one of six national research collaborations awarded through Genome Canada’s Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP).

The project’s scientific team consists of co-leads Dr. Mark Fast, associate professor in Fish Health at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College, Dr. Matthew Rise, Professor in the Department of Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science at Memorial, and Dr. Richard Taylor, senior research scientist at Cargill Innovation Center.

The project could have a significant impact on aquaculture in Atlantic Canada and across the country, said Dr. Fast.  “This research holds the promise of developing an integrated pathogen management system that could reduce fish losses by as much as 20% overall, and up to 50% for some diseases.”

“When there is an outbreak, it isn’t uncommon for fish to be infected simultaneously with multiple pathogens such as sea lice, bacteria and viruses. This can result in severe economic losses for aquaculture farmers,” said Dr. Taylor.

“Our functional genomics research will identify molecular mechanisms involved in salmon responses to co-infections.  This will lead to the development of better feeds for improved treatments to combat co-infections,” explained Dr. Rise.

Relatively little research has been conducted on co-infections in salmon because it requires specialized know-how and a complex infrastructure of test facilities. Dr. Taylor noted that co-infection feeds are novel to the salmon industry and a high priority for EWOS/Cargill. “The expertise of the research team, along with the collaboration of EWOS/Cargill, Memorial and UPEI are enabling this research to move forward.”

It is estimated that the use of therapeutic feeds could save the Canadian aquaculture industry up to $57 million annually, while decreasing the use of chemical treatments and minimizing the risk of transmitting pathogens to wild salmon.

Project  funding for Integrated pathogen management of co-infection in Atlantic salmon is provided by the Government of Canada via Genome Canada at $1.5 million; EWOS/Cargill at $2.2 million; the Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland & Labrador (RDC) at $500,000; Mitacs at $90,000; UPEI at $101,000; and Memorial at $51,000.

The project builds on research conducted by the team that focuses on individual pathogens in farmed Atlantic salmon.  This earlier project, which is ongoing, is also funded through Genome Canada’s GAPP program. Both projects are managed by Genome Atlantic.

“Genomics technologies are a transformative suite of tools that can help us find solutions in many other sectors,” says Steve Armstrong, President and CEO of Genome Atlantic. “We are pleased to continue working with our industry and academic partners to advance important developments that benefit the aquaculture industry here in Atlantic Canada and nationally.”

Partner Quotes

“Understanding and managing the factors impacting fish health is critical to the aquaculture industry. Through innovative R&D and collaboration between academic researchers and industry, the application of genomics in this project has the potential to make significant advancements in the salmon industry and will reduce the rate of infection and strengthen competitiveness in the seafood market.”
Mark Ploughman, Acting CEO, the Research & Development Corporation

“Our partnership with Professor Rise at Memorial University and EWOS Innovation exemplifies the shared commitment Mitacs and Genome Canada have in supporting Canada’s next generation of innovators. Their research in genomics plays an important role in addressing multi-sector challenges while having a positive impact on the economy.”
Dr. Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs

Genome Atlantic is a not-for-profit corporation with a mission to help Atlantic Canada reap the economic and social benefits of genomics and other ‘omics technologies. Working with a broad range of partners, Genome Atlantic helps companies, genomics researchers and others collaborate around strategic R&D initiatives that create sustainable improvements in agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, energy, the environment, forestry, human health and mining. Genome Atlantic has helped to enabled more than $87 million in genomics R&D since its inception in 2000. 

EWOS is a leading supplier of feed and nutrition for the international aquaculture industry. The company has produced fish feed since 1984 and operates in four of the world’s major salmon farming regions: Norway, Chile, Canada, and Scotland. EWOS continually invests in research and development and is known as a global innovator in aquaculture. EWOS was recently acquired by Cargill, a multi-national company that provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services. With more than 150,000 employees in 70 countries, Cargill is committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving communities.

Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador’s research and development performance. RDC works with research and development stakeholders including business, academia and government agencies and departments to make strategic investments in highly qualified people, R&D infrastructure and innovative research. Since 2009, RDC has invested $129 million into more than 725 projects and has leveraged over $325 million from other investment partners.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.