Dear alumni,
As 2022 comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to connect with you. This year has been an unusual year in so many ways – as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are finding comfort in the return to some old ways, and excitement in exploring new ways to live our lives, too. These are truly extraordinary times.
For me, this was best illustrated by the return to in-person Homecoming. After months of isolation and virtual programming, it was a thrill to be on campus with our alumni again. There were the big moments, of course – the thunder of thousands in the stands at Richardson Stadium as our Gaels gave us a thrilling victory – but also the quiet dignity and sense of history that was in the air at our beautiful Tricolour Guard dinner. It was a weekend full of emotion as people openly embraced, laughed, and even wept as they reunited with friends and family – Queen’s family.
Emotion ran deep at so many of our events this year. Just a few weeks ago, we brought alumni together for an evening with the Honourable Gloria J. Epstein, Com'72, lead investigator of the Missing and Missed: Report of the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations. While we described it as a night of conversation and community building, it was so much more. It was about community, yes, but it was also about the shared bonds that tie our communities together, and our responsibility to keep them ever strong. It was about looking out for each other and standing up for those who have been marginalized. I know it was as moving for others as it was for me to be reminded that we all have a role to play as guardians of those bonds.
Earlier in the fall, A Mile in Their Shoes: Truth, Empathy, and Reconciliation event took alumni on an incredible journey at Soul of the Mother, a healing lodge at Six Nations of the Grand River. There were moments of pain and moments of joy for all those who gathered at the river’s edge, but each one of our alumni came away from the experience with new perspective. It was a precedent-setting initiative that we undertook in partnership with Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill), Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation) and Ry Moran, Associate University Librarian – Reconciliation, at the University of Victoria. Plans are underway to offer this experience again next year, and I hope many of you will join us.
Speaking of collaboration, we also offered the one-of-a-kind Queen’s Lecture Series for our alumni that showcased the work of our faculty partners, and we recommitted to providing continuing education opportunities for our alumni to connect with us – no matter where in the world they may be.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the passing of a true champion of Queen’s – my friend, Isabel Bader. Isabel was such a force of nature that I think it was difficult for many of us to comprehend that she was gone. Her quiet devotion to causes that she and Alfred held dear was an inspiration for us all.
When the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts opened in 2014, Isabel said she hoped it would inspire audiences beyond Queen’s and beyond Kingston. With the new Isabel Digital Concert Hall, which gives our alumni access to world-class productions and concerts, Isabel’s dream has been realized.
But, in the end, I hope it is Isabel’s generosity of spirit that will reach beyond our campus. Her dedication to – and love of – history, the arts, science, and Indigenous culture can be found throughout Queen’s. By sharing her interests with others, she opened doors for individuals to develop their own interests and passions, whether it was in the sound of an instrument, the conservation of a painting, the secrets unlocked by a microscope, or the wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge. In doing so, she leaves us all a legacy that is especially worth contemplating at this time of year.
In 2023, what will be our legacy? How can we share with others and spark journeys of lifelong learning? How can we open doors for those around us? If we can find ways to do this for each other, for our students, and for our alumni, we will truly be able to serve Isabel’s vision of giving. And in so doing, the extraordinary times we are living through will be enriched beyond measure.
Karen Bertrand, Artsci’94
Vice-Principal (Advancement)
