The University of Windsor and its alumni association are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Battle 519 tournament, UWindsor president Rob Gordon said at an official announcement Wednesday at centre court of the triple gym in the Toldo Lancer Centre.

The “Battle at the Plaza” three-on-three basketball tournament, Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at Windsor’s riverfront Festival Plaza, will benefit the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County and W.E. Care for Kids. Organizers predict a heart-racing competition that will draw hundreds of players and fans over the Labour Day weekend to share their love of basketball.

“This event transcends basketball; it brings people together and underscores our University’s strategic commitment to fostering a harmonious community,” Dr. Gordon said. “Forging connections and uniting our diverse Windsor population, the impact of this tournament will extend far beyond the basketball courts.”

Manny Pangilinan, president of Battle Canada, the non-profit organizing body, promises an unforgettable experience for all involved.

“We’re thrilled to bring this exciting event to Windsor,” he said. “Battle 519 will transform Festival Plaza into an outdoor basketball wonderland. Twenty-six teams comprising four different divisions will compete over the three-day weekend. Attendees will have the opportunity to indulge in local food truck delectables and explore unique offerings from pop-up restaurants and retail vendors to live music and entertainment.”

Pangilinan is looking for additional sponsors, vendors, and donations. To get involved, email windsor@battlecanada.ca or operations@battlecanada.ca.

With coastline along four of the five Great Lakes, Ontario has a vested interest in ensuring their health, says Mike McKay, director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.

The institute will host more than 700 leading experts, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from around the world next week for scientific sessions and keynotes during the International Association for Great Lakes Research 67th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research.

“It will be the fifth time this event has been hosted by the University of Windsor, which reinforces the rich history of Great Lakes research at the University, where healthy Great Lakes have long been included as one of our pillars of strategic research activity,” says Dr. McKay, conference site chair.

“Blue water resources are integral to Ontario’s identity and economy.”

Wih nearly 600 presentations scheduled, the conference offers a platform for the exchange of ideas, collaboration, and the dissemination of cutting-edge research that is vital for the sustainable management of our freshwater ecosystems.

Centered around the theme “Shared Lakes: One Water, One Health,” activities will run May 20 to 24.

“This theme provides an opportunity to share about remediation efforts as well as new stressors that pose a threat to ecosystem health and to all communities dependent on the Great Lakes for water, ecosystem services, economic opportunity and recreation,” McKay says.

Diverse plenary sessions will highlight various aspects of the conference theme:

• Palencia Mobley – Black, Blue, and Green: The Color of Water
• Kelsey Leonard – Water Back: Indigenous Science for Great Lakes Health
• Tracie Baker – Environmental contamination through a One Health lens

“There will be a lot of Indigenous-focused programming,” says McKay. “Likewise, there will be participants and sessions from the African Great Lakes and their African Women in Science program along with an Early Career workshop co-hosted by UWindsor’s FISH-CAST and the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education’s Women in Science program.”

Program co-chair and UWindsor faculty member Catherine Febria worked closely with the IAGLR team and co-chair Carol Miller of Wayne State University to organize the scientific program as well as a mid-conference afternoon of exploration.

Mckay, Dr. Febria, and the local organizing committee have curated a special “Pockets of Awesome” pocket map to complement organized tours including the Ojibway park and prairie, local walking tours such as the McDougall Street Corridor, Art Windsor Essex, drop-in art classes at Incubator Art Lab and more.

A riverside barbecue featuring Indigenous performances and a Thursday night banquet will bring together conference participants to celebrate talents, communities, and collaborations.

“This conference will be a real showcase of the local talent, incredible science, and community partnerships that are rooted here in Windsor,” Febria says.

The concept of a resumé — reducing a job seeker to a piece of paper — is archaic, says Jordan Goure (BA 2014).

He is president and CEO of Picsume, a tech company with a mission of providing dynamic work profiles that match candidates with their ideal jobs. The company won an Innovation Award sponsored by the University of Windsor Alumni Association at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards reception Wednesday at the Chrysler Theatre.

“The resumé is the past. Picsume is the future,” Goure says. “Our core values of innovation, efficiency, and meritocracy drive us to create a seamless experience for both candidates and employers.”

The awards honour top businesses, individuals, and organizations in Windsor-Essex in 12 categories.

Other winners with a UWindsor connection include:

• Professional of the Year Tim Brady (BSc 1996), owner of Brady’s Drug Store, with pharmacies in Belle River, Essex, and Tilbury;
• ErgoNow office furniture store, owned by Sue Brunet (BHK 1993), Company of the Year with fewer than 25 employees; and
• Meighen Nehme (BComm 2002), president of the Job Shoppe employment agency, winner of the Athena Leadership Award.

Windsor Law professor Gemma Smyth has been appointed to the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario.

The core of the judicial appointments process lies in the independent advisory committees tasked with evaluating the qualifications of applying lawyers. Committee chairs and members are appointed by the federal government for two-year terms with the possibility of renewal at the government’s discretion.

Prof. Smyth manages and teaches in the Faculty of Law externship and judicial internship programs.

“Federal Judicial Advisory Committees increase accountability and transparency in judicial appointments,” she said. “It is an honour to serve on a committee that plays an important role in the judicial appointments process.”

Five of the nine recruits coming to Lancer men’s hockey in 2024 are from Windsor-Essex, reports head coach Kevin Hamlin — including his son Ray Hamlin, a centre who played three seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League, most recently with the Merrit Centennials.

Leamington Flyers forwards Cayden Faust and Alex Cunningham and goalies Max Donoso of the Windsor Spitfires and Kyle Metson of the Burlington Cougars round out the locals donning the blue and gold.

Four more forwards — Saskatchewan natives Krik Mullen, Ty Hilbig, and Logan Linklater, and Salvatore Collora of Woodinville, WA — complete the roster.

Read more on each of these student-athletes in the full article, “Hamlin announces recruit class for 2024-25 season,” at goLancers.ca.

Spots are still available for Wen-Do self-defence training for UWindsor women on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26.

The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention, Resistance, and Support is hosting the program free for students, staff, and faculty. The deadline to register is noon Thursday, May 23.

Email instructor Anne Rudzinski at arudzins@uwindsor.ca for course information and registration.

Most UWindsor services and offices will close Monday, May 20, in observance of the Victoria Day statutory holiday.

The CAW Student Centre will lock its doors at 5 p.m. Sunday and re-open at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The Toldo Lancer Centre will close at 6 p.m. Sunday and re-open at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The Leddy Library will close at 8 p.m. Sunday and re-open at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The Don and Gail Rodzik Law Library will close for the entire weekend.

The University has declared a heavy-duty drill press for sale by bid as Disposal File 2064.

Click here for more photos and details on submitting bids.