2024-2025 Annual Reports

UCRA President’s Report 2024 – 2025
Werner J. Becker
The past year has been a productive one for the University of Calgary Retirees Association with
significant activities and advancements. It began with the acceptance of a revised constitution at
the 2024 annual meeting in October, and the approval of new UCRA bylaws by the executive
committee a month later. A big thank you to our current past president, Sheila Evans, and your
small committee, for making all this happen.
Dr. Arvi Rauk was successfully nominated by the UCRA for a CURAC Tribute Award, which he
received in person in Montreal at the annual CURAC meeting in May 2025. Thank you Arvi for your
strong and continuing service as treasurer and membership coordinator for the UCRA.
The Operations and Procedure Manual was carefully reviewed and revised to help guide future
members of the UCRA executive as they take up their positions. It was approved in March 2025.
Special thanks to Keith Dobson, secretary, for compiling all the documents. Also, a big thank you to
Keith Dobson for taking on the role of secretary for the UCRA after the resignation of long-serving
Gary Krivy. Keith has provided exemplary service over the past twelve months.
The Indigenous scholarship award was continued. The 2023-2024 recipient was Zoe Kreutzer in the
Faculty of Arts. The 2024-2025 recipient was Laurel Schaffer, a Metis student in the Bachelor of
Education (Elementary Education - Social Studies Education) program in the Werklund School of
Education.
A finance committee was formed consisting of Arvi Rauk, David Hogan, and Keith Dobson. A $5,000
GIC was purchased to provide interest income for the UCRA.
A meeting was held with the U of C alumni office, and it was clarified that the $5000 annual grant
can be spent within the funding year on most activities, except alcohol. W. Becker and C.
Bangs signed as agreement that the $5,000 annual support grant to the UCRA is confirmed for the
next 5 years.
The UCRA brochure was revised and updated.
A process to revise the UCRA website was initiated, and a small committee struck for this purpose
consisting of Om Malik, Sandra Hirst, and Elaine McKiel.
In the fall of 2024 Dr. Norman Campbell approached UCRA about becoming a corresponding
member of the Alberta Health Professions for the Environment (AHPE). We did not become a
corresponding member as the UCRA is not a health-related organization and our objectives don’t
align well those of AHPE. However, it was recommended that the UCRA continue including
sessions on environmental matters in our speaker series. Establishing a special climate-focused
interest group was considered premature, as a potential leader for such a group and additional core
members had not yet come forward.
An option was reviewed to move our monthly program events from the Engineering building to a
more socially friendly room in the MacKimmie Tower, but after careful review, this was found to be
not feasible.
Members of the UCRA participated a number of university events including two UFlourish events
and a Cummings School of Medicine retirement workshop.
The UCRA has worked with the U of C Graduate College to establish a mentorship program. Jocelyn
Lockyer, Werner Becker, and John Latter have served as mentors to students from the college
during the past year.
An initiative was completed, led by Jocelyn Lockyer and assisted by Keith Dobson and others to
archive past UCRA documents. They worked with Curtis Frederick, Asst Archivist in Libraries &
Cultural Resources.
Two successful social functions were held, the 2024 Christmas Holiday Luncheon at the University
dining centre, and the President’s Luncheon held at the Croatian Canadian Cultural Centre on May
14th. Both were well attended, with the May luncheon attended by 50 people. Kudos to Claire Mills
for organizing these events.
Our monthly program offerings were very successful throughout the past year, with interesting and
informative presentations. A big thank you to Jocelyn Lockyer and her committee for continuing to
organize these events.
The UCRA has been asked to host the 2028 CURAC meeting. The CURAC Board discussed future
conference sites and agreed that it would like to continue discussions with UCRA about hosting in
2028. The year 2028 will mark the 25th anniversary of CURAC's founding. Calgary was the site of the
Congress/Learneds that year. CURAC's founders were present there and established the
organization at that time. Although we have a lot of lead time, over the next several months the
UCRA executive should make a decision on whether or not to pursue discussions to host the 2028
meeting.
I refer everyone to the report of our treasurer / membership coordinator, Arvi Rauk. Our
membership remains strong at over 300, and our financial position is likewise strong.
Our month e-letter has been a huge asset for the UCRA over the past year, thanks to the hard work
and organizational talents of Sandra Hirst. Likewise, the Life After Retirement (LAR) newsletter has
also been a very successful initiative under the capable management of Linda Leonard. Thank you
both!
In closing, I would like to thank all on the executive committee members for their hard work in
furthering the objectives of the UCRA. I much appreciated the willingness of Om Malik to continue
as interim webmaster, and the important contributions made by our members at large, Elaine
McKiel and David Hogan. I also appreciated the strong support provided by Vice President Maeve
O’Beirne and look forward to some unique social events that she is organizing for UCRA member in
the coming year. The positive attitude and spirit of cooperation displayed by all members of the
executive has been much appreciated by me. Thank you all for your support.

President, UCRA

Past-resident and Graduate College Representative Repor

Nominations Commitee Report
The Past President of the UCRA chairs the Nominations Committee for the executive of the UCRA.
The slate of nominees is provided separately and included in the agenda. On the whole, the executive
will remain stable for the 2025-26 calendar year. We have been fortunate to find a willing and able
nominee for the position of Webmaster. Unfortunately, a candidate for Vice-President/President-elect
has not been forthcoming. That important position is unfilled. Nominations from the floor will be sought
at the AGM.
Graduate College Report
The Past President also acts as representative to the Graduate College.
Some significant changes have occurred over the course of the 2024-25 year. Dr. Jenny Godley is the
new head of the Graduate College, replacing Dr. Clifton Cunningham, Interim Head. She appears eager
to foster collaboration between the UCRA and the Graduate College.
Ms. Kim Suvan, Coordinator, Graduate College and Transdisciplinary Scholarship met with the Past
President on several occasions to atempt to find common ground on which to foster that collaboration.
Additionally, three members of the current and former UCRA Executive mentored graduate scholars
throughout the year. The feedback on those relationships has been very positive. Those UCRA
members, student mentees and representatives, administrative and liaison personnel met on two
occasions with one of Dr. Cunningham or Godley in attendance. The purpose of those meetings was to
encourage and further develop relationships between the UCRA and the Graduate College.
I am pleased to report that those meetings have resulted in two invitations for UCRA participation this
fall. The first is attendance at and participation in the welcome dinner meeting on October 2nd. The
second is attendance at the TedXCalgary forum on Saturday, October 25th. Further information about
these events will be provided in our newsletters. My impression is that the Graduate College and the
UCRA are developing an increasingly strong and mutually beneficial relationship.
Sheila J Evans
Past President and Graduate College Representative Slate of Nominees for the 2025-26
Executive of the University of Calgary Retirees-Association (UCRA)
Annual General Meeting, October 08, 2025
President: Maeve O’Beirne
Vice-President & President-Elect: Open for nomination
Past President & Graduate College Representative: Werner Becker
Secretary: Keith Dobson
Treasurer/Membership: Arvi Rauk
Program Director: Jocelyn Lockyer
LAR Editor: Linda Leonard
E-letter: Sandra Hirst
Webmaster: David Bininda
Social Director: Claire Mills
Member at Large: Elaine McKiel
Member at Large: David Hogan

UCRA Membership Report for AGM
Membership report (Jun 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2025)
2027-2028 2
2026-2027 1
2025-2026 Memberships: 79 (not including 61 life members)
2024-2025 Memberships: 277 (not including 60 life members)
2023-2024 Memberships: 228 (not including 63 life members)
2022-2023 Memberships: 193 (not including 66 life members)
2021-2022 Memberships: 235 (not including 27 life members)
2020-2021 Memberships: 239 (not including 23 life members)
16 Retirees have queried about membership and have been put on the mailing lists
2 New LIFE Members – Chiu-Ling Hung, James Nicholls
208 members from 2024-2025 have not renewed yet
27 members from 2023-2024 have not renewed yet
53 new Emeriti in 2025 (one posthumously)– 10 have joined UCRA for 2025-2026
17 Retirees, all Emeriti, have died in calendar year 2025 (Tim Goddard, Lois Choksy, John Bland,
Eu-Don Cook, Morley Hollenberg, Keith Brownell, Greg Lucier, Roy Brown, Greg Powell, Bernard Reddick,
Philip Elder, Tareq Ismael, Jean Langdon, Ivor Luethy, Anthony Rasporich, John Remmers, Robert
Woodrow)
Lois Choksy, Roy Brown and Jean Langdon were LIFE members
21 Retirees, seventeen Emeriti, two retiree, have died in calendar year 2024 – five were LIFE
UCRA members (Tom Barton, Gunnar Berg, Marg Oliver, James Robinson, Howard Yeager). Two others
were UCRA members at time of death (Penny Jennett, Rod Cooper)
30 Emeriti have died in calendar year 2023 (4 were Life members (Brian Chellas, Maurice
Lepper, Cyril Challice, Don Mills), 2 were members last year, Amin Ghali, Bill Perks)
24 Emeriti died in calendar year 2022; 2 were EA LIFE members (Bernadette Curry, George
Lane), 3 were members (John Tyberg, John Klassen, Lee Handy)
Arvi Rauk Aug 27, 2025
 

Re: Program Committee
For 2024-25, programs were held monthly, except for December 2024 and May 2025. Programs and
speakers were as follows:
September 2024 Maintaining Health from 65 – 100: What is the evidence supporting healthier living?
Maeve O’Beirne, Cumming School of Medicine
October 2024 Artificial Intelligence—Cyber Security and Privacy: AI Threats to Cybersecurity and Privacy
Ken Barker, Faculty of Science
November 2024 Can Carbon Capture & Storage Secure a Future of Alberta’s Oil and Gas Industry
Don Lawton
January 2025 Alberta’s Water (in) Security in the 21st Century
Tricia Stadnyk, Schulich School of Engineering and Faculty of Arts
February 2025 Arctic Wilderness Gems and the Threats They Face Travel Tips for Retirees
Werner Becker, Cumming School of Medicine
Sandra Hirst, Faculty of Nursing
Jocelyn Lockyer, Cumming School of Medicine
March 2025 Kananaskis/Biogeoscience Institute: Marking 75 years research, teaching
Steven Vamosi, Faculty of Science
April 2025 Calgary Atlas Project: Ethnic Foodways of Forest Lawn
James Ellis, Faculty of Arts
Nancy Janovicek, Faculty of Arts
Shuyao (Katie) Qin, Student
June 2025 Alberta Politics in a Time of Crisis
Lisa Young, Faculty of Arts
Special thanks to the committee who guided program development: Jocelyn Lockyer (Chair), Tris
Chivers, Elaine McKiel, Carole-Lynne LeNavenec, Om Malik, Dennis Salahub, Mary Valentich and
Gerrit Voordouw.
Thanks also to Colleen Bangs, Meghan Whitehead and Kashika Saroha, Alumni Office who provided
meeting and logistical support for our meetings.
Submitted by: Jocelyn Lockyer, July 23, 2025

UCRA Social Committee 2024-2026

The Social Committee of the UCRA this past 2024 -2025 year continued to focus on the two
traditional UCRA gatherings to fulfill a key aspect of our ‘Keeping-in-Touch’ goal.
1. Annual Holiday Luncheon – December 11, 2024
We had our festive luncheon to kick off the Christmas Holiday Season at the Blue Room
(Dining Centre) at the University of Calgary. The 59 registered UCRA members and their
guests appeared to participate in lively conversations at their respective tables.
Our guest presenter was Dr. Sandra Davidson, Provost, University of Calgary who provided
an update on major current initiatives at the University. She attended the Luncheon and
networked with the UCRA Retirees.
Thank you to the UCRA ad hoc committee for the Christmas Holiday Luncheon: Linda
Leonard, Arvi Rauk, Sheila Evans, Sandi Hirst and Jocelyn Lockyer.
2. UCRA President’s Luncheon – May 14, 2025
The UCRA President’s Spring Luncheon was held at the Croatian Club with 50 registered
UCRA members and their guests in attendance. There was good feedback (informally
gathered) re: the quality of the food and the atmosphere at this venue with some suggested
logistical changes re: location of food and set up of the buffet.
Our co-presenters Mary Valentich and Jocelyn Lockyer gave an informal talk “Why Go To
Croatia” with their recollections of a recent trip to Croatia.
Overall, the above events were successful and convivial social gatherings for UCRA
Members, providing opportunities to reconnect and solidify friendships. For the 2025-2026
year the plan is to refocus our energies to ensure that we continue the tradition of hosting
these two important luncheons and to endeavour to increase attendance by ensuring we
explore options re: venues, costs, and location.
Thank you to the UCRA ad hoc committee for the Spring Luncheon of Linda Leonard, Arvi
Rauk, Sheila Evans, Maeve O’Beirne and Mary Valentich and Jocelyn Lockyer.
A special thank you to our current UCRA President Dr. Werner Becker who was the MC for
both of above Luncheons, and he entertained us with some well told humorous stories.
3. University of Calgary President’s Reception
Several UCRA Retirees attended a table at the President’s Reception held in September
2025 and ensured UCRA brochures were available to encourage the registration of new
members.
4. Expansion of Social Activities
The social committee is looking to act as a hub for member driven group activities and
interests in 2025-2026. Examples of activites include:
 - Wine Tasting Event
- Nickle Galleries Tours
- CPO Open Rehearsals
- Summer Historical Walking Tour
Respectfully submitted, Claire Mills
UCRA Executive/ Social Committee:- Linda Leonard, Maeve O’Beirne, Sheila Evans and
Claire Mills.

  List of Deceased Members 2024-2025

University of Calgary Retirees Association

Name                             Department                                    Date of Death
Name Department/ Faculty Date of Passing
Dr. Harvey Rich Sociology June 6, 2024
Margaret Oliver Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences November 7, 2024
Dr. John Goddard Werklund School of Education January 22, 2025
Dr. Clifford Bland Physics and Astronomy February 2, 2025
Dr. Lois Choksy Music February 2, 2025
Dr. Gregory Lucier Neurophysiology, Medicine February 7, 2025
Dr. Eung- Do Cook Linguistics March 8, 2025
Dr. Victor Sawchuk Family Practice, Medicine March 9, 2025
Dr. Morley Hollenberg Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Medicine March 15, 2025
Sarah Glockner Engineering March 28, 2025
Dr. Keith Brownell Clinical Neuroscience, Medicine March 28, 2025
Bernard Grant Reddick Drama April 4, 2025
Dr. Jedrzej Sniatycki Mathematics April 21, 2025
Dr. Greg Powell Emergency Medicine April 30, 2025
Dr. Philip Elder Faculty of Environmental Design May 7, 2025
Dr. Roy Brown Werklund School of Education May 8, 2025
Dr. Ivor Luethy German, School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures May 20, 2025
Dr. Robert Woodrow Mathematics and Statistics June 10, 2025
Jean Langdon Nursing June 15, 2025
Dr. John Remmers Physiology and Biophysics, Medicine July 7, 2025
Dr. Anthony Rasporich History, Social Sciences August 9, 2025
Dr. Robert Lawson Werklund School of Education August 9, 2025
Dr. Ed Klovan Geology August 31, 2025
Note: This list includes names of those who passed prior to last year’s AGM but such passings were not
known to the Association until after the AGM. It is current to September 15, 2025.

Life After Retirement (LAR)
Annual Report for 2024-2025
Life After Retirement (LAR) is the official publication of the University of Calgary
Retirees Association (UCRA). The publication is currently issued in two editions. The
primary content for LAR includes:
• UCRA President’s Report.
• Summaries of performances or presentations made at the regular UCRA monthly
meetings (through the UCRA Program Chair).
• News from the CURAC representative.
• Notable achievements by UCRA members (e.g. book, award).
• Pertinent notices on retirement, pension and benefits (from the Executive, the
University or other organizations).
• Photographic records of activities (i.e. Christmas and President’s luncheons).
• Relevant information on UCalgary special events and current issues.
• The composition of the current UCRA Executive.
The Winter 2025 PDF version (Vol. 32, No. 1) detailed events from September to
December 2024. This issue was distributed via email on January 28, 2025, to all active
members of the Association. [Total cost paid by UCRA funds: $282.95]
The Summer 2025 publication (Vol. 32, No. 2) covered activities from January to June
2025 and was published on July 14, 2025. A hard copy was mailed to all UCRA members
from the past five years (630+), with the annual Membership Application/Renewal Form
attached. [Total cost paid by University grant: $3,104.93]
The LAR Editor is responsible for compiling the LAR newsletters and may request content
approval from the UCRA Executive Committee as necessary. Technical assistance in the
preparation of the LAR layout, production, printing and mailing, is provided by Mountain
View Printing and Graphics Limited (MVPG). The Membership Chair/Treasurer manages
mailing lists and distributes the Life After Retirement publications.
Linda Leonard
LAR Editor
August 2025

Webmaster Annual Report, 2024-2025

The Association website has been working without any significant problems. Most of
the activity of the webmaster during 2024-2025 was to update the UCRA website
(https://ucalgary.ca/retirees-association) at regular intervals. A few changes were
made, and some extra information added. Otherwise, the year has run smoothly.
Om Malik
Webmaster
September 2025

2023-2024 ANNUAL REPORT from  Editor of

 E-LETTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RETIREES ASSOCIATION (UCRA) 

    A monthly e-letter is sent to all current members of the University of Calgary Retirees
Association a few days before the end of each month. To encourage attendance, an eletter
reminder is sent the Monday before each presentation.
The contribution of the Executive members facilitates the timely and relevant
information that we hope to share with you. However, we sometimes receive beneficial
tips from our members, and we appreciate this support.
It has been an interesting first year as e-letter and I have very much enjoyed my
learning.
Sandi Hirst
UCRA e-letter Editor
September, 2025

                               College and  University Retiree Associations of Canada (https://curac.ca/about-us/)

2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT  FROM YOUR CURAC/ARUCC  Representative

CURAC
While the UCRA Executive does not include a CURAC representative, my membership
on the national Board does provide me with the opportunity to informal UCRA members
of some of the activities of the national group. We support intergenerational and later life
learning opportunities, provide benefits (e.g. travel, insurance reductions) to local retiree
groups, and offer a national conference. This information is available on the website –
https://curac.ca/en/home
Sandi Hirst
CURAC Board member
September, 2025