Mercer Union was created by former members of A.C.T. in 1979 to operate as an artist-run, non-profit cooperative gallery. Twelve founders contributed financially to the rental of a ground floor space at 29 Mercer Street and planned to mix local, regional, national and international exhibits, collaborating with other artist-run programs. Its mandate was to exhibit new work in the most advanced forms of painting and sculpture that was not receiving exposure in the commercial and public galleries. Performance art, installations and music were incorporated into the programming, which has continued to represent innovative and sometimes controversial material. Twelve board members are elected by dues-paying members and serve on the various committees (programming, curatorial, etc), with the help of a small paid staff. The gallery moved to 333 Adelaide Street West, 5th floor in 1981 and 439 King Street West in 1994. Their present location is 37 Lisgar Street; current information about the gallery can be obtained at www.mercerunion.org.
The Arts and Letters Club of Burlington, Ontario was formed in 1948 by a small group of dedicated women as an out-growth of the Roseland Book Club. Its purpose was to develop interest in literature and the arts, through the circulation of books, lectures on literary topics, art, music, films and drama. The early meetings were held in the Lion’s Club Hall, later in Trefoil Lodge, and then in the Burlington Central Library.
Personal Studio was founded by Robert T.G. Nicol and a friend, and officially opened for business on March 21, 1946. Nicol was the sole photographer and owner by the fall of 1946. For the next fifty years Robert Nicol documented the Waterloo Region through personal and commercial photography. He pioneered the concept of wedding albums in the local area. He had started flying in 1961 and from that time on took aerial photographs as well as studio and candid photography. In the course of his career he maintained memberships in professional photographers' organizations as well as completing continuing photographic educational courses offered by those organizations. He retired as a professional photographer in 1996.
The Department of Surgery at Women's College Hospital was established in 1915 under the leadership Dr. Minerva Reid (1915-1926), Chief of Surgery. By 1920, the department was performing approximately 500 operations per year. The Department was next headed by the following Surgeons-in-Chiefs: Dr. Edna Guest (1926-1931); Dr. Kathleen Bartley (1931-1946); Dr. Jessie Gray (1946-1964); Dr. Marjorie Davis (1965-1976); Dr. Robert D. Henderson (1976-1988); Dr. Lavina Lickley (1988-1999). In 1999, Women's College Hospital amalgamated with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Orthopedic and Arthritic Institute to form Sunnybrook & Women’s College Hospital. During this time period, Women’s College Campus continued to maintain a Chief of Surgery. On April 1, 2006, Women's College Hospital regained its independent governance and became Ontario’s first and only ambulatory care hospital. The Ambulatory Surgical Services Program at Women's College Hospital performs a variety of surgical procedures including general surgery, plastic surgery focusing on breast cancer & breast reconstruction and urological procedures under the leadership of Dr. John Semple, Chief of Surgery.
The Walden Garden Club was first founded by Jean Narozanski in 1976. Narozanski was the municipal horticulturalist in Walden and also worked at the public library. She noticed a desire of residents to learn more about horticulture and founded the club to provide an outlet for various homeowners to discuss gardening. That same year, Narozanski also established Northern Perennials, a local gardening store. By 1980, Narozanski moved to Manitolan Island and the club discontinued around the mid 1980's.
Former Chairmen of the Walden Garden Club include;
Jean Narozanski 1976-1977
Evelyn Nelson 1977-1978
Myra Gauthier 1978-1979
The Faculty of Science at Wilfrid Laurier University was founded in 2000, when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences partitioned into distinct faculties of Arts and Science. The Faculty consists of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Kinesiology and Physical Education, Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, Psychology and the Health Sciences program. Deans of the Faculty of Science have been Dr. Arthur Szabo (2000-2007), Dr. Deb MacLatchy (2007-2009), and Dr. Paul Jessop (2009- present).
The Faculty is predominantly housed in the Science Building which was officially opened in 1995. Eventually the Science Research Centre (opened in 2004) was added between the Science and Bricker Academic Buildings. The Research Centre is a dedicated research building for faculty and students.
In 2000, the Faculty of Science mandate was as follows:
“Laurier’s Faculty of Science is dedicated to collaboration between and beyond its six departments. In that spirit, the Faculty offers selected high quality programs with homes in Biology, Chemistry, Kinesiology & Physical Education, Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science and Psychology. Its programs are contemporary and competitive, designed to attract the highest quality students, and to provide them with a stimulating education and thorough preparation for employment or further studies. That Faculty holds the advance of scientific knowledge as one of its key values, and as such is committed to sustaining a supportive climate for research in the pure, social and applied sciences. The Faculty’s spirit of shared enterprise is highly valued by its members.”