Wayne Smithies (BCom), President, Buffalo Hills Developments, is pleased to announce that his land development project known as ‘Buffalo Hills’ received land use designation from the Municipality of Rocky View in June. The project consists of 433 acres of land five minutes east of Calgary on the Trans Canada Highway.When completed, it will provide homes for more than 1,400 families, as well as 750,000 sq. ft. for commercial and institutional uses.
Alumni Notes
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Robert Taker, BCom’74, died Jan. 21 at age 71. Bob worked in the insurance industry from graduation until his retirement. He was an avid reader and enjoyed sharing his love of music and theatre with his wife of 29 years, Margaret-Anne. She survives him.
Published in: Spring 2022
Douglas Walters, BCom, died peacefully March 11, aged 66 years, in hospital in Thunder Bay, Ont., with his family by his side. Douglas worked as a controller, accountant and landlord before becoming a Youth Correctional Officer. He is survived by his wife Christine; sons Cory and Ryan (Jessica), and their mother Joy Prentiss; step-children Jennifer and Michael Owens; his three grandchildren and extended family.
Published in: Summer 2017
David Wood (BCom) recently returned from a five-month assignment in Antarctica, where he flew helicopters for the Australian government’s Antarctic Division. One of his jobs involved salvaging a crashed NASA atmospheric-research balloon (ANITA 3). David reports that it took three hours to fly to Antarctica on 'The Bus' (an Airbus from Tasmania to Casey Station) and three weeks to cruise back on the 'Orange Roughy' (the icebreaker Aurora Australis, so nicknamed for its distinctive orange hue).
Published in: Summer 2015
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Peter Birnie (BCom) died on July 15, 2014, aged 65. He is survived by his partner, Lynda Taylor, sons Jordan and Jeremy, daughterâin-law Sara, granddaughter Olivia and his extended family, many of whom were Queenâs grads. For the past 12 years, he was the owner/President of Wabi Iron & Steel Corp. in New Liskeard, Ont. During his career, Peter worked in provincial and federal politics, served on several community boards and associations, and worked to improve provincial mental health policies.
Published in: Winter 2015
Bruce Waterman (BCom) was named CFO of the Year by Financial Executives International Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Caldwell Partners International. Bruce, Senior Vice President, Finance and CFO of agricultural products giant Agrium Inc., received the award at a gala dinner in May, at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel. The award recognizes the quality, insight, direction and leadership of Canada’s senior financial executives. Over a 33-year career, he has worked for consulting companies and in the forestry, fishing and oil and gas industries. According to CA Magazine (June/July 2008): “A key element of his win was Agrium’s stellar performance since he came onboard. During his tenure, annual revenue nearly tripled to $5.5. billion from $1.9 billion, and profit per share has gone to $3.25 from 65¢.” Bruce and his wife Carol Anne are proud parents of four children, including daughter Kelly (BSc’08) and Bradley, a second-year Queen’s engineering student.
Published in: Winter 2009
Jim Leech (MBA), was officially installed as Queen’s 14th Chancellor at Fall Convocation in November. In May, he and his co-author Jacquie McNish received the 2013-14 National Business Book Award for The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures. See the Summer 2014 issue of QSB Magazine for details about this book and Jim’s April trek with the True Patriot Love Foundation to the Magnetic North Pole.
Published in: Winter 2015
Melvin ‘Mel’ Ball, BCom, died in Red Deer, Alta. on June 22, 2019 at the age of 76.
Published in: Winter 2020
George Smith, BCom, recently celebrated his fifth anniversary at Queen's as an Adjunct Professor at Smith School of Business and at the School of Industrial Relations. George reports finding this a very rewarding retirement project following his CBC/Radio-Canada career.
Published in: Winter 2016
Patricia Bridgeman, BCom’73, died Jan. 27 after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 71. Patricia lived in Westfield, N.J. and ran a business that made custom ornaments and family plaques. She also co-owned one of the largest New Jersey craft Christmas markets. Pat loved cruises; she and her husband, Bob Bridgeman, BSc(Eng)’72, travelled the world. Bob survives her, as do her two children and a granddaughter.
Published in: Spring 2022