Giving Report

It is my honour to present Mount Allison University’s 2024-2025 Giving Report.

Mount Allison donors have built a strong, supportive community and made our University a home away from home for generations of scholars. This past year, that extraordinary legacy continued as alumni and friends strengthened financial aid, enhanced the student experience, and championed new learning and wellness spaces. Thanks to you, Mount Allison continues to be a place where students can dream big and know they are not alone on their journey.

Together, Mount Allison University alumni and friends raised $15,500,847 in 2024-2025.

In this report, we celebrate stories of generosity — from new scholarships that honour loved ones and create opportunities for young people, to programs that foster leadership and critical thinking, to the incredible power of volunteerism in paying it forward. Every gift, including yours, helps Mount Allison inspire, educate, and serve both our students and our community.

As always, the impact of support for Mount Allison extends well beyond campus. In this year’s report you will read about the new Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Centre for Health and Wellness, a vital sports and recreation facility for Mount Allison and the region. You will also discover Together Time, a powerful literacy and early learning program that connects our students and faculty members with local kindergartens and elementary schools.

These and many other initiatives demonstrate the extraordinary reach of Mount Allison, showing how students, faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers, and donors come together to make a lasting difference.

Our donors are a deeply committed and caring group, and it is truly a privilege to work alongside you. Thank you for another wonderful year of generosity and impact.

Sincerely,

Courtney Pringle-Carver
Vice-President, University Advancement

Together Time brings Mount Allison students and faculty into partnership with pre- and elementary school children and their teachers to co-create unique learning opportunities.

Launched in 2021 with themed ‘story sacks’ — backpacks filled with books, puzzles, and games on topics from dinosaurs to friendship — the program now delivers close to 200 story sacks each year to more than 400 children at six schools. The story sacks encourage playful, literacy-focused learning.

Together Time has expanded to include day trips to Mount Allison, where children explore everything from the physics of sound to Canadian art, and visits by Mount Allison students to local classrooms.

Dozens of Mount Allison students volunteer with Together Time, developing story sacks, leading campus programming, and assisting teachers in local schools — gaining valuable experience while making a tangible impact in the community.

“One of my favourite memories is working with an elementary school, providing classroom support and one-on-one mentoring, and then welcoming those same children to Mount Allison for a campus visit,” says fourth-year student Lily Schwartz. “I could truly relate to the excitement of welcoming students to your classroom, and I will never forget how excited they were and how much fun they had learning and playing at our University.”

Together Time is generously supported by the Walker Wood Foundation, whose recent gift funds new story sacks, transportation costs for school visits, and paid student internships.

For fourth-year student Tallulah MacNeil, the internship was transformative. After volunteering hosting children on campus and working within a local school, she spent summer 2025 in a paid position designing new story sacks.

“I have really enjoyed taking a more active and formal role in developing the program, and it’s nice to have something I care deeply about double as a part-time job,” says MacNeil. “Working behind the scenes has shown me how much care goes into every detail of Together Time. I hope others see that too and want to be a part of it — because I think that together we can make a difference.”

Amanda Wynne Ellis (’00, ’01) had a remarkable gift for keeping the people she loved close, no matter how far life scattered them. She found ways to bridge the kilometres and years, staying in touch, maintaining ties, and often serving as the very glue that held friend groups together. This is how Amanda Ellis is remembered.

“There was something special about Amanda,” says Robin Lightfoot (’00). “She was always very present — a kind, magnetic, and thoughtful human that made you feel truly seen. I was very lucky to be her friend.”

Ellis was from Calgary, AB, and earned a Bachelor of Science (honours) and Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison before earning a law degree from Dalhousie University. She was known as a spirited Allisonian who loved Sackville.

After Ellis passed away in 2019, her family and friends created the Amanda Wynne Ellis Award in her memory. It supports science students from Alberta and is renewable.

In May, award recipient Island Bernard-Docker (’25) had the opportunity to meet with Ellis’ classmates, who were on campus to celebrate their 25th Reunion.

“It was a really cool experience,” says Bernard-Docker. “Based on what everyone had to say about her, you could tell Amanda was one of those people that lit up a room when she walked in it.”

Bernard-Docker says the award’s financial help made a big difference, and she was pleased to discover that she and Ellis shared a love for animals. After Ellis’ passing, donations in her honour were directed to the local animal shelter and humane society. Bernard-Docker has volunteered at the Cochrane, AB, shelter since eighth grade.

During Reunion, the Class of 2000 announced new donations in support of the Amanda Wynne Ellis Award, hoping to have an even larger impact on future students.

 “Amanda’s years at Mount A were some of her happiest times,” says Lightfoot. “The award is a testament to who she was and how many people she touched. Our hope is that it gives others the chance to have that Mountie Pride that’s so infectious here.”

Scott McCain (’78, LLD ’20) and Leslie McLean (’81) are proud Mount Allison alumni and dedicated philanthropists who are passionate about active living and healthy communities. For the couple, supporting Mount Allison’s new sports and recreation centre was an obvious choice.

“We like that it will be a multi-purpose facility, serving both students and the community in a broad range of activities,” says McCain. “It will host soccer, football, volleyball, pickleball, and many other indoor and outdoor sports, some at the same time, and there is going to be a walking track, which will be great for seniors.”

After discussions with the University, the couple made a leadership gift to the building, which will be named the Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Centre for Health and Wellness in honour of their generosity.

“Having the facility be accessible was very important to me,” says McLean. “My background is in health care and both Scott and I care about social justice so we want to help create a facility that will open transformative health experiences to everyone.”

The building will begin its life as an interim library facility while the R.P. Bell Library building undergoes extensive renovations and will then be transformed into a permanent sports and recreation complex. Support for the library and the health and wellness centre remains a fundraising priority for the University.

“Leslie and I are excited to watch the building develop in the years ahead,” says McCain. “Sports build character and social skills that you will use in the rest of your life, and this centre will make more of these experiences possible. Our gift is also really a reflection of the legacy left by our parents and the lessons they taught us about being philanthropic.”

McCain’s parents are Margaret McCain (’54, LLD ’95), former Mount Allison Chancellor and lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, and the late Wallace McCain (’51, LLD ’73), Canadian businessman and co-founder of McCain Foods.

“Both Scott and I have a long history with Mount Allison,” says McLean. “I’ve attended other universities and earned other degrees, but without question Mount Allison was the foundational one for me, both in terms of academics and social life. To be able to give back to this institution and honour Scott’s parents through philanthropy is amazing.”

The couple’s philanthropy with the University also includes student awards and the recent establishment of the Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Speaker Series, bringing prominent voices to campus to explore connections among physical health, community well-being, and leadership.

“The message I want to share with students is to take care of your physical health, your mental health, and your well-being — you deserve it,” says McLean.
 

Gita Anand’s first visit to Mount Allison was when she was a high school student attending a one-week United Nations summer camp held on campus. She still remembers Alex Fancy, then Dean of Arts and Science, visiting with campers to talk about Mount Allison programs and life.

“I am so glad I made Mount Allison my choice,” says Anand, who studied History and Political Science, lived in Windsor Hall residence, and was active in social and academic clubs including as a member of the debating club.

“Mount A gave me a platform to do whatever I wanted to do,” says Anand. “When I was graduating from Mount A and thinking about my future, I found I had lots of choices and could get into whichever programs I applied to. I think that really showed the strength of Mount Allison.”

Anand earned a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, a law degree from Dalhousie University, and is one of Canada’s leading employment and labour lawyers. She has also stayed connected to her alma mater, recognizing the role Mount Allison played in getting her started in life and wanting to help others have a similar experience.

Anand chairs the executive committee of Mount Allison’s Board of Regents, the University’s governing body.

“What is gratifying about serving on the Board is everybody who comes to the table is passionate about Mount Allison and committed to its success,” she says. “We have representatives from many different constituencies and groups that offer expertise. There’s a mix of interests that come together for the greater good of Mount Allison.”

Anand is also co-chair of the Grace Annie Lockhart Sesquicentennial Celebrations, a series of events to mark the anniversary of Grace Annie Lockhart becoming the first woman in the British Empire to earn a bachelor’s degree. Lockhart earned her Mount Allison degree in 1875.

“Co-chairing this committee was an important role for me to take on because when I entered Mount Allison as a student, I was one of the first recipients of the University’s Grace Annie Lockhart Scholarships,” says Anand. “I thought it was amazing that the first woman university graduate was from Mount Allison. It made me both proud and inspired that I would become part of her legacy.”

Anand is pleased to now be using the 150th anniversary to raise awareness about Lockhart and Mount Allison’s role in her life, and to highlight for this generation of students and the wider community that there was a time when women had limited access to university education. Special celebrations were held during this year’s Convocation and Reunion, and more events are planned for 2025-26.

Anand encourages others to consider volunteering with the University, whether it be as a mentor to students, helping with recruitment, supporting athletics teams, or participating in governance.
 

When Tom Hierlihy passed away earlier this year, his family and friends wanted to do something that would honour the kind, selfless, dependable, and well-respected man they so loved and admired.

“I thought, ‘what better way to honour him than a scholarship at Mount Allison, a place we are both very attached to’,” says Tom’s wife, Sue Hierlihy (’63). “Education is important in our family, and I want others to have the Mount A opportunity we were fortunate to have.”

Tom and Sue met in 1959 as first-year students at Mount Allison. They began dating in second year after Sue invited Tom onto the dancefloor at the Sadie Hawkins dance. Tom played on the varsity basketball team, the golf team, was a class rep, and was very involved in campus life. Shortly after graduation, Tom and Sue married and began their family, welcoming three children: Cathy, Lynn, and John. Seven grandchildren have been added over the years.

Sue says Mount Allison was a foundational part of the couple’s life, a place they loved returning to for alumni reunions and other events, and a cause they supported through gifts to the Class of 1963 Bursary and other initiatives. Many other family members are also Mount Allison alumni — the earliest being a cousin of Tom’s who attended in the 1920s.

Tom Hierlihy had a successful career in accounting, and the family lived in Halifax and Montreal, before settling in Oakville, ON, where Tom was a partner at KPMG in Toronto. He was also a generous volunteer, giving his time and expert financial counsel to the United Way, Red Cross, Community Foundation of Oakville, and other organizations. Tom also served on Mount Allison University’s Board of Regents from 2006 to 2016, including terms as chair of several committees.

“Tom had always given back to his community,” says Sue. “He served as such a wonderful mentor to friends and colleagues. When we had Tom’s celebration of life I heard many wonderful stories about what a true gentleman he was and how he affected so many people over the years.”

The Tom Hierlihy Scholarship will support students from New Brunswick, and gifts to the scholarship are matched by the provincial government. The New Brunswick University Opportunities Fund (NBUOF) makes limited amounts of matching monies available to universities that are working with donors to create awards for students from the province. Sue says the match has meant they can grow the impact of Tom’s scholarship, making it a renewable award that can help students throughout their years at Mount Allison.

“I couldn’t have thought of anything else to honour Tom better than this award,” says Sue. “Tom was so generous with family, friends, community, and this scholarship is now an important part of his legacy.”

The first student recipient of the Tom Hierlihy Scholarship will be chosen in 2025-26.

• Alumni and friends donate $181,027 to the Mountie2Mountie Fund in 2024-25, providing 70 students with scholarships and bursaries.
   
• The Medavie Health Foundation supports Mount Allison’s registered social worker position and one-on-one consultative care that addresses the diverse needs of students.
   
• The Owens Art Gallery celebrates its 130th anniversary. The gallery has played a central role in the cultural life of New Brunswick and is the oldest university art gallery in Canada.
   
• Scott Brady (’11) returns to his alma mater as head coach of the Mounties Football program.
   
• New Loewen Athletic Scholarships, supporting outstanding student-athletes, commemorate the leadership and advocacy of Mount Allison’s ninth Chancellor, Lynn Loewen (’82), and the philanthropy of Lynn and her husband, David Loewen (‘82).