Today's edition of Heads Up will be the last before the March Break. We look forward to returning to your inboxes on Thursday, March 26. 

Have a restful and enjoyable March Break!

Join us on Sunday, March 22 at 9–11 a.m. or 1–3 p.m. for Norval Maple Madness Open House!

All members of the UCC community are welcome to attend our annual event and tour the sugar bush, learn how trees are tapped, see sap boiled into syrup and even get a taste test. Back at Stephen House, we'll have pancakes and sausages with real Norval maple syrup, plus an assortment of other goodies and refreshments.

Register here. 

Tips for the best Norval experience:

• Our trails can be quite muddy and often slippery. We highly recommend wearing rubber boots or snow boots and bringing a towel or a change of clothes for the ride home.

• Leashed dogs are more than welcome to join the outdoor fun, but please keep in mind that they’ll need to stay outside.

• To ensure we have parking space for everyone, please consider carpooling with fellow attendees. As our parking is not paved, we recommend using four-wheel-drive vehicles if available.

• We’ll be celebrating no matter the weather, so dress appropriately and come enjoy the outdoors with us!

Directions to Norval: 

Take Highway 401 west to Winston Churchill Boulevard. Follow Winston Churchill Boulevard north and go through the village of Norval. Continue straight ahead. The entrance to the Norval property is on your left, 1.2 kilometres north of the village stoplight. The drive takes about 50 minutes from UCC in light traffic. 

Questions? Contact Nicki Marson at association@ucc.on.ca.

Do you know a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to College life? Nominate them for the Harold A.D. Roberts Circle Award!

This annual award is given in recognition of substantial contributions or special service by members of the UCC community, either through short-term involvement or a long-term commitment. It recognizes those who go above and beyond to significantly improve the College community. 

The 2025 recipients were Michael Carmichael ’97, Matthew Casey ’83, Ann Katrusiak, Mary-Lea Ruscetta and Rodger Wright ’70. You can read more about them and their contributions here. 

Nominations are welcome from all members of the College community. Please include information about the nature and duration of the nominee's volunteer service and the reason for the nomination. Please click here to fill out the form. Nominations must be submitted by midnight on Monday, March 30.

All submissions will be reviewed by the Association Council’s Awards Committee, and the recipient(s) will be selected by the Association Council as a whole. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Associate Director of Community Relations Leanne Gardner at lgardner@ucc.on.ca.

Sincerely,

Chanakya Sethi ’03
President, UCC Association

As we look ahead to Earth Week (April 20–24), the Upper School Sustainability Council warmly invites all members of the UCC community to our first-ever Repair Café on Wednesday, April 22, from 4–6 p.m. in the UCC Student Centre.

A Repair Café is a hands-on, community event where we'll work together to bring everyday items back to life. You're invited to bring in items that need a little care, learn a practical skill and/or volunteer to help someone else. Even small fixes can make a real difference, and it's way more fun when we do the fixing together. We're honoured to partner with Repair Café Toronto on this initiative.

We are looking for:

• Repair coaches (students, faculty, staff and parents) who can teach or assist

• Participants with items to repair and/or skills they would like to learn

To help us plan stations, tools and support, please take a few moments to complete this short survey. 

Some early stations we are planning include:

• Bike basics: oiling chains, checking tire pressure/PSI, adding air and re-gripping handlebars

• Visible mending: simple sewing repairs and creative patching

Thank you very much in advance for helping our community to repair, restore and reduce waste—and for bringing your curiosity, creativity and care to this year's Earth Week.

Katherine Maloney and Monika Kastelic 
Sustainability Strategy Coordinators