Dear students, faculty, and staff,
As status and damage assessment reports continue to come in, we are painfully aware of the destruction Hurricane Fiona caused to our campus and to Antigonish and the surrounding regions. We extend our concern for those whose homes and neighbourhoods have been seriously affected by flooding, loss of power, and other damage.
Since Friday afternoon, many StFX staff members have devoted very long days and nights to maintaining the well-being of our campus community. It is difficult to express in words the volume of thanks and gratitude we, collectively, owe to these colleagues who have been working tremendously hard to ensure that our students remain safe, that meals continue to be served, that our facilities remain operational and clear of debris, among many other things.
It pleases me to say there are too many colleagues, from all corners of campus, to mention by name in this message. I am proud of the efforts of so many that pulled together to protect the mission of our university. It isn’t going unnoticed, and, in due time, we will find a way to celebrate your efforts and thank you all in a more public way.
I also want to recognize our students for their remarkable patience, resilience, and flexibility. In the past few days alone, I have learned of countless examples of students caring for the safety of our community and one another, exemplifying the Xaverian spirit. Thank you.
Although the storm has passed, we are not done, and likely won’t be for quite some time. We continue to assess the damage caused by Fiona across campus. Through coordination from our Emergency Response Team, clean-up and repair protocols have been initiated to bring our campus back to working order. In the days ahead we commit to providing as much certainty as we can with respect to how we are progressing. Admittedly, we have a way to go yet.
I appreciate that there are many questions left to answer but please know that we are committed to working through the answers and will respond as soon as we can. Your continued patience and understanding are more than appreciated. By working together, we will get through this difficult period and back to routine soon. I’m certain of it.
Thank you,
Andy
Andy Hakin
PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR
St. Francis Xavier University
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
CANADA t: |(902) 867-2188 | e: @email
I acknowledge that StFX is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
