Thinking of retiring, or are you already retired? SMURA is here to help you, as you discern your future as a “retiree”. Established in 2005, our association supports all Faculty and Staff who are approaching retirement or who are already retired. Membership is open to ALL eligible employees of Saint Mary’s University. We provide you with information on additional health & supportive care to consider and, importantly, a social network, with many activities and events.
SMURA is affiliated with the College and University Retirees’ Association of Canada (CURAC), a national organization representing 46 member associations at post-secondary institutions across the country, either directly or through provincial federations. We continue to work with CURAC to provide access to comprehensive national health and travel insurance options. And SMURA has hosted sessions on post-retirement investment and estate planning, with support from TD Waterhouse
Our site is currently undergoing some “renovations”, so please check back often.
Want to know more about SMURA? Reach out to our President, David Turner.
While on campus, members of SMURA can use SMURA's office in the Burke Building, room B308. Tables, chairs, a telephone and a computer (for email, Novanet & web searches) are provided for your use. A computer account is not required to access the computer, as it is already set up for retiree use.
SMURA, together with its parent organization CURAC has initiated a program of supplemental health insurance. This is for all members of SMURA regardless of position at the university, and plans are available to faculty and staff retired or retiring from Saint Mary's University. There are excellent options providing Extended Health Care, including drugs, travel for trips of up to 3 months, and vision care. Dental care is also available as an option for an additional premium. Plans offered are similar to plans offered via Entente Education Canada (formerly RTOERO/Retired Teachers of Ontario) by Belairdirect (formerly Johnson Insurance). Full information is available from SMURA, as well as Entente Education Canada (health & dental) or Belairdirect (Car & Home or Travel Insurance). Travel planning is also available via CURAC's affinity partners (Collette & Trip Merchant).
Sunday, June 7, 2026SMURA Talk: The Life and Times of Thomas Richardson 1782-1874: Industrial Chemist and YachtsmanPresenter: David Richardson, Dean of Science EmeritusWhere: Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie Street, MM201 (Arts Flex Room), Halifax, NSTime: 2:30 PM ASTAbstract:Thomas Richardson was born and grew up during a period of turmoil with the American War of Independence, the French Revolution and the threat of invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte. His father was a cloth-manufacturer and leading citizen in Manchester, with a wide range of interests. His mother was the daughter of William Sanderson, of Staithes, near Whitby, Yorkshire, a one-time employer of James Cook the explorer. Thomas became a manufacturing chemist associated with the alum mining near Whitby Yorkshire, but he moved to London to open a factory making Epsom Salts on the banks of the River Thames and joined the Royal Thames Yacht Club. At the age of 51 he moved back to Whitby and played a leading role in the development of Yachting there. He was successful as a yachtsman with his first boat “The Spray” and later with a larger boat called “The Hilda” which he had built in Whitby. He had three children and died at the age of 91.
Sunday, March 22, 2026SMURA Talk: Peasants, Police and Poetry: Mapping the Geographies of some Irish Identities, a Personal ApproachPresenter: Brian RobinsonWhere: Saint Mary's University, MM201 (Arts Flex Room)Time: 2:30 PMBrian, who has taught both anthropology and geography courses at Saint Mary’s, is hoping to add his own contribution to Geography’s 50 years at Saint Mary’s celebrations. He cites inspiration from a reference to Rebecca Solnit: “a place is a story, and stories are geography… a way of travelling from here to there.” She has written about a journey of hers in Ireland which prompted her to claim that “Ireland can be a divining rod with which to locate the points of seepage in the cut-and-dried terms of identity.”This year marks the 50th anniversary of Geography at Saint Mary’s. The Department had a small celebration before Christmas that included a brief recap of its history by Bob McCalla.SMURA's executive will also include an update on recent events.
Sunday, March 1, 2026SMURA Talk: Tax, Estate, and Legacy Planning: Considerations in RetirementPresenter: Trevor Nuyens, Investment Fund Advisor, Investia Financial ServicesWhere: Saint Mary’s University, MM201 (Arts Flex Room)Time: 2:30 PMThis seminar provides a clear, structured overview of tax and estate planning considerations relevant in retirement, including registered assets, pensions, charitable giving, and intergenerational wealth transfer. The discussion will emphasize practical strategies and common planning pitfalls, with the goal of helping participants make informed decisions to preserve capital, reduce unnecessary taxation, and ensure that assets are transferred in a manner consistent with personal values and long-term intentions. POST EVENT UPDATE: For those who may have missed this presentation, a short summay packet may be available. Contact David Turner for details.
We remember our former Saint Mary's University faculty, staff and colleagues.
Keith Vaughan, 1944-2026Chemistry Department (2012)Obituary
Foster O. Lyne, August 31, 1945-March 19, 2026Mathematics Department (2024)Obituary
Sandra Jean Bell, September 21, 1943-December 16, 2025Department of Sociology and Criminology DepartmentObituary
Kenneth 'Ken" Arthur MacKinnon, February 17, 1939-December 2, 2025English DepartmentObituary Milton Carlton Chew, October 10, 1938-November 22, 2025Finance, Information Systems, and Management Science (2004)Obituary
Terrence 'Terry' Murphy, March 21, 1948-October 23, 2025VPAR, Religious Studies & History (2013)Obituary
Samuel Jopling, 1928-2025Accounting DepartmentObituary