Alumni Association Coordinator

The MFRS–MCFT Alumni Association Inc. is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections among our members and strengthening the sense of community shared by graduates of both MFRS and MCFT. We celebrate our common experiences and honour the proud history of our institution. Our mission is to deepen the relationship between alumni and our alma mater, supporting its continued growth and success. We are committed to giving back to future students through scholarships, bursaries, and active collaboration.

Anthea Plummer

MFRS-MCFT Alumni Association Coordinator

The MFRS-MCFT Alumni Association

The institution known formerly as the Maritime Forest Ranger School (MFRS), but presently named the Maritime College of Forest Technology (MCFT), was established in 1946. This means a legacy of almost 80 years training forest technicians for work in the Maritime provinces, and beyond. While the shared history of the institution goes back decades, the MFRS-MCFT Alumni Association was established in 2015 at the direction of then-Executive Director Gerry Redmond to foster connection between over 3,600 MFRS and MCFT graduates and celebrate the institution's long history.

The work of establishing the Association was undertaken by André Arseneault, a friend of the institution, who held the position of Director of Alumni Services, functioning essentially as Alumni Association Coordinator, until the winter of 2019. Andre worked diligently during the first few years to get the Association up and running with generous help from past graduates and associates, namely the late Phil Jensen (c. 1957), Bob McLean (c. 1966), Larry Gullison (c. 1971), and Kim Reeder (c. 2003). The Association owes its existence to these individuals and their importance as founding members cannot be overstated. André Arseneault, present-day Director of Continuing Education Gareth Davies (c. 2000), Phil Jensen, and Bob McLean made up the inaugural Advisory Board members by November of 2015, along with Natasha Ouellete (c. 2011) and Stephanie Nicholson (c. 2011). By December of 2016 Kim Reeder and Adrian Pearson (c. 2015) joined as MFRS Representative and MCFT Administration Representative, respectively. Association membership at this time surpassed 400 and continued to grow. Gareth Davies was the early Board Chair at this time before Larry Gullison assumed the role by September of 2017.

In December of 2016 the results of the newsletter naming campaign were in, and The Firetower, a suggestion put forward by James Coleman (c. 2012), was adopted as the official title. The name, logo, and colour scheme (seen below) all paid homage to the old Maritime Forest Ranger School and acted as a reminder of the institution's history as they looked forward. Adrian Pearson has acted as the sole editor of The Firetower ever since his arrival to the Association in 2016. To date there have been 11 issues of the newsletter, all of which are available as digital copies from this website. The 2016 Reunion, to date the only reunion hosted by the Association, was held at the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Complex (HJFFC) in the July of 2016 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the institution. Graduates from near and far came to celebrate the College's history, see old friends, and participate in activities designed to invoke the MFRS/MCFT spirit.

In January of 2018 the Association learned of the passing of former MFRS instructor Rudolph "Rudy" Hanusiak, not only a keystone figure in the history of MFRS between 1956 and 1969 while instructing at the College, but also one of New Brunswick's prominent figures in the field of forestry. The June 2018 edition of The Firetower was dedicated to Rudy. In recognition of Rudy's contributions to MFRS and his legacy as a forestry pioneer in New Brunswick, the Rudolph "Rudy" Hanusiak Memorial Scholarship Endowment was established. The first scholarship supported by this endowment was the Malcolm B. Barkhouse Achievement Award, which was awarded to John Gray (c. 2019) of Bedford, Nova Scotia. By July of 2021 the Association, with behind-the-scenes leadership again provided by André Arseneault, secured a $250,000 contribution from the Province of New Brunswick to the endowment fund, with other important contributors bringing that total to nearly $600,000.

By January of 2019 the Association had recruited Joris Wiersinga (c. 2016) as the MCFT Nova Scotia Representative. Joris would later relocate to the Netherlands and become the first and only European MCFT Representative in the Board's history, a position he still maintains today. It was at this time that Larry Gullison assumed the role of Board Chair as well. Terry Daniels (c. 1963) was recruited at this time to act as MFRS Nova Scotia Representative, proving himself as a valuable liaison and advisor to the Board until his departure by January of 2020. Hildor Pinette (c. 1976) also volunteered his time and services as Treasurer from the period spanning January of 2019 to January of 2020.

By spring of 2022 Larry Gullison had departed the Board and his position of Chair was filled by Anthea Plummer.