As part of Valentine’s Day celebrations, CivMin students of the past share their love connections found while attending school. The stories involve three from CivMin and a fourth U of T student.
By Phill Snel
Daniel & Jennifer
“I came for an Iron Ring and left with a wedding ring,” recalls Daniel Alonzi (CivE 0T7). Alonzi wed fellow civil engineering student, then Jennifer Assal (CivE 0T6).
Alonzi met his future wife while attending U of T Camp on Gull Lake, near Minden, Ont., August of 2005. Jennifer Assal arrived on a Saturday with others from her year, who had all attended Camp the previous summer, in order to erect a traditional monument. The 0T6 crew had designed a brick barbecue to erect over the weekend, since everyone had employment commitments during the week.
With his work vehicle parked at Camp, a pickup filled with various tools, Alonzi found himself ‘voluntold’ to assist the group, as he appeared to have the necessary know-how to conduct some basic construction. In fact, Prof. Evan Bentz knew his credentials as the son of Fred Alonzi, founder of Bridgecon Construction Ltd., gave him hands-on experience with large construction projects. He protested, explaining to Bentz he had two hours to complete and hand in an assignment. Bentz gave him a break if he’d agree to help the upper-year group. “I then saw Jennifer and quickly agreed I should help them,” he recalls.
After a full Saturday and digging a foundation hole through roots and rocks, finding a source for aggregate in the countryside, then mixing concrete by flashlight, the group managed to pour a base late at night. The following day, Sunday, saw the laying of bricks and finalizing the structure in time to take a group photo with sunlight fading.
“Jennifer was the only who worked alongside me the whole time,” Alonzi says. “I guess it was a good test to see if we could eventually work together in the family business, eh?”
He’s quick to remark, “I know I married out of my league, so I try very hard every day to prove she made the right choice!”
Jennifer adds, “I”m the lucky one,” as Daniel has been bringing her dreams to fruition since the day they met.
Today Daniel is Vice President and Jennifer is Health & Safety and Project Manager at Bridgecon Construction. Amongst all of the things they have created together, nothing makes them prouder than their two children and future UofT Civil Engineers, Julia and Freddy.
Daniel Alonzi and Jennifer Alonzi were each recognized with an Arbor Award from U of T in 2018.
Peter and Maureen
Peter Smith, then attending U of T as a first-year civil engineering student in 1974, recalls asking a former high school colleague living in residence for an introduction, leading to meeting his future bride Maureen Finkbeiner (BScN 78).
As a first-year student Smith lived in residence at New College. “There was a girls side and a boys side,” says Smith. “One day I saw a woman I went to high school with, LouAnne Mailing, talking with an incredibly beautiful woman in our cafeteria. So I asked if she knew her. It turns out to be her roommate Maureen Finkbeiner, a Nursing student, so I asked for an introduction.”
“Later in the year a friend from the football team, Gaye Westlake, saw my new girlfriend’s roommate LouAnne, thinking she was pretty, and asked me if I’d introduce him,” Smith recounts. “So I did, and ended up best man at their wedding!”
Peter and Maureen were married the August of 1975. The next year Smith also has a memory related to Camp, as he was celebrating his wedding anniversary while also lobbying instructors to be allowed the opportunity to watch the Canada Cup 76 series on television.
Smith retains his love of his time at U of T Engineering, and especially the history and traditions of places like Hart House and Gull Lake.
Maureen recalls wistfully, “At Orientation Week they warned nursing students to stay away from Engineers! Now a classic matchup and here we are, four decades later.”
Though Smith began his Engineering degree at U of T, later finishing at the University of Guelph, he retains strong connections to U of T Engineering and CivMin.
Peter Smith has strong CivMin ties and works as Chair of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) and as Executive Director of the Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT) was featured in a story November 2020.
