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For Gary Paulin, returning to Durham College (DC) feels like coming full circle.
Twenty-five years after graduating from DC’s Police Foundations program, Paulin is again involved in the college community, this time as a member of the DC Indigenous Education Circle (the Circle), where he helps ensure Indigenous students feel welcomed, represented, and supported throughout their educational journey.
The Circle was formed to provide Indigenous Peoples with the opportunity to advise and make recommendations to the college focused on creating a welcoming and respectful environment that values Indigenous history, culture, world view, and ways of knowing.
“Gary has been an incredible contributor to Durham College’s Indigenous Education Circle, bringing thoughtful leadership, a strong commitment to community, and a genuine desire to support student success,” said Dr. Kayla Murphy, Director, Indigenous Initiatives at DC and Co-chair of the Indigenous Education Circle. “Partners like Gary help ensure our work remains grounded in Indigenous perspectives while creating meaningful opportunities for students to see themselves reflected in leadership.”
Throughout his life, Paulin has always been drawn to roles that put a focus on community building. Growing up, he was inspired by officers in his hometown of Sudbury, Ontario to explore a career in policing.
“The officers that came by were always friendly and engaging,” said Paulin. “I wanted to be a role model in my community. I felt a strong urge to help, to participate, and to make a safe place.”
After high school, he enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces, serving in the Reserves while also working for his brother’s sheet metal fabricating company. He decided to pursue his interest in policing by enrolling in the Police Foundations program at DC and graduated with honours in 2001. Employed as an auxiliary constable after college, he was able to combine his education, career experience, and military background to secure a position as a Nuclear Security Officer at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), taking on progressively senior roles over the past 24 years.
Paulin is now the Recruitment & Onboarding Lead for OPG’s Recruitment, Onboarding and Equity department and leads the Indigenous Opportunities Network (ION), a community-centered program that recruits job-ready Indigenous people for various energy sector occupations across Ontario including skilled trades, project management, and administrative roles. ION works towards creating an engaged and inclusive workforce that reflects the broad diversity of Indigenous communities and people across OPG and the greater energy sector.
“It’s been a very rewarding career for me,” explained Paulin. “ION is creating endless possibilities. We’ve placed over 275 Indigenous people within the industry. That’s 275 people and their families’ lives changed.”
A father to eight, he is excited to watch his children pursue their own career interests, including his son Brandon who plans to follow in his father’s footsteps as he begins the Police Foundations program at DC in January 2027.
