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DC alumni create Military Veterans Wellness Program to support veterans in crisis

Durham College (DC) alumni and Toronto police officers Jeremy Burns and Aaron Dale have created a pioneering initiative designed to support Canadian military veterans in their transition to civilian life and the program is now being adapted for veterans around the world.

They are the co-founders of the Military Veterans Wellness Program (MVWP) which is addressing a critical need for support for veterans, particularly those facing mental health challenges, homelessness, and the risk of suicide.

Both Burns and Dale are veterans themselves and drew on personal experience to create the program after recognizing that no formal mechanism or training existed to help veterans.

“I struggled after leaving the military and I was assisted with help from my friends and colleagues, building this program allowed for police across Canada to now help people,” said Dale.

Dale completed the Police Foundations program at Durham College in 2005 while in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Force. In 2012, Dale joined the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), becoming a Special Forces Operator.

Burns, who graduated from DC’s Law and Security Administration program in 2004 and Penology and Youth program in 2005, joined the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force in 2007. He was stationed at CFB Edmonton with the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, deploying to Afghanistan in 2009.  His experiences in combat, including multiple engagements with enemy forces and surviving several improvised explosive device (IED) strikes, profoundly impacted him and upon returning home, he struggled with mental health challenges.

Although they both attended DC, the pair didn’t meet until they both joined the Toronto Police Service where they discovered a shared interest in developing a program to support other veterans.

They began working on the MVWP in 2019 on their own time and at their own expense spending two years developing the program by speaking to police leaders, health care professionals, veterans, social services and stakeholders. They presented it to the Toronto Police Chief in 2020.

It is now part of mandatory training for Toronto police officers and all officers are expected to complete it by November 2024. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has launched the MVWP nationally and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is implementing it across all of their police stations in the province. It is also available as a free course through the Canadian Police Knowledge Network with more than 12,000 people having completed the training. Over 80 agencies are in the process of implementing it into their service. The program has been recognized by and endorsed by organizations and leaders in the law enforcement and the military community including Veterans Affairs Canada and The Royal Canadian Legion.

Its impact has grown beyond Canada and it is now being recognized for its value globally. The Australian Federal Police invited the MVWP team to Washington to present the program and there is additional interest from UK and American organizations.

“People are joining our cause and championing our program because they believe in it,” said Dale.

The two officers will be deploying to Ukraine in January as part of an international peace and policing operations program and they see an opportunity to support more people through the program.

“Overseas we will represent Canada and build the Military Veterans Wellness Program for the police and people of Ukraine who are now all war veterans,” said Dale.

Burns and Dale have been recognized by DC as nominees for this year’s Premier’s Awards, which recognize outstanding college graduates. The winners of the 2024 Premier’s Awards will be announced on November 25.

Brewing a relationship: DC alumni continues to give back

Jeff Dornan has always prided himself on his work ethic.

While completing the Durham College (DC) Business – General program, in tandem with Ontario Tech University’s Bachelor of Commerce, he also worked full-time, leaving little time for extracurriculars.

Now, as co-owner of Oshawa-based All or Nothing Brewhouse, the DC alum has continued to nurture a relationship with the college, finding new ways to connect and give back.

“As an alumnus and local business owner, I’ve always looked to Durham College as a guiding light in the area, and I wanted to do more than be a supplier and partner, I wanted to help guide the direction of the college and contribute to its continued growth.” said Dornan, who joined the DC Board of Governors in 2023.

As a student, Dornan said he valued the hands-on experience and microlearning gained at DC, which helped as he and his brother, Eric, kicked off their craft beer business in 2013.

Starting as contract brewers, the brothers produced their recipe at other facilities and running distribution out of their small office in south Oshawa. After a few years of growth, they purchased Trafalgar Brewery in Oakville and rebranded it All or Nothing Brewhouse, but with their sights always set on returning to Oshawa, they purchased the old Beer Store location on Ritson Road and opened in the spring of 2019.

Always with their roots in Durham Region, when Bistro ’67 opened its doors in 2013, All or Nothing Brewhouse began partnering with the restaurant to create unique beers using ingredients from the fields at DC’s Centre for Food. Collaborations have included lemongrass, raspberries and sweet potatoes.

Dornan also helped launch Durham Lords Ale, which was sparked when the Campus Ice Centre wanted to serve a classic ale instead of the unique, experimental flavours All or Nothing was creating in partnership with Bistro ’67. As a result, the crisp and refreshing Durham Lords Ale was launched.

And, as another way to give back to DC, a portion of sales of Durham Lords Ale is contributed to DC’s Student Experience Fund which helps support student’s most pressing needs, from equipping teaching spaces to supporting financial aid.

“Our customers have been very supportive,” said Dornan. “People really want to support local businesses and we’re committed to keeping the money we earn in the community. We’re buying everything from our ingredients to our stickers locally. We’re really trying to be an engine for the community to grow – to see our neighbours do well as well as our own business.

“Staying connected to Durham College after graduation has been so helpful. It really is a hub for Durham Region and has been a great way to make connections.”

Alumna leading the way in her marketing career

Alumna spotlight: Brittany Garlin

Getting a coveted spot on the Forbes Communications Council is just the latest accomplishment in Durham College (DC) grad Brittany Garlin’s flourishing career.

Holding dual roles as head of marketing at Agency Vista and Vista Social, the 2016 graduate of the Advertising and Promotion program at DC was named to the Council earlier this year. An invitation-only organization for senior-level communications and public relations executives, it provides invaluable networking opportunities, while adding Garlin’s name to the esteemed list of Forbes contributors.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be featured in Forbes or writing in Forbes,” she said. “When I’m doing partnerships with businesses, it gives me a layer of credibility, because they’re seeing the Forbes name associated with my name. It has definitely made me feel more confident.”

Garlin has plenty of reasons to be confident. In a relatively short amount of time, she has built an enviable marketing career from the ground-up and has excelled in the tech space. Her journey began soon after graduation, when she took a role as junior marketing manager at Keek, a popular social media video app.

“It was a really fun and cool experience. That was the first company that got me into tech,” she said. “It’s something I discovered I had a passion for. My path has never been set in stone. I’ve always just gone with what interests me and watched that evolve.”

In 2019 her path led her to a new company, Agency Vista. As one of the first three employees, she helped build it into a successful platform that connects businesses with marketing agencies to suit their needs. Last year, her responsibilities doubled with the launch of Vista Social. A social media management tool, it allows businesses to schedule their social media posts across various different social networks, view engagement analytics and more. It was also the first such tool to implement ChatGPT technology.

In helping to build both companies, she has called on a number of the lessons she learned at DC. Her tireless work ethic was influenced by her professors, many of whom were still working marketing jobs while teaching. She received a solid foundation in a number of crucial skills, from networking and bringing in customers to experiential marketing. She has even benefitted from courses she didn’t particularly enjoy, like learning to use Adobe Illustrator. Those skills later came in handy at her first job, when she had design skills nobody else could match.

Dawn Salter, professor and program coordinator, sees Garlin as a prime example of the kind of talented marketer DC can produce.

“Students come into the program because there’s something that they think they’re going to like about it, and then you just watch them develop. When they leave, that development continues and they end up flourishing,” said Salter. “Brittany found her passion in the industry. She had to go through some learning and try some different roles in the industry to find that fit.”

With years of marketing experience now under her belt, Garlin is giving back as a member of the advisory committee for her old DC program. By sharing the lessons and insights she has learned along the way, she is helping to shape the education tomorrow’s marketers will receive.

“They just need to realize that learning never stops,” she said. “The only way that you can stay ahead is if you continually keep learning and realize that you don’t know everything.”