Oshawa, ON – Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology are deeply saddened by the passing of Durham Regional Chair Roger Anderson.

A long-time advocate for post-secondary education and a benefactor of both the college and university, Anderson made a profound impact on students at both institutions through his charitable initiative, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic golf tournament, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017 and reached a milestone of more than $6 million raised to support local youth.

Anderson was Durham’s longest-serving regional chair and was the first person to be directly elected into the role in 2014. Prior to his terms as regional chair, Anderson served as a constable on the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) from 1978 to 1988 and as a broker with a local real estate business. He also served as regional councillor and deputy mayor for the Town of Ajax from 1991 to 1997.

Anderson was chair of the Durham Region Transit Commission since its inception on January 1, 2006, and served several terms as chair of the DRPS Board. He was active in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) for 25 years, including a two-year term as president.

In honour of Chairman Anderson’s life, the college and university’s flags will be lowered on the day of his funeral, Thursday, March 29.

Quotes:

Roger and his family are in the thoughts of the Durham College community across the region and well beyond. Each year, through Roger’s generosity, the college bestows more than 100 awards, totaling $2.5 million, to students who might otherwise not have the means to pursue a post-secondary education. He recognized the connection between such opportunity and the pride and prosperity of Durham Region and hoped beneficiaries would go on to offer other students a hand up in their own way. This is the spirit in which we will carry forward Roger’s legacy.

Don Lovisa
President, Durham College

I share the condolences of our entire university community with the Anderson family. For two decades, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic raised more than $6 million to support local youth, including over $1.6 million towards scholarships for our students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. His legacy of generosity and leadership lives on in the lives of our students and alumni.

Steven Murphy, PhD

President and Vice Chancellor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

 

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

 

About the University of Ontario Institute of Technology

 

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and the delivery of innovative market-driven programs responsive to the needs of students and industry. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in more than 75 programs, the university promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. The university’s commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through faculty research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, IBM, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. To find out more, visit uoit.ca.

 

Media contacts:

Melissa McLean
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2952
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca

Bryan Oliver
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext. 6709
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca

College will use funds to study artificial intelligence solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) announced today that its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) has been awarded $250,000 through the Government of Ontario’s Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF), administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), to study artificial intelligence (AI) in business solutions.

The funding will be used to research how “narrow AI” can help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) uncover new business insights while also providing intelligent and autonomous solutions that help increase a company’s productivity and growth. Narrow AI is any software that uses technologies such as machine learning, decision support, natural language processing and automation to make business recommendations, autonomously make decisions, or take action in a manner that would be considered intelligent.

“The AI research DC is undertaking addresses a significant need for SMEs across our economy,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “This funding will support those research efforts, as we help SMEs adopt AI to solve their business challenges. Our hope is that, through collaborative research, and the implementation of advanced systems, we can help the SMEs of Southern Ontario become more competitive in an increasingly digital economy.”

The funding announcement also coincides with the recent launch of the AI Hub at DC, a new research centre within ORSIE dedicated to advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence as a way to improve business productivity and competitiveness. Through the AI Hub, firms that would not typically have access to the benefits of state-of-the-art AI techniques, will be able to capitalize on  advances in machine intelligence, automated learning, decision support, optimization, robotics, language/meaning understanding, and advanced manufacturing practices.

DC also received ten College Vouchers for Technology Adoption from CARDF. Valued at $10,000 each, under this program the college is will work with 10 growth-oriented local SMEs who are looking to adopt technology to improve their operations and increase productivity. This will be achieved by using one of three methods – process automation, customized online collaboration tools and data visualization.

Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, in partnership with OCE and Colleges Ontario, the $20-million CARDF program not only seeks to drive collaboration between post-secondary institutions and industry, it also aims to create efficiencies so industry can access the skills, services and innovations offered by colleges, while also providing experiential learning opportunities for students.

“Our province needs talent to continue to sustain its growing innovation eco-system. Investing in applied research and development is a step towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our province,” said Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. “By bringing together colleges and the R&D sector, we’re creating opportunities for our students and ensuring they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Companies with an interest in how AI and digital transformation can enhance their businesses are encouraged to contact the AI Hub by visiting http://www.durhamcollege.ca/TheAIHub, emailing theaihub@durhamcollege.ca or calling 905.721.3223.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Meghan Ney
Communications and Marketing

meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

Horticulture students showcased their recreation at Landscape Ontario Congress trade show

Oshawa, ON – In celebration of the ongoing partnership between Durham College (DC) and Parkwood National Historic Site (Parkwood), students from the college’s Horticulture Technician program have recreated Parkwood’s iconic Japanese garden. Designed by Canadian landscape architect George Tanaka in 1963, the recreation made its debut at the Landscape Ontario Congress trade show, which took place in Toronto from January 9 to 11.

“Every year Congress offers space for students in horticulture programs to build a garden,” said Shane Jones, professor, School of Science & Engineering Technology. “DC has presented garden concepts before but given the college’s relationship with Parkwood, working together to develop and deliver educational curricula, and the fact Parkwood is celebrating its 100th anniversary, it was decided we would recreate the Tanaka design.”

Commissioned by Sam McLaughlin, to convert the estate’s existing greenhouses, Tanaka was well known for combining his Japanese heritage with elements native to the Canadian landscape. Designed to be “simple and unassertive”, his Japanese garden is a staple at the historical site, occupying one of five greenhouse spaces.

McLaughlin was in his 90’s when the Japanese Garden greenhouse was designed and it became a contemplative retreat for him, mere steps from his domestic spaces. He was often found wandering and enjoying space.

Using original elements retrieved from the garden, which will be restored back to its original exterior this spring, and working in tandem with the heritage docents at Parkwood, the students put together their interpretation of Tanaka’s vision.

“Parkwood Estate has thoroughly enjoyed working with the Durham College students on this recreation of Tanaka’s garden,” said Samantha George, Curator of Parkwood. “Not only was the greenhouse space very special to Sam McLaughlin, it’s has become a fixture at the estate. The students’ recreation really did it justice and gave others the chance to enjoy the garden as much as McLaughlin did.”

Following a two-day installation at Congress, more than 13,000 visitors to the trade show were able to take in the students hard work, while enjoying a piece of local Oshawa history.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

About Parkwood National Historic Site

Parkwood, The R.S. McLaughlin Estate, is a designated National Historic Site and the family home of Col. R. Samuel McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada. The site provides a museum and heritage garden for the education and enjoyment of all Canadians and fosters an understanding of R.S. McLaughlin’s contributions to Canada and about the nationally-significant architectural, interior and landscape designs. Parkwood is located at 270 Simcoe Street North at the corner of Adelaide Street in  Oshawa.

Media contact:
Meghan Ney
Durham College
Communications and Marketing

meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

January 15, 2018

Toronto, ON – Durham College (DC) and Emblem Corp. (Emblem), on behalf of its health and education subsidiary GrowWise Health Limited (GrowWise), are pleased to announce their signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to begin integrating cannabis-related learning into many of DC’s post-secondary programs and building professional development courses. The MOU is the first-ever agreement in the province of Ontario between a cannabis education service and a post-secondary institution.

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity, both for GrowWise and for Durham College,” says Adam Saperia, president of GrowWise Health. “GrowWise is already a leader when it comes to education for patients. As interest in the cannabis industry grows, so too does the need for education, and GrowWise is ideally positioned to meet these professional educational demands for healthcare professionals and the wider market.”

The agreement builds on the college’s highly successful Medical Cannabis Fundamentals for Business Professionals course which was introduced in 2017 by DC’s School of Continuing Education in collaboration with GrowWise.

Today’s announcement paves the way for more cannabis-focused courses to be offered. It will also allow for DC to begin offering its students work placements with cannabis industry partners and opens the door for eventual applied research opportunities within the industry.

“As an institution we are continually striving to develop and deliver leading-edge learning solutions,” says DC president Don Lovisa. “As a proven developer of education and training for organizations of all types, today’s agreement will allow us to design and develop co-branded courses, both online and in-class, that will be offered directly to healthcare professionals, patients and other stakeholders in Canada’s emerging cannabis space.”

In addition to providing subject matter expertise as well as funding, GrowWise and Emblem will work collaboratively with DC to identify applied research and experiential learning opportunities both in the medical and recreational cannabis industries.

About GrowWise Health

GrowWise Health, a subsidiary of Emblem Corp., provides patients and healthcare providers with personalized education to make informed choices about medical cannabis treatments. With education centres across Ontario and British Columbia, prospective patients can learn more at www.growwisehealth.com.

About Emblem

Emblem is licensed under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (the “ACMPR”) through its wholly-owned subsidiary Emblem Cannabis Corporation to cultivate and sell medical cannabis. Emblem carries out its principal activities producing cannabis from its facilities in Paris, Ontario pursuant to the provisions of the ACMPR and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) and its regulations.

About Durham

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

For further information contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications specialist, Communications and Marketing
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2952
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca

Ali Mahdavi
Vice-president, Capital Markets and Investor Relations
Emblem Corp.
416.962.3300
alimahdavi@emblemcorp.com

Brent Lessard wins in the recent graduate category 

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) alumnus Brent Lessard has received provincial recognition for the leadership role he is playing in revolutionizing the future of transportation. The 2014 graduate of DC’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program was announced as the recipient of a Premier’s Award for recent graduates on November 27 at the annual gala that celebrates outstanding graduates from across the Ontario college system.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Premier’s Award,” said Brent. “I’ve been able to apply so much of what I learned at DC, including being exposed to diverse thinking during my studies, which has been a source of inspiration in my work. I also continue to draw on the importance of fostering a sense of community, which the college certainly did. It’s something that I have carried with me as I helped create the rLoop concept.”

rLoop, a non-profit, crowd-funded and sourced, online think tank and talent resource, was founded in 2014, a year after Brent graduated, and is focused on the development of a conceptual, high-speed transportation system called Hyperloop. Initially proposed by Elon Musk, chief executive officer at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the system involves the propelling of passenger or cargo-boarded pods in a low-pressure tube using sustainable and cost-efficient energy, in order to transport people from one place to another at the speed of sound.

Within the framework of rLoop’s commitment to innovation, Brent successfully connects and integrates the expertise of his colleagues, who live in various countries and time zones, speak different languages and embrace differing and unique cultures, to lead the development of a technology prototype with the potential to change the way we live and conduct business in Ontario, Canada and around the world. 

His dedication has enabled him to propel the rLoop team, which is now comprised of 1,100 members from more than 50 countries, to greatness several times in the last three years.

In January 2016, he proudly guided his colleagues at the first SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition where they were awarded the Best Non-Student Hyperloop Design Award and earned a spot to compete as one of 30 teams at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, which took place in January 2017, in California. There, under Lessard’s direction, rLoop had the opportunity to test its Hyperloop prototype on the mile-long SpaceX track before receiving the SpaceX Hyperloop Innovation Award.

Lessard and his team were asked to return to the Hyperloop Pod Competition II in August 2017, where they tested the vehicle in the vacuum of the Hyperloop tube and achieved several Hyperloop firsts, including the first Hyperloop Pod demonstrating static levitation in a vacuum and the first Hyperloop Pod with pressure vessel tested at vacuum, capable of sustaining human life.

“Brent is a cutting-edge thinker who embodies the qualities that make a college education great – collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship and learning through doing,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “As he and the rLoop team work toward revolutionizing the way we travel, DC’s students, employees and more than 82,000 alumni are incredibly proud he is representing the college and Canada on the international stage.” 

Brent was one of 118 college graduates nominated for this year’s awards, including one other from DC, and is the sixth alumni from the college to win.

Each year the Premier’s Awards are presented to acknowledge the social and economic contributions that college graduates make to the province and throughout the world. Chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 24 colleges, the award recipients have demonstrated outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made a significant contribution to their community.

For more information about the DC alumni community please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/alumni.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2952
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca