Three Durham College (DC) students took front row seats to the leadership race of the Conservative Party of Canada when they attended the 88th annual general meeting of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce on April 6.

The DC students, Nikolai Slepov in the Police Foundations program, Jenn Amaro in the Journalism – Web and Print program and Taylor Flood in the Marketing – Business – Transfer to UOIT Bachelor of Commerce program, had the opportunity to join DC president Don Lovisa and chief of staff Hélène Asselbergs at the event, which was held at the Ajax Convention Centre, thanks to Roughley Insurance Brokers Ltd., who sponsored the students’ table.

Canadian business magnate, TV personality and new found politician Kevin O’Leary delivered the keynote address, during which he spoke about his plans for Canada if he were to be elected the country’s next prime minister.

Of particular interest to the DC students in attendance were O’Leary’s concerns about the low employment opportunities for students upon graduation and how raising their prospects is one of his top priorities. He also spoke about his goal of a three-per-cent growth in Canada’s gross domestic product in his first four years in office and his intention to also focus on the country’s immigration policy.

“It is important that our students take an interest in politics and the various positions of candidates within all political parties,” said Lovisa. “I hope this opportunity to hear from one of the potential conservative leaders will see the students take a keen interest in the views of other political parties and politicians.”

Following O’Leary’s address, the floor was opened up to allow the students and other attendees the opportunity to pose questions to O’Leary about any topic.

 

Following the recent announcement from the provincial government, of their $50-million investment in colleges across Ontario, Durham College (DC) is pleased to share that it will receive $1.9 million of that legacy funding.

As DC celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, so too does the college system in Ontario. The funding for all 24 of the province’s colleges was awarded in celebration of this milestone year.

The idea of partnering with the provincial government, to establish a legacy fund of $50 million for 50 years, was proposed by chair of the Colleges Ontario 50th anniversary task force and DC President Don Lovisa, in order to benefit all Ontario colleges in a meaningful way.

“What a fantastic way to celebrate this milestone and truly start something amazing,” said Lovisa. “In making this generous funding commitment, the provincial government is recognizing the outstanding achievements of Ontario’s colleges over the past 50 years, while also creating a lasting impact on future generations of students across the province, including Durham College.”

Durham MPP Granville Anderson was onsite at DC’s Whitby campus where he revealed how much of the funding the college will receive, and what this means to students and the greater Durham Region community.

“Over the past 50 years, our colleges have done so much to build Ontario up,” said Durham MPP Granville Anderson. “They provide students with unique experiences and important skills which prepare them to be successful in the workforce. Durham College, specifically, plays a vital role in our community, so it was my pleasure to announce our government’s $1.9 million investment to help make this great school even better.”

During the announcement, DC shared that it will use its portion of the funds to construct a two-storey galleria at its Whitby campus, providing much needed touchdown space and collaboration zones for the more than 2,000 full-time students who call the Whitby campus home.

Construction on the galleria space is expected to begin shortly.

High school robotics teams from across Ontario converged at Durham College’s (DC) Oshawa campus from March 3 to 5 for the 2017 FIRST® Robotics Competition: Ontario District – Durham College event. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

This is the third year DC has sponsored the FIRST event, welcoming more than 1,000 students on 40 teams. Competitors demonstrated their engineering skills and knowledge playing FIRST Steamworks, a new game developed for the annual robotics battle. By the end, one alliance, comprising three teams working together, walked away victorious. Congratulations goes to teams 1285 (The Big Bang), 4939 (Allspark9) and 4946 (The Alpha Dogs), who all hail from the Peel District School board. They will be competing at the Ontario District Championships at the beginning of April and then, if successful, will head to the World Championships in St. Louis at end of that month.

The FIRST Robotics Competition: Ontario District – Durham College event was the first of nine qualifying competitions being held across Canada. FIRST is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. In 2017, over 3,000 teams comprising more than 78,000 students from around the world will compete in FIRST Steamworks.

With more than 76,000 graduates and countless community and business supporters, Durham College (DC) makes it a priority to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the college, community and well beyond. With that in mind, the college is calling on community members to bring forward their nominations for DC’s 2017 Alumni of Distinction Awards and 2017 Honorary Credential, and is offering assistance to anyone who is interested in preparing a nomination.

“As we celebrate our 50^th anniversary in 2017, one of the best ways we can continue to inspire students and employees at DC is to shine a light on the many members of our community who are succeeding in their careers, giving back to their communities and paving the way for future generations,” said Don Lovisa, president of Durham College. “We want to recognize their success and thank them for their contributions, and the Alumni of Distinction Awards and Honorary Credential allow us to do just that.”

The Alumni of Distinction Awards honour the significant contributions DC graduates make to society while achieving career success. The Honorary Credential recognizes a community or business partner who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of DC, Durham Region and beyond. Both are given at the college’s annual spring convocation ceremonies in June.

“Alumni are always top of mind for the college, but even more so during this milestone year,” added Lovisa. “Our 50th anniversary year provides a natural opportunity to take those connections with our alumni to the next level, and I hope to see that surge reflected in the number of nominations we receive this year.”

A wide range of professionals have received the Alumni of Distinction Award including entrepreneurs, health-care leaders, journalists, multimedia designers, engineers, technicians and skilled trades professionals. Nominations are being accepted until Friday, March 10 through the DC Alumni office.

DC employees and members of the community are invited to nominate an individual for an Honorary Credential by completing a Nomination for Honorary Credential Form and submitting the package to Paul Bishop, executive director/registrar, Strategic Enrolment Services, by Saturday, April 1.

One of the first colleges established under the Ontario college system, DC takes immense pride in the way its graduates and community partners continue to help build a strong college, one that is committed to student success, and looks forward to recognizing these individuals in June.

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Development and Alumni Affairs kicked off the new DC Brewing Memories Coffee Tour with two stops right at home at the college’s Whitby and Oshawa campuses. The travelling series of events is part of DC’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 and will see the college host coffee breaks throughout the year at 50 workplaces that employ DC graduates.

The tour is designed to provide opportunities for the college to re-connect with its graduates, hear their success stories, learn about their career paths and share with them all the new and exciting things happening at DC – all while enjoying free coffee, tea and baked goods.

Twenty DC employee-graduates gathered together at the Whitby campus on February 15 and more than 50 gathered at the Oshawa campus on February 16. Each attendee had the opportunity to share details of their program and year of graduation, and received a commemorative “DC alumni at work” sticker to be proudly displayed around the office.

The tour’s next stop will be at Lakeridge Health Port Perry hospital. DC alumni who would like to have the college visit their workplace should contact Lisa McInerney.

Durham College’s (DC) singing president is back and this time he’s brought company! On February 10, DC president Don Lovisa joined musical forces with 49 members of the college community, including students, alumni, employees and governors, for 50 Guitars for 50 Years, a jam session in celebration of DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017.

Gathered on the steps of the Student Services building at DC’s Oshawa campus, 50 guitarists came together to strum, sing and celebrate their college with two musical numbers: “A Lesson Learned in Time,” an original song written by DC employee Justin Lant in honour of the college’s milestone year, and “Ahead by a Century,” a Canadian classic by The Tragically Hip.

• Watch the DC video for “A Lesson Learned in Time”.
• Watch the DC video for “Ahead by a Century”.

Lant, a member of the college’s Facilities Services department for nearly four years, is also a member of the popular local band 20 Amp. Aware of his talents as a musician and songwriter, Lant’s supervisor, Suzanne Chasse, approached him with the idea of writing a song that would draw on the theme of DC’s 50th festivities, The Start of Something Amazing. Lant, a guitarist and keyboardist, then wrote “A Lesson Learned in Time” to match the inspirational vibe of the celebrations, complete with lyrics based on the school’s history.

The 50 Guitars group also opted to play “Ahead by a Century,” the beloved anthem by Canadian rock legends The Tragically Hip, as a nod to the recently retired group’s legacy. The song was the last one performed by the band at their final concert on August 20, 2016.

Part of the college’s year-long celebration of its 50th year, the 50 Guitars for 50 Years jam session is one of many events DC is holding to bring its community together, raise awareness of its milestone year and spread the word about the upcoming 50th Homecoming Weekend festivities that will be held on Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9.

Community members, including DC alumni, employers and community partners, are encouraged to join the celebrations by visiting the college’s 50th anniversary website, where they can share favourite DC memories, explore the college’s history, watch videos and find a complete list of upcoming events.