Roses are red, and ketchupy too, when made of Doritos® chips, admiring them is what you’ll do!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are making their final preparations to surprise the ones they love. This year, faculty and students from Durham College’s Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts and Culinary Management programs are helping to put a new spin on traditional flowers and chocolates by playing a key role in the Doritos® Ketchup Roses campaign.

Initially launched for Valentine’s Day in 2016, the roses, which come in both a bouquet of 12 and single stems, are tied to the limited-time release of one of Doritos most-loved flavours – Doritos Ketchup. In conjunction with the return of this flavour in 2017, the DC faculty and students were tasked with carefully handcrafting the flowers to be used in the deliciously crunchy bouquets.

“We are thrilled to be part of this fun project, which is another example of how we provide students with one-of-a-kind opportunities to build unique skills and showcase their talents, in addition to the experiences they have in our classrooms and labs,” said Tanya Heck, a chef and professor in the Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts program. “In addition to mastering the technique needed to handcraft the roses, students are gaining first-hand experience in proper food handling practices, operations and logistics management and the important art of working with clients.”

Chip fans in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have been given the opportunity to request bouquets online. Orders for Toronto and Montreal will begin their journey from DC’s W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF), for distribution on Tuesday, February 14.

With hundreds of hours required to prepare the individual roses, planning and work has been underway for months under Heck, who built and led a team of four faculty and 18 students in the creation of the delicate, crunchy bouquets. From the prototyping phase, to determining the best process for both assembly and the final aesthetic, to producing the final roses for delivery on the big day, DC students are getting a unique opportunity to be part of a pop-culture phenomenon while learning and gaining real-world experience.

“This has been such a unique opportunity,” said Kristin Atwood, a student in her second semester of the Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts program. “I have been working with faculty on the project since the college was chosen to assemble the roses. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see everything come together, from developing the prototypes and refining our technique, to finalizing the bouquets. We are really looking forward to sharing our hard work with the enthusiastic and hungry Doritos Ketchup fans.”

Durham College (DC) announced today that it will receive $1 million from The Regional Municipality of Durham in support of its new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE). Durham Regional Council approved the funding request at its meeting on February 8.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I would like to express our gratitude to the Region for its investment in our new Centre for Collaborative Education,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Not only is this contribution reflective of the ongoing support we’ve received from the Region over the years, it is also a vote of confidence in our vision for the CFCE – to create a 21st-century approach to learning that will enable the college to create an educational hub of excellence here in the region, while meeting the demands of students, employers and Ontario’s changing economy.” 

Timed to coincide with the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017, the multi-level, 75,000-square-foot facility and legacy project will replace the aging Simcoe building. The CFCE will be home to multiple departments. This includes the School-College-Work Initiative and the affiliated Centre for Success program, the Centre for Indigenous Peoples, and the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions. It will also offer spaces for innovation and collaboration, and open learning and social spaces for students, faculty and the community. ‎

“This funding is an important investment in our future – it supports the people and businesses that will drive our economy forward,” said Roger Anderson, regional chair and chief executive officer of The Regional Municipality of Durham. “Durham College is a cornerstone of our community, offering educational programs that provide the necessary tools for success.”

Scheduled to open in 2018, the CFCE will act as an educational access point that brings together students, local, global and Indigenous community groups and members of key business sectors.

All levels of government have now invested in the CFCE. After securing $35 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments in 2016, DC launched a capital campaign to raise the additional $5 million required to complete construction of the new building. The Region of Durham’s $1 million investment follows the recently announced $1 million investment from the City of Oshawa. DC continues to fundraise to reach its $40 million goal. 

Durham College (DC) is proud to welcome Chef Raul Sojo to the DC family as the new executive chef, Bistro ’67, at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food.

In this position, Chef Sojo is responsible for the field-to-fork food operations of Bistro ’67, DC’s full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant. He also works closely with students and faculty from the Centre for Food’s academic programs to help prepare the next generation of food and hospitality professionals.

Chef Sojo brings deep culinary expertise and experience to Bistro ’67. Most recently, he held the positions of chef de cuisine at the Oshawa Golf Club and executive chef and owner of RSVP Chef and Catering Services. In addition, he is a collaborator with a food magazine in Colombia and has taught for DC part-time. Chef Sojo holds Red Seal Certification and a diploma in Culinary Management.

From Bistro ‘67’s state-of-the-art kitchen and learning environment, Chef Sojo will create unique dining experiences for patrons as he designs and executes fresh, inspiring menus that incorporate his passion for field-to-fork. His original menu debut for Bistro ’67 will be a prix fixe menu offered on Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11, which will include an array of delectable dishes including:

• Ontario parsnip soup with DC bacon lardson and parsley oil to start.
• Choice of corn-fed Ontario beef striploin, pan-fired Canadian branzino or potato gnocchi.
• Buttermilk vanilla panna cotta with beetroot sponge and lemon gel for dessert.

For more information and reservations, please visit www.bistro67.ca.

On February 6, Durham College (DC) welcomed Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne back to the Oshawa campus as part of her ongoing tour of post-secondary institutions across the province, which began in January.

During her visit, DC had an opportunity to proudly showcase some of its amazing faculty and students as the premier met with representatives from the Early Childhood Education program, which is housed under the School of Health & Community Services.

Premier Wynne then had the opportunity to engage with faculty and students from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, as students from the Biomedical Engineering Technology program shared some of their current project work.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it will receive $1 million from the City of Oshawa in support of its new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE).

 The funding is being allocated from the city’s newly established Infrastructure Fund, and is the result of a request made by the college to the City of Oshawa. The request was approved through a nearly unanimous vote by Council on January 25, 2017 at the City of Oshawa council meeting. 

 The investment will support the construction of the CFCE, a multi-level, 75,000-square-foot facility and legacy project tied to the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017.

“This generous donation is a strong reflection of Durham College’s longstanding relationship with the City of Oshawa,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “It not only represents an investment in education but in the broader Oshawa community, which we have proudly been a part of for the past 50 years. On behalf of DC, I extend my sincere thanks to the City of Oshawa for making its first capital commitment to Durham College a significant one that will help us build our new Centre for Collaborative Education.”

The CFCE, scheduled to open in 2018, will act as an educational access point for students while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors.

“The City of Oshawa and its residents have and will continue to benefit from Durham College’s years of dedicated service to the education and social structure of the region,” said Oshawa Mayor John Henry. “This investment recognizes the college’s ongoing commitment to excellence, and the benefits the CFCE and its exceptional programming will afford students and the broader community alike.”

The centre will not only become a landmark at DC’s Oshawa campus, where it will replace the aging Simcoe building, but also within the city of Oshawa. It will be home to departments such as the School-College-Work Initiative and affiliated Centre for Success program, the Centre for Indigenous Peoples, the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, the Spark Centre, health and science facilities and foundations programs, as well as offer  global, open and collaborative learning and social spaces.

Durham College (DC) remains stunned and deeply saddened by the hateful attack committed at a mosque in Quebec City this weekend. As the college grieves for everyone directly affected by this tragedy and the larger Muslim community across Canada, DC also wants to offer a direct message of love and support to our Muslim students, employees and community partners.

To share this message and honour the victims of Sunday night’s attack, we will lower our campus flags on Tuesday, January 31.

At DC, we take immense pride in being a welcoming place where we are all respected for the unique identities that each of us brings to campus. As an organization, we strive to provide a safe environment where diversity is embraced and everyone is treated with dignity. Our commitment to these values will not waver, particularly in the face of attacks that are designed to target and frighten members of our community.

The college wishes to extend our profound sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, and to everyone who has been affected by the events in Quebec City. Our team at the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions is available for anyone who needs support during this difficult time. Confidential counselling and support services are also available for DC students and employees.