Durham College (DC) announced today that its Centre for Food (CFF) has been chosen as a finalist for the prestigious CoreNet Global Canadian Chapter REmmy Award in the Corporate Citizen category. The category recognizes a Canadian organization or individual whose culture and development product/project represents commitment to sustainable design and social responsibility.

“Durham College is extremely proud to be named a finalist, which reflects our commitment to building a centre focused on providing high-quality educational opportunities while also demonstrating sustainable practices,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “From its inception, the CFF has been an innovative and ambitious project that represents our dedication to sustainable design and social responsibility and recognized for our efforts as a community leader in sustainability and social responsibility.”

Inspired by the work of celebrity Chef Jamie Kennedy and the college’s commitment to bring field to fork to Durham Region, the 36,000-square-foot CFF officially opened in October 2013. It can accommodate approximately 900 students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science and agriculture and horticulture programs and in addition to housing Bistro ’67 is also home to Pantry, a unique retail food store that brings student-created goods straight from the culinary classroom to the community.

The REmmy Awards are presented annually by CoreNet Global in recognition of excellence, innovation and best practices in corporate real estate and workplace management. The winners will be announced at an awards gala on Wednesday, October 1 at the Toronto Board of Trade.

The college prepared the CFF’s submission for the award in collaboration with the Town of Whitby’s Economic Development Division and on behalf of the overall team that brought the CFF from concept to construction including DC; Gow Hasting Architects Inc.; Garritano Brothers; MCW Consultants Ltd.; Stephenson Engineering; Green Initiatives Inc.; Hendrix Hotel and Restaurant Equipment and Supplies; and Nedlaw Living Walls Inc.

In addition to the REmmy Award  nomination, in February the CFF, including Bistro ’67, the college’s full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, was certified as a 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association , a non-profit organization which helps restaurants become more environmentally sustainable.

Highlights of the CFF’s sustainability accomplishments include its dedication to reducing its environmental footprint by recycling; using a fully automated building controls management system and occupancy sensors in a variety of areas; offering touchless sensor faucets; recycling and composting kitchen waste; and using safer hand soaps. In addition careful attention is paid to the inputs and outputs of the facility and the restaurant in an effort to be good stewards of the environment.

The building itself was constructed using industry-leading sustainability principles, including looking at things such as site development, water and energy efficiency, material selection and innovation in design. It features a Nedlaw living wall and biofilter integrated into its ventilation system that sees air from the occupied space actively drawn through the building’s HVAC system or on-board fans then returned to the occupied space. As air comes in contact with the living wall, contaminants move into the water phase where they are broken down by microbes, removing up to 75 per cent of harmful chemicals. The biofilter also improves the indoor environment by generating clean air for up to 90 per cent less energy than conventional ventilation systems in the heat of summer or cold of winter. The area surrounding the CFF also includes a greenhouse, vegetable gardens and fruit-bearing trees – bringing the field to fork vision to life.

In addition, the college recently launched Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign to support the landscaping required at the CFF including the planting of trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables and arboretum; the purchase of garden tools; a walking path; new soil; and more. To find out more, please visit http://fieldtofork.durhamcollege.ca.

Durham College (DC) President Don Lovisa, with Susan Todd, dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology, joined horticulture students at Windreach Farm on Tuesday, August 26 to help yield the first harvest of beets for the Centre for Food (CFF).

As part of the college’s commitment to bring field to fork, the vision of bringing locally sourced, quality produce from field to table, to Durham Region, students have been growing produce at WindReach since May.

Dan Tomarchio and Matt Marrone, students entering their second year of the college’s Horticulture – Food and Farming program, enthusiastically provided Lovisa and Todd with a tour of the field they have been passionately cultivating where, in addition to beets, they have been growing tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, sunflowers, Swiss chard, fennel and more.

Bringing the field to the fork, the group then delivered 50 pounds of freshly picked beets to Benjamin Lewis, manager and chef de cuisine at Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant housed at the CFF, and David Hawey, chef, professor and co-ordinator of the college’s culinary programs. The beets will be used in farm-fresh dishes at Bistro ’67 and by second-year students of the Culinary Management program for a beet salad challenge, in one of their first lab classes.

“Interest in the farm-fresh movement is higher than ever before,” said Todd. “Durham College is helping to answer Durham Region’s increased demand for locally sourced ingredients through our horticulture programs, the Centre for Food and Bistro ’67. We are excited to be offering our students the opportunity to gain hands-on training in everything from plant propagation; soil and plant nutrition; and fruit and vegetable production under a varied range of conditions, to food processing and regulations; entrepreneurship; branding and marketing; and more.”

In addition, the college recently launched Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign to support the landscaping required at the CFF including the planting of trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables and arboretum; the purchase of garden tools; a walking path; new soil; and more.

Construction on the college’s first-ever greenhouse is now underway for use by students in the horticulture programs. Designed to accommodate multi-laboratory classes and provide students with a better understanding of the full potential of growing plants and produce all year long, the greenhouse will provide students with a unique opportunity to gain a hands-on understanding of greenhouse design, required control measures, energy consumption and how to work in a controlled environment in both operational and plant production modes.

Durham College (DC) welcomed Thomas Mulcair, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Official Opposition, on Wednesday, August 20. Mulcair visited the college’s Oshawa campus to host a discussion on a series of issues affecting Canadian families in need of childcare with local politicians and members of the community.

Susan Sproul, dean of the college’s School of Health & Community Services, was part of the group invited by Mulcair to be a part of the round table. President Don Lovisa also had the opportunity to meet with Mulcair as DC always welcomes opportunities to advance issues of importance to the college’s students.

Durham College (DC) is excited to announce the launch of Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, it’s first-ever crowdfunding campaign. Inspired by the college’s commitment  to bring field to fork, the vision of bringing locally sourced, quality produce from field to table, to Durham Region, the online campaign aims to garner support from the community for the completion of the landscaping and planting needed at the Centre for Food (CFF). A new learning facility created in direct response to the demand of the local culinary, hospitality, tourism, agriculture and horticulture sectors that opened to students in September 2013, the CFF houses both Bistro ’67, a teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a unique retail store that brings student-created goods straight from the culinary classroom to the community.

Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community offers a unique opportunity to support many aspects of the CFF’s landscaping including the planting of trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables and arboretum; garden tools; a walking path; new soil; and more, all of which will be used by the college’s CFF students, engaging them in the growing, harvesting, storing, processing, packaging and selling of delicious food.

Crowdfunding works by identifying a specific initiative(s) or project(s) online and making its intended purpose and details available and accessible to prospective donors.  Interested individuals have the option to choose any project(s) they would like to support.

Supported by ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy, the CFF can accommodate approximately 900 students studying in programs based on the field-to-fork concept, completing the full cycle of farming to the preparation, serving and celebration of food. This includes:

• Cook – Apprenticeship
• Culinary Management
• Culinary Skills
• Event Management
• Horticulture – Food and Farming
• Horticulture Technician
• Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism
• Hospitality Skills
• Pharmaceutical and Food Science Technology
• Pharmaceutical and Food Science Technology (compressed, fast-track)
• Special Events Planning

“From a philanthropic perspective it is our hope that Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community will support the link between the college and our community by offering donors an opportunity to provide financial assistance to any project where they have a special interest,” said David Chambers, associate vice-president, Office of Development, DC.

Officially launching today, the campaign is being rolled out to alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students, community members and the general public. For more information on how the college is changing the way our local communities eat and grow food, please visit the Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community website.

“There are 15 landscaping projects to choose from including a Culinary Herb Garden, Kitchen Garden, Arboretum, Pollinator Garden and more,” added Chambers. “By helping to support the completion of the landscaping at the Centre for Food, donors will help us strengthen field to fork in Durham Region including providing our students with first-hand experience in the planting, growing and cultivating of plants, fruits and vegetables via enriched, real-world curriculum and an outdoor extension to the indoor classroom.”

Although there have been no reported cases of the Ebola Virus in Canada, the Campus Health Centre is taking this opportunity to inform everyone about the signs and symptoms, as well as the possible methods of transmission of this viral disease.

The Ebola Virus is a viral illness primarily transmitted through direct contact with blood and body fluids/excretions of infected people, as well as contact with environmental surfaces contaminated with these fluids.

Symptoms are similar to most other viral infections such as: fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat associated with recent travel to and from endemic areas. Symptoms usually occur within two to 21 days of being infected.

Please be mindful that the Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a Travel Health Notice advising Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

We encourage all members of the Durham College community to continue to exercise good hygiene and remember that close observation is essential in detecting this virus.

Please refer to the Durham Region Health Department for more information.

On July 30, Durham College (DC) announced its new Experience DC campaign, a progressive marketing campaign launching Tuesday, September 2 and running through August 2015.  Featuring a unique group of DC students who share their college experience through a website, personal interaction and a variety of social media platforms including blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Experience DC is designed to bring the college experience to current and prospective students; parents; teachers; and the community.

Beginning today, Experience DC is introducing its team of students starting with James, known for his quirky and fun-loving nature and fondness for being behind or in front of the camera.

A new team member will be revealed every weekday until Friday, August 29 so be sure to visit the Experience DC website to get to know James and the rest of this incredible group of students to follow and share in their experience over the coming year. 

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first, a mission that we are taking to heart with the introduction of the Experience DC campaign this fall!

Launching Tuesday, September 2 and running through August 2015, Experience DC will feature a unique group of DC students, each with their own perspective, who will be sharing their college experience through a variety of media platforms and personal interaction including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This includes the new DC Experience website where current and prospective students; parents; teachers; and the community can connect with these amazing students – representing a wide cross-section of programs, personal interests and personalities – and share in their experiences over the coming year.

Please visit the Experience DC website to meet this dynamic group and follow and enjoy their stories this fall.

In the meantime, check out the site for a sneak peek at what Experience DC is all about!

Benjamin Lewis, manager and chef de cuisine at Durham College’s (DC) Bistro ’67, went head-to-head with fellow culinary competitors and came out on top at the first-ever Sysco Sliced competition hosted by DC and the Centre for Food on July 21 and 22.

Local chefs from restaurants including Melanie Pringles, the Lake Grill, KB Restaurant and the Brock House in Whitby; Magwyers Pub in Ajax; Port Restaurant in Pickering; and the Oshawa Golf Course all participated in the heated battle, with DC students from the Culinary Management program acting  as sous-chefs during the entire competition.

The two-day event began with four chefs battling it out to move to the next round of the competition, with each chef having to plate appetizer, entrée and dessert dishes. After each course, a chef was ‘sliced’ or cut from the contest. Every round included new challenges and a mystery box holding four key ingredients that each chef used to execute their dish, incorporating fresh as well as prepared foods.

Day 1’s appetizer course included crab meat, jalapeno poppers, cauliflower purée and processed cheese spread; the entrée combined frosted breakfast cereal, cape capensis, ribbon-sliced cheddar and chorizo sausage; and the dessert course featured bacon, peanut butter, evaporated milk and kaisers. While all dishes had their own unique spin from each chef, there could only be one winner – DC’s own Chef Lewis.

“From a competitive perspective, I think everybody had fun. I think it was a huge educational piece for the vendor community to see how great the chefs in this region are, showcase the school and really get the student body involved,” said Chef Adam Cowan from Nestlé and Sysco Sliced judge.

“From a scholastic perspective it really opened the students’ eyes as to how much fun and how little stress competitive arenas can be. We’re here to have fun, to get better together and that is why we’re all in this business, to continuously learn and push the threshold and the rising of trends in the marketplace.”

Day 2 hosted a new batch of local chefs featuring different mystery boxes, with KB Restaurant’s Chef Kevin Brown coming out on top. Both Durham Region winners will now face off against two winners from the Peterborough area in the final battle in mid-August, to find out who will reign as champion and who will get sliced.  

More than 3,500 Durham College students, along with their family and friends and college faculty and staff, celebrated their post-secondary success at the college’s annual spring convocation ceremonies on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

On June 19, graduates from the schools of Media, Art & Design; Science & Engineering Technology; Centre for Food; Health & Community Services; and Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology; received their diplomas and certificates. On June 20, ceremonies were held for the schools of Continuing Education; Justice & Emergency Services; Business, IT & Management; and Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services.

“This is the most important day of the year at Durham College as we celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our graduates,” Don Lovisa, president of the college said. “There are three kinds of people in the world: those that watch things happen, those that make things happen and those that say ‘What happened?’ We are happy to produce graduates that make things happen.”

Graduates and guests were entertained by words of wisdom from two of the college’s most successful graduates, Russ Montague (Advertising, 2004) and Ian Ball (Business Administration – Marketing, 2002). Montague, a very successful entrepreneur with two unique companies – ShirtPunch (awarded Best New E-Business and Consumer’s Choice by the 2012 Canada Post E-Commerce Innovation Awards) and Nerd Block – spoke at Thursday’s ceremonies and also received a 2014 Alumni of Distinction Award.

Ball, one of the youngest vice-presidents on Bay Street at the age of 23, addressed graduates at Friday’s ceremonies. In September 2013 he was named president of McEwen Mining, a gold and silver producer after spending nine years with the company. During his time at McEwen he helped build it from a $5 million market capitalization to $750 million and establish it as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Overall, the annual spring convocation ceremonies were a success and the promise of new beginnings for DC grads. The sun was shining, graduates and guests were smiling and faculty and staff were happy to prove the college’s mission statement; the student experience comes first.