Durham College celebrated the official opening of the Centre for Food (CFF) yesterday, marking Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on field to fork.

Durham College president Don Lovisa was joined by celebrity chef and CFF ambassador Jamie Kennedy and chef Christian Pritchard, who acted as the event’s master of ceremonies, as the college showcased the new facility, which is located at the northwest corner of the Whitby campus. In addition, Roger Anderson, chair, Region of Durham; Pat Perkins, mayor, Town of Whitby; and Brittany Lombard, a second-year Culinary Management student, also offered remarks congratulating the college on the opening of the new building.

“Today marks an extraordinary day for Durham College as we celebrate the official opening of the Centre for Food,” said Lovisa. “Over the past four and half years, there have been many people who have helped turn our initial vision into this wonderful facility we are standing in today and I collectively thank each of you for your support.”

In addition to self-guided tours of the new building and the opportunity to try food prepared and served by the college’s culinary and hospitality students, guests enjoyed a musical performance by Canadian singer, songwriter and musician, Greg Keelor. The event also featured the opening of Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant, which offers dishes that include produce and delicious flavours from Durham Region that are prepared and served by students.

“Since Day 1 we have been committed to the creation of a centre that provides the curriculum, faculty expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment required to meet the growing need for new men and women able to fill both existing and emerging roles within the spectrum of a field-to-fork concept,” added Lovisa.

Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying a variety of programs including Culinary Skills, Culinary Management, Cook – Apprenticeship, Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, Hospitality Skills, Event Management, Special Events Planning, the CFF features state-of-the-art kitchens and labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab; classrooms and meeting spaces; a retail store that will feature products made by students including fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals; and a demonstration lecture theatre.

In addition, the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, have been relocated to the college’s Whitby campus to complete the full cycle of farming to the preparation and celebration of food.

The overall Whitby campus expansion project has seen $44 million invested in an expanded post-secondary presence in the region with the college working to bring new full-time programs to life and develop the skilled workforce needed for local communities to grow and prosper.

The entire Durham College family extends its congratulations to President Don Lovisa who was named the Business Person of the Year by the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade (APBOT) at its 19th Annual Business Excellence Awards, held at the Ajax Convention Centre on October 10.  

Lovisa was recognized for his leadership style, commitment to entrepreneurship on campus, community involvement, support of faculty and staff development and more. Addressing the audience as he accepted his award he said “I am both humbled and appreciative of this wonderful award and proud to be the president of Durham College. This award is a true reflection of the work of everyone at Durham College and affirms the direct social and economic impact we have on Ajax and Pickering and the broader Durham Region community.”

Under Lovisa’s leadership Durham College has become the fastest growing college in Ontario, moving from under 7,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students in his first year as president, to more than 10,000 at the start of the 2013-2014 academic year.

The college has also taken on several revitalization and construction projects including opening the Pickering Learning Site in September 2012 and the Centre for Food at the Whitby campus in September 2013. In addition, it has enhanced its academic programming via the introduction of more than 30 new full-time programs.

The Business Excellence Awards are given to outstanding local businesses and business persons in Ajax and Pickering for their achievements in several different categories including Business Excellence 1-9 Employees, Business Excellence 10-49 Employees, Business Excellence 50+ Employees, Global Business Excellence, Sustainability Champion and Business Person of the Year.

Congratulations President Lovisa!  

The Durham Region dining experience got a little more intriguing this month when Durham College officially opened the doors to Bistro ’67, a full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant located at the new Centre for Food (CFF).

Offering dishes prepared and served by students in the culinary and hospitality programs, featuring produce and delicious flavours from the region, Bistro ’67 offers a unique ‘field to fork’ culinary environment to diners. This includes seating up to 70 guests and the opportunity to choose from a variety of seasonal dishes designed to satisfy any palate such as delicious soups and salads, intriguing sandwiches and entrees and decadent desserts.

In addition to featuring the latest in culinary technology, the restaurant also offers a boardroom (available for public rental) surrounded by glass walls overlooking the kitchen and a living lab with exposure to all restaurant related jobs.

The restaurant’s name is a tribute to the year that Durham College opened – 1967 – and reflects its rich history while providing a fresh, modern perspective. The name was chosen following a month-long contest in June that asked college staff and students and members of the community to submit their top suggestions.

The CFF is designed to accommodate approximately 900 additional students studying in a variety of programs including Culinary Skills, Culinary Management, Cook – Apprenticeship, Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, Hospitality Skills, Event Management, Special Events Planning.

This incredible new learning centre also features state-of-the-art labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab, classrooms and meeting spaces, a retail store that will  feature products produced by students including fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals and a lecture theatre.

To celebrate the restaurant’s official opening, all guests who visit during the month of October will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a chance to win dinner for four.

For more information about Bistro ’67, including hours of operation and menu items, please visit www.bistro67.ca.

The Durham Children’s Aid Society (CAS) honoured staff from Durham College and UOIT at their Annual General Meeting for their commitment to helping improve the educational outcomes for our youth in care.

Lucy Romao Vandepol, first generation student co-ordinator and Crown Ward champion and Mary Blanchard, associate vice-president, Academic Planning have been working closely with the Durham CAS over the past few years establishing partnerships. This partnership has enabled Romao Vandepol to connect with students on an individual level and ensure they are accessing the appropriate services in order to reach their educational goals. As a result of this coordination some Crown Ward students have also received CAS scholarships.

The Crown Ward Education Championship Team is a provincial initiative developed to support students with crown ward status in successful high school completion and post-secondary education.

Durham College announced today that it has welcomed more than 10,900 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site since classes for the 2013-2014 academic year officially began on September 4, an overall enrolment increase of nine per cent. This includes more than 5,700 new students as well as 346 international students.

“The new academic year is in full swing and Durham College is very pleased to see this significant increase in our enrolment numbers, which are reflective of our commitment to fostering student success through high-quality academic programs designed to meet the needs of today’s employers,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic.

In addition to increasing the number of students on campus, September also marked other important milestones for the college including the introduction of several new programs and the opening of the Centre for Food (CFF) at the Whitby campus, part of the college’s three-phase Whitby campus expansion project, which began in 2008.

Home to the new Culinary Management and Special Events Planning programs, which started this fall, the 36,000-square-foot CFF is located at the northwest corner of campus. Building on the success of the college’s first two hospitality-focused programs, Culinary Skills and Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, which both launched in September 2010, it is based on the field-to-fork concept, bringing students, farmers and growers together with food science and the preparation and celebration of food.

Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant, which offers dishes that include local produce and delicious flavours from the region that are prepared and served by culinary and hospitality program students.

The college also introduced new Advertising and Marketing Communications; Architectural Technician; Architectural Technology; Broadcasting for Contemporary Media; Information Systems Security – Computers and Networking; Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant; Project Management; and Horticulture – Food and Farming programs this September along with Mechanical Techniques – Plumbing and Electrical Techniques, which will begin in January.

For more information on the CFF, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/CFF and for details on any of the college’s programs, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/programs.

Please be advised the City of Oshawa has scheduled reconstruction of the intersection of Conlin Road and Thornton Road this fall. The existing four-way stop at that intersection will be converted to a roundabout (traffic circle).

The construction will impact traffic flow to and from the west side of the joint Durham College-UOIT- campus location in Oshawa.

The construction will take part in two phases:

• Site preparation work now underway will result in lane restrictions and traffic delays around the Conlin/Thornton intersection, however, the intersection will remain open during this period.
• In mid-October, the City of Oshawa will close the entire intersection for construction of the roundabout and the installation of sidewalks, ditches, storm sewers and streetlights.

Faculty, staff and students who normally use the Conlin/Thornton intersection to access campus will need to find an alternative route during this period. 

Suggested alternatives:

• East-west traffic flow should follow either Taunton Road or Winchester Road.
• North-south traffic flow should follow Simcoe Street or Thickson Road. Stevenson Road can also be used as a north-south alternative route between Taunton Road and Conlin Road.

All motorists should expect heavier traffic flow along Simcoe Street and allow for extra travel time during the construction period.

The Conlin/Thornton area is expected to reopen to through traffic at the end of December, but the city advises unfavourable weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances may impact the work schedule. Once construction is complete, motorists should familiarize themselves with the new traffic pattern at Conlin and Thornton.

The City of Oshawa realizes aspects of this construction work may be disruptive; however, it advises it will make every effort to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The Durham College/UOIT Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program received outstanding results from the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE), with 98 per cent of (BScN) graduates passing the exam. In addition, 100 per cent of graduates who completed the Durham College/UOIT Registered Practical Nursing bridging program and then the BScN program passed the CRNE. Finally, 92 per cent of graduates who completed the BScN after taking the Durham College/UOIT/Georgian College bridging pathway also passed.

“On behalf of Durham College, I extend my sincere congratulations to our collaborative nursing students on these outstanding results,” said Susan Sproul, dean, School of Health & Community Services. “The results are a true reflection of our students’ dedication to their studies as well as the college and university’s commitment to providing exceptional nursing education to students, ensuring they are able to meet today’s nursing needs.” 

In order to become a registered nurse in Canada, graduates of all BScN programs must pass this national exam. Not only are the recent results the highest yet in the history of the college and university’s collaborative nursing program, they are also some of the best in Ontario and across Canada.

“Success on the national registration exam is an important indicator of the high quality of our nursing programs,” said Dr. Sue Coffey, director, Durham College/UOIT and Durham College/UOIT/Georgian College collaborative nursing programs. “Even more importantly, it reflects the commitment of our students and faculty to ensuring our graduates are the very best nurses they can be. These results, along with consistently very positive feedback from graduates and employers about the degree to which the Durham College/UOIT and Durham College/UOIT/ Georgian College nursing programs prepare students for transition into nursing practice, underscore the success of these programs.”

This message is being posted on behalf of the Project Management office.

October 8, 2013

We are pleased to inform you that the installation of the two elevators at the Centre for Food is now complete, following the strike of Ontario’s elevator workers earlier this summer. The building is now fully accessible. 

Thank you for your support during this time of transition.  

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August 22, 2013

The installation of the two elevators at the new Centre for Food (CFF) at our Whitby Campus was delayed due to the recently-ended strike of Ontario’s elevator workers under the International Union of Elevator Constructors.

As of today, August 22, the installation has begun, with an aim to have the elevators in place and functioning by early October.  The CFF will still open for classes on Tuesday, September 3 with the rest of the building fully operational and in line with accessibility standards. 

We remain committed to student success and working with students and guests to meet individual needs as we move through this time of transition. Those using the CFF are encouraged to contact Beth Smith, Facilities and Ancillary Services, at 905.721.2000 ext. 2213 with any questions or concerns.

We will continue to provide you with updates as they become available.  

After a month-long naming contest, Durham College is pleased to announce the name of its new full-service restaurant: Bistro ’67, located at the Whitby campus’ new state-of-the-art Centre for Food (CFF). In addition to serving the public, the restaurant will provide a supportive and creative teaching environment and hands-on learning experience that will train the chefs and hospitality professionals of the future.

The name was chosen from more than 1,152 online submissions through the Feed Us Your Ideas contest which was launched on June 21. After one week, a seven-person panel reviewed the entries and determined their top five choices. The public then voted on the top five and after 1,242 votes were cast, Bistro ’67 was determined as the winning entry.

“The name Bistro ’67 encapsulates the proud and rich history of Durham College by paying tribute to the year we opened our doors, with a fresh, modern perspective,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I look forward to my first dining experience at the very first green-certified teaching restaurant in Canada. True to the inspiration of Jamie Kennedy’s local food movement, I am confident that Bistro ‘67 will be an excellent addition to the field-to-fork culinary landscape for years to come. Bon Appétit!”

The winning name was submitted by Gail McKenzie, manager of strategic initiatives with the School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services at Durham College. For creating the name, Gail will receive dinner for six at the chef’s table, a Durham College prize pack including an iPad mini, and will be recognized at the CFF’s grand opening event on Thursday, October 17 at the Whitby campus.

“I brainstormed and submitted a few ideas trying to incorporate a name that would reflect the history of the college,” said McKenzie. “Since the college opened in 1967, I thought Bistro ’67 would work well!”

Scheduled to open this September, Bistro ’67 is a 70-seat, full-service, teaching and learning restaurant which will be green certified and feature dishes prepared and served by students in our culinary and hospitality programs, including produce and delicious flavours of the region.

The CFF is designed to accommodate approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agriculture and horticulture programs. This incredible new learning centre will also feature state-of-the-art labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab, classrooms and meeting spaces, a retail store and a lecture theatre.

Highly-skilled graduates in a variety of programs including Culinary Skills, Culinary Management, Event Management (graduate certificate), Horticulture – Food and Farming, Hospitality Skills, Golf Facility Operations Management, Horticulture Technician, Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism,  Special Events Planning and Cook Apprenticeship will fulfil the demand for next-generation workers in sectors critical to our local economy.

On Monday, August 19, the Campus Bookstore will kick off a new Price Match Policy.

The following items are covered:

• All textbooks

The following items are not covered:

• E-books
• Online Orders
• Clothing
• Stationary items (notebooks, writing utensils, binders, calculators, etc.)
• Quick Study Guides
• Other non-textbook items

The Campus Bookstore will only price match the listed value with the following websites:

• Canadian Chapter-Indigo website: www.chapters.indigo.ca
• Canadian Amazon website: www.amazon.ca

*Member pricing does not apply for the sites listed above

Price matching will only apply to in-store purchases at the Campus Bookstore, excluding online sales. For previous purchases, you have 10 days to price match from the date of your original receipt (this will only be honoured once). You may only price match items that are in-stock, no rain checks available.

The bookstore reserves the right to refuse to price match on any textbook priced lower than our cost from the publisher.

To price match, please visit the Bookstore’s front counter with a smartphone displaying the website URL, date and following book information:

• ISBN
• Price
• Title
• In-Stock

*Paper printouts with the above information will also be accepted with the current date.

For further information please contact the Campus Bookstore at 905.721.3026 or visit the Campus Bookstore website.