Two students from the Horticulture – Technician program made Durham College (DC) proud at the Skills Canada National Competition in Winnipeg last month.

Competing in the Horticulture and Landscape (Team of 2) category, Abigayle Hamilton and Emma Pace brought home silver medals.

Falling just short of the gold didn’t dampen the experience for the pair, according to Pace.

“Although it wasn’t what we were striving for, I can honestly say that this has been the most empowering, exciting and fulfilling part of my young adult life,” she said, crediting her partner as well as DC professor Shane Jones for making it possible. “With a fantastic teammate and a dedicated and passionate coach, we worked together to build something we were proud of and I will always cherish this memory.”

The journey to Winnipeg was a long and rewarding one for the team, who excelled in their studies at DC and earned gold at the 2023 Skills Ontario Competition to qualify for Nationals.

For Hamilton, teaming up with her friend was the best part of the experience.

“Competing in this competition with Emma is really a gift because it has formed a bond between us that is everlasting. It’s so special to have shared this experience with her,” she said. “I am so proud of us and so honored to have been given the chance to hopefully inspire young women, and anyone else, to pursue a career in the skilled trades. I hope that seeing Emma and I compete helps them push past any fear they may have towards trying anything new in their lives.”

Serving as a role model for other students is an added benefit for the pair, and Hamilton encourages anyone with a passion for horticulture or another trade to expand their education and put their skills to the test.

“I highly recommend participating in the skills competition if you have the opportunity to. It’s really a rare experience that opens doors that you would never have imagined,” she said.

“Thank you Durham College, Skills Ontario and Skills Canada for the opportunity to represent, and for the awesome experiences.”

June is Pride Month, but Durham College (DC) proudly raised the Intersex Inclusive Pride flag at the Oshawa campus a day early.

The flag, hoisted at the corner of Conlin Road East and Simcoe Street North on Wednesday, May 31, serves as a symbol of DC’s commitment to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive campus.

Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, was on hand to reaffirm DC’s commitment to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

“Today, we celebrate together and offer a safe space for everyone to express themselves authentically. Today, we stand together and stand proud,” she said.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, she credited the efforts of the DC Pride Collective, which supports the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community through training, programming and partnerships, as well as the DC Pride Coalition, a student social group which helps build community and belonging.

After the flag was raised, revellers gathered in the South Village Courtyard for the Pride BBQ and celebration: Together Always, United in Diversity!

Students, staff, and faculty enjoyed great food, music and drag performances, as well as fun activities like giant Jenga and giant chess.

The message of the event was clear; everybody is welcome at DC.

Today, Durham College (DC) joins people and communities around the world, to mark the start of Pride Month, which recognizes and promotes the two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGBTQQIA+) community’s diversity, acceptance and visibility.

Durham College hosted a remarkable event at our Oshawa campus yesterday, in partnership with Ontario Tech University, to raise the Intersex Inclusive Pride flag, a visual symbol of our commitment to a safe, welcoming and inclusive campus. There were activities, performances and more and it was truly a great day for people to come together in support of our 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities, including those right here on campus. 

We know though, that Pride is about more than raising a flag – it is about working together to create spaces where everyone knows they can fully participate and belong.

Pride Month serves as an opportunity to advocate for equal rights, raise awareness of 2SLGBTQQIA+ issues and foster a sense of pride, solidarity and inclusion among individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. It also acknowledges the pain and loss experienced by diverse members of the community and highlights the continued importance of resisting various forms of biphobia, transphobia and homophobia, among other overlapping discriminations and harassment.

As a Durham College community, we encourage everyone to be an ally today – and every day – and ensure that we are working together to provide safe and inclusive spaces where people feel that they belong.

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to recognize and reflect on the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Durham College (DC) is committed to reconciliation, with the goal of building respectful, reciprocal relationships that will contribute to better educational outcomes for all students. This is underscored by our Indigenization Statement that we signed eight years ago, developed together with the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC) and in consultation with the Durham College Indigenous Advisory Circle. The statement serves as a means of working towards the fulfillment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.  

Recognizing reconciliation requires genuine efforts to address the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous communities, education plays a pivotal role in this process. All members of our DC community to learn more about the history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and educate themselves about Indigenous histories, strengths and contributions and take meaningful steps towards reconciliation.  

Here are a few ways to get your learning started:

• Browsing the First Peoples Indigenous Centre’s website for information and resources
• Joining an Indigenous event on campus or online
• Learning more about the importance of Land Acknowledgements

We are proud of the work we have done as a community, guided by FPIC and our Indigenization Council, to support Indigenization across our campuses and in our daily practices. We will continue to work together with Indigenous partners to guide our work to broaden our collective knowledge, challenge our perspectives and foster empathy and understanding, moving forward.

Have you noticed the automated external defibrillators (AED) placed throughout the campus? Would you know how to use one of them to save a life?

Earlier this month, in recognition of National Nursing Week, professors from Durham College’s (DC) and Ontario Tech University’s collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program took their AED simulator around campus to offer training to faculty members, employees and students. They also demonstrated the proper use of naloxone kits, which can save the life of someone experiencing an opioid overdose.

“We care about the health of Ontarians, and that means creating opportunities across the campus and the province for teaching and learning,” explained Dr. Sue Coffey, a professor in the collaborative program. “There’s a lot of basic first aid and intervention that can help the public make a difference.”

The demonstrations gave the campus community a glimpse into a career that plays a critical role in our health system. It’s never been more important to encourage people to enter the nursing profession, according to BScN professor Leslie Graham.

“We’re in a critical shortage of nurses,” Graham said. “We really encourage people to come to our Open Houses and see if nursing is a career that they would like.”

DC is leading the way in preparing the next generation of nurses, both in collaboration with Ontario Tech on the BScN program and on its own with programs like Practical Nursing and Critical Care Nursing.

“We provide high quality education in all of our programs,” said Dr. Coffey.

A high-pressure career at the best of times, nursing was significantly impacted by the strain of the pandemic. Some nurses retired early or switched careers, and replacing them isn’t easy, according to Dr. Arlene de la Rocha, another professor in the collaborative program.

“We almost always feel like we’re playing catch up. We can’t quite get enough people working, we can’t quite get enough people educated and through a program,” she said.

Whatever injury or illness brings a person to the hospital, nurses are there to provide skilled and compassionate care. Whether directing new arrivals in the emergency department or comforting patients and their family members, it’s a job that takes a physical and emotional toll every day.

“It is the art and science, the caring they bring to that patient but also that skill level, that high degree of thinking and critical judgment that they need to demonstrate,” said Dr. de la Rocha.

DC’s programs and professors are doing their part to ensure Durham Region, Ontario and Canada at large have an abundance of qualified and passionate nurses.

Durham College (DC) continues to graduate some of the best Project Management students in the province.

That was proven once again at the Ontario Project Management Competition (OPMC) on May 6 at the Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto. Up against tough competition in a field of 11 colleges and universities, DC’s team of five students and two faculty members finished third.

It was another stellar showing for DC at the event, after finishing first in 2021 and 2022.

“It’s really a feather in the cap of DC, because it’s saying that we are one of the top project management programs province-wide,” said Mark Lewis, a faculty member who served as a coach for the team. “It’s a good selling point for our program.”

The OPMC challenges students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to be successful project managers. They are tasked with shepherding a project from beginning to end and then presenting it to a panel of industry judges.

“The students get to showcase their work and what they have learned at DC. It’s a great confidence builder,” said Lewis. “And an excellent opportunity for them to network and meet other people in the project management business.”

The projects must align with two or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. DC’s project, a website prototype called ‘DC Food Matters,’ addresses food insecurity and provides information on key initiatives like food literacy, sustainable urban agriculture, food bank access and health and wellness.

The DC team consisted of international students from India, the Philippines and the United States.

“We recognized food insecurity as one of the biggest challenges our generation faces today,” explained one member of the team, Manuel de Guzman.

The students credited Lewis, as well as program coordinator Sylvie Edwards and professor Elaine Catell for guiding them to success, both at the competition and in the classroom.

“We’re grateful for our professors. We have really learned a lot from them and we’re thankful for their support and guidance,” said Christine Wage, another team member. “We would recommend the Project Management graduate certificate program for aspiring project managers. It’s a great way to learn and provides an opportunity to jumpstart your career.”