Durham College (DC) is officially on the map after recently acquiring the naming rights to one of GO Transit’s busiest stations.

On Tuesday, October 4, DC launched a 10-year station naming partnership with Metrolinx. What was formally known as the Oshawa GO Station will now be referred to by its brand-new name – Durham College Oshawa GO.

By partnering with Metrolinx, DC is strengthening its relationship with future students, employees and partners in the community, a priority for the college as it continues to fulfill its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. This unique marketing opportunity also helps DC position itself in the community and surrounding areas as a leader in education, collaboration, inclusivity and innovation.

Metrolinx is an essential part of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) that supports many of DC’s students and employees daily as they work, live and learn in the Durham Region and beyond.

“This exciting new partnership with Metrolinx is a prime example of how Durham College is leading the way,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Having served Durham Region and beyond for over 55 years, we take immense pride in our community engagement and continue to focus on excellence – not only in the innovative and transformative education we provide to our students but as a vital component of Durham Region’s economic landscape for years to come.”

Members of the Durham Region and the GTHA who rely on GO Transit services daily can expect many changes to reflect this new announcement. In addition to the new signage that was unveiled on the Oshawa station building, a rollout of further communications will take place over the coming weeks and months, including; ‘next stop’ passenger announcements, transit signage, digital and web updates, as well as system maps and schedules, to name a few.

Many transit agencies worldwide have already successfully incorporated naming rights into their transit systems, including San Francisco’s Salesforce Transit Center, Philadelphia’s NRG and WAWA Station’s and most recently, NJ Transit’s BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line.

“This announcement marks an exciting milestone for Metrolinx. We look forward to this new agreement with Durham College and in doing so, we are increasing awareness about transit and GO connections for both students, employees, and visitors to the college and the City of Oshawa,” said Mark Childs, Chief Marketing Officer, Metrolinx.

For Durham College, this new opportunity bears as a sign that the transformative and experiential-based institution is prioritizing its relationship with its students, employees and community, which serves as a preview of what’s to come in the future – further collaboration, excellence and innovative thinking.

On September 30, Durham College (DC) recognized Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by hosting a number of events on the day of and leading up to September 30 to help foster understanding and a commitment to change. These events included a presentation by Pamela Post on Indigenous representation in media, a book club discussion of Phyllis Webstad’s “Beyond the Orange shirt story,” and a trip to the Heber Downs conservation area, where Traditional Medicine Keeper Joseph Pitawanakwat guided participants through an exploratory walk to learn about edible plant medicines.

The Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard

Members of the campus community also gathered for a special ceremony in the Naanaagide’endamowin courtyard, which means The Art of Thinking. The courtyard is now home to the Pathway of Pause and Reflection, featuring six QR codes that link to information about Land Acknowledgements, the Indigenous Histories Modules, 13 Moons, Sacred Medicines, the Weeping Willow, and upcoming events at the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC).

At the ceremony, Dr. Elder Shirley Williams offered an opening prayer and shared the significance of recognizing Orange Shirt Day in educational institutions. Don Lovisa, president of DC, offered remarks on the college’s responsibility to ensure that Indigenous voices are included in ongoing conversations and that space is being held and encouraged, with Indigenous involvement at the forefront of the college.

This ceremony signalled a commitment to increasing awareness and understanding of our shared history by acknowledging our role and responsibility in reconciliation, as well as our commitment to honour Residential School survivors, their families, and communities.

Announcing the special naming stone

In the coming days, a special naming stone will be installed in the courtyard, honouring the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, held on September 30, 2021. This stone will welcome people to the space and encourage introspection as visitors seek knowledge by using the QR codes throughout the garden to learn more about Truth and Reconciliation and the work of the FPIC.

Lighting the campus orange

At sundown, the Oshawa campus’ Centre for Collaborative Education and the Whitby campus’ main building will both be illuminated orange. In doing this, we know it will increase awareness in our communities about Truth and Reconciliation and pay tribute to all the lives lost.

We hope that the DC community will continue to use the Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard, sheltered under the branches of the weeping willow, for reflection and quiet contemplation on the lives that were forever altered by the Indian Residential School system, remembering those children who never returned to the loving care of their communities. The courtyard also serves as a place where individuals can review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and consider what they can do personally and professionally to ensure these calls to action are fully recognized.

You can learn more about FPIC online.

On Thursday, September 22, 105 guests gathered at Durham College’s (DC) W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre) for a signature dining experience under the stars. The crisp fall weather was no match for the warm and celebratory sentiments of those in attendance, as the college proudly hosted the event for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Upon arrival, guests enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and guided tours of the Weston Centre’s Urban Farm gardens before gathering under the strings of lights for a seasonally-inspired, multi-course meal at a family-style harvest table that spanned the length of the garden path.

Guests began with an assortment of shareables, including a selection of Ontario cheeses and charcuterie, DC-grown Harvest Bistro Salad and freshly baked sourdough focaccia. The entrée course boasted hearty dishes like Ontario roasted whole chicken with farm-herb infused gravy, smoked Ontario beef ribs with Bistro ’67 chimichurri sauce and roasted Atlantic salmon on a bed of DC-grown tomatoes and onions. To top it off, maple syrup butter tarts, apple strudel, raspberry and white chocolate panna cotta and lemon and DC-grown papaya meringue tarts were served.

Led by Bistro ‘67’s executive chef, Raul Sojo, the event was the result of countless hours of preparation in the Weston Centre’s fields, labs and classrooms, and truly exemplified the work of DC’s students and faculty. Leading up to the event, the college’s Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician students tended to and harvested the fields, working side-by-side with students from the Culinary Management and Culinary Skills to prepare the meal, while students from the Special Events Management, Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations and Hospitality Skills programs played a role in successfully executing the evening’s event.

“The Harvest Dinner is one of Bistro ‘67’s most anticipated events and it was incredible to welcome our community members back to the beautiful Weston Centre grounds after two long years,” said Kelly O’Brien, associate dean, Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science, Bistro ’67 and Farm Operations, DC. “The amount of creativity, passion and talent demonstrated by the Weston Centre’s culinary team, faculty members and students continue to be an inspiration for exciting opportunities ahead.”

Those who missed the Harvest Dinner are invited to enjoy the Weston Centre’s fruits and vegetables, as well as other local ingredients at Bistro ’67, the college’s full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant that was recently named one of Canada’s top 100 most scenic restaurants. Student-prepared goods are also available at Pantry, the retail store located within the Weston Centre. For more information, visit www.bistro67.ca.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome 12,500+ full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students who have chosen to embark on their academic journey this fall. This includes 6,300 first-year students and more than 2,500 international students who represent 74 countries from around the world. Another 4,000 students have registered to develop new skills and knowledge through Professional and Part-time Learning.

This year, the majority of DC’s programs will be delivered in person, allowing students to benefit from the college’s exceptional labs and academic spaces for the best hands-on, experiential learning – a vital component of the innovative and transformation education DC offers.

In June 2022, the college announced the realignment of its academic faculties to streamline and better integrate similar programs to reflect the modern world of work. By grouping programs that share comparable fields and disciplines, DC is able to maximize collaboration with industry and community partners, while continuing to offer an exceptional student experience.

“The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time and we are thrilled to welcome our students to our on-campus and virtual learning spaces,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “Durham College has a long history of evolving alongside the industries and communities we serve and as a leader in post-secondary education, the changes to our academic portfolio will ensure we continue to offer quality learning opportunities that benefit all stakeholders.”

Over the last several years, DC has developed a number of leading-edge programs to support and strengthen our local and global economy and ensure our graduates consistently meet the needs of employers to make positive impacts within the workplace. Newly added programs this year include the Honours Bachelor of Construction Management degree, two innovative tech-focused programs – the Internet of Things graduate certificate and Web Development diploma – and the Supply Chain Management – Global graduate certificate.

“It is incredible to be a part of our students’ academic journeys, as they learn to face challenges as opportunities to grow, develop confidence and prepare for the doors that will open,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “As Durham College continues to lead the way as a post-secondary institution, offering the best possible learning experiences, we look forward to celebrating our students’ successes as they embark on the year ahead.”

To kick off the 2022-2023 academic year, Durham College (DC) welcomed first-year domestic and international students to campus with an exciting roster of in-person events for Orientation week.

The transition into college life can be intimidating, but DC’s Orientation week helps students put their best foot forward by introducing them to student services, offering study tips, and providing ample opportunity to mix and mingle with the rest of their cohort while learning to navigate the Oshawa and Whitby campuses.

To start the festivities, DC faculty helped lead the way to a successful academic year by sharing insights and setting course expectations at Program Orientation. After that, everyone switched gears to attend DC’s first-ever Block Party and, later that night, the coveted Campus Cup, where students got to embrace their sense of school pride and cheer on the DC Lords in the annual varsity soccer game against Ontario Tech University.

The excitement didn’t stop there! Fall Orientation featured a long list of social mixers, such as an outdoor movie night under the stars, a fabulous drag brunch hosted by the DC Student Association (DCSA) and DC Pride Coalition, and a jaw-dropping performance from the Great Canadian Lumberjacks, who wowed the crowd with axe throwing, chainsaw carving, wood chopping, and more. Students were also encouraged to visit the open house at the First Peoples Indigenous Centre, take a campus tour, meet members of the DCSA, and attend an in-person Ask a Student, or parent and family session.

On the last day of Orientation week, DC students closed out the celebrations by making their way to the Rogers Centre for University & College Night, where they watched the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3.

This year’s Orientation week saw a promising demonstration of enthusiasm and excitement for learning – DC can’t wait to see what this new semester has in store.

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is thrilled to share that two work-integrated learning (WIL) projects have been awarded more than $100,000 in total funding for the 2022-2023 academic year. These generous grants are provided by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and its Innovation Hub (iHub) which is dedicated to developing future-ready students through its unique hands-on experiential learning opportunities and partnerships.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of CEWIL Canada and iHub on these two emerging projects at DC,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “These projects are perfect examples of how we’re identifying and responding to the evolving needs within our national and global community and serves as proof of how our students and employees are leading the way in inclusivity and innovation.”

The first project, led by Greg Murphy, executive dean, Faculty of Media, Art & Design (MAD) at DC is committed to improving media representation of people with disabilities living in Canada. This new accessible and inclusive image bank will authentically represent those with a disability by focusing on the individual rather than the equipment they rely on, which is unfortunately portrayed the majority of time in stock image sharing sites. To better improve this representation, 84 students in MAD will capture and edit images and videos in collaboration with Spinal Cord Injury Canada throughout the 2022 fall semester.

The second project receiving funding is a brand-new student-produced podcast called Founder’s Drive. It aims to spark inspiration and curiosity among entrepreneurial-minded youth world-wide to explore starting their own businesses. The podcast will help foster inclusivity, honesty, trust and accessibility for new entrepreneurs by building a foundation of self-determination. This project is led by Danielle Harder, a professor in MAD, and will be hosted through DC’s 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre and FastStartDC. This project will give 13 students across five academic programs in MAD the unique opportunity to host, produce, market and promote six podcast episodes, equipping them with the tools and experience they need to better conquer their entrepreneurial dreams in our ever-changing media industry.

“By offering innovative WIL opportunities at our institutions across Canada, we continue to see growth in students’ personal and professional competencies,” indicated Charlene Marion, director, WIL at CEWIL Canada. “The skills and competencies gained through these experiences serve to support students as they transition to the workplace, entrepreneurial endeavours, or future studies.”

The funding received for these two work-integrated projects at DC will provide students with the skills and experience they need to flourish post-graduation in careers and businesses of their own.

These projects have been funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning program and CEWIL Canada’s iHUB. For further information on these programs and funding opportunities, please visit their website.

On August 30, Durham College (DC) employees officially launched the start of the new academic year at the 2022 Academic Kickoff. After being held virtually for the past two years, the in-person event was nothing short of exciting, as more than 400 employees from all areas of the college gathered for a morning of inspiration and motivation.

Led by Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, DC colleagues were greeted with a hot breakfast and the chance to reconnect with each other before the morning’s events kicked off with a keynote address from Dr. Henning Beck, neuroscientist and best-selling author. Exploring methods for better thinking and ways to identify the ideal environment to generate innovative solutions, Dr. Beck left employees feeling inspired to think in new ways.

For many, the event was an opportunity to meet new colleagues, as it was the first employee gathering on-campus since the college announced the realignment and renaming of our academic faculties in June 2022. In addition to hearing about updates and successes from the Academic Plan, the agenda also featured an Exemplary Faculty panel discussion, where members shared experiences and sparked new ideas to showcase how DC is leading the way in the student experience, both inside the classroom and beyond.

The event concluded with the announcement of this year’s nominees for the Employee Awards of Excellence, which recognize our employees’ outstanding achievements from the past year. The winners will be announced later this fall.

With the majority of classes set to start on Wednesday, September 7, the campus community is feeling energized and excited for the new year ahead.

From August 15 to 19, Durham College’s (DC) Whitby campus hosted 18 very special guests, who spent the week exploring future career opportunities available in the skilled trades. The summer camp was hosted by Skills Ontario and provided campers with several hands-on activities in each of DC’s skilled trades programs – including an off-site tour of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a long-standing community partner and donor of the college. Skills Ontario has been providing programs like this for students in Grades 7 to 9 for over 30 years, with an intention to inspire youth to explore skilled trades and technologies. This is the first summer since 2019 that the camp has been able to run in-person.

“We’re thrilled to bring back our popular summer camps program,” says Ian Howcroft, chief executive officer, Skills Ontario. “It is crucial for youth to not only explore opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies, but also to build their skills for the workforce and consider what career path is right for them.”

Supported by experiential learning opportunities – a concept that is deeply embedded in many of DC’s programs – campers learned about the many career paths available in the skilled trades and technology fields. Daily camp activities were led by Skills Ontario staff and DC employees, and featured interactive activities and competitions, including: virtual reality welding, building birdhouses in the carpentry shop, learning hoisting and drilling techniques, creating tasty treats while learning about DC’s Field to Fork philosophy, using plumbing skills and materials to build hula hoops, as well as a Co2 Dragster car assembly and performance race.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the camp and was very impressed with each camper’s enthusiasm and pride for their work. I’m pleased to see youth taking such interest in the skilled trades and having the ability to experience the state-of-the-art facility we have at our Whitby campus,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I’m grateful for the work Skills Ontario provides young people and I’m sure this will be the beginning of a lifelong passion of learning for the campers and foster DC’s relationship with them all as future leaders in our community.”

DC’s Whitby campus is leading the way in skilled trades and technology education. It spans over 350,000 square feet in state-of-the-art learning spaces, including the newly opened Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology, which features a double-height shop lab, new classrooms and student touchdown spaces. The campus also includes the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which is home to the award-winning full-service restaurant, Bistro ’67; retail store, Pantry, and the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and its community-inspired urban farm.

DC is proud to partner with Skills Ontario in an effort to introduce youth in the Durham Region to the many skilled trades professions while also helping them develop communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Skills Ontario summer camps are sponsored by the Government of Ontario and Magna. For further information on future camps, please visit their website.

*photo credit Skills Ontario