The sixth annual Aboriginal Awareness Day at Durham College (DC), held in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC) on January 25, drew students, employees, community members and local elementary school groups into a lively celebration of Indigenous culture. Presented by DC’s Aboriginal Student Centre, Suswaaning Endaajig, this year’s event focused on the connection between environmental health and personal wellness.

Elder Gerard Sagassige emceed the program, which included a traditional prayer led by Elder Shirley Williams and a poignant performance by Kim Wheatley focusing on water as life and the respect and gratitude it deserves. There were also performances by the All My Relations drum circle, Inuit throat singer Naulaq LeDrew, the Smoke Trail Singers and Dancers, a Métis fiddler and guitar duo and storyteller Darrell LaFrance.

The college’s Sustainability office also participated in the event by creating a virtual reality environment inside the CRWC to raise awareness of nature deficit disorder and how health, wellness and the environment are all connected.

The Aboriginal Student Centre strives to recognize and support students through various activities and teachings with the assistance of Elders from all backgrounds. It uses a holistic approach to education by focusing on student’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Durham College (DC) student Jordan Jolicoeur recently earned a career-launching, all-expenses-paid trip to the annual Rockwell Automation Fair in Houston, Texas, courtesy of industry leader Westburne Electric (Westburne).

A third-year student in DC’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program, Jolicoeur spent two days networking and gaining a greater understanding of the breadth of career options available to him in his chosen field.

As a shortage of skilled professionals in their field continues, top engineering and tech employers from across Canada and around the world are turning to new recruitment efforts to attract top student talent. Westburne approached DC about sponsoring a student to attend the fair specifically based on the reputation of the college’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program, which is ranked #1 in the province for knowledge and skills, quality of learning experience, graduate satisfaction and graduation rate.

Westburne selected Jolicoeur as the best candidate from his class based on a combination of factors, including his grade point average and his written justification for why he should attend. He was the only student sent by Westburne to the 2017 Rockwell Automation Fair, which featured the latest trends and explored how The Connected Enterprise is bringing the Industrial Internet of Things to life for companies around the world.

The Electromechanical Engineering Technology program at DC offers students a blend of electronics design and mechanical technologies, with automation, instrumentation and control systems at its roots. Training in DC’s premier advanced automation facility, the Integrated Manufacturing Centre, students advance through an experiential learning path that engages them with real-world controllers, operator touch screens, industrial networks, robotics and more. Graduates acquire the education and skills needed to design and troubleshoot automated systems used in a variety of industries.

As a key recruitment pool for Westburne, numerous graduates of the program have gone on to work for the nationwide leader in energy solutions, among numerous other top employers. Throughout the year, DC hosts top employers on campus to provide students with opportunities for networking and learning more about career opportunities within their chosen field.

On Friday, January 12, more than 130 Durham College (DC) alumni and employees were on hand to watch as the Oshawa Generals took on the Flint Firebirds during the college’s annual Alumni Night.

Held each year, Alumni Night at the Oshawa Generals is a chance for DC graduates and employees to come together for an evening of reconnecting and great hockey, while also enjoying a reception, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages as part of their ticket purchase.

Also on hand was DC President Don Lovisa, DC Alumni Association President Elaine Garnett and Student Governor Rahul Khanna, who represented the college during the ceremonial puck drop. Of course, no evening would be complete without an appearance by DC mascot Lord Durham, who was giving away t-shirts and hats to the crowd.

The evening was capped off with a win by the Generals, who beat out the Firebirds 5-3.

Durham College (DC) kicked off the new year by celebrating with Stanley – Lord Stanley that is. On Monday, January 8, the Stanley Cup – North America’s oldest and most revered championship trophy in professional sport – visited the college with DC alumnus and Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard.

DC students, employees and alumni were on hand to pose for photos with the one-and-only Stanley Cup and to speak with Phil. In true Canadian spirit, butter tarts and hot chocolate were also provided.

A graduate of DC’s Sport Administration program, Phil Pritchard has been taking care of the Stanley Cup since his first week on the job at the Hockey Hall of Fame more than 20 years ago. Now vice-president and curator at the famed hockey museum, Phil received a DC Alumni of Distinction award in 2016.

Durham College and Lakeridge Health have signed a five-year collaboration agreement focused on growing experiential learning, applied research and innovative education to address issues in health care.

“Durham College and Lakeridge Health have a long history of working together and this agreement illustrates the ways in which our values so closely align,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean of the college’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE). “This is an exciting new chapter in our relationship – one that will provide exceptional opportunities for our students and faculty and make positive impacts on the quality of health care our community receives.”

Under the agreement, the college and hospital will collaborate to explore and pursue the following five objectives:

• Identify and develop initiatives focused on creating practical, scalable and sustainable solutions to health care issues.
• Work with companies to develop, disseminate and potentially commercialize technologies.
• Develop and coordinate joint experiential learning opportunities, applied research and innovative educational activities.
• Contribute to seminars, workshops and academic initiatives that drive the business goals of both organizations.
• Share access to facilities, equipment, systems, information and data within the boundaries of protecting confidentiality and personal information.

The collaboration agreement supports two specialized areas of research for ORSIE and Durham College: enabling technologies of the future and cultivating healthy lives and resilient communities. It also aligns with the college’s first degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management (BHCTM), announced earlier this year. The first program of its kind in Canada, the BHCTM program aims to address an identified need in the health care sector for professionals with a hybrid skill set of expertise in medical technologies, life sciences and business practices.

Lakeridge Health is a five hospital health system with approximately 15 community locations across Durham Region and 6,000 employees dedicated to providing excellence – every moment, every day. For Lakeridge Health, this partnership supports a pathway to innovation with a focus on excellent patient care and the potential to increase opportunities for experiential learning and applied research.

“Innovation is one of the core values of Lakeridge Health, and we are looking forward to working in partnership with Durham College to develop innovative health care solutions while working with students, faculty and community partners,” said Len Kleine, director of Business Development, Lakeridge Health, and one of the organizational leads for Innovation.

Students in Durham College’s (DC) Fire and Life Safety Systems Technician and Firefighter – Pre-Service, Education and Training programs recently volunteered their time and community spirit to raise $1,463 for Camp Bucko, which gives burn survivors ages seven to 17 the opportunity to attend camp for one week during the summer.

On Friday, December 15, they were able to present a cheque to representatives from the camp in the culmination of their planning and fundraising efforts. Raised during Fire Prevention Week, the funds are the result of multiple initiatives, which were organized by more than 100 students. These included a boot drive, fire fighter challenge where participants were given the chance to dress in fire fighter gear to complete an obstacle course and a meet and greet with Molly the Fire Dog.

Photo credit: Aly Beach, second-year Journalism – Print and Web student.