Oshawa, Ont. – A dedication to sustainability drives innovation at Durham College (DC) and, for the eighth consecutive year, DC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers by MediaCorp Canada Inc.

This achievement recognizes the breadth of environmental initiatives across DC’s campus community such as courses that include social and environmental sustainability themes, applied research projects that benefit the broader community and campus-based infrastructure and programs focused on key areas like water, energy, waste reduction and transportation.

In the past year, DC has celebrated a number of milestones highlighting our commitment to the environment including:

• Opening the Vanhaverbeke Family EV Training Centre, a cutting-edge education space at our Whitby Campus where motive power technician students as well as our community partners can engage with hands-on, experiential learning programs related to electric vehicles.
• Launching the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture’s Ajax Urban Farm, a community-based living lab focused on tackling challenges related to food insecurity and building more resilient, inclusive, collaborative and diverse food systems.
• Achieving our third silver rating from the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) which recognizes DC’s on-campus sustainability initiatives.

“Our dedication to sustainability is deeply ingrained in our values at DC and this recognition as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers is a testament to the collective efforts of our entire college community,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, President, Durham College. “As a teaching and learning organization, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to lead by example and usher in positive change by both educating and inspiring our students and by working with our broader community on impactful projects and I am proud of our commitment to shape a more sustainable future.”

Amanda Blenkhorn, Director, Ancillary Services at DC said the college is on a journey where environmental stewardship and sustainability are a part of the culture within our campus community.

“For example, we’re closing the field-to-fork-to-field loop by processing food waste in a biodigester at our Centre for Organic Regeneration at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food. Our goal is to inspire engagement and action in our community through our innovative initiatives.”

Canada’s Greenest Employer is part of the 2024 editorial competition organized by Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. Read DC’s Greenest Employer profile here.

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 13,700 full-time post-secondary and 2,300 apprenticeship students access to more than 145 programs, including six honours bachelor degrees and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by providing an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by expert faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

 

Media Contacts

Reka Szekely
Communications, Durham College
reka.szekely@durhamcollege.ca