Durham College names the Centre for Food after W. Galen Weston Posted on November 1, 2016 at 12:30 pm. Significant donation will provide equipment, scholarships and bursaries for students Whitby, Ont. – Durham College (DC) announced today that it has named the Centre for Food (CFF) at the Whitby campus after Mr. W. Galen Weston in recognition of a $1-million grant being made to the college by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation (the Foundation). One of Canada’s most prominent business executives, Mr. W. Galen Weston is a leader in food innovation who has been at the forefront of change in the food retailing and baking industries for more than five decades. From bagging groceries in the supermarket to Executive Chairman of George Weston Limited, he has remained committed to the continued advancement of the food industry through teaching and learning. Focused on the field-to-fork concept, the CFF opened to students in September 2013. Home to a range of complementary programs, the Centre boasts numerous sustainable features and extensive grounds including an apple orchard, agricultural planting fields and a ramped garden feature with a pollinator garden and two-acre arboretum, providing a teaching and learning environment for students, the local agri-food industry, community organizations and the general public. In addition, the grounds include an unheated hoop house, gardens and greenhouses that support applied learning and research while growing produce for use in the Centre’s kitchens and laboratories. The CFF also features Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a unique retail store for student-created goods, which are both open to the public. “Durham College is honoured to receive this significant gift from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “On behalf of the college, in particular the hundreds of students studying in our CFF programs, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the W. Garfield Weston Foundation for its generosity. Mr. W. Galen Weston is one of Canada’s most accomplished businessmen and philanthropists and well renowned for his leadership in the food processing and distribution industries. The Weston family has long supported the field-to-fork concept and we are extremely proud to have his name linked permanently to the CFF.” The second significant contribution made by the Foundation in the last two years, this gift is being used to establish $100,000 worth of scholarships and bursaries for students studying in a two-year field-to-fork program; develop new research and testing programs related to food product development and food processing studies; and to purchase equipment to support new research programs related to agriculture and agri-food products. “I have spent my entire life working in the food business and have seen it evolve dramatically since my younger days working in the bakery with my father. I am proud to be supporting the innovative programs offered in the Centre for Food,” said W. Galen Weston. “These young people are the future leaders of our industry.” “Ontario’s food and beverage manufacturing sector is the third largest in North America with manufacturing revenues of more than $35 billion and the agri-food industry is the leader for goods production in Durham Region,” added Lovisa. “This gift will enable DC to further its commitment to bring the field-to-fork philosophy to life, harness the vibrant relationships in our region’s food industry, and provide a lasting legacy that will benefit our students and the region now and in the years ahead.” -30- About Durham College At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers close to 11,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and 16 apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and the college will soon break ground on the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs. The Whitby campus features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000. About The W. Garfield Weston Foundation The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is a private Canadian family foundation, established in the 1950s by Willard Garfield Weston, his wife Reta and their children. In 1924 Garfield inherited his father’s company and during his life established bakeries and other successful enterprises throughout Canada and in many parts of the world. Today, these businesses include George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited, companies in food retailing, processing and distribution. The founders believed that as the funds are generated through the hard work and success of these Canadian companies, grants should be given in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. For three generations, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has maintained a family tradition of supporting charitable organizations across Canada. Today the Foundation directs the majority of its funds to projects in the fields of land conservation, education, and science in Canada’s North. In addition, it provides funds to further Canada’s research in neuroscience. Please visit www.westonfoundation.org for more information. Media contact: Krista LuxtonCommunications officerDurham College905.721.2000 ext. 2197krista.luxton@durhamcollege.ca SHARE:
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