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Labour Day – College Closed

Durham College will be closed for Labour Day.

Pride Month

Happy Pride Month!  

While we are proud every day to be a part of and ally to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, this month that Pride shines just a little brighter as we join the globe in celebration. Pride originates from the 1969 Stonewall Riots: an act of resistance led by trans and queer people of color against police brutality. That uprising sparked a global movement for justice, visibility, and liberation. 

Throughout this month, we celebrate alongside 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities, honoring their resilience, joy, and the courage it takes to live authentically. Pride is a powerful reminder of the vibrant diversity that enriches our community, and the progress made to ensure everyone knows they belong.  

National Indigenous History Month

National Indigenous History Month is recognized each June to honour and celebrate the diverse histories, cultures, traditions, languages, knowledge systems, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. The month also serves as an opportunity for education, reflection, and meaningful engagement with Indigenous histories, perspectives, and contemporary realities.

The House of Commons designated June as National Aboriginal History Month in 2009, and the name was updated to National Indigenous History Month in 2017. National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day, was proclaimed in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of each year as National Aboriginal Day. June 21 was selected in recognition of the summer solstice, which holds cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous communities.

National Indigenous History Month also encourages learning about the lasting impacts of colonial policies and legislation in Canada, including the Indian Act, the residential school system, forced displacement from traditional territories, and other government policies that have disrupted Indigenous cultures, languages, governance systems, families, and ways of life. These systems contributed to generations of trauma and continue to impact Indigenous communities today through ongoing social, economic, health, and educational inequities.

The month serves as an opportunity to deepen understanding of the truths shared by Survivors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, families, and communities, while recognizing the strength, resilience, and ongoing revitalization of Indigenous Peoples across Canada. It also encourages reflection on important national initiatives and reports that continue to guide reconciliation efforts, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) and its 94 Calls to Action, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and its Calls for Justice, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, culture, language, identity, and traditional lands and resources.

National Indigenous History Month is an opportunity for all people in Canada to engage in meaningful learning, dialogue, and action toward reconciliation, while supporting Indigenous voices, perspectives, leadership, and community-driven initiatives.

Through education and continued dialogue, National Indigenous History Month supports ongoing efforts toward truth, reconciliation, respect, and relationship-building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

More information, resources, and upcoming First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC) initiatives and events will be shared throughout the month.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). This year’s theme, “At the Heart of Democracy”, underscores that equity, dignity, and the full participation of 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are fundamental to inclusive societies. While meaningful progress has been made through struggle and study, discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity continue to affect millions globally, underscoring the ongoing need for education, advocacy, and collective action. 

As we mark IDAHOTB, Durham College reaffirms its commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming campus where people of all sexual orientations and gender identities can learn, work, and thrive. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) supports students and employees through policies like the Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policy, as well as with Community Resources that promote wellbeing, belonging, and safety.  

Asian Heritage Month

Asian Heritage Month honours the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of people of Asian descent in Canada. Asia encompasses more than 40 countries and a wide range of languages, identities, and traditions, reflected in the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff.  

Asian Canadian communities have played a vital role in shaping Canada’s cultural, social, and economic landscape. Their contributions span the arts, sciences, education, entrepreneurship, social justice, and public life, and continue to strengthen communities across the country. 

Asian Heritage Month also provides an opportunity to reflect on historical and ongoing inequities Asian Canadians face, while fostering respectful learning, dialogue, and intercultural understanding throughout our campus. 

Throughout the month, students and employees are encouraged to engage with campus and community resources that support inclusion, learning, and safety. These include student–led Asian clubs listed through the DCSA, Durham College’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy and Wearing of a Kirpan Policy as well as the Victim Services of Durham Region Hate Reporting Program. Educational resources are also available through Canada.ca which highlights significant events in the history of Asian communities in Canada. 

Sexual Violence Prevention Month

May is Sexual Violence Prevention Month. 

Sexual violence impacts people of all genders, identities, and backgrounds, and its effects can be profound and long-lasting. Durham College’s Sexual Violence Policy outlines the College’s approach to prevention, response, and survivor-centered support, and reflects its firm commitment to education, accountability, care, and respect across our campus. 

Sexual violence is preventable, and meaningful change is possible when we act together with compassion and intention. Durham College is dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and respected. 

Support and resources are available to any member of the Durham College community regardless of gender, identity, or background, and may be sought at any stage and in ways that feel right for anyone who has been impacted by sexual violence, whether directly or indirectly. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) Sexual Violence Support page is a helpful educational resource rooted in dignity, respect, and care. In addition to on‑campus supports, individuals may also access community‑based resources, including local organizations listed on the OEDI’s Community Resources page, as well as broader supports like the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada. Help is available—no one has to navigate this alone. 

Everyone deserves to be safe from violence.  

FPIC Earth Day Drop-In

To recognize Earth Day, FPIC will be streaming nature documentaries all day! This will also be our final soup lunch of the academic year, so drop in between classes, after the campus clean-up events, or just spend the day learning with a comforting bowl of soup.

Can’t make it? All these films and more are available to stream for free on the National Film Board of Canada website: nfb.ca

Our film line up includes:

Incandescence (2024)

Every summer, wildfires rage with increasing intensity across the globe, darkening skies and reducing entire communities to ash. Incandescence, a powerful documentary from award-winning filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (Metamorphosis), weaves together immersive footage and deeply personal accounts from Indigenous Elders, first responders and local evacuees in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. As climate change accelerates and suppression efforts falter, the film explores traditional Indigenous fire stewardship—controlled burns that regenerate the land and foster resilience. Drawing on nature’s own rhythms of destruction, renewal and rebirth, Incandescence reveals a transformative vision of fire not as an enemy, but as an ancient force essential to thriving life. With breathtaking cinematography and intimate storytelling, the film offers both a warning and a way forward, lighting a path of hope through the smoke.

The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

Jennifer Abbott’s new documentary The Magnitude of All Things merges stories from the frontlines of climate change with recollections of the loss of her sister, drawing intimate parallels between personal and planetary grief.

The Whale & The Raven (2019)

Jennifer Abbott’s new documentary The Magnitude of All Things merges stories from the frontlines of climate change with recollections of the loss of her sister, drawing intimate parallels between personal and planetary grief.

Borealis (2020)

Set in the northern wilds surrounding the tiny sub-Arctic town of Dawson City, Yukon, Sovereign Soil is an ode to the beauty of this ferocious, remote land and the wisdom of those who’ve chosen to call it home.

Sovereign Soil (2019)

Set in the northern wilds surrounding the tiny sub-Arctic town of Dawson City, Yukon, Sovereign Soil is an ode to the beauty of this ferocious, remote land and the wisdom of those who’ve chosen to call it home.

Lunch & Learn: Red Dress Day

Join FPIC as we observe the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Persons with a documentary screening of Highway of Tears and and afternoon of mindful crafting.

Film Synopsis: Highway of Tears (2015)

“Highway of Tears” is about the missing or murdered women along a 724 kilometer stretch of highway in northern British Columbia. None of the 18 cold-cases had been solved since 1969, until project E-Pana (a special division of the RCMP) managed to link DNA to Portland drifter, Bobby Jack Fowler with the 1974 murder of 16 year-old hitchhiker, Collen MacMillen. Why haven’t the killers been found? Is this the work of one or several serial killers? In Canada, more than 500 cases of Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered since the 1960s. Half the cases have never been solved. Viewers will discover what the effects of generational poverty, residential schools, systemic violence, and high unemployment rates have done to First Nation reserves and how they tie in with the missing and murdered women in the Highway of Tears cases. Aboriginal women are considered abject victims of violence. Now find out what First Nation leaders are doing to try and swing the pendulum in the other direction.

Easter Sunday

Observed by Christians around the world, Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death by crucifixion on Good Friday, as described in the Christian Bible. His resurrection marks the triumph of good over evil. Christians worldwide celebrate Easter Sunday by attending church services, spending time with family, friends and loved ones, and gathering to eat a meal. 

You can join in celebrating Easter by learning more about Easter in Canada and attending local events. Scouts Canada volunteers at Camp Samac in Oshawa are hosting an Easter egg hunt, and the business owners of Historic Downtown Bowmanville are hosting a family-friendly, free event. You can also learn more about your rights and responsibilities in the College’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy.  

Passover

Passover is an important eight-day religious holiday in Judaism. Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in ancient Egypt (the “Exodus”). It is commemorated by eating matzo (unleavened bread), avoiding chametz (leavened products), and by participating in Seders (festive ritual dinner gatherings), on the first two nights of the holiday. Passover is celebrated by spending time with family and loved ones, lighting candles at night, singing traditional songs, and eating holiday meals. 

Durham College (DC) is committed to providing an inclusive and respectful learning and working environment. Help us foster an inclusive and equitable campus by familiarizing yourself with the Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy. You can also check out the Jewish Community Resources page on our website; many local organizations listed are hosting Passover Seders and other events.