Community

Kindness part of a universal language

“Pryvit i laskavo prosymo do Algonquin College” (hello and welcome to Algonquin College) may be a phrase you overhear if you are walking near the Spiritual Centre on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. On those days, a group of over 120 recently arrived Ukrainians meet to learn English, with the help of a group of current and retired faculty and volunteers.

“We started with 20 people and it turned into hundreds of families calling me and writing asking for help,” said Yuriy Derkach, a professor of mechanical engineering and chaplain at the campus Spiritual Centre. Derkach also works for Student Support Services (SSS) and has been working with Ukrainian students and their families. He said that after arriving in Canada, the first request from refugees was to learn how to speak English. Continue reading →

‘Bizzy Barflies’ paddle for good at Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival  

Every year the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival attracts thousands of visitors from across Canada and beyond. This year was no different.

Roughly 200 teams competed in the nation’s capital over the weekend to row their hearts out and raise funds for the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation (ODBF), which to date has supported over 65 community-based non-profits, including Cornerstone Housing for Women, Shelter Movers Ottawa and Ottawa Anglican Day Programs.

This year, 21 brave Algonquin College employees took to the waters to compete for the first time in the Education Challenge Cup, alongside other teams whose members attend or work for educational institutions, administration, or associated parent advisory associations.

Continue reading →

Bike racks provide eco-friendly options for Habitat for Humanity families

Students Bailey Schlievert and Nick Dufresne are shown in welding gear building bike racks.

Students Bailey Schlievert and Nick Dufresne building the bike racks.

Two new bike racks will soon accompany the latest housing development built by Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa. Lead by Construction Trades and Building Systems instructor Mark Bowen, learners in Algonquin College’s Welding and Fabrication Techniques program are building the steel-framed bike racks for Titus Landing, a new eight-unit townhome development at Wateridge Village. The bike racks will be installed in a communal outdoor space this spring, in advance of residents moving in late 2022.

The College welcomes opportunities for students to apply their practical learning to benefit local communities. Projects like the bike racks are a perfect assignment for students to apply their learned skills to a real-life design. Continue reading →