HAILEYBURY, ON (Nov 26, 2021): Northern College is pleased to announce a new Memorandum of Understanding with Algonquin College which will see an Algonquin-developed two-year Agriculture Business program offered at Northern’s campuses.
The program, developed in 2018, comes as a response to Ontario’s Agricultural industry becoming an increasingly industrialized business venture, with farmers often being called upon to field, manage and coordinate millions of dollars in assets as they go about the business of feeding Canadians.
Working in consultation with local farmers from the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College developed a two-year Agricultural Business program designed specifically to address the growing need for skilled labour. The two-year program combines in-class lectures on farming management fundamentals and co-op placements designed to connect students with the realities of farming.
Renfrew County Paramedic Chief Michael Nolan recognized during virtual ceremony honouring seven outstanding Algonquin Alumni nominees
OTTAWA (Nov 18, 2021) – Algonquin College is delighted to announce that alumnus Michael Nolan has won a prestigious Premier’s Award. The announcement was made this evening (Nov. 18) during a virtual ceremony to celebrate Ontario’s outstanding college graduates. Michael was one of several exceptional Algonquin Alumni honoured with a nomination.
As Chief of the Paramedic Service and Director of Emergency Services for the County of Renfrew since 2004, Michael has had a big impact, most recently directing the introduction of a drone service delivery fleet, managing the impact of a 2018 tornado, and overseeing the response to the biggest flood in memory in his region in 2019. From early 2020 to today, he’s been playing a crucial role in helping the county deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier’s Awards recognize college graduates making important social and economic contributions to Ontario, and are administered by Colleges Ontario. Michael graduated from Algonquin’s Ambulance and Emergency Care Paramedic program in 1991.
“The entire College community is thrilled that Michael’s contributions have been recognized with this award. Michael is an innovator, who leads by example, following his passion for paramedicine since graduation and always placing service to his community above self,” said Algonquin College CEO and President Claude Brulé. “I would also like to congratulate all our exceptional nominees. Together they have made enormous contributions across Ontario, making their communities better places to live, work and play.”
Reflecting on receiving the award Michael said, “This award is incredibly important.”
“As a young student studying at Algonquin College, I quickly gained the confidence and skills to serve the public and save lives. Thirty years later, it is clear that those formative years at Algonquin ignited my passion for innovation and have sparked many advancements in the profession of paramedicine in Canada and internationally.”
Algonquin’s Vice President, Advancement, Mark Savenkoff, congratulated Michael on his award and praised all the nominees, each a graduate of the College. “This well-deserved award is further recognition of the contribution of Michael, who was the Algonquin College 2020 Alumni of Distinction Winner,” said Savenkoff. “Michael exemplifies what it means to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success.”
Algonquin congratulates all its 2021 Premier’s Award Nominees:
Apprenticeship Award Nominee: Adam Vettorel – Co-owner and Chef, North & Navy and Cantina Gia
Business Award Nominee: Michael Wood – Small Business and Community Advocate.
Community Services Award Nominee: Crystal Martin-Lapenskie – President and CEO, Okpik Consulting; President, National Inuit Youth Council
Creative Arts & Design Award Nominee: Ricardo Larrivée – Chef, Host and Author, RICARDO Media
Health Science Award Nominee: Michael Nolan – Director, Emergency Services and Chief, Paramedic Service, County of Renfrew
Recent Graduate Award Nominee: Carl Clergé – Senior Analyst, Multi Unit Underwriting, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Technology Award Nominee: Luc Levesque – Vice-President of Growth, Shopify
OTTAWA (Nov 16, 2021) – Algonquin College is pleased to announce its nominees for the 2021 Premier’s Awards, to be held virtually this year on November 18.
The Premier’s Awards recognize college graduates making important social and economic contributions to Ontario. The awards are administered by Colleges Ontario and recognize alumni from schools across the province in the following seven categories: Apprenticeship, Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate and Technology.
This year’s nominees have all made remarkable contributions to the social and cultural fabric of our province, and demonstrate how Ontario colleges foster the growth of incredibly talented and dedicated individuals. From a celebrated restaurant chef who has continuously innovated his industry throughout the pandemic to a chief of paramedic service who has expanded what paramedicine offers, these nominees are creating profound change in their communities.
“Our 2021 Premier’s Award Nominees are making Ontario a brighter, healthier, more innovative and culturally rich place to live,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO.
The winners of this year’s awards will be announced in an online ceremony on November 18.
The 2021 Algonquin College Premier’s Award Nominees are:
Apprenticeship Award Nominee: Adam Vettorel – Co-owner and Chef, North & Navy and Cantina Gia
Business Award Nominee: Michael Wood – Small Business and Community Advocate.
Community Services Award Nominee: Crystal Martin-Lapenskie– President and CEO, Okpik Consulting; President, National Inuit Youth Council
Creative Arts & Design Award Nominee: Ricardo Larrivée – Chef, Host and Author, RICARDO Media
Health Sciences Award Nominee:Michael Nolan – Director, Emergency Services and Chief, Paramedic Service, County of Renfrew
Recent Graduate Award Nominee: Carl Clergé – Senior Analyst, Multi Unit Underwriting, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Technology Award Nominee: Luc Levesque – Vice-President of Growth, Shopify
Over the last few months, I have been spending most of my days working from the Ottawa campus. I often take the opportunity to walk the hallways and greet colleagues and learners – hearing how they are doing and listening to their feedback and ideas, always being energized by their enthusiasm and optimism.
Seeing this progress first-hand reminds me of how – from the beginning of the pandemic – our primary purpose has been to keep all learners and employees safe, while exploring every opportunity to gradually increase on-campus activity levels. This sure-footed approach has required patience and sacrifice from the entire College community. It has allowed us to pursue increased academic and other College activities, and allow many to safely work on our campuses, according to the most recent regulatory requirements.
Our Winter Term 2022 planning is now well advanced, and we fully anticipate that our on-campus activity levels – in both instructional and non-instructional settings – will increase even further. We will achieve this while following the direction of our public health officials and the province.
With our Fall Term fully underway and mid-term break upon us, I am excited to take this opportunity to provide an update on Algonquin’s Winter Term 2022 plans.
Algonquin College has gradually increased campus activity each term since participating in a provincial summer pilot program in 2020 and has a stellar health and safety track record – with no confirmed cases of on-campus transmission to this date. In light of this success and in keeping with directives from the Ontario Government and Ottawa Public Health, we are lifting the capacity limits and physical distancing requirements in all indoor instructional spaces. In this next step toward a return and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be inviting even more activity back to our campuses for the 2022 Winter term, as well as a corresponding increase in the level of on-campus student supports – from food services and campus services to student services and events. We are planning for a more vibrant and engaging on-campus experience.
Information regarding the delivery modality of programs in the Winter 2022 term can be found here. In addition, a wealth of information regarding services and supports available to students can be found in this link. The Algonquin College Students’ Association (SA) works hard to support students, both in their academic studies and in college life outside of class. I encourage you to check out their web page for information about the supports and activities the SA provides. In particular, I know the SA is thrilled with the opening of the brand new Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre. It is an amazing facility!
I want to once again, thank the College community for its ongoing support for our Mandatory Vaccination Policy. Information gathered from our AC Mobile Safety App indicates that over 97 per cent of College community members attending campuses are fully or partially vaccinated – with the latter group required to continue rapid antigen testing until fully vaccinated. This is excellent news as we turn our minds to the Winter Term and increasing our on-campus activities through more in-person academic programming, services, and events. We can’t wait to see you, and are planning for a more vibrant and engaging on-campus experience – something that I know I look forward to with excitement.
I also want to remind everyone that October 30, 2021 is the date when “complete” vaccination is required – meaning you need to have received your last dose and have waited the requisite 14 days to be considered fully vaccinated. If you have not received your last dose – and undergone the 14-day waiting period by this point – you will not be allowed entry to the campus. This is extremely important as we approach the October 30 deadline and look towards finishing out the term. It will also help us prepare to welcome new and returning students to our campus in January 2022. Your steadfast commitment to health and safety is paying off – with an expected 70 per cent of academic programming expected to be in-person. An update from our Senior Vice President Academic on our Winter Term plans will be communicated next week.
OTTAWA (October 21, 2021) – Algonquin College is pleased to announce the establishment of a student broadcasting award in honour of alumnus and Emmy Award winner Blair H. Tetreault, who passed away earlier this year.
The Blair H. Tetreault Memorial Award, made possible by a $109,000 endowed gift from his family, will provide an annual award of approximately $4,000 to a second-year student in the Broadcasting-Television Program.
Blair graduated in 1981 from the Broadcasting-Radio and Television program, following which he launched a prominent career spanning 40 years. Early in his career, he worked as an editor for news and public affairs programs at Ottawa CTV before transitioning to roles in live sports broadcasting. Among his many notable successes, Blair covered the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary for CTV, the men’s hockey tournaments at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics for CBS, and later worked in various broadcasting roles on NHL hockey games and on major soccer tournaments across North America. He and his crew won Emmy Awards for their coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics coverage and the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final in 2015.
OTTAWA (OCTOBER 20) – Algonquin College is pleased to announce it has entered into a partnership agreement with the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA) as a Shared Academic Anchor Sponsor for the new collaborative community space at 350 Legget Drive.
Located in Canada’s largest tech park – the space known as Hub350 – will allow Algonquin to showcase its programs and subject-matter experts, provide on-site and hybrid training opportunities and directly connect with the vast network of companies served by the KNBA. The College is joining other private sector, finance and academia partners at Hub350, including the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and Queen’s University.
“Algonquin College continues to be a community leader in building and fostering partnerships that help our learners grow, prosper and achieve their career dreams and lifelong success. Our partnership with the KNBA at Hub350 is another step forward in helping leverage the College’s broad range of expertise and provide our learners with the real-world experiences and connections they will need to find success,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin’s President and CEO.
The partnership includes participation in the Discover Kanata Career Fair and will provide opportunities for the College’s Co-operative Education department and Office of Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to collaborate and build relationships with more than 500 businesses represented by the KNBA. Continue reading Algonquin College Partners with Kanata North Business Association at New Hub350
Jeremy Roberts, MPP for Ottawa West – Nepean, announced today that the Ontario government is investing $1.5 million in a skills training project at Algonquin College to prepare and train 150 people for rewarding careers in manufacturing.
Through the SkillsAdvance Ontario (SAO) program, Algonquin College will work with a number of local employers to address the ongoing labour shortage challenges facing the manufacturing sector in the National Capital Region. This project will support 50 job seekers and 100 incumbent workers, through targeted and customized training and recruitment initiatives, to fill job vacancies with four manufacturers in the region.
“Algonquin College is proud to partner with the Ontario government to support hands-on training opportunities for those seeking jobs in the vital manufacturing sector – and those already working in the industry who are looking for re-training and upskilling. This initiative will contribute to Ontario’s economic recovery and have a beneficial impact on the industry,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin President and CEO.
SAO is a sector-based workforce development initiative. It supports the development of partnerships that bring together sector-based employers and employment and training providers to ensure a pool of job-ready, skilled workers that meet the workforce development needs of employers. SAO provides jobseekers and incumbent workers with sector-focused employment and training services to support them to obtain and succeed in entry level low and medium-skilled positions, and to advance in higher skilled jobs.
Every year when autumn arrives and the days get darker sooner, I find myself wondering how did we get here so fast and where did the summer go? As the leaves turn into a magnificent display of colours and everything is being harvested for the long winter months ahead, it is a reminder to be thankful for the bounty that will sustain us as the season changes.
Heading into the Thanksgiving long weekend, I am incredibly grateful that many of us will be able to be with friends and family for the holiday due to the continued progress we are making in our efforts against the pandemic. I am particularly thankful and proud of our own College community’s ongoing commitment to keeping one another safe – including the widespread support for our Mandatory Vaccination Policy for those attending activities on our campuses. You have demonstrated that steadfast commitment to each other throughout the pandemic, and it is steadily paying off.
I am also thankful for the fall harvest – including the corn, beans and squash grown in our own Three Sisters Indigenous garden – which remind us of the vital connection we have with nature.
This weekend, I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy the crisp, invigorating air, the vivid fall colours, some heart-warming food, and the chance to gather with good friends and loved ones. Whatever your plans, I hope you find time to safely relax, reflect and connect with others.
Again, I give many thanks to our students and employees for all they have done to support one another’s health, safety and success. I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.
