waterfront campus

Pembroke Named Top 30 “Happiest” Places to Live in Canada

Pembroke: Top 30 "Happiest" Places to Live in Canada, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

What makes you happy? It could be an amazing meal, a great day of surfing, or simply cozying up with a good book and a warm latte—or it could be all of these things, and more. Canada consistently ranks among the top ten happiest countries in the world, and there are tons of reasons why. From the villages of Vancouver Island to the national parks of Newfoundland and Labrador, there is certainly no shortage of locales where you can “go to your happy place.” But which one is the happiest? Continue reading the expedia.ca article >>

Canadian History Speaker Series Ends with Halifax Explosion

On a beautiful and unseasonably warm day 100 years ago Canada experienced its worst man-made disaster. On December 6, 1917 the French munition ship, the Mont Blanc, and the Norwegian war relief freighter, the Imo, collided in Halifax Harbour, setting off a massive explosion that flattened much of the Nova Scotian capital city, killing almost 2,000 people.

It was the largest man-made blast until the Second World War when an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, but the events that led up to the catastrophic collision between the two ships continues to linger as historians piece together the burning questions of how did it happen and who should bare the blame for killing so many innocent people.

Ken Cuthbertson, Speaker Series, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusThe Halifax Explosion is a signature moment in Canadian history and will be the closing act on a year of Algonquin College speaker series events that have focused on the stories that have made Canada the country that is today on this its 150th anniversary year. Author Ken Cuthbertson will be at the Waterfront Campus in Pembroke on November 29 to share the story of the Halifax Explosion, also the title of his new book that has been released just in time for the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.

Charlotte GrayA few weeks later on December 13, acclaimed author and biographer, Charlotte Gray, will be on campus for her talk on the Promise of Canada. Gray has written a book about nine influential Canadians who left an indelible mark on Canada, a relatively young country that is still finding its way according to Gray.

Her stories will focus on some well-known Canadians such as Tommy Douglas, the fiery Saskatchewan politician who is known best as the father of universal health care, but also others who are less known, but their lives influenced Canadian society and culture either intentionally or by accident. The latter is the case for Elijah Harper, a survivor of residential schools, who halted Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s Meech Lake constitutional accord and forced Canadians to take a deeper look at the plight of Indigenous peoples.

Gray has written a compelling history lesson for all Canadians, including telling the story of Bertha Wilson, Canada’s first woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada. Her Canadian story begins in Renfrew where she first settled in Canada after emigrating from Scotland with her husband who was a Presbyterian Church Minister. She eventually would attend law school and be at the centre of some of the most important judicial decisions in Canada’s history as a champion of the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Others who made Gray’s list of great Canadians are Margaret Atwood, Emily Carr, Preston Manning, George-Etienne Cartier, Harold Innis and Samuel Steele, the first leader of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Through her storytelling, Gray shares how these Canadians impacted our country in a significant way.

Steve Paikin, TVO Host & Journalist

The Canadian history series started last fall with Ray Argyle’s colourful talk on Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood, the last Father of Confederation. It has also included Steve Paikin of TVO’s the Agenda on his book on former Ontario Premier, Bill Davis, and his influence on the repatriation of Canada’s constitution, Tricia Logan on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, Merilyn Simonds on Canada’s most notorious and historic prison-the Kingston Penitentiary, Roy MacSkimming on the Canada-Soviet 1972 Hockey Summit Series and Sean Conway on the Colour and Character of the Ottawa Valley Political Tradition, a fascinating history of Ottawa Valley politics.

It has been a rewarding experience to bring so much Canadian history to followers of the Algonquin College Speaker Series. At 150 years old, Canada has been around long enough to have some great stories to tell.

For more information on ticket purchase for these last two Canadian History guest speakers, please visit our Speaker Series website >>

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Important info regarding possible class interruption at Algonquin College

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you are probably aware, there is the potential for an interruption in classes at Ontario’s 24 public colleges, beginning on Monday, October 16th. While we hope a work stoppage will be averted, the College is making contingency plans in the event there is a labour disruption.

We know you have many questions and therefore I am providing you with a link to a special website that has been created by Algonquin College for students, families, and employees. This Algonquin College Strike Info website will provide you with the most up-to-date information on this matter.

Sincerely,

Jamie Bramburger
Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Algonquin College Waterfront Campus, Pembroke, ON.
PM-Parents@algonquincollege.com

Pembroke : Soul-soothing and Spectacular

For those considering studying at our Pembroke Waterfront Campus, a recent article by The Wedge: A New Voice for Eastern Ontario introduces those new to Pembroke to the charm that our City has to offer.

“We finally traveled to the far northwest corner of the wedge. This is a milestone in our 1.1 years since launch. This node is a city named Pembroke–the largest in the Ottawa Valley. It sits on the Ottawa River and has a few rivers running through it, the Muskrat River and the Indian River.

Bridge over Muskrat River, flows by City Hall shown, Downtown Pembroke, Ontario, CANADA PHOTO BY the wedge.LIVE

Pembroke is a good 45 minutes West of the Town of Renfrew and one hour from the Town of Arnprior. The three offer travelers a perfect ‘puddle-jumping’ trek across the Ottawa Valley. Pembroke is also 30 minutes or less from Algonquin Park and could bring a trip to a perfect close this Fall and year-round.

“Technicallyyyy, we are the smallest city in Canada.”

“Technicallyyyy, we are the smallest city in Canada,” a few locals said. This is invariably uttered with a grin and a low brow. So it seems, the needle wiggles around 16,000 population–the miracle number that identifies a place as a ‘city’ and no longer a ‘town.’” Read more of the Wedge: A New Voice for Eastern Ontario article >>

Waterfront Campus Enrolments Top 1,000 Students for First Time

On Friday, September 1 at 11:44 a.m. Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus made history. When second-year Practical Nursing student, Laura Edmonds, walked into the admissions office to enroll for her fall classes, she became the 1,000th student to register for the fall intake of students.

Student #1000It was the first time in the fifty year history of the campus that the enrolment in full-time programs exceeded four digits. Edmonds was greeted by clapping and congratulations by the admissions staff who were on the watch for student number 1,000, knowing the historical significance for a campus that started with 16-full-time students when it opened its doors in 1968.

The record enrolment is continuing a trend that started several years ago when the campus began introducing several unique programs that have helped it attract students from outside of Renfrew County. Programs like Outdoor Adventure, Urban Forestry-Arboriculture, Applied Nuclear Science and Radiation Safety continue to pull out of town students, and have been the primary reason why developers have built three privately owned and operated student residences to house visiting students.

PembrokeThere are now more than 170 students living in residence and many more who are renting or boarding in other apartments and homes in the Pembroke area. The out-of-town student population has grown to be about 50 percent of the students enrolled in the campus.

The campus now offers 21 full-time programs leading to certificates, diplomas, and degrees. As Algonquin College’s largest regional campus, it is blossoming as it celebrates its fifth year of operation at its Waterfront Campus which has become an anchor for Pembroke’s downtown, igniting a renaissance of the city’s inner core. The best example is the new residences, but the energy that has been created has resulted in new stores, façade and building improvements and increased investment in infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks and bridges.

Rome was not built in a day, and it has taken a lot of work by the dedicated administration, faculty and support staff at the campus to bring about record enrolments. The college employees who worked so hard at the old campus to create an exceptional learning environment for students, while making do with inadequate facilities, paved the way for creating a caring culture on campus.

The new campus has taken that commitment to student success, excellent teaching and customer service to a new level. With a beautiful facility built along the picturesque shores of the Ottawa River, it has become a destination campus for both local and out of town students like Laura Edmonds of Cobden.

Not many people have the opportunity to make history. Edmonds did, by being in the right place at the right time. She is student number 1,000 at a campus that looks forward to four-digit enrolments being the norm, not the exception, as its plans for the next fifty years.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus

 

 

 

How Being Mentored Changed My Life and Could Change Yours

Chris Dore with arms crossed and smiling at cameraI remember the first time I asked my mentor to mentor me. I was quite nervous and afraid she would say no. I didn’t realize at the time that I was being silly. Why would she say no to my request – she was one of the most engaging, encouraging and respectful people I had ever met and these were the traits that inspired me to ask that awkward question, “would you mentor me?”

A silhouette of a person on a cliff reaching for another person on the top of the cliff - mentorshipI came into formalized mentoring later in life, and only after an abundance of work experiences and mistakes. I have to admit when I think back, there were mentors but they often took on the guise of teachers and coaches, picked not by me but by the activities I participated in. It was only into my 30s that I started to actively look for mentors. I started to make a list of people whom I held in high regard in the community and that I believed I could learn from.

As I assembled my “team” of mentors I looked for certain skills and ways of thinking that I lacked. I also started to realize the immense power of mentoring as my mentors provided me with:

  • Viewpoints and perspectives regarding business I had yet to experience, like how to start a business, what is needed legally, and what should I not do?
  • An understanding of the importance of ethics and trust when doing business with others
  • A completely new network of people and contacts
  • Acted as references and even nominated me for awards
  • Career advice – they gave me new ideas and prevented me from making costly business mistakes
  • Guidance in business and in life

The one regret I hold is that I did not find my team of confidantes, friends, life coaches, business advisors, when I was a student. Mentors can become one or all of these things to you as you develop a long-lasting relationship.

Highway Signpost "Mentorship - straight ahead"For all these reasons and more, mentoring and giving back to the community through mentoring is one of my core values, and I believe I am lucky to be able to guide and help students reach their own goals and achieve their dreams.

If you are interested in being mentored and are starting a business or have a great idea but don’t know where to start – start with our Mentorship@AC application site! If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, have a look at our Mentor@AC application site.

You can always reach out to me at dorec1@algonquincollege.com or on Twitter @chrisWdore, I am sure we can help.

Posted by: Chris Doré, Entrepreneur in Residence, Waterfront Campus

An Incredible Week at Algonquin’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus

There are very few weeks in the 50 year history of Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus that would rival this past week. A former Prime Minister delivering a convocation address, celebrating a high profile alumnus who has raised thousands of dollars for the campus and an inspiring big swim by a faculty member trying to raise awareness about a complicated environmental issue, were all part of the past seven days.

Convocation 2017, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus Let’s start with former Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, who challenged the class of 2017 to do their part in helping Canada be the best that it can be. Canada’s 21st Prime Minister was speaking from the heart, after being deeply moved by the college’s acknowledgement of his late father’s political accomplishments through the awarding of a posthumous Honorary Degree.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin Senior spent 33 years as an elected member of the House of Commons and is best known for his work as Canada’s Health and Wellness Minister, and Secretary of State. What is not as well known is that he grew up in Pembroke, and many of his political views were formed from his childhood in Pembroke, where he contracted polio as a young boy and his family struggled to make ends meet.

Martin Sr. would be a father of universal health care, would ultimately make the decision to introduce polio vaccinations that would save thousands of Canadian children, and would be instrumental in having many additional countries enter the United Nations. In his speech, his son would tell the graduates, ” Yes, my Dad made history, but he never could have done it had the people of Pembroke not been there for him.”

Jason Blaine, Business Grad, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusA few days before the graduation ceremony, one of the Pembroke Campus’s most successful graduates was being celebrated. Country Music Artist, Jason Blaine, was honoured with a plaque on a computer lab at the campus for raising $100,000 towards the building costs of the Waterfront Campus, which opened in 2012.

jason BlaineBlaine was in town for his annual concert and golf tournament which raised $90,000, and has now brought in almost $300,000 over its first four years. Moving forward, he has committed to using funds from his charity to establish an endowment for students in financial need, so they can attend the Waterfront Campus.

The week was capped off by the incredible and inspirational “big swim” by Environmental Technician Coordinator, Sarah Hall. After weeks of training, Hall swam more than 16 kilometres through choppy and cold water in the Muskrat Lake, raising more than $4,000 and bringing awareness to the serious environmental issues facing the watershed.

Sarah Hall

Hall and her students have spent countless hours doing research and trying to find solutions to the causes of algae blooms which have plagued the watershed for many years. Exhausted and cold, Hall was greeted to a heroes welcome when she reached the shoreline in the village of Cobden, after more than five hours in the water.

That’s a lot in one week, but it’s also a snapshot of how many great things are happening at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke. Truly amazing!

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Community Support Strong for Waterfront Campus

AC Waterfront CampusAlgonquin College is turning 50 years old in 2017 and public support for the campus has never been better. In the past few weeks, new endowments have been established to support students in financial need at the campus, construction is continuing on another student residence to support the college’s growing out of town student population, and more than 200 women attended our Girls’ Night Out fundraiser at the Waterfront Campus.

Mayor Mike Lemay After five decades of serving the Upper Ottawa Valley, the College has come of age and the community fully understands its importance to Renfrew County’s future. Perhaps, Pembroke Mayor Mike Lemay said it best when the college held a 50th anniversary kick-off event at the Champlain Trail Museum, saying, “Now, more than ever, the College is critical to our region as we face labour market challenges brought on by an aging population. The infusion of young people into our community as a result of the College being here is vital and has created significant economic spin-offs for the city.”

PembrokeHow great is that impact? Well, more than fifty percent of the students who attend the Waterfront Campus now come from out of town. It’s why the former college campus on Pembroke Street, the previously empty Lakeside Medical Clinic and the new apartment building under construction on Lake Street near the Pembroke Memorial Centre, have been purposefully renovated or built to accommodate student housing needs.

From humble beginnings in 1967, with only a handful of students to approximately 1,000 students each fall, the campus growth has had a profound impact on Pembroke, spurring all kinds of new business opportunities, while helping the city grow its tax base and creating more access for local residents to access post-secondary education.

That’s where the need for more financial aid bursaries comes into play. While the Ontario government has made some progressive changes in supporting low income families with its new free tuition policy, there are still hundreds of students who study at the campus who need additional financial support.

the Girls’ Night Out committeeIn the past few years, several families, businesses and organizations have setup endowments. Most recently, the family of Larry Scales, a retired Forestry Technician teacher who passed away last year, established a memorial bursary in his name. After raising more than $24,000 this year alone, the Girls’ Night Out committee used the funds raised at its sell out event to create a bursary to annually support a woman who attends the Waterfront Campus. Business program alumnus and Canadian recording artist, Jason Blaine, has also announced he will be creating an endowment for college students.

Musician Jason Blaine with guitar singing

These generous gifts are truly appreciated by the students and the College. It helps the college to fulfill its overarching goal of supporting students to be successful in their academic studies and to be career ready when they graduate.

Yes, fifty years is a significant milestone. It’s enough time to be fully integrated into a community, just like the founder of the Ontario College system, former Premier Bill Davis, envisioned when he established Algonquin College with a mandate for a regional campus in Pembroke.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Attend Your Program Awareness Camp Day

Orientation for new college students is several months away, or is it? At Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke, the college is committed to helping students get off on the right foot as they begin their college journey. To do this, the campus organizes a Program Awareness Camp day each spring to start building a relationship with its incoming class, an initiative that really helps students get comfortable with their new surroundings.

Algonquin College Student Success Specialist

 

Based on student feedback, here are the top five reasons why students should attend.

  1. Career clarity. The Program Awareness Camp day is full of experiential learning opportunities for students to better understand the program they are planning to enroll in. It provides enough of a snapshot for students to determine if it is the right fit for them.
  2. Meet your faculty. Building an early relationship with your teachers can really help students feel connected to their program. The faculty will be leading the activities so it exposes students to their teaching style and takes away some of the apprehension students may have about the learning environment.
  3. First Contact Meetings. These one-on-one sessions with faculty allow both the student and the faculty advisor to get to know one another better. The faculty advisor will ask a series of questions that could identify potential issues that need to be resolved during the summer months to better prepare a student for their academic program.
  4. Connecting with other students. There will be many incoming students who attend the Program Awareness Camp Day. This provides an opportunity to get a head start on meeting new friends and starting relationships prior to the start of classes. This fosters a much easier transition to college.
  5. Get to know your campus. The Waterfront Campus is built on a picturesque property on the shores of the Ottawa River in downtown Pembroke. The campus offers many great features including a fitness centre, gymnasium, specialized labs, a library that overlooks the river and much more. Taking advantage of a campus tour can help students picture themselves in their college program, experiencing everything that college has to offer.
Environmental Technician students working in their science lab

Attending a Program Awareness Camp day is time well spent. Parents are also invited to attend as there is a parent’s program that can also help Moms and Dads feel better about the decision their son or daughter is making in choosing to study at the Waterfront Campus.

This year’s Program Awareness Camp day is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th. There’s still time to register. You won’t regret it!

 

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

 

 

Algonquin College students and grads give the College a strong 2016 report card

Algonquin College is number one for graduate satisfaction among large Ontario colleges! Recently released Key Performance Indicator (KPI) survey data showed exactly 80 percent of Algonquin College graduates are very satisfied/satisfied with their college experience, while just 7.9 percent are dissatisfied.

Holly Mortensen, Personal Support Worker Student, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus“On behalf of the College, I want to thank Algonquin College students and alumni for our strong report card, which once again ranks us above average for a college of our size,” said Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “This strong graduate satisfaction result comes as no surprise to us, as our College has performed very well in student satisfaction for the past seven years. I want to congratulate our peers at Fanshawe College, who edged out our title as the top large Ontario college for student satisfaction this year with 77.7 per cent (to Algonquin’s 77.4).”

All Ontario public sector colleges participate annually in the Colleges Ontario KPI survey program, which entails providing a mandatory satisfaction surveys to all enrolled students. The surveys measure outcomes such as students’ satisfaction with their courses, learning outcomes, facilities, and student services. Additionally, recent alumni are surveyed regarding their satisfaction as graduates and their employment status post-graduation. Finally, employers are surveyed to measure their satisfaction with the Ontario college graduates they hired. The results are then analyzed by an independent research company.

This year’s results across the college sector underscored the fact that college education is an effective and swift route to employment. Eighty-three percent of Ontario college graduates found work within six months of graduation, and more than 91 percent of employers were satisfied or very satisfied with the graduates they hired.

“Colleges are experts at helping people find rewarding careers,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “Our graduates’ professional and technical expertise will be even more important in the years ahead as new technology and automation create a heightened demand for a more highly qualified workforce.”

Full 2016 KPI results may be seen at collegesontario.org.