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A $10,000 gift from Metropolitain Brasserie Restaurant will support 10 students studying hospitality over the next five years. The Metropolitain Brasserie Hospitality and Tourism Bursary will provide a $1,000 bursary to two students a year, one in the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management program and the second in the Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management Diploma program.

AC alumna Sarah Chown, who co-owns the Metropolitain Brasserie Restaurant in downtown Ottawa, graduated from the Hotel and Restaurant Management program in 2002 and serves on a program advisory committee in the school of hospitality. She was the driver behind the bursary, which her business partner fully supported.

Chown says the hospitality industry needs to support students who will go to work in the industry, including through mentorship. The pandemic hit the restaurant industry particularly hard and building a pool of skilled hospitality employees should be a priority for every restaurateur, she said.

Metropolitain Brasserie Restaurant frequently employs Algonquin College students and graduates, including through co-ops and other placements. “When I see Algonquin College on a resumé, it’s an asterisk,” she said. “I know I have to give that person a shot.”

A restaurant worker since high-school, Chown credits the College with giving her the skills she needed to achieve success – and to be able to give back: “The College has always been a big part of my life. It helped instil a lot of important skills, including back-of-house knowledge and business skills that have taken me to where I am.”

The Metropolitain Brasserie Hospitality and Tourism Bursary will be awarded in the Winter term in 2023 and in the Fall term in subsequent years.

Kingston-area craftsman exemplified College mission and values

The family of Peter Ramsay, a graduate of the Algonquin College heritage carpentry program, has made a major endowment to the college to set up two bursaries in his memory.

Karen and Howard Goodfellow established the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Entrance Bursary and the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Bursary to honour their son-in-law.

Peter, who ran his own heritage carpentry and millwork business in the Kingston, Ont., area, graduated from the Heritage Carpentry and Millwork program at the Perth Campus in 1994. He also instructed in the program in 2001. Peter died in May 2021, at the age of 51.

Remembered as a kind man who loved life, found joy in the everyday, and lived to help others, Peter was greatly respected for his work, which he approached with an eye to historical sympathy and excellence. Buildings in and around Kingston bear his legacy, and the bursaries form a legacy of another kind.

“Peter didn’t want any glory for himself. He wanted to turn attention to others and to encourage others,” said his father-in-law, Howard Goodfellow. “We hope that these bursaries are an inspiration to the recipients, that they will develop the same passion for heritage carpentry as Peter had and see him as an example of what’s possible.”

Each year in perpetuity, two $1,000 bursaries will be awarded, one to a first-year student and the other to a student in their second year of the Algonquin College Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program.

Recipients in the bursary’s first five years will also receive a copy of The Cabin on Howe Island: A History by George Thomson and Judi Beaman, generously donated by the authors. The book tells the story of the authors’ 19th century farmhouse-turned-cottage and includes a chapter about the two-year restoration carried out by Peter and his team.

“Peter exemplified the Algonquin College mission to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success,” said Mark Savenkoff, Vice President, Advancement and Strategy. “His life was a demonstration of our College values, in his care for others, the integrity with which he approached his work, his respect for the buildings he worked on, and the learning he did as he grew in his profession.

“We are grateful that his family chose to honour him by helping future heritage carpenters reach their own dreams giving them a model to strive for.”

The Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Entrance Bursary and the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Bursary will first be awarded in fall 2022. It is open to Algonquin College students enrolled in the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program.

Read more about Peter Ramsay

Four Algonquin College graduates who are rising stars in their fields are winners in the Ottawa 2022 Forty Under 40. The award recognizes 40 professionals under the age of 40 who are innovative and talented leaders with outstanding business accomplishments, professional experience and community involvement.

The judges had the difficult task of selecting the winner from hundreds of accomplished applicants.

“The individuals included in the running have achieved results that are of global quality, with a local Ottawa focus,” judge Charlotte Karam, the new director of the Executive MBA at the Telfer School of Management, told the Ottawa Business Journal. “I am inspired by their ability to exceed all expectations during a time of great uncertainty and disruption, while remaining steadfast champions and beacons of service to the local Ottawa community.

“The final 40 are a group to be celebrated, having achieved so much thus far, and I can’t wait to see what they do next!”

The 2022 awards gala will be held in-person on June 17, after two years of virtual events. It will also be broadcast.

Forty Under 40, which is celebrating its milestone 25th year in 2022, is a joint initiative between the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade.

Adam Joiner

Adam Joiner, Social Service Worker, 2004, was named chief executive officer of BGC Ottawa, formerly known as the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, in May 2020, after a lifetime of devotion to the organization. Joiner was a client of the organization when he was a child and went on to volunteer and work in a variety of positions, his first being a coat-check boy at the Prince of Wales Drive clubhouse. He has served on multiple committees, as a Member of the Board of Directors for BGC Canada, and adviser for BGC of Ontario Provincial Youth Conference. Joiner has a deep background in government relations and works collaboratively with local partners.

Joiner has led the organization through the turbulence of the pandemic, during which time the organization secured government funding to build a new, larger “pandemic-proof” clubhouse. Joiner oversees a staff of 180 full- and part-time employees, and a budget of more than $6 million.

Riaz Sidi

Riaz Sidi, Journalism – Print, 2006, established and runs Sidi.io, a digital marketing company that specializes in demand generation and digital marketing with a niche focus on technology companies. Established in his basement in 2017, Sidi grew Sidi.io from three employees at the start of the pandemic to 20 one year on, with further growth since. Sidi’s clients include SaaS North, Ottawa’s largest tech conference, the National Arts Centre, Stratford Group and Syntronic. Sidi is also the founder of AdPuzl, a software that helps anyone easily create and book their own Facebook and Instagram ads.

Kanata’s L-Spark, which runs a SaaS Accelerator Program for start-ups across Canada, chose Sidi.io to work with these businesses to create individualized digital marketing solutions for participating businesses. Sidi has been a guest speaker on Hootsuite’s social media marketing webinar and was a featured guest on Intuity Performance’s Elevate Business Podcast. In 2022, Sidi.io was named one of Ottawa’s fastest-growing companies by the Ottawa Business Journal.

Karsh (Utkarsh) Singh

Karsh Singh, Green Architecture, 2015, has worked for Soublière Interiors since graduating from Algonquin College. After positions as project manager and director of operations, Singh was appointed president in May 2021. Singh works with clients that include government agencies, contractors, subcontractors, and the public. He was appointed director/trustee of the Ottawa Walls and Ceilings Training Center in January 2020.

Singh has a Bachelor of Technology – BTech, Civil Engineering degree from Amity University in India and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification indicating a proficiency in sustainable design, construction, and operation standards.

Laura Townson

Laura Townson, Public Relations, 2006, joined Iversoft, a software development company that provides digital product strategy, mobile app and web development services, as studio director in 2016. The company credits her with helping shape its daily operations, build a foundation of good processes, and develop the company culture. She was promoted to chief operating officer in 2020.

In 2021, Townson won the InterCon Award for Tech Excellence in recognition of her efforts to create a people-first software development agency. With her guidance, Iversoft became a fully remote company and employees experienced improved mental health. Productivity remained stable or improved.

Townson is an expert in sales enablement and strategy, agency operations, and project management. Before joining Iversoft, she worked in various roles, including account manager, project manager, and senior producer. Her career highlight clients included Lucas Films, Sony, Mattel, Marvel, Disney, Rogers, UPS and Bell.

Seedlings for Students is back again for 2022!

This year the Seedlings for Students annual plant sale features over 70 varieties of plants, from flowers, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons…and more!

The sale supports the Seedlings for Students bursary, which is awarded yearly to a student who identifies as a single parent/caregiver (with special consideration given to single mothers). Our tagline “Growth Encouraging Growth” exemplifies our core belief that single parents who take on the challenge of postsecondary education are not only encouraging their own growth, but through modeling they are encouraging hard work and perseverance in their children as well.

In 2021, we raised $2,000 that benefitted two students in the AC community!

The sale starts Monday, May 9 at 9 a.m., but you can start browsing now.

Don’t have a green thumb but want to support the bursary? Our donations are also open from now until the end of May.

Happy growing!