With a good mind and several green thumbs, Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé and Vice President of Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization Ron McLester marked the start of National Indigenous History Month with an event this morning in the College’s Three Sisters Garden.
Joined by students from the horticulture program and eager young visitors from the Early Learning Centre, McLester told the story of the Three Sisters; the significance of the crops of corn, bean and squash and how they feed and sustain the community. Students big and small joined in the planting after a ceremonial song, where everyone in attendance participated in the call and response.
After careful consideration of the data from local public health officials, including steadily decreasing wastewater metrics, Algonquin College will suspend its mandatory masking policy for the majority of the College and academic programming, effective June 1.
Masking will continue to be required for any program where a regulatory body requires a masking mandate, such as massage therapy. Please check with your program coordinator to be sure.
Additionally, masking will remain mandatory for all those attending our convocation ceremonies in-person, in June.
Earlier today (May 28), the College’s Facilities Management team began the process of switching back the remainder of our Ottawa Campus to the Hydro Ottawa electrical grid. With power fully restored, Information Technology Services teams began the validation process to ensure all systems are working as expected.
I am pleased to report that both these processes are now complete. As a result, please be advised of the following effective Monday, May 30:
All classes – virtual and in-person – will resume on normal schedules at the Ottawa campus. The Program teams of faculty, coordinators, Chairs and Deans are working to develop recovery plans for Ottawa campus classes that were cancelled. Those plans will be communicated with students upon their return.
AC Online courses will resume.
For those placements that were postponed, they will recommence. If you are unable to attend a placement due to power outage, connectivity or safety issues, please contact your placement site to advise them of your situation.
Co-op work terms with employers in Ottawa will also recommence. If you continue to be unable to attend due to safety issues, or other circumstances due to the aftermath of the storm, you are not required to attend. When/if you are able, please contact both your co-op employer and your Co-op Department contact for updates to make them aware of your situation.
The Early Learning Centre will be open.
All Corporate Training programming will resume.
We understand that some learners and employees are still struggling with the after effects of the storm, including power outages and connectivity issues. For learners in need of academic support, please connect with your teachers and program coordinators when you are able to discuss options. For employees, please connect with your supervisors to discuss how you can best be accommodated at this time.
I want to thank our entire College community for your resilience and patience over this past week. I know it has been difficult, and many of you are still facing challenges. If you need support, please click HERE for information regarding available resources and frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please reach out to algcomms@algonquincollege.com.
I also want to offer our thanks once again to Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One, and telecommunications companies that have been working around the clock to restore power and connectivity. I also want to acknowledge and thank the many employees who were working tirelessly behind the scenes to provide support this past week, and prepare us for classes and services to recommence.
We have been informed by Hydro Ottawa that we can expect to receive an estimate on when power will be fully restored to our Ottawa campus by the end of today (May 27).
As a result of this information, please be advised of the following for our Ottawa campus:
Weekend academic activity (May 28 and 29) that is scheduled to take place in the ACCE building will proceed as usual. All other scheduled academic activity at the Ottawa Campus is cancelled. The ACCE building has power and connectivity, as it is situated on a different part of the Hydro Ottawa grid.
Placements will recommence this weekend. If you are unable to attend a placement due to power outage, connectivity or safety issues, please contact your placement site to advise them of your situation.
For any learners on co-op work terms with employers in Ottawa, your safety is the top priority – if you are unable to attend due to safety issues, or other circumstances due to the storm, you are not required to attend. When/if you are able, please contact both your co-op employer and your Co-op Department contact for updates to make them aware of your situation.
Faculty, program coordinators, Chairs and Deans continue to develop recovery plans for Ottawa campus classes that have been cancelled. Those plans will be communicated with students upon their return.
The progress being made and the prospect of a full return to power are encouraging. Our Facilities Management and Information Technology Services teams stand ready once power is completely restored, to ensure the campus is prepared to safely recommence full operations.
We remain optimistic that classes and operations can start again on Monday, May 30. We will provide another update over the course of the weekend, and no later than Sunday afternoon, to inform all learners and employees of the current status and plans for the week ahead. Messaging will be delivered via a variety of channels, including email and social media. We will also engage with local media to ensure our messages reach the community.
I want to thank everyone for their patience during this challenging time. If you need help, please click HERE for information regarding support, available College services and frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please reach out to algcomms@algonquincollege.com.
Once again, many thanks to Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One and telecommunications companies that have been working around the clock to restore power and connectivity not only to our Ottawa campus, but services to thousands of our neighbours across the National Capital Region.
OTTAWA (May 26, 2022) – Algonquin College, George Brown College and Mohawk College have joined resources to launch a new four-year honours degree in Business Administration, focusing on people working in skilled trades occupations.
The partner colleges will deliver this first-of-its-kind degree in September 2022, with all instruction provided remotely and virtually. The program, approved by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, is intended for people working in the skilled trades sector who are looking to grow their own businesses, take on greater responsibilities in their current work environments, or pursue management careers in medium-to-large organizations.
The online Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours) degree will concentrate on business administration, managerial skills, accounting, project management, leadership, marketing, communication and applied research competencies. This theoretical instruction will be combined with 420 hours of structured work experiences (or equivalent), for which students receive credit.
Upon completion, graduates will have competencies in the human resources, marketing, finance and accounting aspects of skilled trades business operations. As well, they will have a grounding in research, executing strategic plans, assessing risk and fostering healthy workforce and business growth.
Due to the massive storm that has affected large sections of the National Capital Region and the Ottawa Valley, the College’s Ottawa campus is currently without power, and in limited locations, is operating on backup generators.
Please be advised of the following schedule changes for May 24, 25, 26 and 27:
All classes – virtual and in-person – are cancelled at the Ottawa campus. The Program teams of faculty, coordinators, Chairs and Deans will be working to develop recovery plans for Ottawa campus classes that have been cancelled. Those plans will be communicated with students upon their return the week of May 30.
AC Online courses are cancelled.
Placements in the Ottawa area have been cancelled for the remainder of the week. If you are in a placement outside of the Ottawa area that has not been affected by the storm and you are able to attend, you may do so. Some health programs may be required to make up time. If this is the case, you will be notified next week by your program staff to make any necessary arrangements. If you are able, please contact your placement site to advise them of your situation.
For learners in co-op work terms in the National Capital Region, your safety is the top priority – if you are unable to attend due to safety issues, or other circumstances due to the storm, you are not required to attend. When/if you are able, please contact both your co-op employer and your Co-op Department contact for updates to make them aware of your situation.
The Early Learning Centre will be closed.
Unless expressly informed otherwise, all Corporate Training programming is cancelled.
All classes and operations are continuing on normal schedules at Perth and Pembroke campuses.
Due to the massive storm that has affected large sections of the National Capital Region and the Ottawa Valley, please be advised of the following:
The first priority is your safety. If you are in need of immediate assistance, please reach out to the City of Ottawa at this link HERE for details on emergency centres, and where you can receive support. You can receive contact information for various municipal services at the following links: Perth, Pembroke, Renfrew County, Lanark County and the City of Gatineau.
Please also be advised:
The College’s Ottawa campus is currently without power, and in limited locations is operating on backup generators.
All classes – virtual and in-person – are cancelled for Tuesday, May 24 at the Ottawa campus.
AC Online courses will also be cancelled for May 24.
All classes and operations are continuing on normal schedules at Perth and Pembroke campuses.
All employees at the Ottawa campus who are not directly involved with restoring operations, or have not been directly advised by their manager to attend work on campus, should remain at home on Tuesday, May 24, and if possible, work in a virtual format.
If you are not directly involved in restoring operations and are scheduled to work on Tuesday, May 24, but are unable to work virtually due to circumstances resulting from the storm, including connectivity or childcare issues, please be advised that safety is the top priority and you are not required to work and will be paid as usual for the day.
If you have questions, or require further clarity, please connect with your supervisor, if you are able.
The Early Learning Centre will be closed May 24.
Please be advised that placements (Ottawa campus) for Tuesday, May 24 have been cancelled as a result of the storm, and will not need to be made-up in the future. If you are able, please contact your placement site.
For learners in Ottawa campus co-op work terms, your safety is the top priority – if you are unable to attend due to safety issues, or other circumstances due to the storm, you are not required to attend.
When/if you are able, please contact both your co-op employer/placement host and your College contact for updates to make them aware of your situation.
Cancellations could be extended further into the week. Updates will be communicated directly to learners and employees as soon as possible via email and social media.
In less than two weeks’ time, Connor Gunn—a recent graduate of the Level 3 Auto Service Technician Apprenticeship program—will be representing Algonquin College and Ontario at the Skills Canada National Competition.
Each year, 300 skilled trade and technology students gather to compete in over 35 competition categories ranging from autobody repair to cloud computing.
After placing first at last month’s Skills Ontario Competition, Gunn will soon be travelling over 4,000 kilometers west to Vancouver to compete against other aspiring mechanics from across the country in the Auto Technology category.
After two long years, Algonquin College’s living wall has finally been restored to its former glory.
But getting the wall back to its current state wasn’t without challenges.
In November 2021 Ryan Southwood, Executive Director of Facilities Management at Algonquin College, explained that the aerial lift used to maintain the living wall had been inoperable during COVID-19, first because of restrictions and then because of mechanics.
To make matters worse, while the lift underwent maintenance, the irrigation system that regularly waters the plants had a blockage. Resolving an irrigation blockage required use of the lift.
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 challenging 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.
Vice President of Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization Ron McLester marked the start of National Indigenous History Month with an event this morning in the College’s Three Sisters Garden. 
