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.
OTTAWA (OCT. 7) – A new Addictions and Mental Health Graduate Certificate Program being offered by Algonquin College’s AC Online Campus has surpassed its fall enrolment predictions, and is helping meet the growing demand for professionals with the knowledge and skills to treat concurrent disorders across a variety of clinical settings and workplaces.
During National Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 3-9), it’s an important time to not only recognize the reality of mental illness, and resources available, but also those learners gaining valuable skills to assist those in need on the frontlines.
The 42-week online program offers students the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by front-line workers to deliver responsive and effective substance use disorder treatment and mental health services while promoting empowerment, self-determination and optimum quality of life to individuals. Students gain practical experience through a supervised eight-week placement, learning to apply their clinical skills, establish appropriate relationships with clients, and participate in professional, collaborative team environments.
“Over the past several years, we have seen an emerging recognition around the profound nature and impact of mental health and addiction disorders and the need for increased awareness and clinical supports,” said Algonquin College President and CEO, Claude Brulé. “Offering this program through the College’s AC Online Campus provides the perfect vehicle for professionals who are looking for flexible learning options to bolster their credentials and add to their skill sets to help meet the demand for these vital services.”
The wide array of successes and dedication to community of Algonquin College’s 2021 Alumni of Distinction Award winners were highlighted during a virtual ceremony to honour them on Thursday night (September 30).
The annual awards’ evening commenced with an address from Andre O’Bonsawin, Algonquin College’s Director of Indigenous Initiatives, who congratulated the winners and acknowledged the significance of Thursday’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“Today we mark the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, and we strive to learn, reflect, commemorate and pay tribute to the victims of Canadian residential schools, including survivors and the families of those who we lost,” said O’Bonsawin, noting how the College takes pride in its “commitment to making Indigenous knowledge and Truth and Reconciliation an integral part of its culture every day.”
I would like to start off this week’s communiqué with a note of thanks for your ongoing patience this past month as we implemented the College’s new Mandatory Vaccination Policy for the start of the 2021 Fall Term. Support for the use of the Algonquin Mobile Safety App to submit vaccine status information has been incredible, with over 11,500 applications submitted by College community members. Of these submissions, 92% are fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19.
The month of October lies ahead and features three crucial deadlines related to our policy:
October 12: Those choosing to be unvaccinated by personal choice will not be permitted access to the campus after this date – unless they have been approved for an exemption (details on this process can be found here).
October 16: For those pursuing vaccination, this is the latest date you can receive your last shot in order to meet the College’s October 30 deadline for full vaccination. (Once you receive your last dose, you must re-submit your proof of vaccination via our AC Mobile Safety App or web portal).
October 30: This is the date complete vaccination is required – meaning you 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.
What: September 30, 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. September 30 also marks the annual Orange Shirt Day.
Algonquin College will be marking the day in several ways in person and online for the entire college community. Members of public are invited to tune in to the virtual presentations to learn more.
When: September 30, 2021, All Day
Where: Online and in person at Algonquin College
Activities: Memorial Fire (all day) – Ishkodewan Indigenous courtyard Those on Ottawa campus are invited to stop by the Memorial Fire at Ishkodewan, the College’s Indigenous courtyard located in the DARE District outside C Building. The fire-vessel in Ihkodewan, which means “there is fire,” will be burning all day. According to Ron (Degandus) McLester, Vice President of Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization, “the fire is both a physical, metaphorical and spiritual centre of many communities. We call upon this fire to warm our bodies, connect our minds and help to transport our prayers into the spirit world.”
Algonquin College is honouring the recipients of its fifth-annual Alumni of Distinction Awards at a virtual gala on Thursday, September 30 (7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.).
The event will officially celebrate 10 Algonquin College alumni for their outstanding professional and community contributions, plus an employer from our campus communities who has empowered our graduates to make a difference.
This year’s honourees have demonstrated remarkable dedication to the well-being of others. They include a best-selling author, prominent federal civil servant, distinguished First Nations poet, influential journalist, and constable with a decades-long history of volunteerism and leadership, as well as dedicated health professionals and one of this city’s top chefs.
“Our 2021 Alumni of Distinction recipients are community leaders and builders who exemplify Algonquin College’s mission to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success,” said Mark Savenkoff, Algonquin College’s Vice President, Advancement.
Media are invited to RSVP to the AC Communications team in order to view the online gala as Algonquin honours its 2021 Algonquin College Alumni of Distinction:
(OTTAWA, Sept. 27, 2021) – Ontarians overwhelmingly support proposals to expand the range of career-focused degree programs at colleges with nearly 70 per cent supporting the creation of new three-year degree programs, a new poll has found.
“We need to create even more opportunities for our learners to thrive in the 21st-century economy,” said Claude Brulé; Algonquin College’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Expanding the degree programs at colleges will help more students to fulfil their career ambitions and acquire the specialized skills that employers are looking for.”
Every year, Algonquin College celebrates the incredible achievements of its alumni through the Alumni of Distinction Awards. These awards honour the extraordinary contributions our graduates make to the community while achieving career success. Here is a closer look at the Alumni of Distinction – Community Services Award Recipient Crystal Martin-Lapenskie. To register for the Alumni of Distinction event, click here.
President and CEO, Okpik Consulting
Social Service Worker, Class of 2013
When Crystal Martin-Lapenskie was first pondering her choice of career, social work wasn’t the first option on her mind. Her early goal was police work. Her family knew and were friends with many RCMP officers and when she expressed interest in pursuing similar work, the officers were very encouraging. “They’d say, ‘You want to be a cop, you can be a cop right here in your community,’” she says.
But life intervened in the person of her guidance counsellor at Opeongo High School near Pembroke, who reminded her that in order to graduate from Grade 12 she would have to complete 40 hours of community service. It so happened that she was heading home for a time: “I wanted to explore. I wanted to see family, reconnect and see where it was I belonged.”
Born and raised in Sanirajak in Nunavut, Martin-Lapenskie divided her time between the North and the Ottawa Valley through her teenage years. On this trip to the Arctic, she used the opportunity to do her community hours in a local school. She functioned as a teacher’s assistant, working with students her own age who were – because of differences in education in the North – in much lower grades. She helped with their schoolwork and volunteered at a hockey camp. What she learned in the process was both distressing and inspiring.
OTTAWA (September 23, 2021) – Algonquin College is pleased to announce that one of its annual Alumni of Distinction Awards is being renamed the Brian Fraser Recent Graduate Award in honour of Brian Fraser, a 2016 graduate from the Broadcasting – Radio program. Brian garnered national attention for his advocacy for blood donations before passing away at the age of 26 from leukemia in February, 2021.
Despite a career cut short, Brian achieved significant professional success as a technical producer for CFRA’s “The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll.” His passion for and extensive knowledge of professional and minor sports leagues fast tracked his aspirations to work in sports broadcasting. Embodying Algonquin College’s mission, he began to transform his hopes and dreams for success into a reality before even graduating from Algonquin College. As a student, he was already working at CFRA. His mother Sheila Fraser says, “He was still in the early stages of his career with Bill Carroll’s show. He was just getting started. Had things gone differently, with his personality and his knowledge, who knows what more he might have achieved.”
The award’s renaming serves as a lasting tribute to Brian for exemplifying the College’s values of caring and integrity. Despite the fact that he faced a serious illness, he found the strength to invest in the wellness of others and speak his truth by promoting the need for blood donations. His efforts drew national attention. For example, shortly after being diagnosed in 2019, he promoted Blood Cancer Awareness Month in a video he posted on Twitter, which garnered nearly 200,000 views. In March, 2020, in an interview on CTV News, he reminded the public of the ongoing need for blood donations despite the pandemic. Following the interview, the Canadian Blood Services website received so much traffic it crashed.
Every year, Algonquin College celebrates the incredible achievements of its alumni through the Alumni of Distinction Awards. These awards honour the extraordinary contributions our graduates make to the community while achieving career success. Here is a closer look at the Alumni of Distinction – Business recipient Michael Wood. To register for the Alumni of Distinction event, click here.
Former Chief Marketing Officer/Managing Partner, Ottawa Special Events
Travel Counsellor – Class of 1997
From playing rock ’n’ roll in stadiums across North America to appearing before the federal finance committee during the pandemic, Algonquin College Professor Michael Wood has maintained a simple philosophy.
“My whole thing is that kindness matters, and everything happens for a reason. I am really just motivated by people being happy,” said Wood, one of Algonquin’s Alumni of Distinction Award winners for 2021.
After graduating from high school, the only career pursuit that appealed to Wood was becoming a rock guitarist and touring. His parents offered encouragement but wanted him to focus on school first.
“Because there was no music program at Algonquin back then, I went into the Travel and Tourism program. I thought that would be a way to get on a cruise ship and become a musician or learn how to book tours,” said Wood, who graduated in 1997.
