Reflecting on a Special Year at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus

Posted on Friday, December 16th, 2022

As the calendar turns to a new year, there are many things to celebrate at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. Our year in review starts with a very special anniversary as we marked ten great years since we opened our campus along the shores of the Ottawa River.

We celebrated by inviting many of the people who contributed to the building of the campus, including elected officials, donors, current and past board members, strategic partners, alumni, employees and retirees, all of whom made contributions to the project. The celebration was capped by a surprise performance by Business alumnus and Canadian Country recording artist, Jason Blaine, who has become a leading philanthropist.

Blaine had another successful charity event in the summer of 2022, raising more than $130,000 for community causes. His charity has now invested more than $750,000 into community projects and services in the Pembroke area since it launched almost a decade ago. A major benefactor of Blaine’s generosity has been Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. Blaine has donated $200,000 to the campus to support the building of the campus and an endowment fund that helps students in financial need.

The generosity of Blaine has been extraordinary, but there are other great examples of the college community giving back. Students in the Forestry Technician program were presented with a Changemaker award by the College’s Board of Governors for their work in planting trees in a Forest of Hope near Beachburg, an initiative to bring awareness to preventing suicide.

Promoting equity, diversity and inclusion is a core value of Algonquin College and in the summer of 2022 a new mural was unveiled at the campus that has become a focal point for celebrating the many groups of people that are represented on campus. Many students and employees had the opportunity to participate in the mural painting, making the project very special to everyone who was involved in its creation.

For the first time, National Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30 was marked with a special on campus ceremony of reflection led by the Campus Elder, Aimee Bailey. The back-drop for the ceremony was a powerful Legacy of Hope display that chronicled the indignities forced on Canada’s Indigenous peoples, such as the residential school system which separated thousands of children from their families, having a devastating impact on Indigenous communities.

With the guidance of the Elder and Kampus Kokum, Joanne Haskins, the campus Medicine Wheel Garden was refreshed by students and faculty. This spiritual place is located on a hill to the west of the campus and has become a special area for reflection and learning about Indigenous teachings.

As students returned to campus in the Fall of 2022 in much larger numbers, following two years of adapting to primarily remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was renewed energy inside the building. Social events and activities were well attended by students who enjoyed the opportunity to connect to their peers outside the classroom, and the campus recreational facilities were well used as students enjoyed rock climbing, intramural sports and the fitness centre.

Prospective students also returned to campus. For the first time in three years, the campus held its Open House for senior high school students. More than 450 students from schools across Renfrew and Pontiac Counties attended. They participated in interactive activities and presentations led by faculty as they learned about the many programs and services offered at the campus.

A change in leadership occurred as the campus welcomed a new Dean and Board of Governor’s representative. Sarah Hall replaced Keltie Jones, becoming the seventh Dean in the more than 55 year history of the campus and Tony Pollard took over for Jay McLaren at the Governor’s table. Hall presided over her first convocation in June, a welcome return to an in person celebration of the graduates after the College had been holding online graduation ceremonies since the pandemic had started.

As the campus looks toward 2023, it plans for more international students, new programs, more partnerships and the continued support of communities throughout the Ottawa Valley. Mostly, it looks to welcome more students who have hopes and dreams for life-long success. Happy New Year!

(Jamie Bramburger is the Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. The campus will be closed for the holiday season from Friday, December 23 until Monday January 2.)

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