Waterfront Campus Blog

Fresh New Night Courses This Winter

The New Year always brings new perspectives and for many people a list of goals. One of those goals might be focused on career development or educational pursuits that can bring more joy to someone’s life.

Urban Forestry - Arboriculture, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusThis winter, Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus has freshened up its Continuing Education offerings with several new classes that offer either professional development opportunities or practical learning experiences that can be applied in the workplace or at home. A few examples include safe operation of a chainsaw or the working at heights certification course.

Each term the college reviews feedback it receives from students as it plans new offerings. That’s where the idea to offer an advanced seniors computer course came from. This course has been designed for seniors who already have a good working knowledge of computer applications, but would like to enhance their skills in using popular software programs like Word and Powerpoint. There is also a social media component to the course, something that will really help seniors who may have a volunteer position that requires them to promote their organization.

Dementia affects more than 46-million people worldwide. The disease primarily strikes elderly people and when it does it can be very difficult for the patient and their family. The college is offering two dementia courses this winter, one for families to better help them understand the disease and how to cope with it, and the other for healthcare professionals.

Medical Terminology, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

Medical terminology is a pre-requisite for office administration professionals to work in many healthcare settings such as hospitals and doctor offices. Having the course can open many doors for anyone who is interested in working in a healthcare environment. This course will be offered over several evenings beginning in mid-February.

On the playing field, athletes and children can move quickly, making it difficult to get action shots with your camera. The new Sports Photography class is intended to help Moms and Dads and photography enthusiasts get better photos during sporting events like hockey and soccer games.

For history buffs, Pembroke’s Early Years in Pictures will be a fascinating look back at our city’s history. Led by Champlain Trail Museum curator, Angela Siebarth, the presentation will feature many never before seen photographs that tell the story of Pembroke’s early settlers.

Ben ShillingtonBen Shillington has spent a lot of times in some of the coldest places on earth, like Lake Winnipeg, where a few years ago he led a winter fat biking expedition across the frozen lake. He’s also written a book on winter travelling. Shillington will bring his expert knowledge to the classroom when he teaches a course on winter camping that will be of interest to anyone who enjoys Canada’s coldest season and wants to experience it outdoors.

Other new courses being offered include an infant and toddler sleep seminar, acrylic painting with Pam McNichol, Moroccan cooking and other food preparation courses. There are also some popular returning courses such as grant proposal writing.

Registration is now underway in person at the college or online. Happy New Year.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

More Canadians Enrolling in Post-Secondary Education-More Needed in the Skilled Trades

As a nation, Canada is one of the most educated populations in the world. New national census data indicates that more than half (54%) of Canadians between the ages of 25 and 64 had either college or university qualifications in 2016, an increase from 48.3% from a decade earlier.

It’s a trend that Canada can be proud of, but it also sends a message to young people about the importance of continuing on to higher education. The labour market is demanding it with almost all new jobs being created requiring a post-secondary credential.

Masonry - Heritage and Traditional, Algonquin College, Perth CampusA deeper look at the statistics shows that more young men are turning to the skilled trades for their career pathway. That’s encouraging because here in Renfrew County several manufacturers recently participated in a forum to work on community strategies that can help them address some of the challenges they are experiencing in attracting skilled workers. The data says that the proportion of young men who had earned an apprenticeship certificate in Canada increased from 4.9% in 2006 to 7.8% in 2016, but locally there are still more jobs than people to fill them in some trades areas.

Of course, there is plenty of room for women in the trades and initiatives to encourage women to take the pathway as well, but one of the more concerning statistics is that men are not enrolling in post-secondary education at the same rate as women. For the trades, which traditionally have attracted more men than women, that’s a call for action.

Skilled tradesAt Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke, there are some initiatives underway to help fill these labour market gaps. The Options Skilled Trades Fair has been offered to local high school students for the past 15 years as a grassroots effort to educate high school students on the career opportunities that are available through apprenticeship training. It has been very successful and there are plenty of stories of these students going on to trades school and becoming apprentices.

Our Campus offers full-time programs in Construction Techniques and Motive Power Technician, two important industries in the local labour market. The College also offers various pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs such as General Carpenter and welcomes feedback from local industry on their needs. In order to offer a program, a critical mass of students is required, and through partnerships with local companies, the potential is there to expand programming if a concerted community effort is made to promote the jobs that are currently difficult to fill. If that message gets out, more male and female students will be interested in enrolling in a program that can help them achieve their goal to work in the skilled trades.

Our country is getting older. The national average age has been creeping up for several years. Here in Renfrew County, the average age is over 45 years old. That statistic alone is enough evidence that we need more young people to fill the jobs that are being vacated in our workforce. Let’s start by getting more youth engaged in the skilled trades.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

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

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

 

 

Entrepreneurship Growing at Waterfront Campus

It has been just over a year since the Waterfront Campus became the first regional college campus in Ontario to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence, and the move has clearly paid off. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and wChris Dore with arms crossed and smiling at cameraell at the campus and has been producing great results.

Since Chris Doré came on board in January of 2016, several initiatives have been launched to create more opportunities for students and faculty to engage in entrepreneurship. For example, a new general education course focused on entrepreneurship was launched a few weeks ago and is getting great reviews from students. The interactive course teaches students the various steps needed to successfully launch their own business, and also introduces them to entrepreneurial terms such as start ups, venture capital, social enterprise and more.

Speaking of start ups, Startup Ottawa Valley was recently launched under the Startup CaStart up Canada Logonada umbrella. Startup Canada is a grassroots efforts to encourage and support more entrepreneurs nation wide. Within the Ottawa Valley, several champions have been identified who will create networking and mentoring opportunities for new entrepreneurs, who can also access all of the tools and resources available through Startup Canada such as grants, pitch events and professional development.

The first TedxPembroke event was held at the Waterfront Campus last fall and brought together 7 speakers who shared innovative ideas that were both inspiring and engaging. There is nothing more entrepreneurial than a Tedx event which purposefully uses the spoken word to start deeper conversations to spark crTedX Pembrokeeative ideas. The College intends to offer more Tedx events in the future given that the first one sold out and was very well received by the community.

The true test of the college’s efforts is the success of its students and graduates to become entrepreneurs. Our confidence was given a great boost recently when first year Outdoor Adventure student, Brennan Lemieux, won first prize at the Wolves’ Den competition at Algonquin’s Ottawa Campus. Lemieux was the only competitor from the Waterfront Campus and took home $1,000 for his impressive presentation to the judges on Outdoor Adventure student, Brennan Lemieux, won first prize at the Wolves' Den competitionhis plans to launch a digital logbook for outdoor adventure leaders.

We know there will be more success stories in the future as we turn the Waterfront Campus into an entrepreneurial hub for our students, employees and the greater community. Exciting times indeed!

 

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Waterfront Campus to Honour Great Canadian Paul Martin Senior at Convocation Ceremony

When Paul Martin Sr. rose in the House of Commons on February 24, 1937 to encourage the federal government to provide scholarships to outstanding students who could not afford to attend post-secondary education, he was reflecting on his own experiences growing up in a low income family in Pembroke.

The future Liberal cabinet minister had attended several higher education institutes including some of the most prestigious schools in the world, but none of those experiences would have happened without the generosity of others.

Paul Martin Sr.Martin’s original plans were to become a Priest and he received help through the Pembroke Diocese of the Catholic Church to pay tuition at a school in Gatineau, Quebec. While studying in Gatineau, he remained enthralled with the happenings at near-by Parliament Hill, where he climbed a tree to watch the funeral procession for one of his early political heroes, Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He had left home at only 15 years of age and by his late teenage years, he knew politics was where he wanted to be.

As a stepping stone to public life, Martin pursued a law degree by first studying at St. Michael’s College on his road to Osgoode Hall in Toronto. His interest in international matters led him to Harvard University in Boston and then Trinity College in Cambridge, England. When he returned to Canada, his quest to enter politics continued as he became involved with the Liberal party, making valuable connections across the country.

After an unsuccessful provincial election bid in his hometown, Martin settled in Windsor where he went on to win ten consecutive elections leading to a 33-year career in the House of Commons.

Paul Martin Sr.Best known for his work as Minister of Health and Wellness, Martin is widely credited along with Tommy Douglas as the fathers of universal health care in Canada. He also initiated the introduction of mandatory polio vaccinations for children, a move that saved thousands of lives. Martin and his son, the future Prime Minister, both suffered from polio as children, and he was determined to eradicate the disease.

Martin’s first cabinet post came ten years after he was elected when he became Canada’s Secretary of State. He was well respected at the United Nations and was a major influence to Canadian social policy following the second World War, advocating programs such as unemployment insurance, a minimum wage and the right of workers to unionize. After voluntarily leaving politics, he joined the senate as the government house leader and finished his political career as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Paul Martin Sr. was a great Canadian. He served under four Prime Ministers, and while he never had the opportunity to lead his country as its highest elected official, he arguably made some of the greatest contributions to our country though his work as a senior Liberal Cabinet minister.

On June 16, 2017, Algonquin College will pay tribute to his legacy through the posthumous awarding of an Honorary Degree to Paul Martin Senior. The Degree will be accepted by Canada’s 21st Prime Minister Paul Martin Jr., who is deeply touched by the college’s efforts. “This all the more so because of my Dad’s earliest initiative following his fist election in 1935 was to table a resolution in parliament, advocating more student aid which, as he said in his memoirs, reflected ‘my own experience as a boy whose parents could not afford to pay for his education.'”

All graduation ceremonies are special, but given the fact that Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday and the college is marking its 50th anniversary, listening to the address by the former Prime Minister will be a wonderful opportunity for all of the graduates and a life experience that will stick with them long after they leave Algonquin College.

The convocation ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. The ceremony is open to the public.

(Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs)