Waterfront Campus Blog

The Big Day Arrives-Congratulations You’ve Been Offered Admission!

February 1st is one of the greatest days of the year for Ontario college applicants. As the clock ticked past midnight, all of the province’s public colleges started making offers of admission, including Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.

What a way to start the week. It’s one of the best feelings an applicant can have. It’s like a breath of fresh air while standing on a mountain, realizing that your career goals are now within reach. That is what today is like for hundreds of applicants who first received the good news from the Pembroke Campus by email. Their hard-copy admissions offer will arrive by traditional mail this week.

Outdoor Adventure, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

The email was packed with great information about the next steps applicants must take to secure their seat in their program, but mostly it was about making applicants feel welcome. Video congratulatory messages from the Campus Dean, Dr. Keltie Jones and the program coordinator were included, plus some programs included an invitation to meet with the coordinator and other admitted students in a virtual meet and greet later in the day. In other programs, faculty were busy calling incoming students to congratulate them.

These initial contacts are a great way for applicants to start making connections with the campus and the people they will be spending a lot of time with once classes start in September. It makes applicants feel much more comfortable with the important decision they now have to make, confirming they have found the right program and the right campus for their post-secondary studies.

Applicants have until May 1st to confirm their offer of admission, but from past experience, the College knows that many applicants will confirm their seat within hours or days of receiving the good news. They’re excited to get their plans in order, but the message the College wants them to receive is that our team will be there for them all the way through their educational journey. First impressions matter and the Pembroke Campus has a well-earned reputation for fulfilling the College mission to help students transform their hopes and dreams into life-long success.

Personal Support Worker, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

There are many key dates in the admissions cycle. Beyond the confirmation deadline of May 1st, tuition deposits are due June 15th and conditionally accepted applicants who have outstanding academic requirements have until August 1st to get this work done. Orientation activities will be available in the summer months to prepare students for classes and formal academic orientation sessions will be offered a few days before classes begin the day after Labour Day.

So to keep applicants on track with the tasks that need to be completed, the Pembroke Campus will communicate with applicants through email, phone calls, social media posts and website updates. Staying connected is critical to ensure a successful start to college and today was the first step in building a relationship with the incoming class to ensure they know who they can reach out to if they need help with things like applying for financial aid, submitting documents, or securing housing in Pembroke.

Staying in touch with the campus is important because September is many months away. Given the many questions newly admitted applicants will have about how the College is delivering courses and services during the COVID-19 pandemic and how things might change in the weeks and months ahead is a good reason for prospective students to participate in activities the College plans for them. Applicants can also visit the College’s COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date information.

Environmental Technician, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

Applicants who do not receive an offer on February 1st should not be discouraged. There is still plenty of time to apply to College or complete academic upgrading to be considered for admission. Most programs will remain open leading into the start of classes in September until there are no longer any seats available. Applications will now be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and offers of admission will be made once the College admissions officers have all of the information they need to assess the application. This primarily requires the submission of educational transcripts.

Some programs attract many applications and these are the programs that require applicants to apply as early as possible. Programs that attract a lot of applications at the Pembroke Campus include Nursing, Forestry Technician and Carpentry and Renovations Techniques, so applying soon is advised to avoid the risk of being placed on a waitlist.

Today is a day to celebrate for the applicants who applied early and received an offer of admission. Congratulations to every one of you and we look forward to having you study with us at the Waterfront Campus.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

A Year Like None Other Comes to a Close

2020 will be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a worldwide health crisis that disrupted our lives, but as we look back on 2020 we can also celebrate some of the great things that happened at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. Our year in a review captures a few of the highlights.

January 2020: The New Year began with lots of energy and enthusiasm as students returned from the holiday break. We also said goodbye to dozens of graduates who completed their programs in December, including Abhi Gupta of the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist program. A few months later Abhi would deliver our valedictory address at our convocation ceremony from his home country of India.

Rock climbing wallFebruary 2020: In February we held what has become one of the social highlights of the winter, our annual carnival featuring student-staff hockey games for women and men, some fun outdoor and indoor winter activities and a shared lunch and dinner with students and employees. During this month, more than 30 campus employees also visited the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan reserve to learn more about Indigenous culture, a powerful learning experience as the College continues its Indigenization journey. We also celebrated the opening of a new rock climbing wall in the campus gymnasium.

March 2020: This was the month that everything changed. We had been planning for our March Break Open House with more than 350 people registered to attend when on March 13 the College suspended classes and told its employees and students to work and study from home. In a remarkable accomplishment, our faculty were able to pivot to deliver all course content in a remote delivery format using Zoom technology. The student services team also began offering all of its supports virtually, allowing students to complete their winter term.

April 2020: In April we held our first virtual Speaker Series with Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe answering questions on leadership, coaching and all things hockey. The event was sponsored by the Algonquin College Students’ Association who worked diligently to add many virtual social events to keep students engaged as they studied remotely.

Support Care studentMay 2020: In May we kicked off our Spring/Summer Term by continuing to offer programming and services virtually. By this point, a lot of great work had happened to support students including the introduction of a new virtual student learning kit. We also thanked the many healthcare students at our campus who volunteered and found employment on the frontlines of the pandemic. They were true heroes who were risking their own health to support vulnerable patients in health care settings, particularly long term care centres that were hard hit by the virus.

physical distancing signJune 2020: The College announced its intentions to deliver the majority of its programs remotely in the Fall 2020 Term as a public safety measure to protect students and employees from the COVID-19 virus. The decision allowed students to better plan their academic journey. It also meant that many out-of-town students were not required to re-locate to Pembroke as they were studying from home, while others who were in programs that had weekly in-person activities did come to Pembroke.

July 2020: Some of our students returned to campus in July to complete the practical skills they required to graduate from their program. With special permission from the province, these pilot programs had built in many safety mitigation policies to protect students and faculty from contracting the coronavirus. Our Forestry students were equipped with a large tent where they could be taught outdoors before making their way into the woods to put their newly learned skills to the test through practical applications. The lessons learned from our forestry faculty allowed other teachers to get creative in how they delivered in-person classes in the Fall Term.

August 2020: The College introduced a new COVID-19 safety course for students and employees who were required to be on campus. A COVID-19 tracking app was also introduced and the College imposed a mandatory face mask policy for anyone who was on campus. The Algonquin College Students’ Association also began celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Outdoor Adventure Naturalist, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusSeptember 2020: We started a new school year with more than 900 full-time students registered, plus dozens of apprenticeship and Academic Upgrading students. While the majority of our courses were delivered remotely, some face-to-face instruction was provided particularly in our outdoor training programs such as Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Technician. The College also celebrated having its first Kampus Kokum, Annie Parker, who provides insight, support and personal consultation for our Indigenous learners. We were also pleased to acknowledge our Campus Board of Governors representative, Jay McLaren, who with his wife Linda, an alumnus, was awarded the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement award. September also marked the 20th anniversary of the launch of our popular Outdoor Adventure program, and so we looked back on the program’s history with a series of stories about our faculty and alumni.

Outdoor Adventure, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

October 2020: For the first time in the more than 50-year history of Algonquin College, the Pembroke Campus held a virtual convocation ceremony. The ceremony featured video addresses from the College President, the Campus Dean and the campus valedictorian. In October we also held our first Fall Business Leadership Virtual Conference which was attended by almost 90 business leaders from across the region.

November 2020: Student leaders at the Pembroke Campus initiated a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion forum to advance the college’s social justice work by tackling the issue of racism. Former Ontario Attorney General, Yasir Naqvi, was the keynote speaker at the virtual forum and empowered students by telling them, it was a time to be bold.” Students in our Outdoor Adventure Naturalist also helped complete the three-year Natural Edge Program project in partnership with Watershed Canada and Muskrat Watershed Council by helping to plant the last 15,000 native trees and shrubs on five agricultural sites naturalizing 4,400-metres of shoreline. We also marked Remembrance Day with a virtual ceremony of Remembrance that included some of our employees and students who had military connections.

December 2020: The final month of the year brought unfortunate news that three campus employees and one student had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This occurred as COVID cases spiked across the province and the country, but there was also some good news during this month as a new approved vaccine started being distributed in Canada.

Personal Support Worker Graduates, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

There is no question that 2020 was a year like none other in the history of Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus, but through it all, we learned of beautiful acts of kindness by our students, alumni and employees. Many of our graduates were working on the frontline of the pandemic, putting their lives at risk to help the most vulnerable people in our society.

When the calendar turns to January we will celebrate the launch of our new Environmental Management and Assessment post-graduate certificate program and another offering of the Personal Support Worker program in collaboration with Bonnechere Manor in Renfrew. We will also launch the first level of the Electrician Apprentice program, following up a very successful Electrician – Construction and Maintenance – Pre-Apprentice offering.

We look forward to 2021 with hopes and dreams that our students, alumni and employees will achieve all of their personal and career goals.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Algonquin College Students Tackle Racism, Diversity and Inclusion Issues

“This is a time to be bold.” Those words from Yasir Naqvi set the tone for an engaging dialogue among students at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus at the first student-led Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion forum.

Yasir NaqviNaqvi is a former Attorney General for the province of Ontario and is currently the Chief Executive Officer for the Institute of Canadian Citizenship. He is also a Director with United Way East Ontario where he has played a leading role in stimulating a community response to systemic racism. Through his advocacy work, he has stressed the importance of listening to those who have been subjected to racism, adding “We don’t need more studies.”

In an opening presentation to kick off the forum, Naqvi told the students and employees of the College that Canadians want change. “We should not squander this opportunity to change the status quo. If we fail to move the yardstick to make change we are failing our future generations,” said Naqvi.

Naqvi spoke eloquently for about a half-hour before taking questions from the group. He encouraged the students to “be relentless and to champion the change.” He spoke about the importance of getting involved in advocacy opportunities such as peaceful protests and elections, at one point saying, “Make it an election issue and if you’re still not satisfied, run for office.”

After commending the students for getting involved with addressing systemic racism, Naqvi stepped out of the forum leaving the students to use virtual breakout rooms to begin the process of developing their own goals and strategies. For an hour they talked about the issues and brainstormed on what they could do to make a difference.

The conversations weren’t easy. Social justice issues like racism can be difficult to talk about and can be emotionally draining, but Naqvi’s point of being “willing to take risk and to be bold” carried the day as the students shared their perspectives and learned together.

Inclusion and Diversity, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

Shelly Sutherland is the Campus Student Success Specialist. She worked closely with a group of students who call themselves JEDI to plan the event. JEDI are student leaders who act as mentors for first-year students. They creatively used their nickname to brand the forum, ensuring that each letter stood for what they were trying to accomplish, a respectful conversation that focused on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

“We need to talk, we need to listen and we need to act,” says Sutherland. She adds, “I am proud and inspired by our students, their constant stepping up to amplify voices of the unheard and in many cases amplify their own voices. Whether easy or difficult, they are willing to continue the work with action!”

JEDI

This is just the beginning. The students have committed to continuing this work as they do their part to bring diversity issues to the surface where they can be addressed through thoughtful discussion and calls to action.

“This forum validated the willingness of Algonquin College to break down the barriers and address the social inequities that exist in our community,” says Nursing student Deena Hassan. “The forum was the first step, and we’re only moving forward after this. As an Egyptian-African, and studying in a town that is predominantly white, I can feel at ease knowing that Algonquin College is taking the steps to ensure diversity and inclusion at the campus,” adds Hassan, who is working with her classmate Grace Grant and the Students’ Association to establish a Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) Student Society.

The students will not be working in isolation. The Mayor of Pembroke has established a roundtable committee to address racism and the Local Immigration Partnership group is also consulting with various community members as more people join the effort to address an issue that is not new but is now getting the attention it deserves.

The 2015 release of Justice Murray Sinclair’s Truth and Reconciliation report was a watershed moment in Canadian history. The report and its 94 calls to action bluntly described the horrific treatment of the country’s Indigenous people and compelled Canadians to acknowledge the harm that was done and to create a new relationship with Indigenous people that honours their culture and their contributions to our nation.

But it was the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, an African American man who died at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota in May of 2020 that brought people into the streets in both American and Canadian cities. Floyd’s death came at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and despite restrictions on public gatherings, his death sparked “Black Lives Matter” protests around the world.

Floyd had died while handcuffed and pinned to the ground, his death caught on video. The circumstances of his death not only outraged the black community but all communities. This time, “Black Lives Matter,” became a call to action for everyone.

“The pandemic has really exposed the fault lines in our society. It has magnified the systemic issues that we have been living through for some time,” Naqvi told the students, adding that racism happens everywhere.

“Don’t give up. This will take some time, but be bold,” he said.

The students are prepared to do just that. Their work is just beginning, but it’s already off to a great start.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs.

A New Virtual Approach to Learning at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus

COVID-19 Safety Measures, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

There has never been a start to a school year like the one we are experiencing this fall at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. The campus is eerily quiet as few students are in the building, most are receiving their training in a virtual learning environment where faculty have adapted the way they teach course content in this pandemic adjusted world we are living in.

Enrolments are in fact strong, approaching 1,000 students in the 19 full-time programs that are being offered at the campus. Many programs were waitlisted as they filled up during the summer months, a strong indicator that students did not put their lives on hold and followed through with their commitment to obtain post-secondary credentials.

Online class

Like the students, most college employees are working from home. Over the past few months, both faculty and student support staff have done a remarkable job creating virtual support systems to help students succeed. The creativity, ingenuity and perseverance of the college staff have been inspiring, and through this pandemic, much has been learned about how technology can enable enhanced learning for students.

Of course, there are some things that can not be taught online, and so safety mitigation plans have been put in place to allow students in specialized classes to come on campus or participate in field trips. Examples include carpentry shop classes or outdoor skills training for Arborist students who need to learn the art of tree climbing.

Outdoor Adventure Naturalist, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusThe College has imposed strict safety guidelines such as the requirement that masks be worn on campus, that all students and employees complete an online health and safety COVID-19 course and that faculty take student attendance. Additional measures such as enhanced cleaning, the removal of furniture to ensure physical distancing and the closure of some common spaces with a shift to more virtual services have also been foundational in the college’s approach to keeping its students and staff safe.

A walk through the campus this fall is a very different experience. Gone is the buzz of excitement that comes with the start of a school year where orientation activities bring students together. That’s been replaced by virtual learning and social spaces using technology like Zoom, but through this unprecedented situation, students, faculty and staff are adjusting, understanding we may be in this situation for a while.

Former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra often left people confused with his creative sayings, but this one seems to hit the mark. “No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.” People are trying to stay within their social bubbles, trying to stay safe, but also trying to live as normal a life as possible. Making personal connections has never been more difficult.

Across the nation, post-secondary schools have had to adjust to this new reality. Higher education will remember 2020 as a year of disruption, however, history may show that the pandemic was also a transformational time for the sector. Never before have colleges pivoted so quickly and intentionally, keeping the focus on student success and academic instruction.

Berra would say, “If you see a fork in the road, take it.” Colleges have certainly done this, and while many students and employees long for the day when classes return to traditional classrooms, the pandemic has made it necessary to shift the way education is delivered. Students still have a timetable and still receive lessons from their faculty while spending time together in scheduled classes, but the bricks and mortar has been replaced by a computer screen. 2020 is certainly a new world.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Algonquin College Students’ Association Celebrates 50 years

The student voice always matters at post-secondary schools. Hearing what students have to say is what drives decision making and at Algonquin College the voice of its students has been effectively heard for the past five decades through its student leaders. This year the Algonquin Students’ Association is marking a very special milestone as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Founded in 1970, just three years after the Ontario college system was launched and Algonquin College got its start, the Association has lived up to its mission to create an environment that inspires a passion for student success. While the directors have changed over the years, the student leaders who have represented the student body have been true to the mission, continually aspiring to leave the College a bit better for the next group of students who come behind them.

At the Pembroke Campus, there is no greater example of the Students’ Association commitment to students than its bold move in 2008 to commit $4-million towards the building of a new Waterfront Campus along the shores of the Ottawa River. What made this extraordinary financial gift so significant was not only the amount of funding that was being put forward by the students but also the fact the commitment was being made before the College’s Board of Governors had officially approved the project for construction.

For many years the Students’ Association had heard from students at the former Pembroke Campus that they wanted recreational and sports facilities on campus, but with an aging building and no room for expansion, there was no opportunity to respond to this request. When momentum built to construct a new campus the Association jumped at the opportunity to throw its full support behind the project, making public its plans to help fund a gymnasium, fitness centre and student lounge that would create more social space for students.

There is no question the public declaration was highly influential in the ultimate decision made a few months later by the Board of Governors to approve the building of the new campus, with or without any government funding. The $36-million campus opened amidst much fanfare in the Fall of 2012. It was a proud moment for everyone involved, including the Students’ Association, but the S.A. wasn’t done yet.

Pembroke Campus

In the winter of 2020, the Students’ Association again responded to student requests by installing a rock climbing wall in the gymnasium. With a significant out-of-town student population and some of the most unique outdoor adventure programs in the college system, the climbing wall is a perfect fit for the Pembroke Campus. It has been very well received and has created more opportunities for students to literally “hang out.”

Rock Climbing wall

Over the years the Students’ Association has expanded its facilities and services at all three Algonquin College campuses. The Association continues to invest in college infrastructure and services that go beyond the classrooms. Soon, the S.A. will open a new athletics facility at its Ottawa Campus, another example of its leadership in providing some of the top athletic facilities in the country.

The Students’ Association has had a great run for the past five decades. Given its track record, it’s certain that the next 50 years will produce more great moments for the organization and ultimately the students who choose to study at Algonquin College.

Posted by: Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

 

45 Years After the Lorrain School of Nursing Transferred Nursing Education to Algonquin College

In the spring of 1975, the final graduating class from Pembroke’s Lorrain School of Nursing was celebrated. In a parting message to the more than 40 graduates the convocation booklet offered this passage, “Life is a dynamic and constantly changing process in which we must all change with the times. Gone is the day of the independent nursing school. Now our mode of education has changed to that of the Community College, in an effort to standardize and improve nursing education throughout the province. We are now known as Algonquin College Health Sciences Division-Lorrain.”

It was the end of an era. The Lorrain School of Nursing has been operating since 1916. It had been founded by Sister St. Elizabeth of the Catholic Church, operating out of the Pembroke General Hospital. In 1926, the school was transferred to the administration of the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who continued to operate it until that final graduating class in 1975. In its 58 year history, the school turned out hundreds of nursing graduates, most of whom were hired to work in Pembroke’s two hospitals, the General and the Civic hospital which closed in the 1990s as part of Ontario’s hospital restructuring mandate.

Lorrain school nurses from 1957

The decision to move all nursing education into the fledging Ontario college system was not unexpected. It had been rumoured for some time and took hold when the architect of the province’s new college training system moved into the Premier’s seat at Queens Park.

Bill Davis had served as Premier John Robarts’ education minister. In the mid-1960’s he was tasked with overhauling the model of vocational schools that had existed in Ontario for many years and replacing them with a province-wide publicly funded network of Colleges that would support the training and re-training requirements of the province’s industries.

In 1967, the college system was founded with large urban colleges established in most of Ontario’s major cities, and many regional smaller campuses in geographical locations that could support a post-secondary institute. Pembroke was one of those communities, the campus becoming an extension of Algonquin College in Ottawa.

Lorrain School of Nursing, Pembroke, ON

When Davis succeeded Robarts as Ontario’s Premier in 1971 he set his sights on bringing health care training into colleges, particularly nursing which for decades had been delivered through hospitals, divided on religious lines, with both protestant and Catholic nursing schools operating under the hospital administration. Such was the case at the Lorrain School of Nursing where Gisele Shields earned her nursing diploma and immediately upon graduating in 1960 joined the faculty as a clinical instructor for nursing students.

Shields had grown up in Westmeath, a farming community near Pembroke. After graduating from high school she made a quick decision to become a nurse. “I had three choices-a secretary, a nurse or a teacher. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do but one day in high school I was asked to go to Cathedral school to supervise a grade three class. I couldn’t control the kids and that’s when I decided to apply to the nursing program at Lorrain,” says Shields.

Nursing faculty at Lorrain School of Nursing

(Photo of Nursing faculty at Lorrain School of Nursing. L to R: Mary McBride, Myra Sloan, Gisele Shields, Laura Quiat-all of whom transferred to Algonquin College)

Shields says the transition from the Lorrain School to the College wasn’t an easy adjustment for the faculty. The College came with a new set of operating rules and when the Lorrain staff transferred to the Pembroke Campus the building wasn’t ready for them. “They were still doing construction. We had to wear hard hats to go to our classrooms,” says Shields, but as time evolved, the faculty adjusted to their new surroundings and their expertise helped the campus get off on the right foot as it started to build what is now an excellent reputation for training nurses.

Shields has the distinction of being the only Algonquin College nursing teacher to have taught every student who enrolled in the Diploma nursing program from 1974 through 2003 when the Diploma Nursing program was phased out and replaced with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing four-year degree program. She retired at age 65, many years removed from her reluctant choice to attend the Lorrain School to become a nurse, a decision that resulted in a teaching career that spanned more than four decades.

Reflecting on her career, Shields fondly remembers the Lorrain School of Nursing. She remembers having only one day off a week because student nurses were expected to take shifts at the hospital and to live in dorms that were provided by the school. During her time as a student, there was no tuition payment required, but students did have to cover their uniform and book costs. They earned a $15 stipend each month for their work at the hospital.

It was a lot of responsibility for new nursing students. “ I can remember making rounds every hour and making sure everyone was breathing,” quips Shields. “We always had a third-year student with us and they knew the ropes. There was a lot of responsibility on all of the students. That’s why we didn’t pay tuition, because we provided a service to the hospital” says Shields.

It’s now been 60 years since Shields graduated. Over that time she has stayed connected with her graduating class, a group that has maintained a tradition of holding a reunion every five years. “Residence was probably the best time of my life. We worked hard. We played hard. We made friendships that lasted a lifetime,” says Shields.

In one of the three nursing labs at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus, there is a plaque acknowledging the financial gift made by the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in helping to fund the lab when the campus opened in 2012. It is a reminder of how the Lorrain School of Nursing is part of Algonquin’s rich history in training nurses.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

20 Years of Outdoor Adventure at the Pembroke Campus

Kayaks

In the summer of 1999, Kent MacDonald jumped into a raft at Wilderness Tours resort. It was his first time rafting the Ottawa River and an opportunity to learn more about what a potential student experience would be like if his academic department pursued an Outdoor education program. MacDonald was the Chair of the Business and Technology department at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus and knew that the campus was exploring new opportunities to grow its enrolments. One of the ideas on the table was an outdoor education program that would support the growing adventure tourism sector.

MacDonald was a visionary, a big thinker and an entrepreneur, personality traits that would propel him to the presidency of three institutions during his career, Algonquin College, St. Francis Xavier University and now Northwood University in Michigan. On that hot, sunny day on the Ottawa River, MacDonald was envisioning what the program could look like and how a partnership with the private sector would be needed to make it financially viable.

Rafting

With a senior guide steering the raft through the rapids, the flat water sections of the river provided ample opportunity for MacDonald to ask questions. He wanted to know about the needs of the industry, the growth in rafting trips and the infrastructure that was available at Wilderness Tours for student learning? By the time the trip was over, he was sitting across the table from the owner of Wilderness Tours, Joe Kowalski, and discussions were underway on how the College and adventure company could jointly build a program that would produce graduates with both practical skills and business acumen that would advance the adventure tourism sector.

“I had no reservations. We developed the program together with the professional team at Wilderness Tours. Each of us knew what each institution was able to bring to the table. We were both committed to quality and safety, and Wilderness Tours could do a better job than we could, in terms of providing industry expertise, risk management, outstanding facilities and equipment and of course, excellent contacts within the industry for our students to obtain employment. It was a perfect scenario and an opportunity that was obvious in my view,” says MacDonald.

Outdoor Adventure, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusLike MacDonald, Kowalski saw the potential in a partnership with the College. “This was exactly what the industry needed. It helped bring credibility to the adventure tourism sector and we were very proud to be pioneers with Algonquin College in developing the most successful Outdoor Adventure program on the planet,” says Kowalski who himself is into his fifth decade of owning an adventure tourism business.

Over the next few weeks, MacDonald and Kowalski would meet often, bringing their teams together to hammer out the details of what the program would entail. By the time the fall of 1999 rolled around, the pieces were in place. Students would spend two days a week at Wilderness Tours and Mount Pakenham, which Kowalski jointly owned, and three days a week on campus learning business fundamentals that would apply to adventure tourism.

Courses like risk management, accounting, finance, marketing and communication skills would be taught, but the big attraction to students would be the opportunity to earn more than 20 industry-recognized certifications while learning practical skills like whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, rock and ice climbing and scuba diving. It was truly the most exhilarating college program on earth and not surprisingly it was an overwhelming success when it launched in the fall of 2000.

With only 40 spaces available in its first intake, the program attracted almost 250 applications. Through a competitive process applicants needed to meet academic requirements for English and Math, needed to submit letters of intent and reference letters to describe the attributes they would bring to the program, and participate in a program readiness camp. Two decades later, those same requirements continue to be part of the admissions process and the program continues to attract students from across the country, and in some cases international destinations.

Ben ShillingtonAmong the students who enrolled that first year was Ben Shillington who had no intention of continuing on to post-secondary education. ” Upon graduation from high school, my plan was to bicycle solo and self-supported across Canada. After arriving on the West Coast, I planned to find a place to train in both whitewater rafting and mountaineering. Shortly before graduating high school, my guidance counsellor gave me a sheet of paper highlighting a new program still pending approval called “Outdoor Adventure Guide Diploma” With a list of training and certification in everything from mountain biking to scuba diving and ice climbing along with some in-class education I couldn’t think of a better bang for buck opportunity.”

Twenty years later, Shillington is perhaps the most adventurous graduate the program has ever produced. His adventures started right after he completed the program. Shillington followed through on his plan to bike solo across the country. He then became a whitewater raft guide that summer while also climbing and filming a two-month mountaineering expedition in the Himalayas as part of an adventure documentary series for the Discovery Channel.

There’s not much Shillington hasn’t done in the adventure world. His long list of adventures includes working, travelling and training in 28 countries, three summits of Mount Kilimanjaro, a three-week ski expedition on one of the coldest places on earth in the winter – Lake Winnipeg, an 11,000-kilometre bike expedition from Istanbul, Turkey to Beijing, China and the list goes on. Shillington has also written a book on winter camping and he continues to be a lead practical skills trainer for the program that changed his point of view on post-secondary education.

When he speaks about the program and what it meant to his development as an adventure guide, Shillington simply says. “What you put into it, is what you will get out of it.”

The idea for an outdoor education program was first brought forward by Dawn Dubé, who was the Manager of Community and Student Affairs at the Pembroke Campus during the 1990’s. She had watched her son and his friends embrace adventure activities and felt strongly that there was room in the marketplace for a college program that would teach these skills for the emerging adventure tourism industry. She brought the suggestion to the attention of Campus Dean, Marguerite Donohue, who also thought it was a good idea. When MacDonald joined the campus management group in 1998 he was given the task of bringing the idea to fruition.

When the Outdoor Adventure program started, the Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College had about 500 full-time students. Its impact on the campus can not be understated. The program’s ability to attract out-of-town students opened a door for the campus to launch other outdoor training programs, resulting in significant enrolment growth that helped contribute to the 2012 opening of a new Waterfront Campus along the shores of the Ottawa River and adjacent to Pembroke’s downtown.

Outdoor Ed Students

Twenty years after the Outdoor Adventure program helped the Pembroke Campus become a destination for college-bound students who wanted to experience a program like no other in the province at the time, the program has become a flagship program for the campus. It has produced graduates that work all around the world, many of whom have started their own adventure businesses, a primary goal of MacDonald’s when he signed off on the program launch two decades ago.

“We always wanted to have Algonquin Outdoor Adventure graduates who were professional and highly prepared to make a difference in the industry. We underestimated them-they have actually changed it for the better! says MacDonald, who glows when speaking about how graduates now work all around the world.

He also offers this advice to future students. “Take advantage of being one of those special people who have been selected to participate in the best outdoor college program in North America. Increase your knowledge, enhance your skill-base and then take those outcomes to make a difference in the multi-billion dollar industry in Canada.”

That’s exactly the approach Cameron Dubé had in mind when as a 21-year old young man he enrolled in the program in its second year. Dubé had grown up in the Ottawa Valley and is among a small group of local students who have enrolled in the program over the years. Most of the students who move to Pembroke to take the program come from Ontario and Quebec, given Pembroke’s close proximity to the provincial border, but the program always has students from coast to coast and beyond Canada’s footprint.

Cameron Dube, Outdoor Adventure, Algonquin College, Pembroke

“I knew that at this point in my life it was time to take my life experiences as a ski instructor at Whistler/Blackcomb and Kicking Horse Resort and as a raft guide at Wilderness Tours to the next level by adding a diploma to my resume, and it worked!.” After graduating, Dubé quickly found management level positions within the adventure tourism sector and eventually returned to school to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management through an articulation agreement that was established with Thomson Rivers University in British Columbia. Now, in between expeditions that have taken him to many parts of the world, Dubé teaches technical skills in the program, returning full circle to the College that gave him his Outdoor Adventure diploma.

On that initial rafting trip, the guide pointed out to MacDonald an osprey, a large fish-eating bird that had built a nest high in a tree looking over the Ottawa River. It was a reminder for MacDonald of how nature could be so engaging and why millions of people around the world seek out opportunities to explore Canada’s natural beauty, including its animal habitat. Perhaps, it planted a seed for what would become a spin-off program to Outdoor Adventure two years later, Outdoor Adventure Naturalist, a business tourism program that focuses on nature interpretation and soft adventure skills like flatwater canoeing and kayaking, astronomy and cross-country skiing.

At the core of the program’s success has been its faculty. Experienced adventure tourism practitioners like long-time coordinator Jeff Jackson, Chris Melmoth and Ian Pineau brought years of industry experience into the classroom, and worked with practical skills subject matter experts at Wilderness Tours to build a solid foundation of expertise that has set a high expectation for students who enroll in the program.

Outdoor Adventure has proven to be a college program like no other, a program that has now turned out hundreds of graduates. These alumni have climbed Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro, have led expeditions on all corners of the planet, have improved safety through their attention to risk management and have created jobs through their entrepreneurial ambition to create their own adventure companies. It’s exactly what MacDonald had envisioned and it’s worth making a splash about as Algonquin’s Outdoor Adventure program celebrates its twentieth anniversary.

Posted by: Jamie Bramburger, Manager, Community and Student Affairs

Algonquin College’s Healthcare Students and Graduates on Frontline of Pandemic

We have learned very quickly how life can change in an instant as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic. Simple things like taking a walk in the park, enjoying a meal with friends, or socializing with colleagues at work have abruptly been put on hold as the world deals with an invisible enemy that has infected millions of people, killing thousands.

Ellie Lewis

Ellie Lewis, 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student working in Northern Ontario hospital.

While most of us have settled into working from home, rarely leaving our houses, healthcare workers have been on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic since it emerged in Canada in mid-March. These essential workers include Nurses, Personal Support Workers and Paramedics, all professionals who have been trained by community colleges and are now needed more than ever.

Here in Renfrew County, many of those frontline workers are Algonquin College graduates. These alumni are in hospitals, visiting patients in their homes, helping to assess potential cases of the virus and responding to emergency calls. Their days are long, their stress is real, and the sacrifices they are making during these unprecedented times have earned them the respect of all Canadians.

Personal Support Worker Graduates, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

L to R: Tanya Miller, Debbie Panke, and Haley Jones, Personal Support Worker graduates working at Marianhill, Pembroke.

Recently, the Ontario government introduced a “pandemic pay” increase for some of these workers, acknowledging how great a need the province has for these employees during this national crisis. The four dollar per hour bump in pay impacts more than 350,000 workers including Personal Support Workers and Nurses who work in long-term care centres, a sector that has been particularly hard hit with outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus.

There was already a shortage of Personal Support Workers in many parts of the country, including Renfrew County, before the pandemic struck. Now, that labour market shortage is more acute.

Similar to how the 9-11 attacks on the United States in 2001 brought attention to careers in policing and security, the pandemic has shone a light on health career careers. Pictures and videos of exhausted health care staff, their faces left with a rash from hours of wearing personal protective masks, have become symbols of the pandemic.

The sincere admiration expressed to these healthcare heroes has been palpable. For example, through the College’s social media platforms, we have shared the stories of many of our current students and alumni who are working through the pandemic. Many have had to separate themselves from their families, or have worked excessive overtime to fill shifts. The heartfelt comments that have flooded these posts are all one has to read to understand the personal connection these individuals have to our community as family, friends, neighbours and college faculty and staff commend them for their service.

Florence Nightingale, the most revered nurse in history, once said, “Nursing is an art. It requires an exclusive devotion, the finest of fine arts.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, that devotion has been on display 24 hours a day.

The College is proud of its healthcare students and graduates and all essential workers who have been at the centre of the pandemic. Written words aren’t enough to express our gratitude as we acknowledge their talent, their commitment and their professionalism during this troubling time in our history.

They’ve stepped up for us. We need to continue to step up for them, by adhering to the policies in place concerning physical distancing that have so effectively helped to flatten the spread of the virus. As healthcare workers tell us daily, the pandemic isn’t over. Stay home. Stay safe.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.

Algonquin College Responds to COVID-19 Pandemic

It happened quickly, but students at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus are now completing their winter term online. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for the entire world, and as countries responded by enforcing physical distancing, it prompted post-secondary institutions to move curriculum that would normally be taught in classrooms, labs and in the workplace to an online format.

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Starting on Monday, March 23, students who were accustomed to attending classes on campus were now engaging from their homes. The College knew this would be a big adjustment for both teachers and students, and so a variety of supports were put in place to support both parties. Faculty who had extensive experience teaching online rallied to support their colleagues and the College’s information technology and academic support teams put together a “super team” of trainers who introduced new online learning tools and best practices to ensure teachers were in the best position to deliver their classes virtually.

Across the College, teams of employees brainstormed and then put into action fresh ideas to build a toolbox of resources to support students. A great example is a learning kit portal that shares resources on how to succeed in online classes. There are videos on topics such as time management, studying and test-taking and delivering presentations. Another section puts students in contact with the College’s student support lab where they can set up virtual meetings with academic coaches who can help them better understand subject material in areas such as English, Math and Science.

The College uses Zoom technology to allow its faculty to deliver lectures and presentations to student remotely. The learning kit portal provides step-by-step directions to students on how to navigate their way through Zoom so they are comfortable using it. There’s also a Student Services User Guide that puts students in contact with the right college staff member who can help them, whether that is an academic advisor, a counsellor or a financial aid officer.

Online Classroom

It hasn’t been an easy transition moving from a face-to-face educational model to an online campus in such a short period of time, but given the circumstances, there was no choice and there was limited time to make the transition. It’s been a learning experience for everyone, but our students and faculty deserve a lot of credit for their patience and willingness to adjust during a very difficult time.

For example, the College understands that with elementary and secondary schools closed, many college students have children at home as do some teachers. This sometimes leads to unexpected interruptions from younger family members or even pets. There’s an appreciation that life is happening in real-time for everyone and that the uncertainty of the pandemic is concerning for all. For that reason, the College is working very hard to be flexible and supportive of students as they navigate their way through what is a completely new learning environment for some of them.

Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

It will be some time before the Waterfront Campus re-opens to students for in-person classes, but out of this crisis will come many new opportunities for the College to better serve its learners. Developing a learner-driven plan that customizes the experience of students has been a priority for the College, and moving to an online platform of instruction, will certainly help generate new ideas of what the future student learning experience could look like. It’s an exciting concept, but a dialogue that will have to wait a bit longer as the College prioritizes its commitment to help students complete their academic term.

In the meantime, Algonquin College will continue to aspire to its mission to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. The College is just doing it in a different way, while also looking forward to a return to regular college operations when it is safe to do so. Be safe and be well.

Jamie Bramburger is the Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus. You can reach Jamie at brambuj@algonquincollege.com

Spring Business Leadership Conference May 21 at Pembroke Waterfront Campus

Maximizing the potential of your employees should be a priority for every business. That’s the focus of the 2020 Spring Business and Leadership Conference scheduled for May 21 at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.

Now into its sixth Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Algonquin College, Spring Business Conference, Pembrokeyear, the conference supports local organizations by providing high quality and affordable professional development opportunity close to home. This year’s headliner is Doctor Robyne Hanley-Dafoe who will deliver a poignant keynote address on resiliency in the workplace.

As the senior educational developer for the Centre of Teaching and Learning at Trent University in Peterborough, Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award winning psychology instructor who specializes in navigating stress and change with a focus on personal wellness in the workplace.

Hanley-Dafoe will be joined by five other women in producing the first all-women line-up of presenters in the conference’s history. All will focus on topics that will drive improvement within organizations.

For example, Iman Haasan will provide tips on how to promote health and wellness in the workplace through lessons learned from sports psychology. Hassan is a mental health performance consultant who is also a Sport Performance and Psychology doctoral student at the University of Ottawa.

Colleen Walsh, Algonquin College, Spring Business Conference, PembrokeColleen Walsh has spent more than 20 years helping businesses solve human resources issues. She has entitled her workshop as “The Modern-Day Performance Management Process.” From Walsh’s perspective, there is a lot of discontent with the way employers evaluate employee performance. Her workshop will focus on how to provide constructive criticism that will motivate your employees to build stronger working relationships.

Within a work team, everyone has different responsibilities, but when someone lets the team down it can cause a lot of tension. Victoria Miles is an employee engagement specialist and will deliver a punchy presentation on “Demystifying Accountability,” an interactive workshop that will tackle questions like, what does accountability look like when it’s in action? Most importantly, the session will drill down on why accountability is so important in the workplace and will provide tips on how to introduce it as an employee engagement priority.

Why do so many projects fail? Becky Wright is a certified project manager and will explore the most common reasons why projects don’t succeed. Through group work, Wright will help her audience understand how poor planning is usually to blame and more importantly will delve into what organizations can do to learn from their past failures to plan better.

Erin Blaskie, Algonquin College, Spring Business Conference, PembrokeErin Blaskie is a social media guru, but she’s also a leading entrepreneur. A lover of technology, Blaskie helps entrepreneurs achieve their goals by inspiring them to achieve greatness, while also understanding the pitfalls that often derail entrepreneurs. In her enlightening session, Blaskie will tackle the question of what does it mean to be an entrapreneur within an organization? In answering that question, Blaskie will be promoting the need for more creativity and innovation to drive business growth and build successful teams.

Registration has opened for the conference. Early bird rates of only $210 plus applicable taxes are in place until March 31 and businesses that register three people for the conference will receive the fourth registration free.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.