Niagara College News and Media

Joshua Merrill, a second-year Police Foundations student at Niagara College, was recognized recently as a top Police Foundations student in the province.

Police Foundations/Law & Security Administration coordinators from colleges across Ontario, recognizing excellence in academics and leadership amongst thousands of student candidates, selected Joshua as a recipient of the Police Prep Scholarship.

Selection was based on a portfolio submitted by every applicant. Joshua’s portfolio was a four-month work-in-progress collaboration between staff and Joshua.

“Joshua is a shining example of the highly skilled and knowledgeable leaders that we are proud to produce through our Police Foundations program,” said Gino Arcaro, Coordinator of Niagara College’s Police Foundations program.

The award is sponsored by Police Prep, a company providing online and book training for policing recruitment candidates to prepare them for the application, testing and interview process for the police services across Canada and around the world. For more information, visit www.policeprep.com.

Niagara College offers Police Foundations as a two-year program. The program offers a reality-based curriculum emphasizing applied learning and frontline policing and investigation skills. Faculty consists of experienced former police officers with extensive investigative experience. The Police Foundations program holds a strong partnership with the Niagara Regional Police, including student ride-along opportunities. Students can choose this program, an accelerated one-year program or a degree/diploma opportunity offered in conjunction with Brock University. For more information, visit www.niagaracollege.ca/pf.

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For more information, contact:

Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing and Communications
905-735-2211 ext 7567
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable John Milloy, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, today announced $40 million in infrastructure funding – $20 million each – for Niagara College’s new Applied Health Institute at the Welland campus. The announcement was made at a joint federal/provincial media conference held at Brock University today, where investments totaling $1.476 billion for infrastructure projects at post-secondary institutions throughout Ontario were announced.

As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada introduced the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year, $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian post-secondary institutions, including universities and community colleges. Today’s announcements were the first round of projects to qualify under the program in Ontario.

“Our government’s investment provides significant short-term economic stimulus in local communities throughout Ontario, while at the same time strengthening Canada’s long term capacity for research and innovation,” said Minister Clement. “The renewal of college and university facilities will encourage more world-class researchers to work in Canada and give them the tools they need to make further discoveries that will benefit Canadians and people around the world.”

The federal-provincial investment today totals more than $1.476 billion over two years, including $587 million in federal funding, $641.2 million in provincial funding, and $248.1 million from other funding sources, including the private sector, charitable contributions, and the universities and colleges themselves.

“The investments this partnership provides will help ensure Ontario’s colleges and university facilities have the tools they need to be global leaders in their fields and pursue world-class excellence,” said Minister Milloy. “Attracting and retaining workers who drive innovation and growth in the global knowledge economy strengthens Ontario’s position as a world leader in science and technology, for the benefit of all Canadians.”

The federal/provincial funding announced today for the new Applied Health Institute is the largest funding announcement in Niagara College’s history. The College is currently investing $48 million in new facilities in its two main campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The construction of the Applied Health Institute greatly enhances these campus redevelopment plans, accommodating key health programs and related community health services into a new integrated facility.

“We applaud both levels of government for the investments they’ve announced today,” said Niagara College President Dan Patterson. “This is incredible news for Niagara College and the Niagara Region. It will further enhance our current $48 million campus re-development project, and it significantly strengthens our ability to deliver the highly-skilled, job-ready graduates who support healthcare in Niagara and Ontario.”

The new facility provides a permanent home for the College’s Registered Practical Nurse and Personal Support Worker programs (currently in a leased facility), and provides 100,000 sq ft of expanded space for existing applied health programs, including Therapeutic Recreation, Paramedics, Pharmacy Assistant, and Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene.

New classroom and lab space in the Applied health Institute will allow for the launch of new programs serving the health and wellness of the Niagara Region, including Occupational Therapist/Physiotherapist Assistant, Gerontology, Addictions Counseling, Mental Health Worker, Children’s Mental Health Worker and Elder Care Advocate.

The demand for Niagara College healthcare programming is high – from both healthcare employers who seek skilled workers, and by students who want to pursue careers in healthcare. Currently, almost all Niagara College healthcare programs have a waiting list. Due to this high demand, the College developed the plans for the Applied Health Institute to both consolidate and expand its healthcare facilities.

“The construction of the new Applied Health Institute is a major leap forward for Niagara College, and will truly position the college as a leader, accommodating key health programs, applied research, and community health services,” said Niagara College Vice President Academic Steve Hudson.

Extensive planning for the Applied Health Institute has already taken place. The project is in the design phase, with construction scheduled to begin in August 2009, and completion targeted for February 2011.

More information about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program can be found at www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure.

More information about Niagara College’s Building Futures campaign can be found at www.niagaracollege.ca.

With over 7,000 full-time and 15,000 part-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 certificate, diploma, post-graduate and degree programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include healthcare, technology, skilled trades, hospitality and tourism, viticulture, business, community safety, and new media. The College is home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery.

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Note: Images of the Applied Health Institute are available for download at www.niagaracollege.ca/masterplan/appliedhealth_media.htm.

For more information, contact:

Gord Hunchak
Director of Marketing & Communications
905-735-2211, ext. 7567
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

The Niagara College Teaching (NCT) Winery turned Icewine into gold by winning a Double Gold Medal at the 28th Annual All Canadian Wine Championships, held recently in Windsor.

The 2007 Dean’s List Cabernet Franc Icewine won double gold in the ‘Best of Category – Red Icewine.’ This specific Icewine was produced from Niagara College’s Donald Ziraldo Vineyard, located at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus, and crafted by Winemaker Terence Van Rooyen with student involvement.

The NCT Winery entered the competition in seven categories and won medals in four. In addition to the Double Gold, the NCT Winery also picked up a Silver for the 2007 Merlot and a Bronze for both the 2007 Dean’s List Pinot Noir and the 2007 Dean’s List Vidal Icewine.

The Canadian Wine Trail, home of the All Canadian Wine Championships, was established in 1981 in Windsor, Ontario, and is the oldest and largest competition created specifically for the Canadian wine scene. The judging panel is assembled from all segments of the wine industry and represents the major Canadian and American wine regions.

The Niagara College Teaching (NCT) Winery serves as a practical learning enterprise for students in Niagara College’s award-winning Winery and Viticulture Technician and post-graduate Wine Business Management programs. Since opening in 2002, the wines of the NCT Winery have captured more than 65 national and international awards. Earlier this year, the 2007 Dean’s List Pinot Noir was selected as top Pinot Noir at Cuvee.

The NCT Winery will soon have a new home at Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus. Construction began in Fall 2008 on a Wine Education and Visitor Centre. This unique facility, scheduled to open in Fall 2009, will house the NCT Winery, a library, classrooms and labs, and serve as an educational facility for students, industry and visitors. For more information, visit www.niagaracollege.ca/masterplan.

NCT Winery wines are sold at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus Wine Store. Learn more at www.nctwinery.com.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Wales
Senior Communications Officer
905-735-2211 ext. 7773
mwales@niagaracollege.ca

Niagara College soared into second place at the Canada Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Design/Build and Fly Competition, hosted by CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick recently.

Team Ragnarok, composed of Niagara College Photonics Research Assistants Jeff Brown and Mike Taras, took home second place overall in the competition, and placed first in Phase 1. Winners were honoured during an Awards Banquet May 10. Brown and Taras have just completed their fourth year in the College’s Bachelor of Applied Technology Degree program.

The purpose of the competition is to build Canadian interest, expertise and experience in unmanned technologies at the university and college levels. The theme of this year’s competition was Forest Fire Fighting. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) needed to provide information about the fire to the on-scene fire commander and spot dangers that would affect fire fighters.

The competition consisted of two phases. Phase 1 was the Technical Competition and involved a written proposal submitted by each team describing details of the vehicle design. Phase 2 was the Airborne Competition, in which teams used their designed UAVs to complete tasks. A team needs to complete Phase 1 to be eligible for Phase 2.

Brown and Taras have been involved in an Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) funded Interact project, “The Development of a Remote Gas Sensing (S02) 2D CCD Camera.” The project involves industry partner Resonance Ltd. and faculty lead Alexander McGlashan.

This is the first time Niagara College has competed in the competition.

The UVA Canada UAV Design/Build and Fly Competition fosters future engineers who continue to contribute to Canada’s leading role in unmanned systems. For more information, visit http://www.uvscanada.org.

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For more information, contact:

Natalee Tokar
Research Project Manager
Niagara College
905-641-2252 ext 4151
ntokar@niagaracollege.ca

Niagara College’s Sailing School will hold its Annual Open House on Sunday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Port Dalhousie Pier Marina, Inner Range Lighthouse in Port Dalhousie, Ontario.

The event will feature a short sail on Lake Ontario, facility tours, complimentary refreshments, door prizes and an opportunity to speak with instructors, students, and club members.

The College’s sailing school provides instruction in keelboat sailing, as well as a variety of other leisure sailing and boating activities, including a Junior Sailing program for children ages 9 to 15. Instruction, both in class and on the water, is offered on a repeated basis throughout the summer. Class times are flexible for student convenience, and schedules may be customized to accommodate your particular timetable.

Graduates of the 30-hour basic cruising course are eligible to join the College’s Sailing Club. Club members are allowed use of the Sailing School’s four boats.

Niagara College offers keelboat sailing instruction aboard Shark 24’s. This 24-foot racer/cruiser has proven to be Canada’s favorite “one-design” keelboat. They are safe, reliable, extremely stable, and come equipped with Canadian Coast Guard recommended safety equipment, GPS and VHF radios.

Niagara College is a member of the Ontario Sailing Association (OSA), the Canadian Yachting Association (CYA), and the American Sailing Association (ASA), and is qualified to test toward certification within these associations. Instruction is provided by CYA certified instructors.

Courses include Sailing for Beginners, the Junior Sailing program, Basic Keelboat Cruising, and Pleasure Craft Operator Card training and testing.

For information on Continuing Education courses at Niagara College, visit www.niagaracollege.ca/ce.

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For more information, contact:

Shirley Tomovic
Development Officer
Continuing Education
Niagara College
905-735-2211, ext. 7521
stomovic@niagaracollege.ca

Ahoy, mateys! Prepare to set sail aboard the Empire Sandy – Port Dalhousie’s most feared pirate ship – for an adventure-filled three-hour cruise on the wide open sea. Niagara College’s Continuing Education division is offering the cruise, which sets sail on Friday, June 12, as part of its Niagara Kids’ College program.

Sailing from the East Pier in Port Dalhousie at 9 a.m. until noon (boarding time 8:30 a.m.), children aged eight to 12 (and their parents) are invited to become a pirate for the day.

Kids can dress up like a pirate and climb aboard the three-masted schooner and become a scallywag for the day as they take part in treasure hunts and pirate games. Help hoist the Jolly Roger, listen to sea shanties and have your face painted pirate-style. See and hear the ship’s thundering canon as it defends the ship from surrounding phantom pirate ships and Davey Jones’s locker. The day will also include a delicious ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ lunch buffet on the quarterdeck, with contests, prizes and more.

The ship sails rain or shine at Captain Eric’s discretion. This is a great opportunity for end-of-year class trips and birthday parties. Special school and group rates are available. Tickets are $45 per students, and include a lunch and other treats.

For more information on the ‘Tall Ship Pirate Cruise,’ call 905-735-2211, ext. 7510, or visit www.niagaracollege.ca/kids.

The ‘Tall Ship Pirate Cruise’ is part of the Niagara Kids’ College summer camp program. Now in its third year, the popular Niagara Kids’ College offers a wide range of summer programs and events for children aged 7 to 16. Programs include acting, golfing, cooking, painting and building, applying makeup, improving sport skills, learning languages, sailing and much more. Niagara Kids’ College programs run from single, half-day to full day and week sessions. Classes are designed and led by instructors who are experts in their fields. Register early to not be left out of the summer fun. Spaces are still available. Visit www.niagaracollege.ca/kids for more information.

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For more information, contact:

Shirley Tomovic
Development Officer
905-735-2211, ext. 7521
stomovic@niagaracollege.ca

For the fourth year in a row, a Niagara College Hairstylist Apprentice has captured a medal at the Skills Canada – Ontario competition.

Lisa Caputo of Niagara Falls won gold at the Skills Canada-Ontario competition held last week in Waterloo, and will represent Niagara College at the Skills Canada National Competition, held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, May 20-23.

Caputo is currently enrolled in Niagara College’s Hairstylist Apprentice program, and she works at Girasole Salon and Spa in Niagara Falls.

The Skills Canada competition is an opportunity for elementary, secondary and post-secondary students to showcase their skills while promoting skilled trades. Skills Canada-Ontario is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades and technologies as viable, first choice career options to Ontario youth. Niagara College was among the hosts of the regional portion of the Skills Canada-Ontario competitions in April.

Niagara College’s Hairstylist Apprentice program includes two levels, both in-class training and on-the-job training. Program components include health and safety, hair and scalp treatment, salon function, hair cutting and styling, permanent wave and chemical relaxing, and hair colouring and lightening.

Apprenticeship is recognized as one of the most efficient methods of training and educating skilled tradespersons. Apprentices develop competency on the job as employers provide the practical training in the trade, while the College provides related academic training in co-operation with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

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For more information, contact:

Domenic Caruso
Continuing Education
Niagara College
905-735-2211, ext. 7819
dcaruso@niagaracollege.ca

Niagara College President Dan Patterson today announced the appointment of Teresa Quinlin as the College’s Vice President of Corporate Services.

Ms Quinlin has held the role of Vice President, Corporate Services in an acting capacity for more than five months. Prior to taking on the Acting Vice President’s role, Teresa served as the College’s Director of Financial Services for six years. In that role, Teresa proved to be a prudent steward of the College’s finances, exhibiting strong fiscal management and planning that has allowed the College to meet its financial goals.

“We’re very pleased to have Teresa join the College’s executive team,” said Patterson. “She is an accomplished professional who has made key contributions to the success of Niagara College as Director of Financial Services. We look forward to her continued contributions as she assumes leadership of our Corporate Services Division.”

As Vice President of Corporate Services, Ms Quinlin will oversee a division that includes financial services, human resources, information technology services, facilities management, ancillary services and campus security. She will play a lead role in guiding the College’s multi-million dollar campus redevelopment project.

Ms Quinlin is a chartered accountant who holds an undergraduate degree from Brock University and a Masters in Business Administration from Niagara University.

In 2007, Teresa received Niagara College’s Award of Excellence for administrative staff, and in 2008 she received the Ontario College’s Distinguished Administrator Award. She is also a member of the first graduating cohort of the Leadership Niagara Program.

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For more information, contact:

Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905-735-2211 ext. 7567 (office)
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca