First row (left to right): Tina Christman, Safani Gunasekera, Maureen Arbour, Lu-Han Wang. Second row (left to right): Sylvia Bernard, Paola Osorio, Sarah Simpson, Katie Fraser. Third row (left to right): Steve Loftus, Bolu Fabanwo, Andrew Wilcox, Dean Jobin-Bevans

Jessica Owen
OrilliaMatters.com

Lakehead University Orillia was recognized for its multiculturalism, three of its students was singled out for their efforts and one of its employees was also honoured at the Newcomer Recognition Awards last night.

The seventh annual awards took place at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club to recognize the efforts of community champions and local immigrants who work to make Simcoe County a better place.

“Our growing communities benefit greatly from the diverse talents, knowledge and skills of more than 62,000 immigrants who now call Simcoe County home," said Simcoe County Warden George Cornell.

"This event is a great opportunity to recognize local community champions, hear their stories and learn from their experiences of living in and contributing to our county,” he said.

The Ethnic Mosaic Alliance (EMA) hosted a silent auction to kick off a fundraising campaign to build a multicultural centre in the county. 

“I know we can’t make our dream a reality without your support,” said EMA president Shelley Sarin. “We have a long road ahead and I look for your support for future generations who want to call Simcoe County home.”

Twelve awards were given out to celebrate the achievements of local immigrants, businesses and community champions.

Multiculturalism through Education (School) - Lakehead University

Lakehead University’s Orillia campus’ new international program contributes to student success through creating opportunities for work experience, providing a supportive campus environment across faculty and staff departments, and facilitating opportunities for cultural education.

The Student Success Centre and international department work together to provide workshops for international students seeking to work in Simcoe County.

The university provides international students with a supportive campus environment by hosting a variety of events and activities in collaboration with the Lakehead University Multicultural Association (LUMA). They celebrate international holidays and the traditions of cultures represented by the students on campus. Most recently, the university launched an International Peer Mentor program.

Lakehead University Principal Dean Jobin-Bevins said this year, the school has seen a 36 per cent increase in international enrolments at the Orillia campus.

“Thank you for recognizing the strides we’ve taken as an institution,” he said.

Youth Community Champion - Sarah Simpson

Sarah Simpson is a fourth-year student at Lakehead University in Orillia studying sociology and english with a desire to complete her Bachelor of Education.

Simpson works as a residence advisor, striving to provide empathetic support to students of all cultural backgrounds. She co-founded the local World University Service of Canada, a group that aims to promote social justice and global development initiatives. The future goal of the group is to sponsor a refugee student to study in Canada.

In her spare time, Simpson supports youth from across Canada as a volunteer for Kids Help Phone. She also offers to help foreign-born students improve their English-language skills.

Community Champion - Katie Fraser

Katie Fraser is the international engagement specialist at Lakehead’s Orillia Campus, where she has helped increase the undergrad international student population from 10 to over 60 over the past two years.

Fraser works very closely with LUMA to support and build cultural awareness on campus. Outside of LUMA, under her direction, she promotes and runs diversity-centred events, including a Diversi-TEA in which shared teas from around the world. Fraser was also involved as a fierce ambassador for the anti-racism, #ITSTARTS campaign, ensuring Lakehead was seen as a community leader.

This past summer 20 students from Costa Rica studied English and completed 30 hours of volunteer experience with different organizations in Orillia including Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Birchmere Retirement Residence, Soup Kitchen and Stephen Leacock Museum.

Fraser works collaboratively with the Wellness Department to find suitable healthcare for international students. Fraser is currently introducing the SPICE (Seniors Partnering with Immigrants in Conversation Exchanges) to the Orillia Public Library with the desire to pair Lakehead’s Academic English Program students with local seniors.

Immigrant Youth - Lu-Han Wang

Lu-Han Wang is a third-year international student from Taiwan studying at Lakehead University in Orillia. Wang helped start a peer mentoring program designed to support new international students at the Orillia campus. She now mentors 20 new international students. A member of the Lakehead University Multicultural Association (LUMA), Wang also helped plan events on campus to increase cultural diversity and inclusion awareness.

Immigrant Mentor - Bolu Fabanwo

Fabanwo came to Canada from Nigeria as an International student at Lakehead University in Orillia, graduating in 2019 with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Business Administration.

During his studies at Lakehead, he founded and acted as president of the Lakehead University Multicultural Association (LUMA). Under Bolu’s leadership, LUMA’s membership has increased to become the largest club on the Orillia campus at more than 50 student members. In 2017, he received a Lakehead Leadership award for diversity and inclusion.

As an international student, Fabanwo uses his own experiences establishing himself in Simcoe County and the City of Orillia to help and mentor others who are in similar situations.

Immigrant Artist - Safani Gunasekera

Safani Gunasekera was born in Sri Lanka and immigrated to Canada in 2005. She moved to Simcoe County in 2014, and now resides in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

Gunasekera has a passion for wildlife photography, recently chronicling the adventures of a beaver family as they built a dam in a local subdivision reservoir. Gunasekera is an active and founding member of the Passion Made Studio Art Tour in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

“Thank you for recognizing my work,” said Gunasekera. “Being recognized for my talent and finding my passion is the best thing that could happen to me in Canada.”

Immigrant Entrepreneur - Paola Osorio Silk

Paola Osorio Silk was born in Mexico. She graduated from the University of the Gulf of Mexico and came to Canada after she graduated.

Silk has always had a passion for fashion. Leaving behind her hospitality career, Silk made the life-changing decision to pursue her passion for fashion and create an e-commerce store, Shilango. She employs artisans giving them a fair wage. She uses organic and vegan materials like hazelnut shells, orange peels, and cantaloupe seeds, to create environmentally friendly and cultural clothing.

Silk met with business international students at Lakehead University in June to share her experiences as an entrepreneur in Canada. She mentors new entrepreneurs through programming offered by the City of Barrie. Most recently, Silk facilitated workshops on environmental sustainability at the Barrie Public Library.

“What an honour it is to be up here,” said Silk. “Thank you to Simcoe County for opening the doors to me and my family.”

Culturally Diverse Workforce - Innovative Automation

Innovative Automation is a privately owned company based in Barrie. They provide factory automation solutions to different industries, including the automotive, electronics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and plastics sectors. Innovative currently has 11 per cent of employees who are foreign trained. Their employees speak 15 languages including Latvian, Dutch, Afrikaans, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Kannada, and Hindi.

The company increases employment opportunities for immigrants in Simcoe County by maintaining an active presence in the community. The company also gives back to the community by paying each employee for two days of giving their time in a volunteer capacity.

“We don’t focus on where people come from; we focus on the talent,” said Innovative Automation’s president Steve Loftus. “It makes it an interesting and dynamic place to work. It’s allowed us to reach out into the world. They educate us and bring in new opportunities.”

Welcoming Work Environment / Marketing and Outreach - La Clé

La Clé provides child and family services, employment and training services as well as cultural and radio activities.

In recent years, La Clé has increased the cultural diversity of its staffing complement. Currently, La Clé has a dozen employees from various countries including Haiti, Syria, African countries, Russia and France. Immigrant employees now make up approximately 20 per cent of the organization’s workforce. They make it a priority to assess foreign credentials and place immigrant employees in the appropriate salary grid.

For many years, La Clé has worked to make sure its workplace and programing are culturally inclusive. The organization’s communication strategy represents Canada’s diversity by using photos of individuals of diverse backgrounds in its materials.

Multiculturalism through Education (Educator) - Bethany Winger, Andrew Wilcox and Daniel Wilcox

Bethany Winger, Andrew Wilcox and Daniel Wilcox are grade six, seven and eight teachers at Timothy Christian School in Barrie.

The teachers and students created a manual/guide to inform the school community on actions that welcome Syrian refugees, which was shared with churches and a number of community organizations.

Guided by Bethany, Andrew and Daniel, the students worked together to impart knowledge, understanding and compassion to refugees who had previously been living in dangerous situations.

“We set out to show them that they belong here, and that we are a community that cares,” said Andrew Wilcox, who received the award on behalf of the group.

Service Excellence - Maureen Arbour

Maureen Arbour is the newcomer employment services co-ordinator for Georgian College’s Job Finding Club for Immigrants. The program started in 2017 under her guidance and teaches newcomers interview and resume building skills, provides job search assistance and emphasizes the value of developing a professional network. The initiative has been approved for five more years of funding by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

October 9, 2019 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

The 2020 Maclean’s University Rankings are out, and Lakehead University is, once again, included among Canada’s top 10 primarily undergraduate universities.

Lakehead is ranked No. 2 among Ontario universities in its category.

“I’m very pleased to see that we continue to be recognized as a leading university in Canada,” said Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Moira McPherson. “We have made significant investments in recent years that demonstrate our ongoing commitment to provide a university experience where our students’ unique needs and potential are embraced and nurtured.”

While over 90 per cent of Lakehead’s domestic undergraduate student population faces at least one barrier to postsecondary education, Lakehead University is second among Ontario universities in its category for academic supports for students, including scholarships, bursaries and experiential learning opportunities.

“Our commitment to helping students overcome barriers to access and offering every student a transformative experience is reflected in our unique pathways to entry, student support programs, extensive opportunities for experiential learning and research, strong retention and graduation, and impressive employment outcomes,” explained Dr. McPherson.

The rankings report that Lakehead University has the seventh highest graduation rate among Ontario’s 21 universities, and the highest graduation rate among Ontario’s primarily undergraduate universities.

Lakehead also maintained its No. 2 standing among primarily undergraduate universities for student awards, citations (scholarly output), and total research dollars.

McPherson explained that Maclean’s annual rankings are one of the ways the institution reflects upon where it is and where it wants to go as a university.

The full rankings can be read here.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4008 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 8,500 students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Maclean’s 2020 University Rankings, once again, included Lakehead University among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities, and in 2018, Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Many students are unable to return home during the holiday break, or have never experienced a Christmas in true Canadian fashion. We are looking for Lakehead University staff and faculty to welcome students into their homes over the holiday season.

Whether it’s for a formal dinner, or other holiday festivities, our students would love to spend time with you and your family this holiday season.

The available dates are December 24-28 and you can sign up at https://tinyurl.com/hfth-staff or using the QR code on the poster attached above.

We look forward to you participating in this program and helping make this a memorable holiday season for our International students staying in Thunder Bay!

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact the Lakehead International Office— Library Ground Floor, by emailing Lahama at studentlife.intl@lakeheadu.ca or calling (807) 346-7848.

Lakehead University Library is excited to announce that on December 10, the library is launching a new academic-search tool called Omni.

Omni will significantly change how all members of the Lakehead community discover and access resources for teaching, learning, and research. Omni provides an improved search experience that leverages new technologies to browse vast collections of academic and high-quality materials. Omni will also bring about many user-friendly changes to the library's borrowing policies.

To learn more visit: https://libguides.lakeheadu.ca/news/omni

Updates will continue to be provided through the library's social media channels and website.

Three international students have organized the first-ever TEDx event happening at Lakehead University. TEDxLakeheadU will take place on Friday, Nov. 15 from 1 to 5 pm in the Faculty Lounge at Lakehead.

Harsh Kansara, Tejas Wadiwala, and Sarthak Kothari, all from Mumbai, India, have put together an exciting lineup that you won’t want to miss.

“Our varied speaker list ranges from a national speaker, professional TEDx speakers, Lakehead Faculty to Lakehead alumni,” said Kansara, lead organizer, who is in the second year of his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University. 

“With three Lakehead alumni as our key speakers, Lakehead clearly supports graduates and nurtures their talent to help them reach the pinnacle of success. We have three Thunder Bay residents, three speakers coming in from Toronto and the remaining from Alberta and the USA.”

Natali Surkic, Tamara Bernard, and Jason Grant are all Lakehead graduates, and Dr. Zubair Fadlullah is a faculty member.

This year’s theme is Redesign, Kansara said. 

“This depicts that we, Gen X, Y and Z, must bring in the necessary paradigm shift, as we perceive and experience the world very differently,” he said. “It is time that we realize that we do not want the same status quo as the previous generations – where they had a definite route to happiness and success. This brings us to the fact that we must redesign the way in which individuals and society functions.”

A list of speakers with their talk titles are below. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tedxlakeheadu.com. 

1. TECHNOLOGY – NATALI SURKIC

Title of Talk: “Redesigning Drug Development with Virtual Patients”

2. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR / EMBRACING UNCERTAINTY - DEBRA KASOWSKI

Title of Talk: “Packing a difference in a shoebox”

3. MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER – RHONELLE BRUDER

Title of Talk: “The Three Lessons of Resilience I learned from My Trauma”

4. YOUTH – DAVID DANIEL

Title of Talk: “Survival or Creation: Retraining the Mind to Thrive in Complexity”

5. YOUTH – KEVIN TUERFF

Title of Talk: “Compassion is the New Life Hack”

6. MODIFY YOUR BUSINESS – JASON GRANT

Title of talk: “Becoming A Better Human by Thinking Like A Robot”

7. SOCIETY – TAMARA BARNARD

Title of Talk: “Truth and Reconciliation for Indigenous Womanhood”

8. INNOVATION & AI – DR. ZUBAIR FADLULLAH

Title of talk: “Fusion of AI and IoT: Bridging Urban-Rural Healthcare Gaps”

About TED:

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, including our annual gathering in Vancouver, as well as TEDWomen, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of the talks from TED2019 are published to TED's podcast TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.

TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; the Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TEDSummit, which gathers the most engaged members of the global TED community for brainstorms, discussions, performances, workshops and an eclectic program of mainstage talks; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, TED en Espanol and Sincerely, X.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED, on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ted and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but  individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.) 

For more information about the event, kindly visit: www.tedxlakeheadu.com

For tickets to the event, kindly visit: www.tedxlakeheadu.com/tickets.html

Get in touch with the organizers at tedxlakeheadu@gmail.com

Dr. Edward Rawana, Professor of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, is this week's featured guest on the local Thunder Bay "Deep Superior" podcast with host Marc Perrier.

In this episode (#005), they discuss various concepts underlying Dr. Rawana's strengths-based work with children and youth. This is the work he has embarked on throughout his career as a child psychologist and continues to pursue as Director of LU's own Centre of Education and Research on Positive Youth Development (CERPYD) on the university's Thunder Bay campus. This engaging and insightful episode is highly recommended viewing for educators, parents, psychologists, and anyone interested in a strengths-based perspective on working with young people.

The video can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/LEfmSG7RlqE.

For more information on CERPYD or inquiries related to our work, feel free to contact the centre’s coordinator Bob Lem at cerpyd@lakeheadu.ca or by phone at (807) 343-8196.

September 13, 2019 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

Lakehead University has been included in the top half of the Times Higher Education’s list of top universities from around the world.

The 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings has Lakehead University in the 601-800 category out of nearly 1,400 universities from 92 countries.

“This is a significant achievement for Lakehead University,” said Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “While helping acknowledge and promote Lakehead’s status among the world’s top universities, these rankings acknowledge our University’s ongoing drive and commitment to delivering high quality programs, fostering excellence in research, scholarly and creative work, and providing a unique and transformative learning experience that positions our graduates for success.”

Lakehead University is in the same section of the rankings as other, larger Canadian universities, such as Concordia, Québec, Regina, Sherbrooke, Ryerson and Windsor. This is the first time Lakehead University has participated in the rankings. Not all universities that take part in the rankings are ranked.

Lakehead University’s placement is above the worldwide median in three of the five categories: Research, Citations, and International Outlook.

“Our strong global performance in the Research category reflects Lakehead’s advancement in research and continued recognition as the number one research university in Canada in the primarily undergraduate category, a designation we have been awarded for four consecutive years,” said Dr. Andrew Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

In terms of Lakehead’s position in the International Outlook category, James Aldridge, Vice-Provost, International, explained that, “This is a testament to the efforts we’ve made to develop global perspectives through ongoing internationalization of Lakehead University, as well as the growth of our international student body.”

“In 2019, Lakehead is the university of choice for over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 75 countries,” added Aldridge.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings judges research-intensive universities across each one of their core missions: teaching (the learning environment); research (volume, income and reputation), international outlook (staff, students and research); citations (research influence); industry income (knowledge transfer).

It uses 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, and all data is independently audited by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), making the World University Rankings the only global university rankings to be subjected to full, independent scrutiny of this nature.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. In 2018, Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year, and Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and found that students ranked Lakehead University as one of the top 10 universities in Canada and top three universities in Ontario that prepare them for employment. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

September 23, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University’s free In Conversation talks are returning to the Thunder Bay Public Library with exciting presentations planned for this semester.

Learning and Leading: An Anishinaabe kwe perspective - Saturday, Sept. 28

Cultural knowledge plays an important role in the development of identity. Join Lakehead University’s Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost, Aboriginal Initiatives, as she shares her journey through the education system and connects this to the ways in which she has learned her cultural knowledge. 

As an educator for over 25 years, Denise has worked from within educational systems to affect change and worked to Indigenize and decolonize educational systems to ensure that learners have opportunities to connect with their own identities in the process of learning. Join Denise Baxter at the Mary J.L. Black Library on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 pm.

TBPS and Community: Renewing trust - Saturday, Oct. 19

Academics and reporters have written extensively about broken relationships between police and racialized communities. Recently, national media and oversight committees have focused on broken trust between the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) and Indigenous peoples.

Yet, little has been written on how police services restore broken trust with communities. This talk focuses on an ongoing organizational change initiative to restore trust between the TBPS and Indigenous communities in Thunder Bay.

Join Lakehead University's Dr. Leisa Desmoulins, assistant professor in Education and a consultant for the Thunder Bay Police Service, at the Waverley Library on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 pm.

Big Tires, Big Ambitions: The Role of Fat Bikes in Recreation and Tourism in Northern Ontario - Saturday, Nov. 23

Last winter, undergraduate students and instructors from the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University began exploring how people use fat bikes in recreational and sporting activities.

As one of the first post-secondary courses to be offered on fat biking, Topics in Outdoor Recreation – Fat Bikes: Big Tires – Big Aspirations provides a unique experiential opportunity for students to acquire fat biking skills while also interviewing managers, shop owners and fat bikers throughout Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Minnesota.

Dr. Harvey Lemelin, professor in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, will host this discussion at the Brodie Library on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 pm.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University released its first Sustainability Plan in tandem with one of the Plan’s first projects, an outdoor classroom and stormwater demonstration area, on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The 2019-2024 Sustainability Plan demonstrates Lakehead’s strong commitment to sustainability at both Lakehead Thunder Bay and Lakehead Orillia, and in the wider community. 

At Lakehead University, sustainability is considered in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice and equity, Indigenous rights, secure livelihoods, workplace well-being, and leadership for vibrant and resilient communities.

“Sustainability is about protecting and maintaining the health of the Earth, and all living beings that the Earth supports. It is an urgent matter,” said Dr. David Barnett, Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

“There are numerous sustainability challenges, including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, to name a few. Reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can also be viewed as important in the context of sustainability,” Dr. Barnett said.

Universities have often modelled sustainable behaviour and developed innovative solutions to major sustainability challenges. Two primary functions of universities are to educate students and develop research. 

“Situated next to the boreal forest, and on the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Simcoe, we are reminded of the vital role these natural ecosystems play on the Earth’s health,” Dr. Barnett said. 

Lakehead’s Sustainability Plan is comprehensive, covering the sustainability of the institution’s academics, operations, engagement, and planning and administration. While implementation of the plan will be a collective effort across the University, the Office of Sustainability will oversee its fulfilment.

The plan was a collective effort, developed by the Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with numerous faculty, staff, students, and community members who sit on the University’s Sustainability Stewardship Council and its Working Groups.

The plan will benefit students, staff, faculty, and community members through the various commitments it makes, from increased sustainability programming to enhanced stormwater management of its grounds. 

The recent Depave Paradise project is an example of the implementation of the Sustainability Plan. The project removed 100 m2 of concrete from the Centennial Building courtyard in Thunder Bay, transforming it into an outdoor classroom with four demonstration gardens. The project is part of a broader movement to ‘depave’ hard surfaces and increase water infiltration, thereby decreasing flood risk and filtering pollutants before they enter the watershed.

The space was named M'wade Gaazhi Namaadibinaanowin Outdoor Classroom (Anishinaabemowin for “A Place Where People Sit Down”). The classroom is nestled within the University’s arboretum. To continue the theme of ecological learning, it was designed as a space where students and community members can both gather outdoors for classes and learn about native plants. Interpretive signage will highlight some of the plants and their traditional uses.

“The four demonstration gardens represent the boreal forest ecosystem, the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, ethnobotanical uses of plants, and pollinator-friendly plants,” said Ledah McKellar, Sustainability Coordinator. “Many of these plants are locally and culturally significant and are used widely by Indigenous Peoples for edible, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes.”

The classroom and gardens are important – they are a symbol of reclamation and resurgence of Indigenous traditional knowledge and they create a space to celebrate the importance of our relationship with the Earth.

The Depave project was made possible by Lakehead University, Depave Paradise, Green Communities Canada, Ontario Trillium Foundation, TD Friends of the Environment, EcoSuperior Environmental Programs, the City of Thunder Bay, and the many students, faculty, staff, and community members who assisted along the way.

Embracing a culture of sustainability is a challenging but necessary transition. The power to create a more sustainable Lakehead University lies in this collective action. The University invites the community to become involved in the implementation of the Sustainability Plan.  

For more information, please contact Sustainability Coordinator Ledah McKellar at coordinator.sustainability@lakeheadu.ca. 

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Moira McPherson, third from left, cut the ribbon to officially open Alumni House in 1294 Balmoral along with, from left, Elder Gerry Martin, Lakehead University Board of Governors Chair Ross Murray, Q.C., Yolanda Wanakamik, Vice-President of the Alumni Association of Lakehead University, Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro, and Deb Comuzzi, Lakehead University's Vice-President, External Relations. 

October 3, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of Alumni House in its new location on Thursday, Oct. 3, which kicked off Homecoming Weekend.  

Located at 1294 Balmoral St. in Thunder Bay, Alumni House is now more visible and more accessible to alumni, donors and supporters of Lakehead University.

“Alumni House serves as a welcoming entry point to campus for alumni, donors, and friends who would like to come by and visit,” said Yolanda Wanakamik, Vice-President of the Alumni Association of Lakehead University.

“This new location will also allow Lakehead University to display more than 60 years of memorabilia as a celebration of the University’s past – and the Association’s contributions to Lakehead University,” Wanakamik said.

“With hundreds of alumni visiting Lakehead Thunder Bay for Homecoming, we felt this was an excellent opportunity to hold the grand opening,” said Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead University’s President and Vice-Chancellor.

The Alumni Association of Lakehead University has a long and proud tradition of supporting the institution, recognizing and celebrating the many distinguished Lakehead alumni with awards, and supporting current students through scholarships, bursaries, mentoring, and the creation of opportunities for engagement like Homecoming Weekend.

For more information about Homecoming Weekend, visit lakeheadu.ca/alumni-and-friends/homecoming

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.