Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake campus is getting a boost thanks to a generous donation from Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro.

On November 1, a 250kW industrial battery storage unit was delivered to the Daniel J. Patterson campus by crane, courtesy of NOTL Hydro. The battery will be used by NC for energy storage for peak demand management, and to support academic study in the Schools of Environment and Horticulture, and Trades.

“Niagara College is grateful to NOTL Hydro for this generous donation which aligns with and will help advance our commitment to sustainability outlined in our Strategic Plan,” said Pam Skinner, Senior Vice-President, College Operations. “Energy storage will benefit the College and our community by reducing both our peak electricity demand and our strain on the local grid.”

The industrial battery was delivered to campus via crane.

Valued at $214,000, the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was used at the local hydro distribution station as a prototype project and research test for renewable energies. No longer in use by NOTL Hydro, the battery will help the College offset peak energy use and help our operations achieve cost-savings over the next 15 to 20 years – the battery’s remaining life span.

“NOTL Hydro initially purchased the battery storage unit as part of a Government of Ontario Smart Grid Fund project to test the viability of using battery storage to increase the capacity of a distribution feeder line to support distributed energy resources. It was also used for testing voltage regulation and peak shaving. In addition to the support from the Government of Ontario Smart Grid Fund, support was also provided by Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada who provided the unit at cost,” said Tim Curtis, President of NOTL Hydro. “We are proud that the battery storage unit will now be used by Niagara College for student development and their own sustainability goals.”

The battery storage unit is significant because it will store off-peak, low emissions electricity to offset the College’s use of peak electricity, which is produced from higher emitting sources.

It will also minimize NC’s demand on the local energy grid during peak times when demand for power is the highest, and when the system relies more heavily on non-renewable energy sources. To learn more about how Ontario generates its electricity, visit the IESO website.

The donation will not only have a positive impact on NC’s energy usage, but also student learning. Data can be harnessed from the battery for student case studies in various environmental and technology programs.

The battery will begin to make a positive impact on NC’s energy use in the spring of 2024 when a support base can be installed, and the battery can be connected to the grid. It is expected to save the College more than $20,000 each year.

A recognition plaque will recognize NOTL Hydro for its generosity.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 11,000 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

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Media inquiries, please contact:

Jessica Torok
Communications Consultant
905-932-1520
[email protected]

Michael Wales
Director, Communications
905-328-4101
[email protected]

The Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) has formed an ecosystem partnership with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, a not-for-profit organization.

Kingston Economic Development Corporation was established in 1998 creating a sustainable and thriving ecosystem to support business growth, start-ups, investment attraction and new foreign direct investment opportunities in Kingston and the region while focusing on opportunities for growing the sustainable manufacturing and health innovation sectors.

Led by Niagara College, SONAMI is a network of 11 postsecondary institutions, who, through their respective research and innovation centres, collaborate with small- and medium-sized companies to tackle their manufacturing-related challenges. The award-winning network leverages faculty, students, and state-of-the-market equipment together with funding from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), to support manufacturing in Canada.

“The SONAMI network continues to provide important resources and support to manufacturing businesses. This network is giving businesses the chance to innovate and grow their ventures so they can create new opportunities across Ontario,” said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “This latest partnership with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation is contributing to SONAMI’s work and providing more essential tools to SMEs while extending the reach of SONAMI so more businesses can thrive. The Government of Canada will continue to support southern Ontario’s advanced manufacturing sector.”

“The City of Kingston enthusiastically welcomes this partnership between Kingston Economic Development Corporation and SONAMI—a strong network that the Government of Canada is proud to support,” said Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. “The SONAMI ecosystem is a shining example of how multi-level collaborations can positively impact Canada’s manufacturing sector, and the growth of its network into eastern Ontario will only make it stronger.”

The partnership will bolster awareness regarding funding, resources, expert researchers, and students available to support companies within the manufacturing industry in eastern Ontario, including across critical sectors such as clean technology, electric vehicles and battery technology, food processing and sustainable manufacturing.

“This ecosystem partnership strengthens SONAMI’s ongoing commitment to support industry and innovation in eastern Ontario,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises at Niagara College. “Kingston Economic Development Corporation has been a great partner to date, and today’s announcement formalizes our already robust relationship.

“In addition, building these ties will link postsecondary institutions and industry, enriching students’ educational journeys through experiential learning opportunities.”

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth in Kingston and eastern Ontario. By joining forces with SONAMI and its network of postsecondary institutions, we are opening up a wealth of opportunities for local businesses, researchers and students, driving forward progress in critical industries such as clean technology, electric vehicles and sustainable manufacturing. Together, we are forging a stronger and more prosperous future for manufacturing in this region,” said Donna Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer, Kingston Economic Development Corporation.

To access the advanced manufacturing network, representatives from interested businesses can contact SONAMI’s Business Development Lead, Mitchell Lutz at [email protected]. For more information about the network, please visit the SONAMI website.

The Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) is a Niagara College-led network of postsecondary institutions, who, through their respective Research and Innovation Centres, collaborate with small- and medium-sized companies to tackle their manufacturing-related challenges. SONAMI leverages faculty, students, and state-of-the-market equipment, together with funding from the Federal Government, to support manufacturing in Canada. Learn more at sonami.ca.

Kingston Economic Development Corporation is focused on building a prosperous community and supporting Kingston’s thriving economy. Its mission is to provide dynamic and collaborative leadership by leveraging Kingston’s unique assets to create jobs and investments in order to sustain, grow, and transform Kingston’s economy to meet the needs of the 21st century. They support the attraction of new foreign direct investment, business retention and expansion and start-ups and entrepreneurs.

For 14 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 11,000 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca

 

SONAMI quick facts:

• SONAMI was established in 2016 – led by Niagara College, in partnership with McMaster University, Mohawk College and Sheridan College – with an initial $7.3-million Government of Canada investment through FedDev Ontario, which provided funding through March 2019. The network expanded to include seven additional academic institutions: Centennial, Conestoga, Fanshawe, Lambton, and George Brown , Fleming colleges, and Queen’s University.
• In July 2019, FedDev Ontario announced an additional investment of $14 million towards a five-year project (through to March 2024), which would grow the network by adding members and enhance its reach to help manufacturers innovate.
• Niagara College received the 2019 Research Partnership Award from the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) for the significant impact SONAMI has had on the regional economy.

• Through specialized expertise, resources, and Research & Development (R&D) capabilities, SONAMI partners have a broad range of capabilities that provide effective innovation and technology transfer in areas of automation, additive manufacturing, product testing & validation, Industry 4.0, process optimization, simulation & modelling, and digitally enabled and intelligent manufacturing.

• Small- and medium-sized companies wanting to innovate but lacking the necessary resources, such as time, knowledge/skills, or finances, to propel them to the next level can reduce the risk associated with their research and development (R&D) by taking advantage of a 1:1.2 funding match on projects. FedDev Ontario’s investment is matched by a combination of cash and in-kind contributions from the industry partner. This could potentially decrease overall project costs by up to 50 percent and enable more companies to participate.

• During the summer, SONAMI expanded its presence into the eastern regions of southern Ontario, adding the Queen’s University’s Structural and Multidisciplinary Systems Design (SMSD) Lab in Kingston, as well as the Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT) in Peterborough, and the Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT) in Lindsay, both affiliated with Fleming College.

Kingston Economic Development Corporation quick facts:

• Kingston Economic Development was established in 1998 as a separately incorporated not-for-profit agency. Kingston’s Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors with representation from the business community and municipal council (mayor and three annually appointed councillors).

• In 2021, Kingston Economic Development launched a new Integrated Economic Development Strategy that lays the foundation for strategies, tactics and targeted activities that will create a sustainable and thriving ecosystem to support business growth, start-ups, investment attraction and new foreign direct investment opportunities in our community. Through this strategy, Kingston will focus on two main sectors – Health Innovation and Sustainable Manufacturing.
• Kingston Economic Development is committed to the key issue of long-term economic sustainability. The Kingston Economic Development’s success is based on the attraction of new business, the growth and retention of existing business and tourism opportunities as measured by the resulting economic impact on our community. Kingston Economic Development oversees Attraction & Aftercare, Business Growth & Retention and Start-ups & Entrepreneurship Portfolios.

Top photo: Representatives from SONAMI and Kingston Economic Development Corporation tour Frulact in Kingston, Ontario including (from left) Abdul Razak Jendi (Investment Manager, Sustainable Manufacturing, Kingston Economic Development Corporation), Mafalda Filipe (Quality Assurance Manager, Frulact Canada), Meghan Baryliuk (Research & Investment Support Coordinator, Kingston Economic Development Corporation), Kithio Mwanzia (Network Manager, SONAMI), and Robert Sullivan (Key Accounts Manager, Frulact Canada).

Videos:

https://youtu.be/RxVYV0Yeu1Q?feature=shared A video showcasing Kingston, Ontario and the Kingston Economic Development Corporation.

https://youtu.be/OSO6gpzZIuI?feature=shared A video providing an overview of the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI).

 

Media inquiries, please contact:

Julie Greco

Corporate Communications Consultant

Niagara College

Cell: 905-328-2532

[email protected]

 

Nour Mazloum

Marketing & Communications Manager

Kingston Economic Development

Cell: 613-329-9270

[email protected]

 

Edward Hutchinson

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

[email protected]

 

 

Ceremonies will continue on October 27

With drumming beats from the Strong Water Singers and inspiring words from the College president, Niagara College kicked off the first day of its largest Fall Convocation Ceremonies to date.

The first of three Fall 2023 Convocation ceremonies at the College, an afternoon ceremony on October 26 marked the graduation of almost 500 students from a variety of programs within its School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker, and School of Academic and Liberal Studies.

In an inspiring address from the convocation platform, NC President Sean Kennedy encouraged the graduating students to embrace their ‘inner five year old.’

“As I reflect on the state of the world today, global and human crises can feel overwhelming and, at times, hopeless. This is where your ‘inner five year old’ can help restore a sense of balance,” said Kennedy.

“Always strive for the highest of standards in all that you do. Make a difference in the lives of your family, your workplaces, our communities, and our world,” he said.

“Be responsible adults and citizens but, along the way, remember your early self, before the pressures of social norms and social media, before you felt the demands and stresses and messes of society and our interconnected world. May you always be guided by your inner five-year-old in embracing a world full of possibility, discovery, wonder and joy.”

Most of the day’s graduates are bound for in-demand health-care fields, with almost 350 graduating from programs within NC’s School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker alone including Gerontology, Palliative Care – Multidiscipline, Nursing Leadership and Health Care Management, and Community Mental Health Multidiscipline.

Due to a record number graduates this fall, NC expanded its Fall Convocation Ceremonies to be held over two days with three ceremonies in 2023 – its largest Fall Convocation to date.

The October 26 ceremony began with drumming from the Strong Water Singers, an Indigenous collective of drummers from across the Niagara region – who will also set the tone for NC’s convocation ceremonies on October 27.

Fall Convocation will continue at NC on October 27 with ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The morning ceremony will celebrate more than 530 graduating students will cross the stage from various programs within the School of Business and Management Studies; School of Environment and Horticulture; School of Hospitality and Tourism; School of Wine, Beer and Spirits; and School of Culinary Arts.

An afternoon ceremony will celebrate more than 560 new graduates from a wide variety of program areas within its School of Allied Health Studies – including NC’s first class of Massage Therapy graduates – School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker, School of Community Services, School of Justice and Fitness Studies, School of Trades, and School of Technology. The College will also confer an Honorary Degree in Applied Studies upon Indigenous education leader Rebecca Jamieson, President-CEO of Six Nations Polytechnic, during the afternoon ceremony.

The almost 1,600 NC students graduating at Fall Convocation this year will join an additional 4,500 from who graduated during five days of Spring Convocation Ceremonies in June to make up NC’s Class of 2023. They will also join NC’s alumni community of more than 120,000 – and growing!

NC’s Fall 2023 Convocation Ceremonies are held at NC’s Simplii Financial Athletic Centre (gymnasium) at the Welland Campus. Ceremonies may also be viewed via livestream or watched later via the convocation website at niagaracollege.ca/convocation.

For more information about NC’s Fall 2023 Fall Convocation Ceremonies – including a schedule and list of programs graduating within each School –visit the ‘Ceremony Schedule’ section of NC’s Convocation website.

 

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 11,000 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

 

Related release:

Oct. 23: Niagara College expands Fall Convocation with record number of October grads

 

TOP PHOTO: Graduates prepare to enter their convocation ceremony at the Welland Campus on October 26.

 

Media inquiries, please contact:

 

Julie Greco

Communications Consultant

905-328-2532

[email protected]

 

Michael Wales

Director, Communications

905-328-4101

[email protected]

 

Niagara College will open its doors to an anticipated 2,000 to 3,000 guests during its Fall Open House, November 4, when prospective students, parents and friends will visit the Welland Campus and the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake to explore all the College has to offer.

The Open House will run simultaneously from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at both campuses.

“Niagara College’s Fall Open House is a critical step for future NC students to experience and explore everything there is to learn about Niagara College’s programs and services, said Ian Aikenhead, Director, Student Recruitment. “Campus tours, open labs and faculty-led information sessions allow future students to learn and ask questions about their programs of interest.”

All of NC’s 130 programs will be represented at the event with every school of study offering a scheduled information session. Smaller break-out sessions for individual programs will also be available.

Campus tours, a Student Services Fair and academic displays will show guests what makes NC unique, while NCexperts will guide visitors at each campus and share what to expect from a student perspective.

At the Student Services Fair, visitors can learn more about the outstanding supports offered to students to help them achieve success during their studies. Admissions and Financial Aid and Enrolment Services staff will also be on site and ready to facilitate student applications.

An Academic Marketplace—where guests can collect information about the many full- and part-time offerings at each campus—is where faculty, staff and students from the College’s various program areas will chat one-on-one with potential students about life at NC and career opportunities after graduation.

This fall, the event has been modified to allow for flexible, more frequent campus tours so attendees can see the labs in their areas of interest. Beginning at 10 a.m. and for the next four hours, current NC students will continuously escort groups of visitors across campus to point out learning and study spaces, common areas, student services and labs. In total, between 15 and 20 labs will be open, including Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, Environment and Horticulture, Media and Trades.

Registration is required for prospective students. Those who register and check-in at the event using their ticket will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a $5,000 credit towards their NC tuition for the 2024-2025 school year. Students can also enter to win one of 10 $100 Amazon gift cards by registering for NC’s Fall Open House before Thursday, Nov. 2 at 11:59 p.m.

Though pre-registration is not mandatory – students can register at the door if needed – only those who register before Nov. 2 will be eligible for the gift card draw.

Free parking is available at all lots at both campuses during the event. For directions, program locations by campus and schedules, visit the Open House website: openhouse.niagaracollege.ca

While Open House, held in both fall and spring, is a key highlight in the recruitment cycle, NC’s Student Recruitment team connects with prospective students throughout the year to help them choose the next step in their educational journey.

Earlier this fall, the College also began offering a digital Custom Viewbook for those interested in exploring an education at NC. The innovative tool allows students to personalize their experience in under 60 seconds. Learn more at customviewbook.niagaracollege.ca/home.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 11,000 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

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Media inquiries, please contact:

Elyse Howarth
Communications Consultant
905-329-4910
[email protected]