News

Message from Jim Reed - President, BC Colleges

Message from Jim Reed - President, BC Colleges


We're pleased to issue our first installment of "What's New at BC Colleges".  This report is designed to provide information about the 11 public, post-secondary colleges and their many campuses, close to 70 at last count, throughout British Columbia.  The goal of the report is to provide a synopsis of recent developments, media coverage, press releases, reports and other newsworthy information.  Ultimately, we hope the report will become a valuable source of information for those involved with post-secondary education in BC.  People interested in receiving the report can sign-up directly on the website.  We welcome your feedback and would be happy to hear from you.  Please feel free to e-mail us at  whatsnew@bccolleges.ca. Sincerely, Jim Reed President, BC Colleges



Selkirk gets cash to help unemployed Castlegar News Tue Dec 8  2009 


Selkirk College is one of 20 colleges and universities in B.C. that will share an investment of $5.2 million from the provincial government towards skills training for the unemployed. "We are very happy about the funding," said Vi Kalesnikoff, dean of community, corporate and international development. "It will give us the ability to support a number of individuals in making significant changes in their lives." Read more.

Graduate's art part of Olympics The Daily News (Prince Rupert), Fri Dec 4  2009


Kaska/Tlingit artist Dean Heron, a graduate of the First Nations Fine Arts Diploma program at NWCC, is featured in a new book of Aboriginal art by Canadian artists that will be displayed during the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. Northwest Community College (NWCC) and Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art alumnus Dean Heron and his artwork are featured in a newly-published book of Aboriginal art inspired by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Read more. 

Camosun relights B.C. Games torch Oak Bay News, Thu Dec 3  2009


Greener version of the Games' symbol created. Students, graduates and faculty in Camosun College's engineering department were tasked earlier this year with making the B.C. Games torch greener. As it stood for 20 years, the flame ran on natural gas for 100 days prior to the opening of both the summer and winter games. Read more.

Aviation course offered at CNC Quesnel Cariboo Observer, Thu Dec 3  2009


A feasibility study is complete and the two-year diploma flight training program at CNC's Nechako campus is ready for its next stage of clearance. The proposed program, which will be based in Vanderhoof, is different than other diplomas tied to commercial pilot training," project planner with the Vanderhoof campus Susan Mooney said. "It's geared for success in the North," she said.  Read more.

New Health Care Assistant program at COTR Fernie campus Dec 2  2009, The Daily Townsman (Cranbrook)


The Province is investing $62,500 to support the delivery of a health care assistant program at the College of the Rockies' Fernie campus, announced Bill Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East. "The College of the Rockies is an integral part of the Fernie community, and this program will offer new opportunities to local students," said Bennett. Read more.

82 New Seats Improve Access for Rural Health Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development press release, December 1, 2009 The Province is investing $614,385 at public post-secondary institutions in six rural communities to train 82 health care assistants across B.C., announced Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. “These new seats will help build on our initiatives to boost the rural workforce in the health care sector, making sure all British Columbians have access to top-notch services when they’re needed,” said Stilwell. “We’re also making sure students have more access closer to home to programs they need to fulfil their potential and fully participate in the economy.” Read more.


Air Canada's enRoute magazine highlights VCC aboriginal culinary arts Vancouver Community College website, November 27, 2009


More exposure for VCC's aboriginal culinary arts training: Air Canada's enRoute in-flight magazine in November included mention of the innovative program as part of its special food issue.  EnRoute highlighted aboriginal culinary fare from Australia and New Zealand to South Africa, Ontario and British Columbia -- noting VCC's program -- sharing a feast of indigenous cuisine with its international readership. VCC's aboriginal culinary arts program -- the first in Canada -- was developed in collaboration with the Four Host First Nations, and runs as part of the college's Vancouver Culinary Institute. Read more.

College student heading for 2010 Paralympic Games College of the Rockies website, November 2009


College student heading for 2010 Paralympic Games ~Luke Donovan, a Marketing student in the Business Administration program and Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team member, has found the right fit with COTRs location, program, and supportive atmosphere. ~Originally from Dalhousie, New Brunswick and Morell, PEI he chose COTR because it fit with his training and educational goals. "I was a student in Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and made the move to BC to pursue Alpine Skiing. After two years in BC, living in Vernon and then Kimberley, I was looking for a school that would be functional with my career during and after sport. I ski for the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team and the sport takes a lot of commitment with travel, training and just living the life of an athlete with a physical disability. College of the Rockies provided the education, Kimberley Alpine Ski Resort provided the training facility and with the airport being so close - it just was the right decision."  Read more.

Northern Lights College; B.C.'s energy college The Edmonton Journal, Sun 22 Nov 2009


At Northern Lights College (NLC), this is more than a slogan -it is a commitment! Two exciting program areas drive this commitment: oil and gas, and clean energy technologies. NLC is the Centre of Excellence for Oil and Gas in British Columbia, with programming based in the Jim Kassen Industry Training Centre at the Fort St. John Campus. To fulfill this key provincial role, NLC trains learners to work in the oil and gas industry. Curriculum is developed in consultation with industry experts, ensuring learners are taught exactly what they need to know to start a career. Read more.

New Langara College buildings officially open Friday, November 20, 2009 Langara Website, Fri Nov 20  2009


Langara College celebrated the Official Opening of the Students’ Union Building (SUB) and ‘C’ Building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the new facilities, Friday, November 20. The event opened with a performance by a group of Langara’s Studio 58 students and an aboriginal prayer by Musqueam Elder, Larry Grant. Langara College Board Chair David Chiang and President David Ross welcomed several guests, including Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Dr. Moira Stilwell, and Abbotsford Member of Parliament, Ed Fast. Read more.

College Breaks Ground for $28M Centre of Excellence  Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Press Release Industry Canada, November 20, 2009


Construction is set to begin on Okanagan College’s new $28-million Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation following the official groundbreaking by provincial, federal and college representatives. The project will create up to 179 direct jobs. “The investment in Okanagan College will provide a significant economic stimulus to our community and will create jobs in this region,” said Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla. “Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs, to help our economy recover quickly and to improve the quality of life for Canadians.  Young people and older citizens in increased numbers will benefit from the ongoing excellence of Okanagan College.” Read more.

B.C. develops quality seal for post-secondary institutions Janet Steffenhagen, The Vancouver Sun, Wed 18 Nov 2009


British Columbia has developed a quality-assurance seal for post-secondary institutions that's intended to help students choose reputable schools. The seal, promised two years ago after B.C.'s reputation was damaged by some unscrupulous private operators, was announced Tuesday by Advanced Education Minister Moira Stilwell and is available immediately for interested institutions. Read more.

Douglas College poet wins Governor General’s Award Douglas College website, November 17, 2009


David Zieroth, long-time instructor in the Creative Writing Department at Douglas College, has won the Governor General’s Award for English-language poetry it was announced in Montreal, November 17th. Zieroth’s book, The Fly in Autumn, (Harbour Publishing) was chosen by a national panel as the best work of its kind this year. The Governor General's Award  is administered and promoted by the Canada Council for the Arts and is Canada’s oldest and most prestigious award for English- and French-language Canadian literature. The award is worth $25,000 and the publisher of each winning book receives $3,000 to support promotional activities.  Read more.

New NIC president shares vision with supporters Lindsay Chung, Comox Valley Record, Tues November 17, 2009


Dr. Jan Lindsay is passionate about education and optimistic about North Island College. The college's new president shared that optimism with college supporters during a North Island College (NIC) Foundation breakfast reception Thursday at the Old House Restaurant. "I'm very excited to be moving here to the Courtenay area and being at North Island College," she said. "I realize this is a tremendous honour. The college means a lot to the community and the communities it serves." Read more.

GIS: A hot field of study - From crime prevention to climate change, it's the fine art of interactive maps Cathryn Atkinson, The Globe and Mail, Nov. 16, 2009 04:14 PM EDT


At B.C.'s Selkirk Community College in the tiny Kootenay community of Castlegar, students from a multiplicity of academic backgrounds are reinventing a military mapping technology for peaceful purposes. The college's Geospatial Research Centre, which opened in 2004, has become a leading Canadian research centre in Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, a mapping and data system which creates multi-layered geospatial pages of information to specific areas to allow government, business and industry to quickly and accurately gauge everything to the flora and fauna found on a mountainside, to the demographics and crime statistics of an urban setting. Read more.

VCC board appoints Kathy Kinloch as the college's new president Vancouver Community College website, November 4, 2009


Vancouver Community College's board has appointed Kathy Kinloch as the college's new president, chair Don Fairbairn announced today.  Kathy Kinloch named Vancouver Community College's new president. Kinloch joins VCC with extensive experience including post-secondary education, government and the health-care sector, and comes to the college from her current role as dean of health sciences at the B.C. Institute of Technology, a position she has held since 2007. She takes up her new role at VCC on March 15. Read more.


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BC Colleges is a consortium representing BC’s 11 public, community colleges serving almost 200,000 students annually with campuses in close to 70 communities throughout British Columbia. BC’s 11 colleges offer a comprehensive range of programs from university studies and baccalaureate degrees to career, technical and trades education. All 11 of BC’s colleges offer programs that are designed to be accessible, affordable and responsive to the evolving needs of BC communities and industry. For more, visit our website.