Following the recent announcement from the provincial government, of their $50-million investment in colleges across Ontario, Durham College (DC) is pleased to share that it will receive $1.9 million of that legacy funding.

As DC celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, so too does the college system in Ontario. The funding for all 24 of the province’s colleges was awarded in celebration of this milestone year.

The idea of partnering with the provincial government, to establish a legacy fund of $50 million for 50 years, was proposed by chair of the Colleges Ontario 50th anniversary task force and DC President Don Lovisa, in order to benefit all Ontario colleges in a meaningful way.

“What a fantastic way to celebrate this milestone and truly start something amazing,” said Lovisa. “In making this generous funding commitment, the provincial government is recognizing the outstanding achievements of Ontario’s colleges over the past 50 years, while also creating a lasting impact on future generations of students across the province, including Durham College.”

Durham MPP Granville Anderson was onsite at DC’s Whitby campus where he revealed how much of the funding the college will receive, and what this means to students and the greater Durham Region community.

“Over the past 50 years, our colleges have done so much to build Ontario up,” said Durham MPP Granville Anderson. “They provide students with unique experiences and important skills which prepare them to be successful in the workforce. Durham College, specifically, plays a vital role in our community, so it was my pleasure to announce our government’s $1.9 million investment to help make this great school even better.”

During the announcement, DC shared that it will use its portion of the funds to construct a two-storey galleria at its Whitby campus, providing much needed touchdown space and collaboration zones for the more than 2,000 full-time students who call the Whitby campus home.

Construction on the galleria space is expected to begin shortly.